klenke

As requested, here's me on my mom's bike (from another bike 'n hike last Thanksgiving). Note how I'm trying to obscure the fact that I'm on a girly bike. I could have taken my own down there but since I was passing through my parents' place I could use one of theirs. My mother's is actually a more comfortable ride than my dad's. However, my mother's is not as easy to carry because there is no horizontal crotch bar. This makes carrying the bike up a steep-ass clearcut quite exhausting. You can't hoist it over your shoulder. It should be noted that I mostly pushed my bike with much exasperation as the front wheel would get stuck on the downhill side of xylo-debris that one always finds haphazardly strewn--especially right below a log landing. The last couple hundred feet of hauling to the landing was quite steep at about the final angle seen in the picture above of Roundtop from the NW. Here is a picture of "Snugtop" from the NE with "Laketop" at far right. The Nisqually River Valley (leading to the Longmire entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park) is below. So Snugtop is quite visible as you drive to/from Ashford.

Climb: "Snugtop" (Pk 2880+) and some dumpster tops Date of Climb: 3/26/2006 Trip Report: You may begin laughing momentarily. 3…2…1… Opening the dumpster What is the definition of dumpster diving? As pertains to peakbagging, it is undertaking to climb the lowest of the low, the least worthy of the worthless, the brushiest of the brushy. Let it be known, I’m not sure what the true cut-off for “lowness” should be. Clearly, a 3,000-ft peak in the Appalachians has more value to the locals there than an equally elevated peak here in Washington. What makes a peak, then? A peak is NOT defined by whether or not it has a name on a map. It is defined by its relation to nearby landforms. That is, how much it stands up on its own regardless of whether it has been officially named. One method that has been developed to relate landforms is the idea of prominence. Simply put and without going into technicalities, a landform’s prominence is the difference in elevation between the landform’s highest point (its summit) and the saddle connecting it to the next-higher summit along the divide. This method is completely scientific and so works. For a more thorough explanation on prominence go here or here. In Washington the unofficial standard cut-off for a landform or summit to be considered a peak is 400 or more feet of prominence (i.e., >399P). So with that background in mind, let it be known that several of us peakbagger types take the time and effort to dumpster dive small peaks with >399P. These are your veritable “bike ‘n hikes” and can be quite relaxing. So, in that regard, even non-peakbaggers can find them entertaining. But you first have to know where to look. And once you find them, you’ll be surprised at how many “peaks” exist in our fair state. Fortunately, we peakbaggers have some research resources, not the least of which is Jeff Howbert’s peakbagger’s asylum. Click any quad on this map to see what I mean. A preliminary dive On Saturday I set out for Tacoma to take care of some business at my parents place. On the way there I stopped at Evergreen Heights Elementary School in Federal Way. I took a short stroll behind the school to a long berm/mound beside the soccer goal. I was bummed there was no dumpster atop that mound because, as I stood at its highest point amid blackberry creepers, I had just tagged my 493rd summit: ”Evergreen Heights” (Pk 540+, 460P). Now that’s low (yet still not the lowest elevation “peak” I’ve climbed). Go ahead and laugh. I deserve it. Let’s just say it was something I would need to do eventually and Saturday seemed like a good time. But, if you think about it, this school’s campus is the highest point of land in that long uplift between the Puget Sound and the Kent-Sumner valley. I should thank John Roper for pointing it out a few weeks back while we were on our way to climb a completely un-prominent named summit on the USGS map called Gove Peak in Mount Rainier National Park. Really, Gove is just a point at the end of a ridge. But this report isn’t completely about dumpster diving in the back of a school. It’s about doing an FPBA (First Peakbagger Ascent) and thereby getting to name a summit for “mountaineering” posterity. But let me step back a bit. Prior dives On February 19, 2006 I traveled to the Elbe locale WSW of Mt. Rainier. Down that way, on the Mineral quad, there are six prominence peaks with “top” in their name. All but one of these names are unofficial peakbagger designators. After that day I had done all but one of them, Roundtop Mountain. I knew I’d be coming back soon to get it. There was also a peak just north of Roundtop that Howbert simply refers to as “Anderson Lk. Quad 6” (see here). Two days later I went to a pub club at The Canterbury and ran into a friendly face. She asked me what I had been doing lately. I said I had just been down in the Elbe area climbing most of the remaining aforementioned peaks with “top” in their name [i had done ”Doubletop” (2180F, 860P) in 2005]: ”Stumptop” (2080+F, 480P), ”Towertop” (2608F, 1088P), ”Laketop” (2120+F, 640P), and ”Spiraltop” (2703F, 1143P). Then, in a flash of inspiration, I mentioned to her there is one top down there that doesn’t have a name and hasn’t been climbed by anyone in the peakbagger clan. I said if I could get up there first (ahead of Stefan, who plans to climb it later this year), I could name it for her. So, the “Snugtop” plan was set in motion. Here’s Snugtop bookended by an FPBA’er and an FNA’er You want to know what an FNA is? Do you really want to know? I dare you to click here. I double-dare you to click here. Ugh, now that you’ve closed down those gallery windows (I knew you couldn’t resist the second one after the first one )…fast forward a few weeks… Recent dives Last week, I notified Snugtop that I was going down Elbe way again to climb her soon-to-be namesake. I invited her along. She showed initial interest. But she must have blenched at the idea after I accidentally tossed out the word “brush.” No matter, I would go and tag that top on my own. I arrived at the logging road gate at the west foot of Roundtop Mountain. I could see Snugtop’s snug top from there. It was as snug as a bug in a forested rug. ”Snugtop” from where I parked I decided to climb Roundtop first. I took my mom’s girly bike up the logging road around its southwest side to a spur that ended woefully below the top. I could see a log landing on a promontory on Roundtop’s south ridge. Hmmm, I could just haul the heavy-ass bike up the steep clearcut to that landing. And that’s what I did. Lesson learned: don’t haul a heavy-ass bike up a steep clearcut! I perspired but persevered. Leaving my bike at the landing, I ambled the long ridge north to the highest point of Roundtop Mountain (2670F, 910P). Roundtop Mountain from the NW While on the way down the mountain I snuck a good view of “Snugtop” and could see a logging road on her south side that would save me 200 vertical feet of foot travel than my planned route on the southwest side. ”Snugtop” from Roundtop I hopped on my bike and soon was at the end of that logging spur. The orange dot in the picture above marks the highest point of the logging road where I left my bike. Ditching it in a grassy dead end, I crossed through a regrowth area and into the thick woods. Hardly any brush in the underforest. Works for me! It was simply a 900 vertical foot forest tromp past several really old [overgrown] logging roads to get to the highest point, which I surmised was at a stump. I built a cairn on top and inserted a film canister register proclaiming proudly that THIS PEAK SHALL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS “SNUGTOP” (Pk 2880+, 720P). Here’s me on top of “Snugtop” No, this FPBA was not also an FNA. You gutterminds! OK, stop laughing at me now! Naming peaks for friends is an important matter. Snugtop: consider this my gift to you for that major event coming up in your life. Other dumpsters Afterwards I dumpster dove two more peaks down thattaway before returning home. I’ll spare you the details but these were what they were: Pk 2720+ (400P) and Dobbs Mountain (2767F, 447P). The former was brainless; the latter was quite brushy (just like I like ‘em). Cheers, Klenke Additional pictures of dumpsters Gear Notes: bicycle, lobotomy (a "labotomy" is a lobotomy done on Labradorians) Approach Notes: Drive to Elbe, take a south on Hwy 7, turn left to go to the town of Mineral, drive past the town to the prominent old volcanic plug known as Roundtop Mountain, find a gated logging road, pull out your bike and start biking.

More Bedal Peak ocular mayhem Kyes & Cadet, Foggy, Gemini Peaks, Sheep Deadly Dickerman, Kololo Peaks, Painted, Portal-White Indian Head Peak, Pk 5740 Looking up Bedal Peak's NW Ridge

I've seen traffic stopped on the highway where it makes those S-curves between Zeke's Burgers and the Mt. Index turn-off. We sat there for 15 minutes without moving. People were getting out of their cars. Everyone thought it was a wreck. Nope, no wreck. When we got into Sultan nothing but that traffic light. This weekly Sunday debacle must really suck for those among us who like to regularly visit their cabin up Index way. A no-stopping bypass highway needs to be built. But noooo, all we can talk about is spending state and federal money on the most expensive option to replace the aging Seattle Viaduct.

Funny, I joked about the same thing when 12 of us did Twin Peaks up the N. Fork Snoqualmie a few weeks back. There's no such thing as solitude on a Feller-Klenke climb. Instead there's lots and lots of comaraderie, ridicule, and laughter.

All formatting issues have been resolved. Other scrumptiousness from the day Pugh-Spring-Breccia, Pugh, Chokwich-Forgotten, Forgotten: Breccia, Glacier:

Climb: Bedal Peak-Northwest Route Date of Climb: 3/19/2006 On the last day of winter an ennead of Northwest climbers was treated to a little bit of Heaven right here on Earth… The destination was Bedal Peak (6554F, 1194P). This is the craggy mountain roughly two miles north of the “Matterhorn of the Cascades” (aka Sloan Peak). Our route was the one from the northwest (from FR-4096, which is not shown on the USGS map). I thought we would be in for a long day. But this was not the case. This is Bedal Peak from the west (from Twin Peaks) And from the south on the way to Sloan Peak Annette D., Dave C., Greg K. and I met Stefan F., Jeff R., Juan L., and Don & Natala G. at the base of the mountain. What I initially thought would be merely four of us was now nine. Yep, another standard Stefan contingent. The first auspice was the road access. We were able to drive farther up the road than we expected. Our stopping point was a few hundred yards before the second switchback where the boot path cuts into the woods (c. 2,100 ft near Merry Brook). This already saved us 500 ft of elevation gain. There was a green Subaru parked where we parked. We wondered what they were up to. Their tracks continued up the road beyond that second switchback. They were probably heading into the Bedal Creek basin. The boot path was followed until we lost it in snow. We then wallowed in sloppy snow angling up and through some cliff bands (this was the only time all day in which I led and those kicked steps sure did wear me out [that’s an excuse, people]). Once above the cliffs the snow got more consistent and the terrain easier. We eventually donned pods and continued up the ridge then to a leftward traverse at about 4,600 ft above Nels Lake (which we never saw) to access the gully that leads up to Bedal’s wide open north slope. The forest scene was hiemal with just the right blend of blue sky and snowcover on the ground and on the tree limbs. There was a short, icy step up to get into the gully, but almost everything else was dreamy powder. It was at about this time that I lamented the type of floaters that were on my feet. I wished I was on my skis. In the gully with Mt. Pugh behind Near the apex of the gully (photo by Annette Day) When we hit the apex of the gully we commenced munching on more nice view treats. Here we observed the second auspice: glistening “diamonds”—ice crystals in the snow reflecting the sun’s light. We took a break just so we could make fun of Juan and his Slim-Fast food choice. He said he was on a diet. A hiemal dream scene at 5,500 ft The views would get better and the terrain more dreamy. We floated up to the north slope proper. Annette commented that our snowshoe tracks looked like someone had stitched up the mountain with a sewing machine. We could see the summit up ahead. We had to traverse below it to a shoulder on the northeast side whereupon we could make the final 200 vertical foot chug to the top. The Saukdolager Sewing a line toward the summit The summit from the final shoulder What’s the matter with this horn? Nothing. The day was gorgeous and moderately warm with only intermittent gusts to remind us it was still winter. The views were gorgeous too. The spire of Sloan Peak and its North Face slackened our jaws. Annette said it was so incredible looking that it couldn’t be real, that it was merely a painting. It might have been. We couldn’t get close enough to touch it but we sure could sense its presence. Did we have ESP like those smarty pants members of the Giga Society? We spotted tracks leading up to and back from Sloan’s West Face. These tracks no doubt belonged to the owners of the green Subaru we parked next to. Had they attempted that unclimbed winter ice route on the face? They had already left by the time we got back to the cars. It turns out this was W____ _____e of CC.com doing a little recon. Sheltering the Buddha from the sun We had made the summit in 4 hours (at least an hour shorter than I expected). We stayed an hour or so…or until we ran out of film, which was not even hard to do for those among us who suffer from digitalitis. When you’ve got views like this, you can see why: Big Four Mountain featuring the Dry Creek Route Did Phil F. and the Hummels just ski that couloir? Yes—yes they did. Or watch the video (warning 25Mb, 7:33 minutes). This video is a must see for those of us who were on Bedal who climbed this same route (but not on skis): that means you Greg, Stefan, and Juan. We got back to the car in about 2.5 hours. Glissading in the woods was again fun. Another good time shared by nine! As a broken record among us repeated often on the drive home, “What a great day…what a great day…what a great day!” And that it was…it was…it was…it was… Don served us Amstel Lights out of a box...while wearing an OSAT cap! A little (Amstel) Light moment at the cars (photo by Greg Koenig) If someone is looking for a leisurely ski ascent, this would be it. One could yo-yo the north slope a few times at roughly 1,500 vertical feet per run. The conditions on Sunday were outstanding for skiing. Did I say I wished I had my skis? ~~Paul K. Information taken from the Tacoma Public Library’s online resource: "This [peak] was named for James Bedal, founder of Bedal mines in the area. Bedal married a daughter of Chief Wawetkin, a leader of the Sauk Indians and their son, Harry Bedal, worked for the U.S. Forest Service for many years. (Cardle, Snohomish County, p. 7)" Gear Notes: Used: Snowshoes, Camera Abused: Views My skis were in the wrong place: cozy in my home. Approach Notes: Take FR-4096 south of Bedal Campground. Take this to second switchback (c. 2,100 ft) and find boot path cutting into the woods.

Actually... Being something of an etymology buff, I had been curious about this word in the past and have a book on sesquipeds somewhere that addresses it. True, the definition as pertains to this thread is entry number one in the dictionary, for which the original pronunciation is "fort". However, when a word is consistently spoken in the "wrong" way over time, that new pronunciation becomes the standard or becomes accepted as an alternative. The majority of people in the U.S. and Britain say "for-tay" and, as we all know, majority rules (and minority whines). All sorts of words in the English language have changed their standard pronunciation and/or spelling over time. The only reason it bugs (some of) us is that we are aware of the transition in real time. Words that changed long ago are just fine with us. I'm sure H.W. Fowler would disagree, but he's dead.

What, you mean this choss heap (click here if the image below doesn't load): Who'd want to climb that? Although, it was a nice day on Sunday... ...to go for it.

What happened? I don't have a hangover this morning? This was the lamest Sausagefest ever! I expect to get sozzled at these festivities. Was that near-beer or something? (Okay, maybe I shouldn't have alternated with glasses of water). Fox: where are those pictures of beer-pullin' debauchery and push up mockery? Jens: where are those pictures of you and Hansel skiing the W. Face of Guye? Fandango: where were the free movie tickets? Fern: where was the Canadian Club? Off: when are we gonna go set the "most Mima Mounds in a day" record?

Must have been a barn burner of a party. Email string with Toast: Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:47 PM Subject: Sausagefest? Tony: I trust you’ll be there [at Kurt's party]. Paul: Sorry, I couldn't make it. Had other plans. Hope Kurt's party was good. I'll probably go to the real Sausagefest tonight...but I'm promising myself I won't get hammered. Tony: Ow, my head. Anybody get the number of the truck that just ran me over? Paul: I didn't get the number but it might have been pulling a chipper.

The register summit is behind the second knuckle from the left in the picture AllYouCanEat references: The actual highest point is not quite visible. This is the easterly of the two 6160+F tops (Topozone map). Here is the view east along the crest: The sharp point at left-center is the first of the five knuckles. The point on the right is the second knuckle. Here is the view WNW along the crest: This is a view of the other 6160+F top. It was very close in height to the registered top.

Come on! You've never been to a movie theater and seen those annoying paperbag puppets? Fandango

"i'm going to be too busy being green and wrinkly." ...and looking up women's skirts, no doubt, you perverted green munchkin. ...and careful with that light saber around the kilt wearers.

My middle finger never looked so good! Fandango, you can come. But only if you bring free movie tickets. Edit: hey hey...

Definitely still trivia night at The Old Peculiar on Tuesday nights: their website. But 3 tacos for $2!!!!

BrittEasterly, you've made a good post. But I always thought Henson and Peary arrived at the pole together (in 1909). Although, they may not have been exactly there when they thought they were there. "Also remember it was Matthew Henson (a black man) that was the first to the north pole, not Commander Robert Edwin Peary sometimes history forgets." Okay, maybe Henson was in front of Peary at the precise moment, but they were the only two who went all the way there after other team members progressively turned back. Sadly, Henson was largely ignored by the press afterward; Peary got all the attention.

Three Fingers and Darin's and Choada Boy's East Face Couloir from Fletcher Peak (Pk 5240+ NE of Gordon Ridge) on February 12, 2006:

No good news to report as of this week. Roger's father sent a letter out saying that neither Roger nor his Jeep have been found. It doesn't look like he departed (his apartment) with climbing in mind since all of his gear was left behind. This doesn't mean he didn't go climbing after all (with other gear unaccounted for). It was really as if he (and his Jeep) just vanished. It is a strange case, to be sure.

Not a big deal, but I think the lower two black dots are also people because they are not present in the 2/17 photo.

Yes, I have heard of this and once met a guy who was doing it in Polebridge, MT (west side of G N.P.). It follows near the Canadian border a lot of the way and sometimes uses roads (i.e., it is not all on trails). I saw a book for it at REI once. This one.

I don't have a winter shot of Whitehorse's East Face. Best I could do is this summer shot from Mt. Pugh (with Jumbo Mountain in the foreground):

Nice pic, climbaround. In the picture you link (2/19) you can see two black dots one above the other in the middle of the upper part of the far right couloir. They look like two climbers stretched out on a rope length: I think they may be climbers because in this other wider-angle picture of yours from two days before (2/17) you can not see those two dots:

Just for the ladies, I'll come wearing my push up boxers.

The answer is Mt. Baring. Other than the obvious fact that the photo is titled 627Baring2, here is a clue: