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Trip: Diptop Peak - South face/rib route - FA - 1,000’, 5.8 Trip Date: 09/27/2025 Trip Report: The complex south (or perhaps SSW) face of Diptop, Jason Hummel photo: “Not too bad for a couple of old guys.” “Not too good either.” The statement and its rejoinder were uttered upon arrival at the truck -- just after dark -- and ended 14 hours of moving, including pioneering a route up (with benefit of hindsight) a questionable objective. Apparently one person’s idea of a good time is another’s idea of a bad time. The exchange echoed an earlier sentiment: “One person’s inspiration is another person's embarrassment”. Diptop is just north of Mt Daniel, and just south of the insta-famous Jade Lake. Rolf sketched our approx route below, fairly borrowed from a Wikipedia image (in turn apparently derived from a pic by Martin Bravenboer): Our "meandering-like-a-drunk" route gained 1,000 vertical feet, and entailed 6 roped pitches (the last one v. short) and a fair bit of soloing. Photos from afar inspired hope that 1. we’d be climbing on granite, and 2. there would be appealing lines on the central buttress of the expansive south face, or on the face itself. Upon closer inspection: 1. the rock was granitic, but one might say it has exfoliated "in an unfriendly manner for free climbing." And 2., while there were cracks and attractive features, it was difficult to ascertain if the seemingly discontinuous lines could be joined. We leave that to more competent and/or bolder parties to figure out. The route was reasonably solid for the alpine, and had its moments of fun. It was mostly scrambling, though it had some contrived steeper climbing and some required steeper climbing. Rolf drew the short final bit -- arguably the crux -- to the ridge crest, not far from the summit. On some of the best rock of the route, although with limited pro, he made a couple of sporty moves with a Vlad-the-Impaler flake threatening his nethers: Despite a "limited alpine skill set", perhaps indeed an “ordinary person accomplishing extraordinary things” is possible, if by extraordinary the speaker meant finding an ignominious way up a fractured granitic face. Maybe they were just “projecting insecurities", since this venture was their pet project. We might have been mildly disappointed with the route, but random insults like “twee”, “cloying”, “piker”, and various vitriolic un-printables kept the mood light. And the surroundings weren’t half bad. A couple more photos below. First roped pitch, after several hundred feet of soloing up to 5th class: Relatively high on the route: An oblique look at the central buttress from the summit area: We approached from the Tonga Ridge/Deception Cr cutoff trailhead. This much shorter approach from the north (vs coming from the south) does require travel up/down some steep timber, duff, and a bit of brush, but offers scenery, solitude (until arrival at Marmot and Jade Lakes), and berries. A little off the optimum route on the last steep stretch of the return, while monkey-bar-jungle-gyming from tree to tree down pine-needle covered duff, someone might have mumbled “we can always rap”. I’m happy to share our approximate track if you’re interested in approaching the scenic lakes without the trail slog. More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H1e1ExQ1PTVEohUE8 And more about the rock in the area here (courtesy of Rolf: https://bluemarbleearth.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/tuck-lake-and-jade-lake-geology/ Gear Notes: Took a standard double rack, but a single would do. Approach Notes: See above. To access the south face, wander down from Diptop Gap.

Trip: Lindeman, Hanging, and Middle Peaks - via Centre Creek Trip Date: 08/31/2025 Trip Report: Over Labour Day weekend the Chossdogs went to Canada, for the most part. There was a brief portion in the middle of the weekend when on the way to Middle peak we found ourselves lost and seemingly in America, where we learned that it was actually Labor Day weekend instead. This was pretty confusing, since back at camp it was still Labour Day weekend. Nevertheless, we found that the route to Lindeman from Centre creek is well traveled these days, as is the trail down to the delightful camps near Upper Hanging Lake (no fish, unfortunately). The summit of Lindeman is a straightforward Class 3 scramble on good rock. Expect to see a few parties. Things got decidedly scruffier as we traveled to Hanging Peak and especially the final few hundred feet to the summit of Middle Peak. Much choss was encountered, but so was much solitude and there was never a true need for a rope. Helmets, ice axe, and crampons came in handy for ascending the north side of Middle Peak, but it didn't seem a lot worse than some spicy Class 3. There might be other ways to get up it, but they all looked even less savory. Hanging Peak was also some exposed Class 3, but not quite as involved as Middle. Mostly though, this was an amazingly scenic and quiet destination on a busy holiday weekend. I figure may was well spread to word to spread the masses.... Middle and Baker from Lindeman: Scrambling up LIndeman: Shuksan from Lindeman: Border Peaks: The haunted house of the Chilliwack, Slesse: It is important to pace one's chossing. @BrettS adjusting speed on the summit of Lindeman: @BrettS, @Trent, @sepultura, @therunningdog and myself on summit of Lindeman: Perry Creek fire blew up while we were on the summit of Lindeman: Heading down to Upper Hanging Lake: Sunset on Bear: @therunningdog looking at a signpost for directions to Middle Peak: Summit of Middle: This pretty much sums up Middle Peak: You can always count on @BrettS for a photo worthy dive into an alpine lake: Not a bad spot for the dogs to base: Rexford on the hike out: Well hey there, someone was thinking ahead! Gear Notes: ice axe, helmet, crampons Approach Notes: Centre Creek to Upper Hanging Lake

You asked if anyone knew about the truckers. I was a part of that organization a long time ago. I remember when we placed the register on the Citadel, but I don’t remember which other summits we put registers on. We climbed lots of mountains in the Olympics as well as many of the minor peaks and even some unnamed peaks. The truckers were active from about 1970 to maybe 1977 or 78. Most of the time our membership consisted of 3 - 5 guys. Our name was inspired by a common phrase of that time: “Keep on Truckin’. “ we generally avoided common routes up mountains. We referred to our routes as “truck routes,” and the leader of a climb was referred to as the “mother trucker.” Almost every September, we would take a cross country route across the Olympics, following ridges as much as possible, and climbing any peaks, we ran into along the way. If you’d like to know more, you can email me (Dave) at sciguy300@gmail.com Nice pictures, and nice to see the register is still there after all this time Thanks for the memory.

Great subject. A few of mine. I'm on the right, first time up Rainier 7/20/69, the same day Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon! My buddy Eric skiing the Emmons 2013 (not quite 50 yrs. later). NW face of The Great White Throne, Zion NP, 1975. Looking down the NW face 2014 ("Why the hell did I climb that?") after getting guided up a new route my friends put up on the south face.

Drone view: Three Fingers, Squire Creek Wall, Whitehorse

On a road trip in Idaho and Montana and came across this hat in a thrift store in a little town in Montana when I stopped in to get some steak knifes. Got this and three steak knifes for $2. Thank you Steve and RIP.

I would love to hear all of that stuff. I grew up out there, born in Forks till first grade, then Quilcene from first grade to half way through high school, then PA for the rest of high school and junior college. Via scouts I hiked all over the Olympics. i love those pictures! Reminds me of the pictures of my early scouting days, nobody in Quil had any money and you could see it on the clothes on our back and the gear we had. That was early 80s. tell us about the truckers!

You should tell me what you'd like to know more about. Differences between climbing in the 70s and climbing now? Cool traverses across the Olympic Mts? Idiosyncracies of the Truckers? Rock Climbing ? Climbing Tahoma? Environmental advocacy? Climbing particular peaks? I have quite a few photos that I digitized from slides that I took with a Canon AE1 SLR.I didn't digitize them until they were 40 - 50 years old, so some of them aren't great quality, and, of course, some were just too deteriorated to save. I'll send a few here. Breakfast on an approach to Mt. Lincoln from Wagonwheel Lake. The core group of Truckers: Dave, Rich, and Scott; looking appro priately tough with their Animal Crackers before a grueling climb up some damn peak. Rich chimneying on one of the spires on Jabberwocky Ridge. He went through to the other side to finish the ascent. Scott drew the short straw and therefore, was chosen as the mothertrucker to be first across the Hoh at flood stage on an ill-fated attempt at a winter climb of Mt. Tom.

Whitehorse 6/15/25

Right on. After doing forbidden and looking at that face I knew we had to do something on that face. In the late 80's my buddy Ralph and I started off early July with the intention doing the route that said 20 pitches of 5.6. So just brought handful of nuts,tricams and titons. We ended up going to the left of you and left of that gully. Most of the gully's were wet,we had to use the two tools just to get on the rock after that it seemed constant 5.8 with some harder for 10 to 12 pitches of really good rock. Then we started getting into wet and greasy stuff I ended lowering off a couple of pieces and tried going left and right no go. I found a snow covered ledge that barely fit. We cleared it off put our bivy sacs down and then heard something coming from above well we hugged the wall and a nice chunk of ice landed on the ledge. Oh well it was getting dark so we ate some food and talked how we didn't have enough gear to safely rappel and how long we would probably wait for a rescue all while looking down at the road. We brushed and flossed our teeth and went to sleep sorta. In the morning Ralph thought he seen a runner hanging off a horn way to the left above so wth tension and what was left of our meager rack I got to it and got to some dry rock that easy class 4. Whoo hoo we hauled ass to the summit and started the descent a few rappels and we were at the top of CJ gully. That was definitely the closest we got to getting nailed by rocks. One person would look up and yell when the other would run to (shelter) there wasn't much of that. So getting home looking at Fred's green book it seemed we might of done the route that was written up as generally unpleasant and frightening. A couples years later I was walking around north Seattle and met Don Brooks pushing a stroller with two newborn with another kid walking, it seems they just wanted one more but got a extra one. Anyhow he was with the group that did the unpleasant route, he said he didn't write the entry and felt it wasn't bad. I felt the same should of done it later in the summer and don't go down CJ gully in the afternoon. Ralph said his favorite memory is sitting on that ledge flossing his teeth and thinking we were fucked! Always thought that face would be amazing in the winter.

Thanks, all!

Huge shout out to these guy....the @AAI continues to keep the lights on here. I'm so greatful that they recognize what this site means. Please do pitch business their way, support them because they support us. They have a great gearshop with great selected equipment too, btw. Thank you Jason, we really do appreciate you and your folks!

Meet me here to fight or listen to Counting Crows. Hurry up! Bring licker. Round here!!!

I WILL fight you, just so I can listen to Live instead of Counting Crows. The angel opens her eyes!

Watched your last pitch after scrambling up Dip Top, but lost your number! Here are those photos, thanks for the motivation to learn how to do cool stuff like you guys. -Devan https://photos.app.goo.gl/8qjDKho26bcGpTbQ7

It’s a bit more fiddlly than the inreach (I have a Mini2). Others thing about the mini2 is it has insane battery life, versus a phone (unless you go airplane mode, etc). I also wonder how much longer the satellite messaging will be free…I’m betting it will at some point cost extra. that said if I already had not paid for the garmin I probably wouldn’t at this point. And I’m probably not getting good value for my money given how many times a year I am truly out of cell service. But for now I still pay for the Garmin service. it won’t be long till there won’t be such a thing as “off the grid” or “out of cell service “ … the death of that freedom

Renton Granite.

Frostbite is in one of the volumes (second?) of the red Nelson Potterfield Selected Climbs. But I agree, that one is great.

Alan Kearney's book has this one, and I agree on its status as a mountaineering classic. A plug for his excellent guide that is probably out of print at this point.... I would add the Index Traverse, East Ridge of Jack Mountain, Nohokomeen Headwall on Jack (spring), Lincoln (winter)....will try and think of others. Great idea for a thread!

so CLOSE they could taste it. This one's gonna sting for a long time to come.

I think this is the east face of Azurite in the sunrise Saturday morning.

Did someone mention the elderly? And the Alpine Lakes Wilderness? Sign me up!!

“They chose the path where no one goes”

This gonna be your record cover?

After looking through old notes, I climbed Liberty Ridge on Rainier 42 years ago while taking the Mountaineer Intermediate Climbing Course. Never finished the Intermediate course, but climbed and skied other things.

Ha, no. Apologies, just credit for the link. His OnlyFans channel is full and closed to new members.

Here is the compiled cal topo with the full route. https://caltopo.com/m/NV0J5M0 the only significant change id make is avoiding the mega detour to i5 between msh and rainier. FR 25 would be ideal, but it may not be open for a while (years?) the other option could be to climb msh first, then Adams…and take FR 23 (or possibly 21?) to Packwood. The likely barrier there is that the snow may not melt off the highest elevations on that road until July…which isn’t necessarily a problem but I wanted to do this in June oh and there were a few miles between Elbe and eatonville where I was very close to getting hit a few times (called Alder cut off I think)…if I did it over I would avoid this even if it added 20 miles like the alternate might have

They really should deploy the military to do this selective enforcement of the law. I believe that is what the American people wanted when they elected a convicted felon and gave him a mandate to prohibit self expression on free time.

A reminder of continued gratitude to @Jason_D_Martin and AAI. They continue to be the sole business sponsors of CascadeClimbers. So its between them and user support that keeps us going. Thank you!

This photo is crazy!