Trip: Argonaut - NE Couloir

Date: 6/2/2007

Trip Report:
Decided after reading up on various reports on CC.com that this would make a fine solo outing and I was eager to get into the Stuart range again. It had been since September afterall!

The trip I took was one that came recommend someplace among these postings and I recommend it as well. In summary, up Argonaut via the NE Couloir, down Argonaut's East gulley, overland and up Colchuck's South face, and down the Colchuck Glacier.

In more detail, I walked up the Stuart Lake trail to Mountaineers Creek. Up that until spotting the east fork, crossing the streams in the pleasant forest there. Even managed a wood ride on one wet log, straddling a la Dr. Strangelove. Yee haw!

Sometimes if you've been strictly on trails for a spell, a little offroad action really fits the bill. Saturday, the Schwackmaninov was music to my ears, and any extreme heinousness was avoided by sticking in the timber on the left side of the Argonaut basin.

I reached snow (and larch trees shortly thereafter) around 5400' stopped to fill up on water and don the crampons. After that it was smooth sailing really. Up snow to the top of the moraine and into Jason's Esophogus (as one report called it). The gulley was as billed, a pretty consistent 45 degrees, and yes, still a bit of ice in the 1st constriction. Occasional hollowness with water rushing underneath, step gingerly to the side...Oh in the 1st constriction, one plant of the ice brought the water like a mini geyser the snow was so saturated there.



I exited the gulley a bit early perhaps, but why not. I was ready for views. One tricky, exposed shimmy around a big block -- excitement in crampons!-- and I was on the upper snowfield.

Left my pack at the rap station to the east gulley descent (the upper one apparently - I saw two), ate some food, and took off the boots for some much needed foot drying.

The trip to the summit was an easy shot from there with some really cool ridge climbing on superb granite. There is an absolutely massive orange slab of rock leaning against the summit block. Becky mentions it. I went under it going and around it on the south ledges for variety coming back. Sick exposure.




[Blue is up, Red down.]

One rappel brought me to a big ledge system, but I managed to get my rope caught in the crack (situated perfectly for just this scenario). This was somewhat fortunate cause it provided me the opportunity to climb this awesome dihedral, but it did make me wonder why I had brought the rope at all if I was going to climb back up it. Well it would've been a gripping downclimb, especially with a pack on.

From there I traversed the ledge system to the east gulley (just 40 feet away), put the crampons on and downclimbed the gulley. Then it was onward with the technical aspects of this journey behing me. Over and up to the top of Colchuck and down the Colchuck Glacier to the trail making for a rather tasty loop hike in the high country.




Gear Notes:
Missing: extra (dry) socks

aluminum crampons, one aluminum axe, one Black Compact tool, 50m rope, sunscreen

Approach Notes:
Missing: mosquito repellent

PS: Much thanks to Heinrich for the pre-trip beta.

Right on, John! Good to see that paternity hasn't stymied your love for the outdoors. I gotta get my thermos from you one of these daze.

Nice job. It looks like you did the exact same thing we did on the route and going over Colchuck, expect we exited the couloir at the top and soloed that dihedral you mention up to the summit ridge.

Nice TR.

that does sound like a tasty solo loop, its now on the list

I wonder...what time were you on the summit at colchuck? We saw a solo guy leaving when we got up there.

Anyway, sweet looking climb.

Summited Colchuck at 3:10pm. Saw two dudes on summit shortly thereafter as I peered down the east gulley routes. Exchanged a wave (with one of you I suppose).

I just read your report. Sounds cool. The first time I tried that route, I ascended the N buttress couloir just fine, but rode the ridge from there. And it was much like Weekend Climberz said...ended up being a great route.

Seeing your pic, I think you arrived at the trailhead just as I was leaving the parking lot.

I don't suppose you left a number 6 wild country nut with a black cord attached to it in that wonderful dihedral where your rope got stuck, did you? If so its sitting here on my desk right now.
We were lounging at the base of the northwest arete route while you were on the summit. Made it to the top at about 11 AM on Sunday. We happened to rappel down the same dihedral and almost stopped and took a lap. We had a similar rope/crack experience, but luckily our rope came free.

The NW arrete route is about 95% snow free now, but there is a fair amount of loose rock. It gets better as you near the top. We made it up in about 5.5 - 6 pitches of good fun climbing.

Glad you had a good trip! The route you took to the upper snowfield looked pretty interesting. . . . maybe I'll have to try it next time.

Jason

Jaredvq, that'd be the piece I left, probably more suited to weighting down a few papers on your desk. If you have a better use for it, have at, it's yours.

Way to go on getting the arete! Sounds like fun (well except for the loose rock parts).

Did you come down somewhere between Argonaut and Colchuck then??

The arete was definitely fun and it even has some good bivy sites right at the base of the route. We woke up put on our harnesses, roped up and started climbing about 50 feet from where we slept.

We did the Mountaineers Creek bushwhack in complete with the biggest porcupine I've ever seen in the Cascades, and our route out was pretty much identical to yours. We went down the dihedral and then plunge stepped down the couloir. We had done a carry over with our packs, so we were a little burned and decided to just cruise over the dragontail-colchuck col as opposed to additionally climbing colchuck. We definitely thought about it though.

Good job on the solo trip, we figured the footprints in the snow looked pretty fresh.