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Mount Stuart is the second highest non-volcanic mountain in the Washington Cascades in the United States. (It is the sixth-highest independent peak in Washington overall.) Mount Stuart is the highest peak in the Stuart Range, and is contained within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, located in the central part of the Washington Cascades, south of Stevens Pass and east of Snoqualmie Pass. The south face of Mount Stuart has an unusual filigree of rocks, due to glacial plucking. Like many Cascade peaks, Mount Stuart is more notable for its local relief than for its absolute elevation. For example, the south face rises 5000 feet (1524 m) in just 2 horizontal miles (3.2 km). The northeast and northwest sides of the mountain exhibit similar steep relief. The first ascent of Mount Stuart is somewhat in doubt. According to Fred Beckey: "Claude Rusk... was told by Frank Bryant of Yakima about finding a stick at the summit bearing the name `Angus McPherson—1873.' A. H. Sylvester, who climbed to the summit in 1897 and 1899 for triangulation, believed the first ascent was made by Richard U. Goode and Frank Tweedy during the Northern Pacific land survey about 1890 (possibly 1885)." Also, since the easiest route is not technical, a much earlier Native American ascent is a possibility. The standard route is the Southeast Route, which has several variations. All of these ascend gullies on the southeast slopes of the mountain to a false summit just southeast of the main summit, and finish along a short ridge. The route involves scrambling, and often, steep snow. Other, much more serious and technical climbs are available on the complex North Face of the mountain.
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