[TR] Five Days in the Southern Pickets, 8/21/10-8/26/10 - Chopping Block, NE Ridge; Terror, E Ridge 8/27/2010

[nkane]

Trip: Five Days in the Southern Pickets, 8/21/10-8/26/10 - Chopping Block, NE Ridge; Terror, E Ridge

 

Date: 8/27/2010

 

Trip Report:

When my friend Sandy told me he was interested in coming west for a climbing trip, I asked him one question: "how do you feel about suffering?"

 

When he told me he felt pretty badass, I decided it was time to check out the Picket Range. This would be my first trip in the North Cascades National Park, and Sandy's first alpine trip of any significance ever.

 

We ended up having a stellar trip, with no small amount of suffering, but counterbalanced by equal parts alpine ecstasy. We got two summits by cool routes and had a blast. Loads of pictures are here: Pictures

 

Day 1

 

We left town late in the day, allowing for our hangovers to recede, and headed to the ranger's office for our permits. After a ginormous burger at Good Food (where we were assaulted by ravenous cats), we headed into the woods at the Upper Goodell Creek Campsite, parking at the turnout that Beckey advises. We shouldered our packs (stuffed with what turned out to be WAAAYYY too much food) and hiked 4 miles in and made camp at the obvious cairn/arrow that marks the start of the Terror creek approach.

 

 

 

Day 2

 

When a Beckey guide describes an approach as a "long physical day," take him at his word. Such is the approach to the Barrier. We actually briefly took the wrong trail, heading to Terror Basin, and had to schwack over to the trail leading to the Terror Creek crossing. There is a good trail leading to a log at 2050ft.

 

Can you spot the bushwacker?

 

Log shimmying:

 

Around this time it started to really rain. We slogged up the scrambly trail to the ridge crest at 3600 feet, and got thoroughly soaked. The next 1600ish feet go up the crest of the ridge that becomes the Barrier, and the trail becomes increasingly hard to follow. Blueberries abounded, though.

 

 

 

We finally broke out above treeline at about 730 pm and threw the tent up in the first decent spot near running water that we could find. It was a cold shivery night in soaked sleeping bags in a soaked tent.

 

Day 3

 

But then, the mountains rewarded us for our suffering:

 

 

 

Sprinklings of snow on McMillan Spire:

 

We decided to take a rest day and dry everything out. We moved camp through Stump Hollow and up to a sweet site on the ridge below the Chopping block.

 

 

Prophet (I think), Baker, Shuksan:

 

Day 4:

 

We climbed the Chopping Block by its Northeast Ridge. This is a fun little route with good rock that gets better as you climb higher. The bottom is kind of 3rd class moss. We rapped it with a 70m using existing stations - there was a little bit of downclimbing but it was pretty mellow.

 

 

Should have worn my red jacket to climb in; I blend in too much.

 

 

Day 5:

 

We got up early and did the East Ridge of Mount Terror. This is a decently long day from Chopping Block Camp, and the route is quite a bit more serious. We found a good deal of loose rock (more than Beckey's "minimal looseness") and had a bit of routefinding trouble. We rapped the route with a 70m, which involved downclimbing some loose, exposed 3rd class terrain; there were a few existing stations, which we beefed up, and we added a few more. The volume of loose rock made this rap not a very fun experience - descending the west ridge might be a better option. Still, this is a good route with stellar exposure, if you don't mind pulling off a fair number of holds.

 

 

Slabs leading up to the ridge:

 

 

First pitch - pretty punchy for 5.6, but some of the best rock and moves on the route:

 

 

Traversing over 4th class rubble. Ignore the horizon tilt.

 

I decided this was not the right way:

 

So we did this 5.6 roof with loose holds instead:

 

Summit porn:

 

 

 

The McMillan Glacier was bombarding the valley with car-sized seracs all day, which really added to the ambiance.

 

 

 

Day 6:

 

We woke to rapidly descending clouds and skedaddled down the Barrier to the car. We left camp at 8, and it was raining by 10. Back at the car at 3:20, soaked again. We finished up an awesome trip with Annie's Pizza in Concrete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Rope: 70m 9.4mm

Rack: some nuts and tricams, single rack camalots .4-3, plus a few wild country zeroes and a yellow link cam. slings and cord for bailing.

Food: way too much

We left two awesome walking sticks at the trailhead. go get them.

 

Approach Notes:

Schwacktacular. A bramble scramble in the Picket thicket. Vertical jungle swimming.

 

 

[zoroastr]

Way to nab the weather window! the cloud ceiling really enhances some of your landscapes. Congrats on your summits, and thanks for the share.

[genepires]

that log crossing is bad ass.

 

purdy pictures too. the bd axe shot is interesting.

[curtveld]

Wow, that's some pretty good success for a first Picket trip - especially one that starts with rain!

 

That Terror E Ridge has intrigued me since I looked up it late one day. Sounds like a mixed bag - so would you recommend it (to a seasoned party, that is)?

[magellan]

 

Frickin gorgeous! Way to get after it.

[ivan]

[nkane]

Wow, that's some pretty good success for a first Picket trip - especially one that starts with rain!

 

That Terror E Ridge has intrigued me since I looked up it late one day. Sounds like a mixed bag - so would you recommend it (to a seasoned party, that is)?

 

I would recommend it as a way to climb Terror - it's surprisingly short, so if you manage to stay on route, it will go quickly. And like I said, the climbing is really good where it's good, and the exposure is really nice.

 

But there's so much loose rock on the raps that I think it probably makes more sense to descend the West Ridge. We were lucky not to pull anything big down onto ourselves. Going up and over the top adds some length to the day, and you'll have to carry your boots, but it's probably safer and more fun, especially before the snow in the west gully melts out. That said, I haven't done that route, so I can't vouch for it, but it seems like it should be a better way way to descend.

[curtveld]

Cool, thanks. The photos I've seen of that W Ridge gully are pretty nasty, but they were from late season.

[mountainsloth]

amazing photog!

Annie's Pizza is the shiz! Best pizza in WA!