Rad
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Trip: Tower Mountain - Southeast Ridge
Date: 9/28/2008
Trip Report:
A fabulous weather window opened up so Blake and I headed for the hills, hoping to climb a new line on the NE face of Tower Mountain.
Whoever says everything has been climbed out needs to pore over Scurlock photos and do some homework, as Blake did.
This face has only been climbed once, as far as we can tell, by Doorish and Cudkowicz twenty years ago. Their route is on the far right side of the face. The sheer E side, including this giant cave, is terra incognita.
We parked at the Swamp Creek pull-out, crossed the creek, and headed up the shoulder of Hardy. There was essentially no bushwhacking, but sidehilling on pea-sized scree over hard dirt and rock was mildly annoying. We traversed through fabulous alpine meadows to the PCT and found a lovely campsite under the West face of Tower. With time on our hands, we opted for a lazy afternoon of bouldering in the sunshine.
There were oodles of people camped up by the little lakes, but we found a good site down by the PCT. Several parties did the scramble route on Tower on Saturday. We met other groups on the cusp of completing their PCT traverse. Spirits were high.
Night brought sleep and an amazing array of stars. In the morning we headed down the trail and ascended one of many gullies to the E ridge. We peeked over the edge to get our first look of the NE face.
We weighed our options. Hmmm. We got a late start, Beckey reports the face is shattered rock, there might be ice and snow in cracks and crevices due to a cold storm a few days earlier, the approach ledge is snowy and downsloping over a deadly drop, the lower reaches of the face have roofs with no signs of crack lines, and (let's be honest here) the vertical sweep of uncharted rock with no evidence of continuous protectable lines was a tad intimidating. There is no doubt that this face will hold one or more great lines, but we weren't psyched for the challenge today.
So it was off to climb the SE ridge (red line in photo above). It seems like an obvious route, but we're not aware of anyone having climbed it except for Steve House and Scott Johnston who bailed off during a winter attempt.
So off we went. There was one airy scrambling moment down low.
Then I headed up the first steep band.
The rock was great, cracks were solid, and lichen could be mostly avoided. Perhaps 5.7ish.
Views toward the PCT, WA pass, and the top of Swamp Creek were lovely.
More scrambling. Then Blake lead a lovely handcrack that was too short. 5.7ish.
Blake picked out a cool line through the upper headwall and started up. About 5.9+
I suggested Blake stop and belay at a stance so he wouldn't get caught at the end of the rope in a hard section up higher. He brought me up.
Despite my insistence that he should lead on because this was still his pitch, Blake handed over the sharp end to me. What a gentleman. I was glad to oblige.
This is one of the best pitches I've lead in the mountains. The rock was solid and clean, the line followed a vertical dihedral with a thin crack that opened up to finger slots or wider from time to time, some technical stemming allowed just enough rests, gear was always solid, and there were multiple little cruxes to surprise and entertain. 5.10ish.
The pitch ended a few feet from the summit. Unfortunately, we were turned back by a stack of teetering blocks guarding the last 7 feet, so I guess we didn't complete the route...
We descended our route and hiked out on the PCT instead of retracing our cross country approach. In the choice between long, easy mileage versus shorter but rougher terrain we chose the path we had not yet traveled. It made for a lovely alpine circuit.
After about ten miles, we hit the road at Rainy Pass and still had to get back down to the car. Cars whizzed by Blake's extended thumb in the twilight. Still feeling guilty after poaching the best pitch on the route, I volunteered to run to get the car (6% downhill grade for the first mile). I got two miles before Blake got picked up and spared me the final mile.
Well, it certainly wasn't the NE face, but we had a fun time on the SE ridge. We saw no evidence anyone has climbed any of these pitches before, but people have clearly gone down nearby, as evidenced by old and new slings. Was it a FA? Maybe, maybe not. It was new to us. Was it even a route? You be the judge. It goes like this: 3rd and 4th class scrambling, 60m 5.7, 3rd class scrambling, 20m 5.7, 2nd class scrambling, 55m 5.10, summit. Was it fun? Certainly. Would we recommend it to others? Yes, if you combine it with something else in the area to make the approach worthwhile. It's a bit far to go for the amount of climbing, but every pitch was high quality.
Blake is moving on to adventures in other corners of the globe, and I have limited time to explore backcountry routes. Thus, we urge YOU to put up a new line on the amazing NE face of Tower Mountain. If, as we expect, the rock is great and an 800 ft line of 5.10-5.11ish steep and sustained climbing is found, it will be one of the finest routes in the Cascades. Blake and I will gladly follow in your chalk prints.
Go get it!
Gear Notes:
Standard rack.
Approach Notes:
Park at Swamp Creek, cross creek, ascend Mt Hardy shoulder, traverse to the PCT, camp, hike PCT to SE shoulder of Tower, ascend a friendly gully.
We hiked out the PCT. You could hike in this way if you choose.
The loop would be better if you stashed a bike at Rainy Pass.
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Wow, I think I agree with every word from Pope. Well said.
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I hear lots of reasons for low numbers of people in the alpine, but none of the arguments address why this supposed shift away from alpine climbing is happening now as opposed to ten or more years ago.
Cams and fancy gear has always been expensive. Gyms and sport climbers have been around for 20+ years. People picking up other sports is not new, nor is the transition from carefree youth to responsible parenthood.
In fact, I'll suggest that CC is making it EASIER for people to get into the alpine than ever before. Here's how:
1 - Increased beta on routes, from classics to new FAs.
2 - Detailed condition reports on same.
3 - Forums for ride shares and finding partners of all sorts.
4 - Yard sales where one can buy gear on the cheap.
5 - Copious advice (good, bad and ugly) about how to do everything, including transition from the gym to climbing outdoors.
For me, the lack of skilled partners kept me out of the alpine when I first moved here. Thanks to CC I have a pretty good network now.
If you think newbies are not interested in getting into the alpine go to the newbies forum and see how many hits the 'alpine tips for newbies' has gotten. Look up the 'alpine camping/climbing tips thread' and you'll see the same thing.
In the past year I've climbed with partners who are in their early to mid-20s who are into alpine climbing, and I've found a few beautiful unclimbed lines waiting for FAs.
If you want to rationalize your own shift away from climbing using one of the arguments above that's fine. If you are passionate about climbing you will find a way to do it. If not, then happy trails on the golf course or whatever floats your (sail) boat.
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As a one-time editor of NWMJ, I can say that the leads for the short reports come straight from CC TRs plus those that the editors know about. Mr. Monkey, if you know people who are doing FAs that would be a good fit for the journal I am sure Lowell would be glad to hear about them and would take them seriously.
For those of you who claim large numbers of FAs that are not reported on CC, what evidence to you have to back up your claim (Mr. Monkey claims new slings)?
I was just having a conversation yesterday with someone about how many WA people climb >=5.10 in the back country/mountains (let's say >3 miles from the nearest road). 50? 500? 5000? What fraction of these people are doing FAs? How many of them post on CC? It would be interesting to know.
If climbers were perceived as a significant user group for park/wilderness/forest resources, and they were organized, they might stand a better chance of getting their voices heard at policy time. MattP can certainly comment on that.
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Follow the sun and you should be fine.
WAZ518-519-252315-
WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-
WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DARRINGTON...MARBLEMOUNT...CONCRETE...
INDEX...SNOQUALMIE PASS...RANDLE...PACKWOOD...ASHFORD...MORTON
400 AM PDT THU SEP 25 2008
.TODAY...SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 6000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES
AROUND 50. LIGHT WIND BECOMING WEST AROUND 10 MPH THIS AFTERNOON.
.TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 7500
FEET. WEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 15 MPH DECREASING TO 10 MPH OR
LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.FRIDAY...PARTLY SUNNY. FREEZING LEVEL 10000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS
TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S. LIGHT WIND.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 10000 FEET. LIGHT
WIND.
.SATURDAY...PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. SNOW LEVEL 8000
FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 50S. WEST WIND IN THE
PASSES 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 11000 FEET.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. FREEZING LEVEL 13000 FEET.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. FREEZING LEVEL 13000 FEET.
.TUESDAY...PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. SNOW LEVEL 11500
FEET.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. SNOW LEVEL
10500 FEET.
.WEDNESDAY...RAIN LIKELY. SNOW LEVEL 8000 FEET.
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Endless Bliss not that good? It's the best route at Exit 38! Okay not that great compared to other places, but still by far the best at Exit 38.
I disagree. It is longish but that's about it. Slab moves are cheatable with holds, it would only be rated 5.7-5.8 at Darrington, is over-bolted, is often occupied, and freeway noise is LOUD. I will refrain from rattling off a long list of better (IMHO) X38 climbs as this thread is about wasps.
I am with Dru: wasps are not bees. One key difference is that bees have barbs on the end of the stingers so they can only sting once, their bodies are torn apart after they sting you, and they die shortly thereafter. Wasps have barbless stingers, can sting more than once, and tend to have meaner dispositions, perhaps relating to the low cost of stinging you. Still, you have my sympathy. My wife and I stumbled on a nest above little Si and were chased down the trail hundreds of yards. We each got four stings that hurt for days.
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Please write a guide in haiku using only pictures with lines because Google and CC are aid.
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There is a big difference between key nubbins that pop and make routes harder and large belayer slayers that can ruin your day/life. I guess you climb what you've got. Have fun and be careful and keep posting cool pics for us.
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I recently did Rock and Resole in CO and was pleased with speed, price, and quality.
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I understand, first hand, how much hard, dirty work it takes to clean a route on a chossy cliff, and I respect your efforts. Congrats on the new area!
That said, and this will probably not be well-received, I certainly wouldn't send the general public out to climb routes I'd developed if I thought they might get badly hurt or killed because I didn't finish cleaning out the dangerous choss.
If people are well aware of the risks then that's another story. Hopefully the guidebook has a LARGE warning about potential hazards, perhaps route by route.
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Climb on!
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caffeine is aid
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nevermind
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I suppose you could say the same thing about bears - Is it relative to population? would there be the same number of fatalities if the ratio, proximity, and living circumstances were the same in some bush town in Alaska? obviously bears and tigers are very differant animals, but they are both predatory.
Tigers are carnivores and hunters, as are all cats.
Bears are omnivores and opportunists that mostly scavenge.
I feel much safer in bear territory than tiger territory. Very few bear attacks result from bears hunting people. Not true for tigers.
Interesting you chose bears in Alaska. There are probably as about the same number of brown bears on Admiralty Island as wild tigers in the entire world.
Much scarier, in my mind, are crocodiles, which are big, smart, predators that steathily hunt, kill, and eat people when given a chance.
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so you gonna give mike and e back their rack?
What about their joker in the plastic bag?
Seriously, though, this is probably the best FA of the year so far. Nice work!
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So, the best trad rock climbing in Oregon is in Washington?
I was in a conference in the hopping town of Vancouver, WA last week but couldn't steal away for a visit Beacon. Someday....
Except for a few bumps, it sure is flat down that way.
Carry on...
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Thanks for investing the effort. I've narrowed my arsenal to this (not all at the same time):
Good gloves.
A lightweight saw (replaces clippers of various sizes).
A lightweight hammer (Yos hammer is nice but usually you can get the same done with a smaller one). The claw can be used to pry off loose flakes/blocks etc or dig out dirt.
A weeding tool (great for digging out cracks).
A nylon brush.
Sunglasses for eye protection.
Dust mask when serious dirt/lichen are involved.
Onsight FAs on clean rock are easy by comparison.
If it's really green and doesn't get traffic odds are good it will go back to green.
go get some!
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Nice work Marc.
Perseverance is a quality that will take you a long way in life. Keep it up!
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Very sad indeed. RIP.
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I've met Alex and he does have a 3 digit IQ.
Still, to call for bolt chopping despite having a Bosch avatar suggests some kind of identity crisis. Maybe he's being possessed by Raindawg or Pope.
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That talus above Melakwa Lake is longer than you think it's going to be. If your son hopped all the way to the top and back again then I'd say he got a good dose of alpine travel and earned his pizza. Good job.
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I like how the letters on the side say "ZZR".
That's the sound my 4 yr old son would make while imitating it!
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Nice report.
Given the gender imbalance of this website, perhaps Porter should sponsor YOU to take trips and post photo-laden trip reports.
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Nice work. How long is the approach?
[TR] Tower Mountain - Southeast Ridge 9/28/2008
in North Cascades
Posted
Yes. From the Swamp creek trailhead/parking you cross Swamp creek and go straight up a timbered rib to the Southwest slope of Hardy, traverse ad nauseam, and follow an open ridge to Methow Pass East of Hardy. Access to this route and the NE face is via a notch on the SE corner of the mountain. You can easily get there by hiking the PCT East for about a mile and then ascending the best looking gully you can find (there are many). You might check with the map. We didn't bring either map or compass and I don't have one handy now.
That NE face is a worthy objective, in my humble opinion.