klenke

Contrived? What's contrived about it? I'm not sure I understand your meaning. I agree it may be long, but it certainly is all true (or based on first hand knowledge 'cuz we were just there). If you note, with the exception of Brian's boot trundle, there is very little superfulous information in the trip report. In considering the proper length of a trip report to put forth, less is less than more unless more would be less than more...more or less. If someone wants to use the information for their own beta purposes, then they can cull the unnecessary sentences as they see fit. If I remember something noteworthy in terms of route finding, then I am apt to include it. This is not saying that the way Brian and I went is the best way. It is only a way, therefore a feasible way--especially with beta in hand. Sometimes I write trip reports for fun and include humor. Sometimes I'm in the mood for just factual content. Clearly, the latter was the case for the Twin Peaks TR. Harry: thanks for the plaudits. I especially appreciate them coming from someone such as you, whose writing skills are clearly superior to mine.

Twin Peaks Twip Report {A picture of Twin Peaks from the north} The Route: Circumnavigation Difficulty: BW2, Class 4 scrambling, 5.8 summit pitch (5.9 in boots) Protection: Cams, cams, cams (mid-size cams being best); 50m rope; rock shoes The Personnel: Brian (Catbirdseat) and Paul (Klenke) Start/end point: Perry Creek Trail (Mt. Forgotten Trail), 2100 ft High point: Twin Peaks, West Summit (5,840+ ft) Date: October 4, 2003 Approach: (Beckey's route description isn't that good) Take the Perry Creek Trail for two miles to where it crosses the creek. Leave the trail and continue up the creek. In late season, this creek is supposed to be dry. It is dry, just further up the basin. Don't be fooled by the first 100 feet or so of pools. Shortly thereafter, the creek disappears under the gravelly streambed. From here on to the head of the basin it is actually very easy travel in the dry streambed. You will see Twin Peaks up and to the right. 1 hour to the head of the basin (3,600 ft). A lower cliff band hems in most of the head of the Perry Creek basin. A steep brushy slope heads directly east from the basin. To the right of this, where the streambed ends, is a rock amphitheater with a narrow canyon that trends up and right. Farther to the right is a semi-vegetated talus acclivity. The route we took to get above the lower cliffs was as such: Walk the streambed to just before the amphitheater and mount the spur to the right (west) of the narrow canyon. Ascend the spur for about 200 vertical feet. You can scramble rock (exposed to the canyon) or bushwhack mild stunted evergreens until at the base of the lower cliffs. At this point, make an easy crossover to the other (east) side of the canyon then traverse a slightly brushy slope (BW1) eastward for about 100 yards to another canyon with a waterfall (just a trickle late in season). At this second canyon, a low-angle slab gully proceeds eastward for several hundred yards. In some ways, this gully looks like an eroded dike because it runs parallel with the cliffs above. There are two steps in the gully that require one to exit it for brushy slopes on the left (mostly BW2 but can easily become BW3 if not diligent). Once above the second step, the gully widens and becomes more vegetated. In another 100 vertical the gully opens up to the heathery upper basin (just below the centerpoint of the aforementioned photograph). If climbing Chokwich Peak, the saddle above to the east is probably the way to go. 2 hours to here (4,800 ft). From here, one can go the Beckey way up through the ugly notch between the East and West Summits, or you can take a more solid circumnavigation. After descending via the notch, Brian and I both agreed that the better (more pleasant) approach for the peak is around its west side. In looking at the aforementioned photograph, the following features are visible: the upper cliffs, the upper talus, the lower curving cliff band, and still another short cliff band down and to the right of the summit. The idea is to take the mezzanine ramp between these lower two cliff bands. The ramp becomes a bench and shortly reaches the timbered Northwest Rib of Twin Peaks. Once at timber, turn left and climb up and over the rib or traverse steep heather beneath it until at the small saddle under the northwest corner of the summit cliffs. A stand of trees to the right (south) marks the start of an upper ledge that leads around the largely overhanging West Face to the Southwest Ridge. (I had thought there might be a rock route up this West Face but I was wrong. That was our real reason for going over there. The West Face, in addition to being overhung in many places, is devoid of any cracks for pro. There are incipient cracks which would probably take knife blades, however. Either way, it would be high-5th-class climbing.) Round the Southwest Ridge (easy) then scramble heather and ankle brush eastward under the South Face until you arrive at the only significant gully on the entire mountain. This gully has an inordinate amount of talus and blocks strewn below it and one wonders where the heck all that rock came from. 3 hours to here (5,600 ft). The Climbing: Gear up at the base of the gully. Warning: It is extremely important to climb together in the gully or on its spur margins because trundling is a major problem. It is not necessary to rope up for the lower part of the route. Scramble the mouth of the gully (class 2) to the first little step. A nice little stem move gets you above it. At the next step (harder and mossier), leave the gully for the rock spur on the right. Scramble class 4 (can rope up for this) for 100 feet past two steeper problem sections. The spur comes to a platform where the ledge Beckey mentions comes in from the east. Though we did not go this way, it is surmised that the easiest way to the top might be to continue straight (northeastward) from the top of the gully past some small trees. There is a small notch at the trees. Beyond the notch, the "gully" continues to another, more prominent notch immediately east of the summit. Turning left, one would find a class 4 ridge traverse over a small horn or two. It didn't look all that interesting from the summit. You can erect a belay at a small scrub pine on the platform or continue up unroped. The gully, which is below you on the left, more or less ends here. A low-angle slab reminiscent of the North Face of Vesper but shorter and reflected rises above the gully. The true (West) summit can be seen up and to the right of the slab. Cross the chossy head of the gully to the base of the slab (class 3). Use the corner dihedral of the slab and adjacent rock wall to place pro. The slab then steepens (easy class 4) all the way to the ridge crest immediately west of the summit. The dihedral remains in play. To complete the climb from the ridge crest would involve about 30 feet of knife-edge class 5 climbing with suspect pro followed by 40 feet of class 4 to the loose, blocky summit. At about halfway to the crest there is an alcove that is perfect (good anchor cracks) for a belay up the South Face of the West Summit. This alcove is at the base of an east-trending deep open book (an open book that's almost closed). Do not climb this open book! Precariously wedged toilet-sized boulders make climbing in there very dangerous. The most aesthetic route to the top, provided you can lead 5.8 in rock shoes, is a zigzagging crack directly up the South Face. This pitch is about 50 feet in length. It should be cleaner now that we've pitched off a lot of the loose stuff. However, the summit blocks themselves are very suspect, making the belay station below a dangerous location if they should fall. Brian led this pitch and made it look easy. Mid-size cams sunk well in the crack. The climbing features laybacks, stemming, arm bars, hand jams, you name it. If you like a certain technique, you can probably find a way to utilize it. Even a mantle is possible to get yourself onto the flat summit. Beckey says, "single visits to summit flake." First of all, it's not a flake. Secondly, two (maybe even three) people can safely sit at the summit. The hardest part of the pitch is the beginning right from the belay. The nice thing about this is that, if you fall, you'll simply land on the belay platform a few feet below. You have a diagonal finger crack to hoick yourself up, but foot features are virtually non-existent. Plus, the rock is very smooth, making it quite slick even with rock shoes. And where it's not smooth, it's lichen covered. You have to friction-for-feet the first moves in a butt-out-from-the-rock lieback until you can get your left foot into a small recess. Unto itself, I would rate this first move 5.9. But because it is at the belay platform thus negating any fall factor, it's a non-issue. Once above the first move, it's very enjoyable steep climbing to the top. Anchor possibilities abound once at the summit to bring up your second. We rappelled back down the South Face (we left a runner up there). Instead of going back via the Beckey access ledge to the Twin Peaks notch, we had to downclimb back to the mouth of the gully. Why? Well, because Brian accidentally trundled one of his boots down the gully (boot booty?). He was trying to clean the summit area. When he chucked off a rock, it careened off a flake (the only flake jutting out from the face) and plunged directly toward his boot. In descending the gully, Brian first retrieved the sock, then the insole. But where had the boot got to? We wondered just how far it might have gone. Perhaps all the way down the South Basin? Well, we found it lying upside down like a dead cow (actually, it is dead cow) at the base of the gully. That was about the only mishap during the day. We descended via the notch between the East and West Summits. The gully below the notch is very ugly, loose crap. Maybe suitable if snow-covered; very irritating and even dangerous if bare--thus our reasoning that the west shoulder approach is better. Round trip took 9 hours, 30 minutes. It took 2.5 hours to get from the notch to the car, where two post-climb beers patiently awaited their chances to earn their liquid mettle.

Well, you could go to next weekend's Rope Up event in Leavenworth to meet potential climbers. This event is in its third year, I believe. It is basically an event put on by the cascadeclimbers crowd. Send Beck a Private Message if you'd like more info, or simply go to the above link. Leavenworth--actually Icicle Canyon--is a rock climbing area (not quite a mecca).

Actually, that movie was pretty good. I love the scene (a cinematic classic) where they're crossing the expanse of water and the fire "bud" they were transporting got submersed accidentally. I can't remember if it completely went out or not. The looks on the cavemen's faces was classic.

Uh oh, looks like Trasky's wife just got out on parole. Looks like his cyber vacation is OVER. Winter's coming. Time to go out and chop some fagots in the woodshed.

I just want to comment on the entry concerning Dubya's setting the all-time record for time spent on vacation: Just what exactly is a vacation for the President of the United States? Sure, he can go to Camp David or his ranch in Texas or even Timbuktu, but, for the most part, I imagine he can undertake the duties of his office (those duties not necessarily being tied to the White House) anywhere at anytime. The man is connected, as they say. So, in short, concerning U.S. President vacation time, there's no such thing. It's not like he goes to a beach on one of the Cook Islands, sips pina coladas, and avoids all work at all costs. Heck, he can do that in the White House.

I scanned the data on the provided link. I didn't see any reference to spray lords Dru and Trask. Seems like those two ought to have their own personal bar graphs. Happy B-day to us, for we are this site.

Maybe it was back in January at my second pub club (Ballard Alehouse?). Four estimable Northwest climbers were seated in a row at the table. It was Paul (Klenke), Bill (TTT), Ray (Cavey), and Fred (Beckey). Never again in the long history of Northwest climbing will such a stellar syzygy [+ Fred] occur.

I agree with Paul K (no, he's not one of my avatars) about the Perry Creek Trail being vibrant (in the orange wavelengths). However, despite the colors, the scene isn't all that photo worthy. Mainly, the weed-like brush is what is turning color the most. Some trees changing color. This was early November last year when I was there. The upper slopes of Stillaguamish would probably be nice and red with the turning heather. I may head up that trail this weekend. I'll be sure to open my eyes to check the scene.

Tod: we did have to go across small parts of the glacier but not really those parts you can see in the photo. We definitely needed our aluminum crampons for the crossings. Most of the lower glacier crevasses are no more than 15 feet deep. You can see the slab at the base of the cracks, making the crevasses seem more like low angle schrunds or snow fissures. There aint much blue ice, that's for sure. The glacier is so thin where we crossed it that you could often hear thunks and bumps of the various blocks as they settled or moved slightly on the slabs. I doubt many of these were due to our weight. The thunks and bumps were disconcerting at times--especially on the return when I stopped right under a big block to put my crampons on. As we were on the NE Ridge, we could often hear a ruckus down on the glacier. It was so noisy, we were sure we'd easily spot the source of the commotion. Yet, as we would discover by squinting, the noise was emanating from very small ice block "avalanches," not some big serac tumbling. God only knows how loud it would have been had a big serac or ice block tumbled down the slabs.

Then the Greeks grew olives but Brutus came an took Olive Oil away. Then the Greeks grew democracy, and that didn't work either.

Here's my entry: Mt. Triumph

Motor Cross? I thought the golf course was bad enough.

Oly, From the desk of a former Mutanteer: there is an equivalency test that you can take to skip the Basic Class and go directly to the Intermediate, which it sounds like you're after (as Erik says). This equivalency test is rigorous. They make you demonstrate a lot of Basic stuff. You could conceivably read up on all that is necessary and "cram for the test." Regarding Cruiser and Constance, those climbs are not often lead by Mounty leaders, so you may wind up exasperated at this. Leaders trend toward proven climbs like Ingalls, the Toof, SEWS, Liberty Bell, etc. The best way to do intermediate climbs of your choosing is to get chummy with a leader who is willing to climb "outside the box", as it were. There are a lot of gumbies in the intermediate class (it should really be called the advanced basic class since a lot of the people in it aren't any good at doing the things demanded of them in the class). However, one can look at the class as a learning experience, and in this way it makes sense. I guess what I'm saying is that there are people who begin the intermediate class who are already 5 levels better than their mates but still have to do everything their mates do (which, when I was in the course, was 2 Intermediate Ice Climbs, 2 Intermediate Rock Climbs, 1 Intermediate climb of your choice, about six rope leads for basic climbs, and a couple other requirements I can't recall at the moment). The basic class is good to meet people--potential climbing partners or otherwise. If you are single, beware of the dating game, as they are more strict about this now than they used to be or need to be . The intermediate class also is good for meeting people. All in all, the Mountaineers can be a good organization or a bad organization. Like any organization that has been around for eons, it will have developed policies that don't fit every person's persona. The rest of my personal opinion of them is mine own. ===Paul

Conjecture: C1: If Will had not clipped either rope strand through his locking biner once he pushed it through his rappel device, then it seems more likely the rope would have stayed connected to (ran through) the rappel anchor. Both rope strands would have come out of his device when he leaned back, thus parting him with the rope. C2: If Will mistakenly only clipped one of the two strands through, then the rope would have gone with him as he fell. When he leaned back in such a way there was, in effect, no anchor since his weight was much greater than the other non-clipped strand of the rope. As he fell, the clipped strand would have gone down with him while the unclipped strand quickly ran through the anchor until out of rope. The friction of the unclipped strand going through the anchor could have pulled on the clipped strand as the distance between him and the anchor grew (double pulley mechanical system). Then, with aerodynamic drag on the rope as he fell, the remainder of the clipped strand could have pulled through his belay device/locking biner until, at some point farther down, the rope fully pulled out. C3: If he had not ran the rope through the anchor correctly but did manage to clip the rope through his locking biner correctly, then it is still conceivable that both strands of rope paid out of the biner/belay device as he fell. However, the simultaneous aero-drag on each strand of the rope would seem to make the rope not pay through but keep it about even. Unless, for example, something (on the wall) caught one strand of the rope for a moment to initiate the pull out. Again, the foregoing is just conjectural food for thought. My commiserations to Will's family and friends.

That's the North Face right now? Bleeeach! Now the peak on the left on the other hand... Hey, Ray, saw your name on the permit sheet (or whatever you call it) in the Marblemount N.P. Ranger Station. Hope it was a-okay for ya whatever you did. Three of us just did the NE Ridge of Triumph.

I think I clued this in to Stefan after he told me about Gee Point: I'm going to say the peak you're talking about is Round Mountain (5,320 ft). Its prominence is about 4,800 ft and the saddle in question is adjacent to the town of Darrington. This saddle (approx. 520 feet) separates the northward flowing Sauk River on east and the westward flowing North Fork Stillaguamish River on the west. If Round Mountain were only 200 feet higher it would be much more famous to prominence afficianados since 5,000+ foot prominence peaks are not that common in the U.S. Am I right, John? Is it Round Mountain?

Holy cow manure! I was just up there on the 12th of September. On the way up to McClellan from Ingalls Creek I was about two drainages east of Crystal Creek and one drainage east of the worst of the fire. I then came down Crystal Creek later. It looks like the worst part of the fire is in the drainage immediately east of the Nightmare Needles. Regarding camp fires and humanity's need to make them: I've never been able to figure this out. Why do people (a lot of my friends included) feel the need to make a fire for the sake of a fire? It's like it's some leftover instinct from the Ice Ages.

klar: no, didn't see the plastic bag. Where would it have been? We were sort of in a hurry as it was about an hour before total darkness. I took the previous photo after I had climbed (on belay) to the top of the footstool. On my tip-toes I could basically get my head at the same height and that was good enough for me. If we had had more time I probably would have given the final cheval moves or whatever it would take more consideration. We descended along the ridge to the east. This ridge turns left (north) then descends steeply to the stream that comes out of that lake and drains into Quartz Creek. Suzy and I fell on our arses many times on the wet ankle brush. Thank god for the green belays. Suzy literally irrupted out of the trees lining a stream at the base of the ridge and fell into the ankle-deep water...splash! (it was the most comic moment of them all). From there, we simply headed east across the many meadows and tree bands until we met the Curry Gap trail just about at dark. Decided to get the headlamps out on the trail when Suzy fell again. What do you think? Maybe one party every other year goes to Goblin Mountain?

Four of us got to the saddle on the extreme left edge of the picture linked to in my last post. It was basically cross-country ridge travel from Curry Gap to where we turned around (that's probably the part you remember). Not hard but difficult and dangerous at times on steep wet September heather. From that saddle it would be easy to get up the ridge toward the glacier by way of ramps and heather sections. But the terrain gets progressively steeper. There's a rock knob to the left of the upper glacier that looked like we could hike between and the glacier but we had no way to be sure. Since we hadn't brought crampons and it was getting late and we were unsure as to whether we could skirt the glacier (it bows out steeply there by that knob), we decided to turn around. Once around the knob, there is apparently a little bit of easy 5th to round the corner to the other side of the mountain. Instead, two of us went over and scrambled to Goblin Mountain. This is a good diversion if you turn around. To get up the final bouldering moves of Goblin, you better have a rope. Its damn exposed on every side. You can use an upper pedestal to get your head as high as the crest of the top rock, but you can't touch it without doing something more difficult. All in all, Goblin's one of the more interesting summit blocks I've seen. Here's a picture of it: Goblin Mountain.

How it looked about a month ago: view from Sloan

I will agree with you, CBS. Mountain identification is 7 parts pattern recognition and 3 parts location recognition. The former takes time to master, repeated viewings being necessary. The latter requires one to take an active interest in the way things are geographically located next to each other. Having a mapbook next to my computer helps. It also helps to have an analytical mind, which I do (much to my detriment at times). Colin, I've noticed, is also very good at name dropping peaks on first sighting. But anyway, back to the speedway...

Speaking of mountain backdrops for racing: About 10 years ago my housemate had a Nintendo street/road racing game that featured Mt. Shuksan "on the horizon" from that standard famous view of it from the northwest. The only thing was that the mountain was backward (reflected) on the screen. Seems like I see accidentally reflected photos of mountains a lot out there. Any serious PNW climber would instantly recognize a backward Shuksan.

Don't believe everything you READ guys. Often, the up-to-the-minute observations of a weather observer are more important than a numerical forecast based on models from earlier in the day. This is especially true here in the PNW. In this regard, Beck may not be incorrect. Corroborating what he is saying with the images obtained here, my guess is that there will be some minor disturbances brushing the area tonight and tomorrow. These will subside by the weekend. A light shower here or there in the foothills or on the west sid of the Cascades and Olympics crest could happen. Never count anything out in the Puget Sound. Blah blah blah blah.....

Interesting. Not written very well but interesting nonetheless. I never knew there were mines in Glacier Basin. By the way, can't you use Microsoft Paint to reduce the resolution, thus the file size to cc.com allowances? This is how it works for my Paint s/w. Example: a 400Kb jpeg usually gets downgraded to about 80Kb, which is well within cc.com's allowances, upon saving as a new jpeg. Granted, my Paint s/w may be older than most. Try it. It might work for you.