Arts Knoll via Ptarmigan Traverse(edit)

The second stage of the PT sidehills across the head of the Middle Fork Cascade River cirque, climbs glacier to the 7300' col between Spider Mountain and Mount Formidable, then drops into the Flat Creek drainage to traverse that cirque to the curiously-named Yang Yang Lakes. The few trees you encounter at the end are the first since before the Cache Glacier. From Kool-Aid Lake traverse S (and detour immediately up to climb Hurry-up if you want). A half-mile S of the lake, the slope is blocked by a rock rib running down from Arts Knoll (7200'). Find the appropriately-named Red Ledge at about 6300' (elevation not checked) to pass the rib. After the rib, continue traversing S, gradually dropping to about 5,900' to pass under a minor buttress 0.6 mile S of the Red Ledge. On the second stage of the...Traverse from the Red Ledge toward Middle Cascade Glacier Stay low for a while, then ascend to reach the side of the Middle Cascade Glacier at about 6,600 feet. Rope up. Cross the upper glacier heading almost due S, climbing to Spider-Formidable Col at about 7,380' (map). These twin notches, dividing Spider Mountain from Mount Formidable, offer a choice. Beckey's guidebook advises passing through the right-hand (W) one. You'll descend bearing rightward to the minor glacier at the head of Flat Creek cirque. Our party was there in 1991, after a heavy-snow winter. We looked over the W notch, then chose the narrower E notch, finding perfect snow to plunge-step straight down to the same glacier. [2008 addendum: So far, nobody has admitted to using the W notch that Beckey seems to recommend. It appears to have been a typo, corrected in later editions. Take the E notch.] Starting down from E notch of Spider-Formidable Col. The snow gully to the S was steep enough to give a couple of our party members pause; we had them lead their respective ropes, effectively giving them a top-rope. The slope angle eases at about 7,040'. Here are more choices: To climb the standard route on Spider, head ESE here, toward the 7,860' saddle in Spider's S ridge. We found a decent camp for two tents SW of the E notch, on a rock ledge at about 6,800'. The standard route on Formidable is across the ridge 0.6 mi. W. Otherwise, contour W and then S around Flat Creek cirque. It's probably easiest if you stay near 6,500' to the little glacier on the NE side of Point 7040+ (map), then climb the glacier diagonally to its upper edge at 6,800'. Traverse around the knob and descend S to the bench holding Yang Yang Lakes. It's been a long time since I was there, but the country is wide-open, so trust your eyes and judgment over my memory. https://www.summitpost.org/stage-2/166890