klenke

By the time us cascadeclimbers get done with your new spray site, Acadia will be the place to be in America! It'll be the shit, man!

Mark: actually, Kyes is comprised of old volcanic material--volcanic breccias to be exact. I suppose you climbed Blackcap via the ridge crest from the saddle on its ENE side. Though it was chossy, it was not difficult. The face to the left (south) was definitely loose. Monument's East Ridge (Beckey's first ascent route) was fun but loose. Some scary exposure for me while soloing. What proved most frightening was downclimbing an extremely steep gully some 1/2-mile SE of Monument to get off its prominent SE ridge to get over to Lake Mountain. I've said this before, but generally while soloing the easiest way up a big peak in the Cascades generally requires ascending via an access gully--gullies which are generally loose due to their eroded nature and what gets chucked into them from above. Folks endeavoring to climb the Top 100 in the state know all about this fact.

MountainMan, you wouldn't bring out a blue bag too, would you?

Yes, Gordon, you've got the right P. Klenke. I will confirm what you say about the rappelling off of Boston. The second rappel anchor was pretty iffy. I almost got the rope stuck pulling it down afterward (and I pulled some loose rocks down on me). MountainMan: did you happen to see a Volkswaggen Bug-sized rock on the snowfield below the east side? Well, the climbing was so loose that I knocked that big-friggin-rock (B.F.R.) onto the snow on the way up. Yes, sir, the East side of Fortress is pretty crappy. I was off route on the way up but came down a "better" way. Send me an email at klenke@attbi.com, and I'll send you a couple of annotated images of Fortress Mountain's east side. Perhaps they'll show you something you missed (or didn't miss). - - - Paul

Okay, I measured it out on my Topo software: Taking SR530: I-5 (Arlington) to Darrington = 32 miles Darrington to Rockport = 18 miles TOTAL = 50 miles Taking I-5 and SR20: I-5 (Arlington) to Burlington = 22 miles Burlington to Rockport = 38 miles TOTAL = 60 miles Based on the speed I drive, the I-5 (Arlington) to Burlington leg takes slightly more time to that of the Darrington to Rockport leg because both can be driven at 70+ mph. The Burlington to Rockport and Arlington to Darrington legs have the same general speed (and slow pokes) attributable to them, except I find I'm able to pass more on the latter. Plus, the latter is also six miles shorter. All in all, I would say going via Darrington saves me ~30 minutes round trip. And over the years that really adds up. It would be like an espresso punch card: drive the Darrington route 10 times and get a free hike. [ 07-17-2002, 06:16 PM: Message edited by: klenke ]

[ 07-17-2002, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: klenke ]

Most climbers know not to even stop in Concrete, that gawd awful speed-trap. They'll bust your ass for going 5 over! In fact, knowing climbers coming from the Seattle area take the Darrington cut-off. It's faster AND it avoids Concrete.

Since I've never met you nor climbed with you, Capt. of the Cavemen, I can't say how fast you are, but, like TimL says, a reasonably well-paced climber can do it car-to-car in a day. I myself car-camped at Rainy Pass to get an early start (saving me a 3+ hour drive in the wee hours of the morning). TimL is also right about the views. A stupendous view of Mt. Goode's NE side is visible from the saddle west of Wing Lake (you can also see it from the summit but the perspective is too high up to be as good as the saddle). Mind you, looking the other way, Black Peak looks cool from the NE side of Goode as well.

In my honored opinion, the easiest way up Black Peak has got to be via the saddle west of Wing Lake. From there you simply turn right (north) and then angle up to the summit using a gully here and a gully there. Nothing to it. There was scree, but what do you expect for the "easiest route"? The summit blocks have an exposed step-across, but otherwise offer no problems. As I recall, it took me 4 hours and 15 minutes to get to the summit from the car, so car-to-car in a day is quite feasible. And heh, if my skinny ass can do it, anybody's can. ===Klenke

How come I don't see McDonald's in any of these lists? It's not just fat, ugly people who eat there, you know. Skinny, ugly climbers eat there too. I would say that Mama Villone's in Cle Elum has great food but it's a restaurant not a cafe. By the way, Wenatchee has NO RESTAURANTS. It's 100 percent fast food joints. Terrible. Okay, well maybe there are a few restaurants but I couldn't find them.

"How come the park service doesn't maintain such a popular trail? The hike would be more pleasnt with less downed trees in the way..." Because if they put a better trail in there that many more people would be crowding the upper basins. Do we really want that? As I recall, there were already at least 100 people on the mountain when I climbed it. A better trail (with foot bridge across the river) would only lessen the wilderness experience up there--what there is left of it.

Oh yeah, almost forgot about Ragged Ridge. McShitty (aka Mesahchie) was a terribly chossy POS--especially in the gully that leads down from the ice climb col. I remember Observation Rock on the north side of Mt. Rainier being really loose. But that was just loose pumice rock, normal stuff for a volcano.

Colin, The prices I quoted are as such: Parking prices at Fields Point are by the car. So the more people in the car, the more the required money is divided. It cost $6 per day or $30 per week. However, the guy taking the money let us pay for four days even though we told him we might come out on the fifth day. I don't think they're that strict about it. The other prices quoted are per person: $25 to ride the slower Lady of the Lake II round trip. I think, but could be wrong, that the high-speed catamaran is $44 roundtrip (and it makes two runs a day). $6 per shuttle bus ride per way per person. Since there are two zones and two directions of travel (unless you go out a different way), this adds up to $24. The first shuttle bus is largely the tourist bus and is a converted school bus (except it's dark blue). The second shuttle bus is a NPS van. The two shuttle buses coordinate a rendezvous at High Bridge Camp on the Stehekin River Road. Donn: That bivy at the summit of Goode is still there. A little tight perhaps for a tent but it would fit two bivy sacks side-by-side. There are also plenty of ledges below the summit in the vicinity of Black Tooth Notch that would suffice for bivying. As for the float plane information, if the parking for it be free and the prices for the plane are about the same, then that option will cost about $80 - $24 - $25 = $31 more per person. Not that much more, really. [ 07-13-2002, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: klenke ]

Seems volcanoes are chossy by their very nature. So, could put all four of them (five incl. St. Helens) on the list too. I haven't done Glacier Peak yet but I hear it's the worst of them all.

Here's my list of chossiest "Top 100" peaks in Washington that I've done that warrant mentioning(not necessarily in ranking order of looseness). Some of these peaks don't refer to the bulk of the mountain itself but to the terrain to access it, etc. Often, the easiest way up a high peak is via its loosest gully. Hence, a lot of high peak climbing requiring the least-technical terrain to go up leads one up the crappiest way. 1. Blackcap Mountain (Pasayten), which is not as steep as Boston Peak but just as loose 2. Monument Peak (Pasayten), particularly accessing it 3. Mt. Carru (Pasayten) 4. Boston Peak (Cascade Pass), I didn't think East Face was that bad and hence its bad reputation overblown 5. Saska Peak (Entiat), East and SE faces to get over to Emerald Peak 6. Fortress Mountain (Chiwawa Mountains), East side 7. Silver Star Mountain, particularly Burgundy Col area Any other peaks to add, people? Doesn't necessarily have to be a Top 100 peak [ 07-12-2002, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: klenke ]

Boston Peak is certainly loose but not the loosest Top 100 peak I've ever been up. Most of the peaks I've been up in the Pasayten are pretty cruddy. Besides, I kind of like the way it always gets a bad rap AND is in the Top 100. After all, it is higher than Forbidden and Eldorado. I had a lot of fun climbing Boston solo. Went up the usual east side and then rappeled two rappels down the southeast side then returned over Sahale Peak. I remember all the gaper newbie climbers on Sahale watching me from that summit wondering what or who the hell was over there on that seemingly unclimbable piece of crap next door. I remember as I downclimbed past them talking with a friend who waited for me how these newbies were talking about me amongst themselves like I was some sort of climbing god. Very funny and yet gratifying at the same time.

In no way is Horseshoe Peak an actual peak by definition. It is only a peak by name. It is sad that those who invented the original Top 100 list (Bulger) chose to include this ridge high point as a Top 100 peak. It's prominence is only 80 feet (80 feet for God sakes!). My theory is that the first persons (Bulger, et al?) to be doing the Top 100 who were climbing Buckner decided to do Horseshoe while on their way back to the trailhead. They then liked their climb of Horsehoe "Peak" so much that they put it on the Top 100 list. I don't have much problem otherwise with the Top 100 list. I guess every list has to have it's bullshit members.

Is that how you guys do it up in Canada, Dru? Why not use duct tape instead of a cork? Duct tape works for everything (except for fixing ducts; bowel ducts excluded).

Fred, My friend Kirk and I had no problems locating your 2nd approach alternative from Bridge Creek to bivy. This alternative is the slab approach. The slabs are so very obvious from below. You were right about both bushwhacks being about 100 yards. Actually, the first between the two slabs is probably less than 100 yards. The second alder bushwhack even has a slightly less overgrown "pathway" through it which we placed a few cairns within, but they'll probably disappear. The only comment I would have as per revision of the CAG info is that you say begin the traverse over to Storm King-Goode Col (after climbing down SW Couloir from summit of Goode) at about the level of the moraine. What I saw is that the corner for traversing is about 100 vertical feet below the obvious moraine. This flattish corner is also obvious as it is the first possible way around toward Storm King (above this is cliffy terrain whose otherside is just as cliffy). Anyone who is capable of climbing Goode should also be capable of figuring this out. You also say that there is a steep section about 500 feet below the summit for the NE Buttress route. This, I feel, may lead some climbers to assume that the climbing would get easier after this section 500 feet below the summit. In actuality, there are some other steep low-class 5 pitches right below the summit. I don't know, it's all in the eye of the beholder or the ability of the climber. ===Paul Klenke

Snafu-hound, You might check here for a photo: http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b301e9a7c4d5 [this is from David Parker's Goode Photo Album] In particular, look at pic numbered P1010055.JPG. This one is a picture of Buckner and Booker and the saddle between. Looks to me like the saddle would entail nothing more than a mid angle couloir downclimb or a snowy ledge traverse onto the Buckner Glacier on the Park Creek side. The amount of snow you see there (he climbed Goode about 3 weeks ago, I think) in Park Creek is about the same as it is today, more or less.

Texplorer: Sorry to report that my buddy Kirk kicked one of your top show snafflehounds off of the NE Buttress of Goode this weekend. Seems it was annoying Kirk in the middle of the night by gnawing on his backpack/bivy sack during our impromptu bivy at 8,800 ft. I hope you can forgive him.

I was atop Goode this weekend (Saturday). Nearly the entire upper reaches of Park Creek are still under snow. I can't say what the specific conditions were for the saddle between Booker and Buckner 'cause I didn't look too closely. But if I come upon a photo in the near future, I'll clue you in more.

Too bad you didn't snap a pic of The Tool himself so we that have never seen him can know what he looks like and prepare ourselves if he should advance on us. Excuse the run on sentence.

Yeah, Nelson was wrong to call it the East Buttress. This buttress definitely trends (points) to the Northeast. It can be deceiving just how much the North Fork Bridge Creek valley turns to the northwest from its junction with the main fork of Bridge Creek. If you mistakenly think you're continually going north up N. Fork Bridge Cr. then you'd think the NE Buttress faces East but this is not the case.

Some information about Mt. Goode NE Buttress climb. Lake Chelan boat Lady of the Lake parking: $24 at Field's Point for four days ($30 per week). Gadzooks! Boat fare: $25 round trip Shuttle bus costs: $24 round trip ($6 per zone one way x 2 zones x 2 directions). Take lots of cash. Plus, take extra for beer money in Stehekin. Due to boat arrival time in Stehekin and shuttle bus shedule, it is unlikely you will start the hike up Bridge creek earlier than 3:30PM. This may preclude getting all the way up to standard bivy below Goode Glacier. The snow bridge across Bridge Creek is still there and is about 100 yards long. It should still be there for a couple of weeks. Just keep hiking up trail until you come to it. Can't miss it. After it's gone, there are logs that can be crossed 1/4-mile south of here. Slabs (Beckey's second approach alternative) are easy to see. First slab is low class 5 and has a rappel station at the top tied to a tree. Second slab is easier. Bushwhacking between slabs is a piece of cake. It sleeted on us the day before the climb so we were concerned for the possibility of the climb even going. Showers deposited fresh snow on the upper half of the buttress. The next day was clear so we went up. Got started an hour late plus took "slower" ice climbing route to get to base of buttress. Started climbing rock at 9:00AM. First pitch is class 5 to gain arete. Second "pitch" is 600+ feet of simul-climbing up class 3/4 terrain. Rest is generally class 5. Fresh snow and snow melt made the going much more tedious and dangerous and slow for us (near area of broad bivy ledge in concave depression of buttress). A threesome was climbing up below us. My buddy and I were benighted at 8,800 feet two pitches above this broad bivy ledge. Threesome bivied at the bivy ledge. C-c-c-old in the night! The next day we finished the climb and then descended via the crappy SW Couloir (not an enjoyable way to go up or down). We circled around the mountain to Storm King-Goode Col. Rappel off of col into glacier is easy but loose. Downclimbing top of glacier couloir was on mildly hard snow for about 150 vertical feet to a crevasse which nearly spanned the whole couloir. Luckily there was still a way past it on the north end. After this crevasse the glacier angle relieves a little. Only a few minor crevasse detours were left before we got back to our bivy site in the early evening. Route finding on the glacier could be problematic later in the summer. The next day we came within 5 minutes of missing the 11:15AM NPS shuttle bus that would allow us to make the boat ride home. Phew! All in all, Goode is a man-mountain--much more demanding than I expected given the conditions. Beware of this. ===Paul [ 07-08-2002, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: klenke ]