Rocket_Man

The mountain is crowded and more guides mean more people... at least keep them on the south side and leave the Emmons for private climbers so we still have an area to be away from the guided masses and long lines up the mountain.

Four tires - P205/55R15 Two brand new (Falken brand) and two with about 1,500 miles on them (Potenza brand). +$90 each when purchased - no longer have the car so didn't need them - - - sell now for $175. Brian at 425-333-4331 Home or 425-427-8187 Work Issaquah email at bbeaman@nwlink.com

I agree with you, j_b, do Carla's Traverse. I saw where the traverse took off while doing MJ Dihedral but passed it up then ended up losing the route. It looked like a nice steep slab pitch. The MJ dihedral continues but I couldn't see any evidence of climbing (everything was coated with that black lichen) and looked tough, so I angled off to the left from the dihedral, ended up on top of a real skinny pedestal, then made a go for it half-ass lunge across a featureless face to a big horizontal flake (oftentimes one can run across something that one cannot walk across) . From there just traverse the flake into Orbit. I was probably 75 feet above Carlas Traverse. I had two others with me and both fell on the lunge move... a testiment to "the leader never falls" theory.

MARY JANE DIHEDRAL is closer to 5.10 with very thin face climbing and sustained. It ain't nothing like Orbit or Outer Space. Those two routes allow you to rest a bit and MJ doesn't. Another route on Snow Creek Wall that is pretty good is GALAXY. That's another route that I don't hear much traffic on. Galaxy provides just about everything you can imagine including a nice 40 foot flare chimney that you need to face the ski to climb .. good for vertigo. hey how about REMORSE. I lead that back some time and the lead off the top of the pedestal goes a full 50 meters with only two manky bolts for pro. Its actually great face climbing on small knobs. I dont think I've heard of anyone doing Remorse.

hey caveman I like it... someone else that has done Mary Jane. Good route although route finding was nasty about 2/3s way up for me and ended up doing a wild unprotected traverse at 5.11 (blind no pro) and hooked into Orbit near the upper "groove."

Trad 1. Outer Space 2. Orbit 3. Dreamer 4. Silent Running 5. everything on the Apron Alpine 1. North Ridge of Index 2. North Ridge of Stuart ICE 1. Hanging Glacier on Shuksan in the winter 2. the Hour Glass on Shukson in the spring

Matt, that route scared the crap out of me. I was lucky enough to have followed a good aid climber at the time on the route but it was steep and exposed. The leader of that climb within a year went totally insane (manic-depressive, paranoid and schzo) and eventually killed himself to add a little "mystic" to the route. As far as I could tell, he was perfectly normal before leading the Witch Doctor. Naw, I don't want to go back.... my routes now are more on the order of doing Silent Running, Dreamer and such. We did it in the late 70s to "bag" the route as seemed to be the primary motivation of the time. We had no doubt that we could make it up. I don't remember any bolts on the route. Lots of vertical cracks, sketchy flakes and a few hook moves. No falls and the second and third "jumared" to the the belays. The bivy was very uncomfortable, but aren't they always when you have to "sit to sleep." We were just happy to find the ledge. The last lead I took and it was cool... Free climbing (5.7) and exposure at its finest. Take lots of water... we ran out at the bivy then had to suffer listening to the waterfalls on the Granite Sidewalk while doing multiple rapels down the other side. Ended up sucking water out of moss we were so thirsty. We contemplated rapeling the Witch Doctor face as indicated in the 60s Beckey guide, but opted not to. If nothing else go climb the first lead (below the two scars if they are still visible) which is like 5.8,A2 and bail if you want... then you can get a good look straight up the route. Brian B.

Hey Dave, this is Brian B. I looked through hundreds of slides and did not find any of the Witch Doctor route. I can't remember if we took pictures or not, but we usually did. We climbed it as a party of three in 1977 or 1978. We actually used the "real old" Beckey guidebook. Do you have a copy of that... it was a small book probably printed in the early 60s. I have not seen one for years. We did the Witch Doctor in "two days." Made the approach on a Friday and fixed the first pitch before dark. Climbed the next day and bivy'd on a "ledge." The ledge was about two feet wide and was separated from the main face by about 18 inches. Two of us sat on the ledge and slept while the third wedge himself down in the crack between the face and the ledge. Next morning we climbed the final pitch to the top. Here's what I remember from the route. First pitch, mixed easy free and aid. All pitches to the bivy ledge were aid. The last pitch was free at 5.7. The aid pitches were in vertical cracks going about A3. The route was VERY CLEAN!!! No dirt or trees etc. Good pin placements and a very direct line essentially straight up the face. I imagine good free climbers could climb this route without aid but they would need to be real good.. the route is pretty much vertical except for the first and last pitch. I can't believe others have not climbed the route. My impression at the time was it was very clean, scary and a tough descent down the slabs on the other side. Route finding was relatively easy... just follow the vertical crack systems. Belays are reasonable.. I don't remember any hanging belays or difficulties having three guys on the climb. Regards Brian B.

I soloed this climb/traverse/descent awhile back in one day. There is nothing really technical about the traverse. As you are aware, there is essentially a "trail" up Elinor. While on top of Elinor, it is enticing to go ahead and knock of Washington while you are there. Go do it. Just use your routefinding skills in alpine terrain to make the traverse to Washington. As I mentioned, I didn't think it was particularly hard or dangerous. One point of caution, I made the mistake of trying to descend straight down off of Washington to the logging road that you can clearly see and looks sooooo close. It is doable, but lots of cliff bands, super bad brush, typical wicked Cascade cross-country stuff. I think I would have taken the extra time (probably quicker in the long run though) and go back to Elinor and back down the trail. Hope this helps you!

I have climbed the North Peak twice by the standard route. The first time car to car in one day... but it was a hump to do it. Beckey's description is fine... just take the path of least resistance. If there is snow midface then you should take an ice ax... we didnt the first time up and was pretty scary getting an edge of the boot into the icy snow. I've always said that if not for the vegetation on Index... it would be unclimbable. Down low you will climb nearly vertical chimney full of roots and limbs. Often you will not even touch the rock... you will be entirely climbing vegetation!!! The upper ridge is great. Goes up in a series of rock steps with fairly easy climbing. The descent is tricky. I would advise simply descending the route you climbed. The is a temptation near the top to descend moderate looking gullies down. Don't be fooled tho. These gullies get steeper and you end up on high angle slab/brush rapels with anchors consisting of "balled-up" brush!! As a Cascade climber, you are a fool to not climb Mt. Index. However, you are a bigger fool if you climb it twice like I did.