Juan
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Posts posted by Juan
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Way to go Kurt and Jason -- gotta love that descent. You guys made great time.
Would aluminum crampons be O.K. for that glacier business? I've never crossed it so late on such a low snow year.
John Sharp
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So now you just have to do Big Four Dry Creek Route this summer. Piece of cake. Should take no more than 10 hours car-to-car. See my TR from 2003. I guess you should do Garfield via the std. route too. Then you really will be the Brush Kings.
Great job Ivan and Josh. That feeling that you have fucked up and people are waiting on you is no good. Usually it's a matter of failing to "manage expectations."
Cheers,
John Sharp
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Fabulous TR. We didn't do the N.B. of Fury in 2003 -- just the S.E. Glacier of Fury and Luna to the true summit. I remember thinking, while sitting on top of Fury, that it feels like being in the very middle of the Magic Mountain Kingdom. I can't think of a more rewarding summit after 20 years of weekend climbing.
We called Jim Nelson from the summit and gave him grief as his name was not in the register. Then we ordered him a large pizza for delivery to the store, C.O.D. Hah!
Anyway, I very much hope to be climbing like you guys when I reach your seriously old age. I'm only 42!
Congrats,
John Sharp
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Hey Jason:
In early Aug. 199something, it was no problem. Go get it; great route.
Sharp
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Of course, you meant "descent." Right Kurt?
Typical Coug.
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Is that the 5.5 Carla/Joan Firey route? I did it in late July 1987. We were young and dumb, but found our way up and down the peak no problem, and up and down the Barrier no problem either (though the gully had snow in it -- it likely won't now).
Fun route; go get it!
John Sharp
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I have a wheelchair, but would like one in titanium. Can you help me out, Jim?
John
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Good job Richard and Chris. Beautiful area up there. Fun to be an old man and have an excuse to do moderates, eh? Gotta love it.
John Sharp
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Maybe take an axe for the way off, but we didnt' use our crampns two weeks ago coming off after Serpentine. The snow is not that steep on the back, and the snow at the base as manageable ini boots.
Sharp
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You're both continuing to embarrass the aging couch potato set, of which I am one. Please find another mountain range to pick on.
=;-)
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If they were a party of 4, they broke in half. What did you climb?
John
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Nice talking to you Letsroll. I hope we didn't spook you too much -- we had a feeling that your partner may not like what she saw had she gotten a view of the next sections from the top, given that you said in a post that she isn't too keen on steep snow. You probably made a wise choice and still had fun on this beautiful, if hot and buggy, weekend. Did you see the rasta college kids from Prescott College? Too funny. The guys all looked the same. Shaggy dreads, beard, obligatory crystal slung around the neck, etc. Like, DUDE!
Cheers,
John
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Very cool. Makes you appreciate the magnitude of the whole traverse to the summit, I would imagine. Big Four is so cool, even by the much tamer Dry Creek route.
Good job.
John Sharp
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Hey Dan:
Did you go to the right or left summit? We went to both -- the right one first -- and found the canister sitting right there on top of the left summit. Luckily I had a pen with me just in case.
We were way impressed with your speed and efficiency and I'd like to talk to you about the section after the rap to the North side. Let's take it offline.
Cheers,
Sharp
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Dan Smith and I tried the TFT on Fri./Sat. this weekend. On Friday we climbed the S. Ridge of Torment at very average speed with some off-route excitement do to my inability to look left below the white slings on the third pitch. Easy fifth class with a section of "goat path" quickly became 5.8ish with shitty pro. Duh.
We eventually tagged the top (and saw Aidan's group in the register, but no mention of Dan A. and friend -- perhaps due to the broken pencil lead?), then descended, traversed the ledges, and rapped to the snow on the north side. We realized that this late in this dry year, if you don't place the rope just right from the red sling and cord you'll rap into the steep, deep moat. Make it a free-hanging rap and you're still O.K.
We were tired and concerned about the next section, so we bivied right there on the snow below the rappel. We didn't get as far as planned on Friday, and felt a bit frustrated with ourselves.
We woke up Sat. (yesterday) and agreed that we didn't have the requisite mojo to tackle the rest of the route that day, and, for a variety of reasons, we bailed. The narrow notch just left of the rap from above our bivi led us down to the moat on the Taboo in seven rappels. We couldn't see any slings from our position looking down the narrow notch, but guessed it would go and sure enough found slings where needed. There is a good horn to sling at the narrow notch. I'm sure someone will booty my purple sling, but they should leave it so people will know it goes. The 60m rope was good to have along. The moat at the edge of the Taboo is still escapable without trouble, but won't be forever this summer.
We were back at the car at noon yesterday with cold beer.
So, we're big pussies, but at least we tagged Torment, which neither of us had done. Many familiar names in that summit register -- and some people climb that peak really fast! Like twice as fast as we did from the car.
We agreed that we'd like to try it a bit earlier some year in hopes that the snow on the N. side would be more user friendly.
We saw Let's Roll and his gal pal on the way in to do the TFT. Looking forward to their report.
Cheers,
John Sharp
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Hey Josh and Ivan:
You guys rock. Way to do it in fine style. Looking at your pictures, many of them are almost identical to ones I took with film -- the heather sections, the rope disappearing into the woods above, the glacier to the climber's right, etc. Brings back poignant memories.
If you put what I think you did in the register, then you saved me a return trip! Thanks so much. Check your PM Ivan for my note in this regard (did my reply go through? My system is hinky tonight).
Your picture nails "Doug's Direct" just right. The "heather tongue" is the ticket! We all owe REI Board member/Cascade Hardman Doug Walker for that one. All his idea; I just named it.
As for the alleged 5.3 chimney high on the route, we rapped into the snow gully from Jim's Ti pin and climbed continuous steep hard snow to the arete, so had no idea of the rating if you go left and climb the rock. I cribbed the 5.3 reference from Fred when helping Jim and Peter write that section. Concensus is it's 5.8; JIM: if you're reading this, can you change it in the 2nd ed. of Vol. II?
I think MVS said it well -- it is what it is -- and it's cool if you're drawn to that sort of thing. I also really like Ivan's "constant bar-fight" analogy. Very apt. So close to the road, but so damn far in so many ways. You have to keep punching. We were kind of fed up with the whole thing as we sat just below the summit pyramid before starting down the E. Ridge.
And we later felt incredibly relieved to be walking up the road to the car on day two of our planned one-day trip. The only other time I recall that kind of relief when walking away from something was after getting out of jail in college after two nights behind bars. A good story in its own right. Of course, our relief after J'Berg only lasted until the ranger's helicopter landed in the parking lot. Whoops.
This route is by no means the hardest one around -- not even close. But it seems to leave a strong and lasting impression on the average white guy.
Cheers,
John Sharp
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I notice there is no snow on or near the route, thus no feeling of "dread." Right?
Sharp
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4th class up the middle or climber's left; low fifth if you take the right skyline. When we did it last, via Fisher Chimneys last Aug., I stayed right behind my wife and we used no rope. If someone is above you, consider a different line or be diligent about looking and listening.
Good luck,
John Sharp
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Dan: This one is on the books soon. Would aluminum crampons work? I'm guessing so based on your report. Any need for cams over the 1-inch size?
Thanks much, and great TR.
John Sharp
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You guys just generally make this whole alpine affair look too easy. Could you gain some weight or something?
Sharp
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Great TR Donn. Going for all the right reasons. Though I've been on top of West Mac. twice (1987 and 2004), I've never had the foresight to take bivi gear to the summit. Good thinking, and great photos.
Keep it up, old timer.
John Sharp
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Hey lawgoddess: Say "hi" to Jeff Minzel (your boss, right?) for me.
Re: the long drive home -- we stopped for a bit too -- Kevin was snoring in the fetal position and I dozed for about 30 minutes. Not enough, but better than nothing.
Re: crampons: Even on the snow descent from the big saddle, it was just plunge stepping. We had axes out, but it wasn't slippery and it's not very steep.
G'nick: Did you do the balanced rock route???
John
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Climb: Dragontail Peak-Serpentine Arete
Date of Climb: 7/27/2005
Trip Report:
Kevin from Bellingham (Quazimoto) and I were rained out of Buckner last Friday, and had one day to make good this week. A very recent TR on Buckner caused us to look for something with more climbing and less walking. Buckner's N. Face looks a bit past its prime this year, though I am sure it is a great route. Neither of us had done Serpentine, so we decided to give it a go as a day climb. I'm out of practice on rock and 17 years his senior, so I made Kevin promise to lead the crux pitches. He led them, with style. I killed the 3rd and 4th class, as always, and cheated through a few mid-fifth class moves for good measure.
We left the parking lot at 6:15 a.m. and topped out at 3:15. We spent an hour on top (15 minutes of which was spent futzing around looking for the quickest way off the peak), and arrived back at the car at 8:00 p.m. On the second crux pitch, we caught, and later passed, one other pair that slept at the lake and left their bivi at 6:00. They were kind to let us pass.
Nothing special to report except that: (1) TeleRoss and Sky are really fast and must run a lot or use jet packs (see their Complete NR of Stuart Report); and (2) you don't need crampons to get to, or off of, the Serpentine Arete for the rest of the year. Beyond that, it is a super fun route by any measure, and I am sick of almost falling asleep while driving home after a long day in the hills. Fucking dangerous.
Gear Notes:
Std. rack of cams and nuts to 3";
50 meter rope;
Ice axe optional for snow on descent;
Helmet (for sure); and
Bug Spray recommended.
Approach Notes:
Trail to Colchuck Lake
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Ouch . . .
Chopping Block
in North Cascades
Posted
Armin:
N.E. Ridge (II 5.5) was first climbed by the ground-breaking Firey party, I believe. Look at the complete route description in Beckey and you will see their names, if memory serves me. It's a fun route. We did it in July 1987 with mountain boots, and our camp was a fair distance from the Barrier.
Have fun up there!
John Sharp