Sharkfin Tower

Sharkfin Tower is an 8,120+ ft summit located in North Cascades National Park, in Skagit County of Washington state. It is set in the scenic North Cascades, which is a sub-range of the Cascade Range. The peak is situated midway on the high ridge which connects Forbidden Peak with Boston Peak. The Quien Sabe Glacier lies below its southern cliffs, and the immense Boston Glacier spreads out below the north aspect. Many climbers consider Sharkfin Tower as having some of the best granite in the state of Washington. Two popular established rock climbing routes are the Southeast Ridge first climbed in August 1947, and the Southeast Face, first climbed by Jim Nelson, Jim Martin, Kit Lewis, Bill Liddell, and Dave Bale in September 1990. The first ascent of the Northwest Face was made on July 1, 1968, by Mike Heath, Dan Raish, and Woody Savage. On July 10, 2005, tragedy befell a party of The Mountaineers attempting to climb the tower, resulting in three fatalities and one injured. Surface runoff from Sharkfin Tower drains into the Cascade River and Thunder Creek, both of which are tributaries of the Skagit River. ()