[TR] Olympics - North Brother to South 7/26/2014

[Drederek]

Trip: Olympics - North Brother to South

 

Date: 7/26/2014

 

Trip Report:

A recent trip report finally got me to set my sights on the north Brother. I've been up the south Brother a few times and on at least half of those times I've looked across at the north and wondered how much more time it would take to do both. Living in Olympia, I'm a confirmed daytripper in the Olympics. Last year I traversed over from "lunch rock" to look down into the east basin but with a late start and no real plan to do it turned back. The guide book says traverse over, I'd call it more of a rising traverse over the top of a deep gully and below the small headwalls.

 

A half dozen goats were laying about where I crossed the first ridge on my recon last year, so I crossed below them and it worked out fine. A couple ridges later and I was once again looking down into the east basin.

It was full of those pesty clouds that like to hang around mountains in the afternoons but as they seemed to be fading in and out I just hoped I'd be able to see when I needed to. Great views of the east ridge route under the clouds.

The old guidebook said head up a coulier and easy rock to the north summit. Without being able to see the tops of the gullies I crossed the basin and headed up the easiest looking one, which ended up connecting to the next one to the north above a gendarme. It proved correct although the North summit was to climbers right not left as I had guessed.

Could hear the people on the south summit, and after a bit the clouds swirled some and there they were.

With almost no snow going back down into the basin seemed like it would be no fun so I decided to do the traverse to the south summit. I was a bit worried that the absence of snow would force me to climb some questionable rock over bad places to fall but it was really all very easy with straightforward routefinding. The Bombay slot near the middle of the traverse.

A little less than an hour later I was on the south summit looking back at the north.

The North Brother and the traverse to the south were the best parts of another great day in the Olympics, I can't believe they don't get done more often. Took me 11 hours car to car, a couple hours more than just the South Brother and about the same as Mt Constance.

 

Gear Notes:

It was comforting to have an axe crossing the icy basin but not really necessary

 

Approach Notes:

Past Lena Lake, up the valley of silent men. So Bro route till it turns up after the traverse, keep traversing.

[Fairweather]

That's some nice adventure. Always good to hear about less-visited summits.

[JasonG]

Wow, that's fast. Anyway you cut it, that is a lot of miles and vert. Glad you enjoyed the traverse, I agree that it is a lot better than you would expect.