Picketeer
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Posts posted by Picketeer
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Juan, congrats on your climb!
What were the conditions of the exit couloirs leading out of Access Creek cirque? Which one did you take?
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NolanR:
You're not blind. No logbook inside, just entries on pieces of paper, folded, and stuffed inside the tube.
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I checked out the summit register on Mt Thielsen on Sunday (4" diameter metal pipe with screw lid) and read a couple entries from the 70s. No smokables inside but plenty of smoke rolling in from the Biscuit fire. On the way up, could see Diamond Peak clearly. I could barely make out Diamond Peak (35 miles north) from the top (around 1:00 pm). By the time I made it back to the Thielsen trailhead parking lot (4 pm), the visibility on the Diamond Lake Highway was less than one mile!
[ 08-20-2002, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: Picketeer ]
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Hi:
Went up Crystal Creek some years ago with plan to climb S. Face route on Little Annapurna. Bagged that idea due to wicked stonefall and continued straight up to the col divide at head of Crystal Creek cirque (?), then scrambled to the summit from there. Lost my classic J. Brown helmet on the way down
![[Frown]](images/icons/frown.gif)
. I agree with the suggestion that starting up about a 1/4 t 1/2 mile downstream from the creek is the way to go.I have thought often of returning to Crystal Creek and spending a day climbing among the pinnacles. Most enchanting!
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Climb long enough on the volcanos in summer and the rocks will visit. A friend had his pack shredded climbing on the north side of South Sister; another got clocked by a basketball size rock descending Cathedral Ridge on Mt. Hood and ended up with busted ribs. Glad to hear your partner Matrixed the stone.
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Hi:
See Access Creek Approach on Page 3. I posted a link to a trip report. The link shows the two log crossings we made. I recall that crossing upstream of Access Creek (aside from having a 'good' log to cross on) looked better because the Big Beaver was wider and shallower than below Access Creek (where we crossed going in on a broken log). It is somewhat tricky (not to mention brushy in the true Picket sense) to know where to exit the Big Beaver trail and descend to
the Big Beaver and start the search for the confluence of Access Creek and the Big Beaver. Definitely, take a route up through timber onthe North side of Access Creek. Do not ascend the south side of Access Creek unless you wish to experience an epic bushwack.
[ 07-31-2002, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Picketeer ]
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That's the kind of beta I can appreciate Cap'n!
![[big Drink]](graemlins/bigdrink.gif)
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Hi:
See a trip report at http://antares.sc.suu.edu/climbing/ Follow the link to The Picket Range 1999. Access Creek is a wild approach route to the range. I can remember only seeing one sign of previous human visitation on the way up to the cirque (a tiny scrap of plastic). The keys to this approach are finding a log across the Big Beaver (note the photos of the broken log crossing on the day in and the "good" log on the way out in the trip report) and ascending through timber to the north side of Access Creek. This is correctly noted in some guidebooks (Nelson, Mt Fury route, Selected Climbs, Vol. II) but not in certain other guides (I am recalling Nelson, Luna Peak route, Selected Climbs, Vol. I). The Beckey route description in the current edition adequately describes the preferred route up Access Creek (which is the route we descended). As described in the trip report, we made the cardinal error of ascending up the south side of Access Creek. NOT RECOMMENDED!
Enjoy the wildness of this place. There is plenty to marvel at as you make the journey!
[ 07-11-2002, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: Picketeer ]
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http://antares.sc.suu.edu/climbing/
Check out the above link for the Beckey route up Chablis Spire. Follow the Wine Spires link. Great
granite! Awesome exposure atop the spire!
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I am having trouble posting an image. I will try later.
[ 03-15-2002: Message edited by: Picketeer ]
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With the right conditions, Luna Lake could be approached via Access Creek in three days, perhaps two in beautiful conditions and you're in ripping condition. It took me and my partner a grueling day in August, '99 just to make the approach from Luna Camp to the head of Access Creek. We made the unfortunate choice of crossing the Big Beaver just south of Access Creek and thence commenced an epic bushwhack up the south side of Access Creek--not recommended! Proceed to the north side of Access Creek (as now noted in most recent edition of Becky) and ascend staying in the timber north of the creek! There is serious, serious slide alder on the south side about mid way up to the head of cirque. The ascent out of the cirque to gain the long ridge between Luna and Fury is made by a choice of couloirs. When we made our ascent,the top of the lower elevation couloir/gully was blocked by a nasty cornice
. We chose the higher elevation couloir, the top of it was steep and icy and we ran boot-axe belays at the very top. -
Standard route up Mt. Washington, winter stylee! Notice the lovely holds.Winter ascents of Mt. Washington are such a romp! No protection, imaginary belays, and all that provided Storm King doesn't send you scurrying for your tent (or rig) before you make it onto the mountain!
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Pardon. Photo I refer to is in post by Highlander (not Chris Heiser).
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Oldclimber makes a good observation. Descent of upper Cooper Spur in mushy conditions (late morning/early afternoon in June/July) is to be avoided. Postholing where a slip will drop you down Pioneer's trail onto the upper Elliot G makes you wonder a bit that maybe a S. Side descent might be ok. Classic Sunshine route IMHO goes left of Horseshoe Rock (visible where route furthest in right of photo branches just below Cathedral Ridge in picture posted by Chris Heiser). A good start to the route is to access via ascent of the morraines west of the lower icefall.
N Pickets/Fury NE Face
in North Cascades
Posted
Thanks Juan and Whiplash! The middle couloir is the one we took as well. I also recall it being a bit steep and icy at the top.
Sounds like you got hit by the same storm that lashed us on our way into the Buckindy Crags on Saturday night, weekend before last. First time I can recall seeing a lightning flash immediately followed by smoke (actually three separate columns of smoke). Totally brillant branching bolts struck in the Downey creek basin near the Bachelor creek confluence (seen from our bivi on the ridge heading from Green Mt. to Buckindyville, killer views of Dome)-decent old overgrown trail along the ridge (like Beckey sez, once about 1/2 mile out from Green Mt) Hopefully the storm that followed tamped it out. Never saw the basin the next morning, cuz we were in the soup from then on. (So much for our visions of Lord of the Rings summits-at least, 'til next time). And yeah, the vicious black flies were out and biting!