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Trip: Baker River to Ross Lake in Technicolor - Mystery-N.Despair-Pioneer-Swiss-Spectre-Challenger Date: 7/25/2017 Trip Report: Walking out of the tent each morning on this trip, it seemed like I was still dreaming. Versions of this trip have been in the works for years, but weather and vacation schedules had always conspired against us. Thanks to the record dry spell of 2017 (luckily before Smokeageddon), we had perfect weather and an even better team. The views were pretty OK too. But the price of admission is carrying 7-8 day packs (unless you're seano ) across some of the most rugged terrain anywhere. I had just purchased a new full-frame dSLR a few days before the trip and I felt its weight every step of the way. Still, it was worth every bit of pain (though unlike Tom, I probably won't be back anytime soon). Following is a short breakdown of the trip, with many photos to illustrate (but I won't provide much detail). The trip was remarkable for me in how wild this area still feels. Part of the fun is puzzling the route out, not following paths worn in the heather. When the way forward is unlocked, the rewards are great. Day 1: A long dreaded and not-surprisingly soul crushing day spent hauling 8 day packs up to Blum Lakes. We had aspirations to carry on past the lakes to the col between Blum and Hagan, but then swimming and napping took precedence. Big thanks to my parents neighbor Greg, from Marblemount, who shuttled us from Ross Dam TH all the way to Baker River at the start of the day!! Mount Blum above lower Blum Lake: Day 2: Up and over the col, down past Berdeen, up onto Mystery Ridge (climbed Mystery), then off the ridge to avoid difficulties. Finished the day back on Mystery Ridge with a great view of N. Despair (Infinity Camp). Day 3: North Despair! The final snow arete is worth the long walk and we enjoyed every step with light packs. Returned to Infinity, dropped to Jasper Pass, up around Pioneer, climbed Pioneer (a bit tricky to get off glacier), dropped to Pioneer/Crowder Col, then up bit to nice camp just above key gully on the west side of Crowder. Long day. Steve and Tim check out the classic route on N. Despair: Triumph: On the N. Despair snow arete Northern and Southern Pickets from N. Depair. The head of Goodell Creek is wild!: Summit of Pioneer: Jasper Pass: Day 4: Leisurely start moseying up Crowder (non-technical), enjoying the views and our light packs. Dried out the register entries and added our own. Not a lot of traffic up there as you'd imagine. Back to camp to pack up the pigs, then down and around Crowder using the gully to the west. Some shenanigans, though not as bad as the other ways Steph and Tom have explored. Much thanks to the 1967 party for figuring this out! Up to Pickell pass and jaw-dropping views. Despair above Steve and Tim: The haunted wall of Spectre!: Shuksan in the upper left, above the headwaters of the Baker River: Tim admiring West Fury's Mongo Ridge from Pickell Pass: Day 5: Rest day! Sort of. At least we didn't have to hoist the pigs this day. Up to Swiss and Spectre for the day. Swirling mists mostly, which made for good ambiance, but hard to tell which spire on Spectre was the tallest. Climbed a bonus peak we dubbed "Shrundy", but not for the reason you might think. Both Schrundy and the real Spectre had a bit of 5th and one 30m rap to get off. Wild country for sure. Inspiration (L) and Terror ® in the distance: Approaching the summit of Swiss Peak: Twin Spires in the mist: Naptime on the summit of Swiss with West Fury in the background: Spectre via the easy way: Phantom: N wall of Southern Pickets from descent to Pickell Pass: Spectre, Haunted Wall from Pickell Pass: Crowder from Pickell Pass: Southern Pickets from Pickell Pass: Day 6: We were getting tired. Steve was all for Crooked Thumb, but Tim and I convinced him for a low stress day going up Middle and Main Challenger then camping on Eiley Wiley. Tim and I were hoping to get out in 7 rather than 8 days. I'm just not the choss dog I once was and I had just about had my fill for the week. Still, Middle and Main Challenger were hardly boring (Middle esp. is aesthetic) and Camp Friendly on Eiley Wiley ridge was right up there with Pickell Pass. Longest day, though. West and Middle Challenger from the south: Challenger summits from Main peak (Tim is on Middle Peak!): Fury North Buttress (note huge crown line!): Challenger: Baker, Shuksan, and Whatcom lined up from west end of Eiley Wiley Ridge: Luna: Challenger from Camp Friendly: Day 7: The perfect weather continues (though we can see the Diamond Creek Fire growing by the day to the east). Doing the math on the bash to the trail and hike out to the lake, we start pretty early. This is painful for me since we are long out of whiskey. Some steep side hilling to get off the ridge, but overall fairly straightforward and quick travel to reach treeline. The brush down to Beaver Pass is not horrible, but not great either. The trail to Ross Lake started out glorious feeling (if buggy), but gradually pounded our feet silly. The jump off the dock never felt so good. The hike up from the water taxi landing never felt so bad, but much better looking than the fully loaded canoes was saw being drug down the trail. Beer at the car, Pizza at Annie's, shower at home. Fin. Camp Friendly: N. walls of Fury and Swiss: Luna: Note the bugs around Tim!: Big Beaver Valley: Picket Pants, day 7: So much better than walking 7 miles: Gear Notes: Light rack, 60m half rope, aluminum crampons, helmet, axe. 1lb cheese minimum. Approach Notes: Fisherman path to Blum Lakes then good luck. Stable weather is key. No easy options for bailing once past Pioneer or Mystery Ridges. Key to getting around Crowder is gully to the west that tops out at 5700'. Drop to ~5300' then contour N. Side of Crowder until you can climb easily to Pickell Pass. Raps and cramponing steep heather may be required. Recommend gully to be snow filled. Don't be a cheap bastard. Hire the boat.

OK, i fixed some MAJOR errors (i was REALLY REALLY drunk when I 1st wrote this trip report), but i'd like to tighten this up to 500 words. any good ideas. i am a very bad editor. Fecal Hoarding on Cuttroat Peak: Well I'm totally wasted on tequilla from from a post-climb depression/celebration of a succesful ascent of that E.Face Coulior on Cuthroat Peak. I think it's called the Cauthorn Wilson or something. Since I'm totally fucking drunk, I'll give this trip report from the perspective of my feces which I hoarded througout the day: I forced my master to awaken at 2am and hypnotically sugested that he quaff his regurgitated coffe vile he brewed hours earlie to help coax me out of my early alpine start slumber. Well it was to damn early and the coffee wasn't strong enough, and as each crunch from the hard snow sent parastalic waves of anger through me. I knew my time was near as each jolt tried to jostle me from me moorings. Unforetunately as dawn broke below the route, my arch nemisis "Pinchy" kept me at bay as my master haphazardly climbed well above his so called "partner". Sending showeres of ice and snow onto his cursing belay bitch, Pinchy held me from my destiny. Alas! My master hast forsaken me!! Thoughts of imentent death were all my master could think of as he manged to live through the rapidly melt and delaminating crux pitch of ice. Where was I during this insane fight with potential energy, gravity and mortality? I was lurking in the bowels, biding my time, and waiting for pinchy to lose control. Master's so called "partner" led a easy WI-4 pitch and belayed Master and I from a tied off shrub and sunken ice-tool. I was begining to force my way into Master's concsciousness until the sight of that belay, and master's next lead all but destoyed my will. Pinchy quickly regained control. My master prayed to his god as he pinched Pinchy tighter and tighter as his death fall potential increased with every sketchy, shaky, sugar snow over slabby step, slipping, but somehow gaining ground. 60, 70, 80 degree slush and powder snow barely held his feet, nary his useless ice-tools. Every inch was a mile, every step was a step toward the grave for yours truly. Would I ever experience the taste of freedom and witness the sweets smells, sights, and sounds of the outside world that I have only experience my previous existance as a jumbo steak burrito? Master could not use his tools on the near verticle slush-mare! He punched the snow with his hands and packed in more snow until it became dense enough to swing his tool into. Instead of pushing down on the snow, Master would bear hug the snow to keep it still attached to the mountain. Master was looking at a 400' whipper onto the none-to-secure belay, as the sun's pulsing rays oscillated down upon the ever-softening snow pack. At last, a cam, a pin! Master was off belay! Such relaxation caused my power to become almost overwhelming as my noxios gas of joy escaped from his churning bowels. The oppresive heat almost overcame him, as master looked across the sweeping range of the North Cascades. But Master's attention was quikly divered. "Fools!" my master thought when he saw two climbers approaching the entrance gully to the climb below him. I knew that this late in the day would be foolish, even to a turd worming his way to freedom. Master hoped they would turn around or perish. The climbers realized their error in timing, and turned around. Master smirked and brought up his partner. On the summit my master tried with all his might to keep me at bay. There was little room and he was emabarrase to show me to this climbing partner of his. I was writhing and screaming with indignity. To "top-off" the summit is the greatest honor one of my charcter can possilbe have, and my horrible master would deny me this fate. Oh! Cruel Master! Many stupid rappels later led master to a 1,000' long down climb which he downclimbed just fine. His partner however, took about 45 minutes longer, all the whilee cursing masters good name! His partner called him reckless for descending so fast un-roped! But this was my doing. Master would finally have to stop and wait. Master did just that, and squatted while looking upon his downclimbing partner. The sun was blazing. The time was at HAND!!! Pinchy was exhausted and had no power over me anymore. I leaped for freedom into the new world which my tribal leaders of yore told me of during my rite of passage through Master's G.I. tract. I steamed and coiled upon the snow, all the while his partner downclimbed slowly. I was buried this day upon the southern flanks of Cutthroat peak, but i exist still as part of everything. I have become the soil, the water, the air, and the animals. I speak now of a universal tale of battels between man vs. mountain and, my kind vs. Pinchy, gatekeeper of the underworld.