mountainsloth Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Trip: Mt Thompson - West Ridge - Solo Date: 9/7/2012 Trip Report: Its tough having a mid week weekend. No one is ever around to climb. Looks like another adventure on my own. Mt Thompson has been on the back-burner for just such an occasion. Weather looked iffy for an August day but figured it would at least be a nice walk in the mountains if nothing more. I took the PCT up to Kendall ridge and the catwalk. It dawned on me that I have been climbing and skiing around Snoqualmie Pass so many times but NEVER in the Summer! Red Mountain IS actually RED! The PCT was fast and easy. I made it to above Alaska Lake in a few hours. The sub-alpine forests were impressive Where is this granite coming from!? Up and over Bumble Bee Pass via a short but steep climbers trail brought me into the basin underneath Thompson. My first views of Thompson were veiled in disappointment. The mountain hid only occasionally giving me glimpses of her true self. What a tease. I began to ascend the talus and scree below aiming for the West ridge. The rock was unlike anything I have come across in my mountain travels. Look at those crystals! The clouds descended further and with them a cold, wet, and cloud-filled wind. Doubt began to weave its way in between the repetitive soundtrack looping in my brain. I reached the ridge, greeted by 30mph gusts of the same cold, wet, and cloud-filled wind, dropping temps well below what I was prepared for and cutting visibility to less than 20 feet ... but I began climbing anyway. 40 feet up, my hands began to feel the sting of the wind. I couldn't see for certain my path ahead. The doubt and unease pushed through the random melodies to the front of my thoughts and urged me to descend... so I obeyed. Working my way back through the upper part of the talus and scree disappointment set in. I sat and chewed over the growing list of pros and cons of turning around. Wait 30 minutes and see, maybe the wind will die down and the visibility will improve. I did, and it did. Back up I go, only to be greeted by the return of wind and clouds. ARRRRGGGHHH!! Frustration reared its miserable head again. This time I descended to a wall just below the ridge that blocked the wind. Again, I wait. I bide my time.... hello butt mushroom! 20 mins later it clears again... for the moment. At this point I made up my mind. The ridge is short and easy. Just GO!!! The next 30 mins are a blur of rock. Little flows through my mind except rock and the air around it. At one point the clouds and wind move back in, but there is little I can do so I let go of the unease and grip tighter to the rock. I reach the false summit and realize I need to tackle this last gorilla... Do you see him? With a last little bit of exposed climbing I am on the summit feeling like I walked through a worm hole. The weather backed off as if realizing that I had won. I am excited to see familiar names in the summit register. hello Josh and Gimp! I am also excited by the new vantage of the alpine lakes wilderness. Looking into Burnt Boot Creek valley. What a lovely waterfall! Life is good. The descent was pretty straight forward and found myself back up to Bumble Bee pass in the blink of an eye. There are two rap stations if you do not want to down climb two short 4th class sections. A notch view back to Bumble Bee Pass Back in Thompson Basin Back on the PCT I cruise the catwalk looking, listening, and smelling the fragrant air. It feels wonderful when a day in the alpine unfolds like it has today. Even the Pikas and Marmots seemed to share the joy with me. Solo climbing however easy or hard is a psychological game. Having no second opinion is tough, but in this overpopulated world, self reliance becomes a harder skill to hone, and I can think of no better place to do so than the mountains. I may downsize the objective, but the process of decision making is simplified. No other opinion matters but your own. The quiet becomes shockingly powerful and beautiful. Without the constant conversation of a partner, you open your senses to the nuances of a world so often unnoticed. For these reasons I have come to embrace my solo trips to the mountains. Gear Notes: Bring extra layers, its Fall up in the mountains! Approach Notes: PCT to above Alaska lake. Take the climbers trail above over Bumble Bee Pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leland Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Just affirming the profound awesomeness of a solo ramble. There really is something about several hours in your own head, out on some otherwise moderate ground, made magical by simple solitude. The things you think and notice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
random jerk off Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Just affirming the profound awesomeness of a solo ramble. There really is something about several hours in your own head, out on some otherwise moderate ground, made magical by simple solitude. The things you think and notice... Yeah! Let's make out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtveld Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Just affirming the profound awesomeness of a solo ramble. There really is something about several hours in your own head, out on some otherwise moderate ground, made magical by simple solitude. The things you think and notice... Nice TR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian in Seattle Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Very nice TR, especially solo, I've had this on my list for awhile. Is the West Ridge just class 4? (The Summit Post description talks about plenty o' Class 5 multi-pitch pro.) thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainsloth Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 bits o class 5 but not sustained. I found it mostly 4th and low 5th. The gear was not plentiful or stellar anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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