tvashtarkatena Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) Trip: The Moxes, Custer & Rahm, Spickard - Standards Date: 7/21/2008 Trip Report: Trip Report: Spickard Slam Don ascending EZ Mox “Paleface Pass? Where the hell is THAT?” The small sign, nailed to a stump, confirmed what our compass had been telling us: we were not 3 miles and 1800’ feet up Depot Creek, but in some other Canadian drainage, going the wrong direction. The temperature was now in the high 80s. I was eating electrolyte pills like candy. Damn. We arrived at Ouzel Lake that night at dusk, not exactly feeling spry. A massive new landslide, and a matchstick maze of blowdowns, the heat, and our little detour made for a a bit more than a stroll into camp. Matchstick lichen (cladonia floerkeana), Depot Creek Our plan was to slam the area over the next 4 days; the Moxes, Custer and Rahm, and Spickard. I’d climbed Redoubt over 2 decades before, so due to limitations in time we left that one out. K18b5jtj4l0 Glacial tadpoles: air bubbles 'swimming' seaward. Redoubt Glacier. Don on EZ Mox The fog promptly poured in from the northwest the following morning. Still, we were able to climb the Moxes, although the views were limited to looking at each other against a backdrop of brilliant grey. Don descending EZ Mox EZ Mox is an enjoyable scramble. The snow arête has melted away, so snow gear may be left on the glacier. A rope is handy for a couple of raps off the summit to a ledge system at 8200’, but not necessary. Hard Mox lived up to its steep and rotten reputation; made worse by a recent slide that has transformed the main gulley into a teetering pile of huge, unstable blocks and dirt. Avoid. This, and the vertical chimney at it’s base, can be bypassed either by some mid fifth climbing on (climber’s) left (our route), or via easier scrambling to the right. There is one good solid half pitch at the base of the summit tower at least. Hard Man, Hard Mox Heading back to Redoubt Col from the base of Hard Mox During the foggy part of our trip we traded beta with Al Ellsworth and Philip Smith, who were also in the area for a bit of a slam, albeit on the opposite schedule. Satisfied, with the Moxes behind us. From just above Ouzel Lake Following the Moxes, we established a bivvy at Spickard Pass and climbed Custer and Rahm in bright sunshine. Custer’s S ridge, despite it’s reputation, is actually kind of a neat walk in the sky, with one really crappy little downclimb thrown in. The 400’ climb to the summit is just a standard pile with choss surfing opportunities for the descent. Headed for Mount Custer, with Silver Lake and Rahm in the distance The south ridge of Mount Custer, the most solid peak in the Cascades 8tJxpRHZ_yI Gulley surfing Mount Custer Just after negotiating the ‘crux’ on Custer’s south ridge. It’s easier on the way down, and, um, don't try to bypass it Cloud reflections on Silver Lake Rahm’s easy talus summit is gained via a fun little scramble gulley, well marked by cairns top and bottom. The view from Rahm, particularly of Spickard lording over the amazing Silver Lake, which changes color by the hour, is one of the best in the Cascades. Silver Lake and Spickard from the summit of Rahm hDa30S8I8i4 PanoRahma “What’s that smell?” Skunky polemonium, Rahm Peak Our final morning we awoke early to grab Spickard’s summit. Parties wishing to make it a steep neve climb can still slip around the schrund on it’s right and climb on unbroken snow to within an easy 50 foot scramble to the summit. We chose the standard rock route. Well, Don did, anyway. I chose to tree myself on the first spire, wasting half an hour tossing lichen encrusted flakes down the mountain until I’d excavated down to rock that was just extremely horrible rather than outright deadly. I emerged from my ordeal to find Don sitting patiently on the arête, sporting a well deserved shit eating grin. Once on the summit we found that we were not alone. A single deerfly clung to a rock, sharing a somewhat segmented version of our view. Those fuckers really get around. The Pasayten, from Spickard eOTes6GsjYw Panorama from the summit of Spickard Less exhausted on our way out, we were able to better enjoy spectacular, sunlight views of Depot Falls, an 800 foot wonder that blasts out of the swamp above. Every climber should see this spectacle at least once. The top of Depot Creek Falls 80dtIHGsFUQ Depot Creek Falls A two inch long flathead borer. Depot Creek In the old growth below we ran into Frith Maier and Susan Ernsdorff, headed in for Redoubt and Spickard. It’s a relatively popular area this time of year, but one that somehow absorbs parties so that they rarely encounter one another. Well worth the grunt to get in there, for sure. Gear Notes: A single 60 meter rope advisable for rapping off of Hard Mox. The 2 raps we did on EZ Mox could easily be done with a shorter rope. We didn't employ ropes on the other peaks except for glacier travel. We used a light rock rack for Hard Mox only. Crampons were used only on Spickard, although the approach to Custer or the Moxes could require them after a cold night. Approach Notes: Last 2 miles of road requires a high clearance 4WD. An Outback made it with some bottom dings. Go to the END of the Chilliwack Lake Road. Take the 2nd to the last diagonal turn off on the left for the Depot Creek access. Lie to the border guard about where you are going; a mysterious special permit is needed to reenter the U.S. via trail. Altruistic souls with extra time on their hands may wish to bring loppers, a tree saw, and a chain saw. The trail is blown down and brushy. Edited July 27, 2008 by tvashtarkatena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Did you nab the 1st ascent of Hardest Mox? That's gotta be the most beautiful place in the united states IMO. Awesome TR and absolutely outstanding photos. Of course the scree surfin' video was hilarious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 We talked about scootin' over there, but somehow the inability to see it from the HM summit dampened our interest. We could barely see each other. As for the E face, of course we had that on our itinerary, but Don forgot the masonry glue gun and I forgot the gallon jug of blotter acid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 glad to see your having a kickass year tvash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braydon Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 scree surfing...so thats what was causing all the rockfall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Video of Depot Creek Falls added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Damn, fellow scree surfers. we need a scree-surfing forum to discuss more great WA gully descents. nice trip guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRep Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 (edited) Well there really are so many classic scree surfing gullies in the range. The most classic of course being sections of the Cascadian. Now, I know people have skied, hiked, and scree surfed (screed) it, but we should focus on finding out who successfully made the first scree descent of it and recorded in the Cascade Scree Mountaineering Journal. They set the bar for the rest of us. Way to carry the torch guys! Edited July 28, 2008 by DRep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Unfortunately, the deep screshies of the upper gulley gave way to thin stuff over boiler plate. We had to 'four point' the rest of it; face in on hands and toes for those sudden drops. Coulda used a pair of work gloves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olymand Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 The pictures are beautiful. Thanks for the report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 awesome. thanks Tvash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plexus Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Tvash, I don't know whether to hate you, envy you or just buy you a beer. Your TRs are the best I have seen as far as inspiring fellow climbers with their simplicity and the wonderful photography. I'll remember that the next time I'm waking up before dawn with a hangover trying to get myself killed on yet another mountain. =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magellan Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hell yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Piston Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 A friend and I had wished those altruistic souls had taken your advice and made the trail a little more user friendly. We went in a couple weeks after you and spent an hour and a half looking for the trail after it petered out. The onset of rain and my friends inflamed foot took our enthusiasm for this route down enough to decide to come back in 2009 and try again. Great trail report and pictures! You made this a must do on my tick list. I just hope my SUV is up to the potholefest road approach to the trailhead again. Thanks for the inspiring TR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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