bremerton_john

Thanks for the info. I'll have a look at these references. Odd they didn't get attention (at least the first item) during the last revision, but then I wasn't around for that one. Concerning the cutoff for submissions, ideally we would like to have all submissions turned in by this fall. A considerable amount of review and proofing occurs, which will consume the remaining time before it gets turned over to the publishers early next year. -John

I'll fill you in on the mishaps of the other party of 4 we were trying to find. It involved a fishhook through someone's thumb and a hatchet as the only means to remove it! It made for an intersting meeting last night.

Climb: Ridge of Gargoyles-Minaret, Lower & Upper Gargoyle, Boulder Date of Climb: 6/25-27/2004 Trip Report: Blakej and I were undecided on where to go for weekend as the weather looked rather mixed everywhere. We settled on the Ridge of Gargoyles in the Olympics partially in support of Guidebook revisions, and largely due to our own curiosity about this seldom travelled ridge. We drove out to the Upper Big Quilcene trailhead Friday night (25th) and began our hike around 10pm. We hiked up the 2.5 miles to Shelter Rock Camp and bivied for the night. Next morning we worked our way up the creekside the 2/3 miles according to the existing approach description and found the mentioned rockslide on the far side and crossed over. This provided the first view of the ridge. We then hiked up the creek which feeds off of Boulder Ridge (which branches into the Quilcene), through mostly open and easy forest, until reaching the water cascade mentioned in the book. This appears on the left (SE) side and is very obvious. From here to climb Minaret, Lower Gargoyle or Turret you must cut left (SE) to avoid a cliff band and then ascend steep brush to the basin below the N Face of Turret. We arrived here at 10:00am. Somehow in our enthusiasm for crashing brush we didn't think to refill water in the stream and were then too far above to desire going back down for the purpose. So we melted snow for the next 20 minutes and noticed that our clear, blue skies were slowly giving way to low, white puffy clouds. From here, though, we had a nice view of Minaret. Our appraoch would take us up the gully on the left with the small patches of snow. We decided to leave a bunch of gear at the base, as we knew we would be returning this direction, the guidebook not recommending the traverse between Lower and Upper Gargoyle. We decided to follow route 1 in the book. So we went up the gully, which veered right and eventually topped out at a notch where there was a 50 ft., maybe 5.3 pitch to ascend over decent rock. There were a couple of good gear placements midway on the pitch and the top levelled out on a large bench. By this time the clouds were here in full and we were immersed in the soup, with visibility at best about 200 feet, more often less than 100'. Route finding on Minaret was straightforward, however, as the lower E summit was easily scrambled to. After more scrambling down the ridge the promontory was soon found and we were forced to down climb 60 feet into the gulley which seperated the promontory from the final summit block/pitch. The last lead to the summit was a bit tougher than the 5.3 rating described in the route, maybe 5.6?, but then there were a couple possible lines. Gear placement was typical Olympic quality (i.e. poor, behind rotten flakes and suspect cracks). I took this shot looking back halfway up the pitch. You can barely make out Josh belaying below. No my lens is not dirty, that's the fog we were in. The summit ridge on Minaret is somewhat of a knife edge, covered in that lovely black lichen, that somehow at the same time feels grippy yet slick. The summit register was filled halfway with water, and all pages within soaked. It had been placed by the Olympia Mountaineers in 1979, and had only 2 ascents recorded between then and now (1986 and 1991). Seems unlikely it has been 13 years since the last ascent, but who knows? We then worked our way down the 4th class W side that reaches the saddle between Minaret and Lower Gargoyle. This is looking back at Minaret. Lower Gargoyle went much as the desription reads, a basic scramble up through the loose basalt choss to reach the summit. The trail register here was in much the same condition as the one on Minaret, and had the same ascent parties mentioned with the addition of another in 1996. We downclimbed the Lower and decided on taking the easier return route across the backside (S) of Minaret to regain the notch and gully of the 2nd photo above. This proved briefly problematic as we were slightly misguided by the guidebook's description of traversing the "Upper" cliffs, only to discover that we indeed had to descend to treeline briefly and work our way back to th notch. By the time we were back down to the base of the ridge it was around 6:00pm, so we decided to bivy there. On Sunday we broke camp at around 7:45am and headed up to the saddle between Upper Gargoyle and Boulder Ridge. It is about 50% melted out at this point and easily hiked up to. We then made the ascent of Upper Gargoyle in roughly 45 minutes from the gully just below the above mentioned saddle. No summit register to be found here, except for an old glass pill bottle with a small piece of paper that someone had written a grim poem about "bones lying at the base of the mountain to bleach in the sun..." or some such crap. We scampered back down to the saddle and after a short break headed up Boulder Ridge into increasing clouds once again. The limited visibility on Boulder Ridge definitely proved to be a problem. We worked out way up and down, generally moving West until the altimeter and bright red summit register tube told us were on top. However, deciding to continue along route 1 for the descent to Marmot Pass, we somehow dropped down a series of gullies on the S side (Charlia Lakes side) that took us nowhere quick. After some furtive attempts to regain the ridge, and one episode of me tossing my full pack 250 feet down a tight, narrow gully to avoid downclimbing a particularly hairy section with it on, we were forced to take a pig bite of humble pie and plan a retreat from whence we came. Thus we found our way back to the Upper Gargoyle - Boulder Ridge saddle (after another brief wandering in the fog episode), and descended once again through the brush and creek to eventually retrace our steps and hike out the Big Quilcene, returning to the truck at 6:15pm. An exhausting, though very enjoyable trip. Not a single person was seen once we were off the main trail. Gear Notes: Ice axes - helped on scree mostly, but also on firm snow up the chute to Upper Gargoyle. Partial rack of rock gear, used cams up to 3 inches on the couple pitches which required it.

Check this out for the Olympics! http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USLocalStd.asp?loc=uswapk92&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=Forecasts&product=Forecast&prodnav=none

Thanks. They still sell those stickers at Wal-Mart, don't they?

What's the latest on needing a Fish and Wildlife sticker for your car when parked at Frenchman's? I got a ticket there a couple years ago for not having one and haven't been back since.

There are a couple routes on Washington that are to be revised. As mentioned in the previous post, we'd like some input on the write-ups, time, class etc. a. SE Ridge Route 3 - The current description has frustrated many. Here is the beginning of a revised description. Some additional info will be added concerning the first bolted pitch, the rappels etc. From the parking area, find a convenient place on the uphill side of the road to surmount the road cut. Then climb to the crest of the ridge. Follow the crest of the ridge up, bypassing difficulties on the right (N) side and regaining the crest as soon as you are able. At about xxxx ft elevation you come to some prominent gendarmes. Allow yourself to be forced right (N) around the head of the steep gully and up through a small pass. After the pass contour closely along the base of the gendarmes until you arrive in a small well defined bowl at the base of the Shield Wall. At this point you have three choices. One option is to proceed up the gentle slope to the right (N) of the Shield Wall and into the NE basin which contains Routes 2, 4 and Winter Direct. Another option is to climb the Shield Wall and follow the ridge to the summit. This is a multi-pitch, middle 5th class undertaking. The 3ed option is to climb up and left to the narrow notch between the gendarmes and the shield wall. Just on the other (S) side of the notch you will find a short (15ft) chimney. Ascending this chimney will bring you to a broad ledge that leads out into the very large upper basin of Route 1. b. Winter Direct II, A1-1 Two tools and both rock and snow protection advised. This route should not be attempted in the summer as rock fall would be horrendous. Winter Direct is commonly done in mid-winter, often on Washington's birthday. The route doesn't come into shape until after several major winter storms. This is an avalanche chute that runs every major storm, which contributes to its quality. Climbers not well versed in avalanche should not attempt this route. Approach using the SE Ridge. From the bowl under the shield wall proceed right into the NE basin. follow the base to the SE Ridge to the avalanche cone produced by Winter Direct. Climb the cone to the step and the narrow neck, which is the start of the upper part of the route. In dry years a short section of dry tooling may be requi=red. Once into the neck you will be on very hard avalanche packed snow which generally becomes softer the higher you go. The route tops out at the base of the summit block. c. Suprise Couloir II,4 FA 1983. Approach from Route 1 or SE Ridge. This route is the couloir nearest the SE ridge that appears to go to the summit when viewed from the large upper basin of Route 1. Best done early season when snow fills the couloir. Traverse to the base of the route from either approach. Two tools may speed the ascent. At the top of the couloir you will encounter a thicket of Alaska cedar. After making your way through this thicket you arrive on a knife ridge looking down into Winter Direct. From this point traverse left along the ridge until you reach the broad bench of the upper part of Route 1. Rock protection is advised for the traverse. The route tops out at the base of the summit block. -John

Several people have expressed some interest in helping out the guidebook committee with some field work this summer in support of the new edition currently being worked on. There are others who have lamented about the inaccuracies of some of the route descriptions in the book. Now is your chance to contribute. As the committee continues with the review process certain peaks or routes descriptions have been questioned either due to changing conditions, vagueness in the detail, or because of lack of recent ascents. The committee will be spending a great deal of time this summer doing field work. However, there is only so much we can accomplish. Further, it would be a benefit as well if there were other climbers repeating climbs and/or verifying information. The list below are a few of the peaks/routes where we could use some assistance. I will likely be adding more as time goes on, depending upon the response too. Some of these are on popular peaks, while others are a bit more obscure. I know there are those of you yearning for a wee bit of adventure, so here's you're calling. 1. Route description for climbers camp to base of route 1 on The Brothers. Everyone who has done the Brothers recently knows about the blow down in the woods just up from the climber's camp. We just want to form a consensus on how most folks are getting around this. The easier path seems to be jumping across the creek and bypassing. But we'd like to know what others are doing. 2. Route info for Horses Mouth (A-Peak area)...including time from say the upper parking lot and class. 3. Some concensus on "the" route for the Ellinor Washington Traverse. 4. Is the approach on Route 2 for Mt Stone and Route 2 Bretherton (same approach) still viable or should it be left out of the book? It's been reported that much of it no longer exists. 5. East Rock - Anyone have any information? 6. St. Peter's Dome? 7. The Royal Shaft - Has anyone climbed this? The original route desciption dates back quite a few years and indicates an aid pitch. Some more detail is needed. The next 5 are in the Hurricane/Klahhane Ridge Area: 8. Rocky Peak - The basic route description describes ascending the ridge crest via gullies and ledge systems. If you've been there you know how vague this is. A little more detail here would be nice. 9. First Top - While this is basically a hike, this one and the next 2 deserve some improvement or verification of the current descriptions. 10. Second Top 11. Egg Rock (The Thumb) 12. Steeple Rock - There are multiple class 5 routes that already have decent write-ups in the book. Does anyone question any of the ratings or have other routes to contribute? 13. Mt Washington routes - There is a bunch to be said here, and this post is already getting long, so I'll post seperately. 14. Mt. Cruiser - Generally speaking we'd like to know how often any of the alternate routes are climbed. Of particular interest is route 5 (Wandering Minstrel). We know of only a couple parties to have climbed it. 15. Jupiter Cliffs on Mt. Jupiter Thanks in advance for any help you can offer, and thanks to those of you who have already contributed some useful information. -John

For what it is worth, I thought I'd be the lone supporter of the Hilleberg. I bought the Nallo GT 2 last year and it has proven itself over a dozen trips since on Rainier, the Olympics and in Wyoming's Wind River Range in really crap conditions. It comes seam sealed, packs light and small (you can find the numbers) and has a monster vestibule without floor. It took the first 2 trips to get the set-up dialed in, but once I got it tuned in it has proved itself to be the best tent I've ever owned. Anyway, I saw no one commenting on the Hilleberg's, in case you've ruled them out on that basis alone.

That one looks like he got partly sheared. Someone out there is sportin' a pimpin' goat hat!

That looks like the same goat?

It's cammo man. He blends in with the choss.

You're not kidding!

The committee is going to chew on this one a little bit, however let's just say that they would tend not to invite more controversy than they already receive by declaring one person's winter FA ahead of another's. Concentrating on verifying the real FA itself for a number of peaks is enough of a research challenge. That said, they might choose to make some kind of reference to the material you have mentioned.

Lowell, Olympic Mountain Rescue is working on the next edition for the climber's guide now. There are a couple members who spend a lot of time researching the history of the Olympics. I know that they dug up some newly discovered info (or conflicting info) on the first ascent recently, but I don't know about the first winter ascent. I would be happy to pass on your post to the members. They enjoy chasing down questions like this one, if they don't already know. John

I frequently consider an ice axe to be a 12 month out of the year piece of gear in the Olympics. It comes in handy sometimes for those vertical bushwacks, vege-scree, digging through the crusty layer of that remnant snow patch to get something clean to fill your water bottle, fighting off the occasional ornery goat, splinting your buddy's leg when he misjudges the soundness of the rock beneath his feet, whatever. My single axe is lighter than trekking poles, which I don't like to use anyways.

I believe the ridge continuation you are referring to beyond the North Peak is the arm that comes off directly east of the brothers. It seperates the Cliff Creek drainage to its north, from the East Fork of Lena Creek on the south. Interstingly your photo shows, I believe, the backside of St. Peter's Dome beyong the ridge in question. The Brothers first ascent came from that direction (Duckabush).

Here's the traverse info, just a few weeks ago: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/333866/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Sure. I'd be more than happy to list some of the peaks in need of help. Give me a couple of days to confer with the committee members and I'll start a new thread. -John

Keep in mind when you bash the ratings in the Oly Climber's Guide that most of the route descriptions were written back in the late sixties and early seventies. While there are arguably a number of sandbagged ratings, I will say this: in some cases, though certainly not all, routes change over time, particularly the ones that involve bushwacks. Places that once were clearcut are now jungles. Also, there are places where the snow and/or glaciers have receded so much that the route has substantially changed. Case in point, the peak concerning the title of this thread. The snow finger up to Flypaper Pass has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. It is melted out in the summer and the climbing is decidedly more difficult. The guidebook committee is presently going through and revising as many of the route descriptions as they have time for. The next edition will be out late next year I believe. More than once members of the committee (of which I'm one) have solicited input from climbers on this website for route description updates. If you have new info worth sharing, please help out. A couple people have contributed a great deal and I believe the new edition will reflect that. However, there are indeed quite a few peaks/routes that deserve help, particularly those that aren't climbed often.

Josh, you know I was only doing my best Gerald Ford impression.

The original high bridge I think got hit by a large falling tree. It was apparently a substantial steel structure as well, and had a major sag in the middle after being damaged. There was no sign of it when we crossed over the new bridge last weekend.

Space Needle?

There is an approach from Tunnel Creek. The new revision of the guidebook is going to have a better description of it, and in fact some now consider this the preferred approach. Unfortunately I've only got a copy of it at home, which doesn't help you if you are heading up there tomorrow. Basically go up the Tunnel Creek trail, pass the shelter and instead of crossing the creek and continuing on the maintained trail, continue on up the valley on the north side of the creek. There is a faint way-trail in places. Eventually, after some bushwacking it will open up into a basin. It is from here that memory is failing me, and I need the revised version. I posted a thread a couple months ago about some flagging we discovered behind the shelter. I followed the flagging for maybe 1/2 mile up the ridge. I then asked a reliable "Park Insider" about the flagging, and he told me it indeed is another approach, though I surely cannot vouch for it myself. If you consider the Constance Pass trail, just remember you've got 4 miles of road to walk or bike extra because of the washout on the Dosi.

Since you are a "relatively new trad leader", bring at least one big cam (5") on that 5.8 pitch if you consider the SW Rib. The moves can be somewhat awkward over the section that is the widest gap. The Rib is a great climb, though, and more fun than the Arete. We did it and Concorde easily in a day. I know there are some stronger rock guns than I who've even tackled 3 or 4 of those in a day.