John_Roper

Harry Majors wrote.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All three volumes of CAG index a total of 1232 peaks, named and unnamed. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 192 peaks. This is equivalent to 16% If subdivided by each volume, the results are skewed. CAG-1 lists a total of 313 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 87. This is equivalent to 28%. CAG-2 lists a total of 451 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 36. This is equivalent to 8%. CAG-3 lists a total of 469 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 70. This is equivalent to 15%. The reason why the percentage figure for CAG-1 is so high, is because of the comparatively greater number of pinnacles present in the Enchantments, and relatively fewer number of significant peaks present south of Snoqualmie Pass. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nice work, Harry. So Fred has done 192 peaks in the Washington Cascades that he felt were worthy, plus some of less than historic quality. I know he's also done Sitting Bull, and let's give him credit for Si, if Dru wants. He hasn't done a ton of tourist climbs. What others does anyone know about? Maybe Ray can squeeze a little blood out of the turnip. It would be interesting to compile his total WA list, including the Olympics.

It should be noted that if the CAGs have errors in route descriptions, the fault is not so much Fred Beckey's. The rare route goofs usually lie with the person whose brain Fred picked. That Fred got it right so often, especially when he'd never been to a particular peak, has always been the thing that has amazed me. Harry, do you have a number as to percentage of peaks listed in the various CAGs that Fred has actually stood atop? It will surprise.

Bingo, Paul. Here's a list of all the peaks in WA with 2000 feet (or more) of "clean" or "proven" prominence. http://howbert.netherweb.com/mountains/WA_all_2000P/WA_all_2000P_list_Psort.html And a map of all those summits: http://howbert.netherweb.com/mountains/WA_all_2000P/WA_all_2000P_map.gif

OK, since we are on the topics of prominence, and the Finney, Gee, Round, Higgins area (aka "Loggers Island"), and quizzes, what is the peak with the greatest prominence in Skagit County? Is it something like Dome, Eldorado, Snowfield, or Buckner, the Skagit County High Point, or something more mundane? For those not clued in to the prominence concept, it is the elevation difference between the summit of a peak and the lowest contour that encircles the peak, but no higher summit. If water were to rise to this encircling contour, it would cut the landform off as an island, and the elevation of the island would be the peak's prominence.

Tod asks: Any comments/thoughts on the original names of the peaks within Ragged Ridge? The short story on the Ragged Ridge names is that the 1966 FA party of the 8795' highest peak named it "Panther Peak," at the head of Panther Creek. The next 8680+ foot peak west was first climbed in 1968, and called "Mount Holyoke" after a party member's alma mater (OK, not the best name in the world). The 1970 FA party called the last high peak (8332') on this ridge, "Ragged End," and the 8600+ peak just east here "Gendarmes Peak," after the multiple spires on the summit ridge. A few years later, a guidebook author changed the names that the FA parties had applied to these peaks to Chinook jargon terms, some of which are not particularly inspiring concepts in English translation. The following translations are taken from George C. Shaw's 1909 work, "The Chinook Jargon." Mesahchie means "bad; wicked; evil; vile; sin; bitter; cruel; depravity; dissolute; dung; filthy; immodest; nasty; obscene; vice; insolence; unworthy; unruly; iniquity; unrighteous; naughty." Not a bad name, I guess, if you consider the quality of rock on some parts of this mountain. Katsuk means "the middle or centre of anything." Kind of a weak mountain name for a Top 100 peak. Kimtah means "behind; after; afterwards; last; since; back; rear; subsequent; younger." Another uninspired choice. Cosho is "pig." What's the thought here?

Tod- Our climb of Inspiration (on 7/4/92) in the pouring rain, through the waterfall, on a peak where you personally dodged the German translation of your name a couple of times (by rock and snow), was one of the more memorable trips I've ever had in the North Cascades, as well. Long day, but nothing like your athletic day-trip of Sahale, Boston, Buckner, and Horseshoe. I'm intrigued and happy to hear that the register on Boston is still intact, 35 years after Gary and I climbed it on 7/27/68. In those days, you could nearly always count on getting a history lesson out of the summit register. The register I mentioned above on the Ridge of Gendarmes had been undisturbed for 46 years (1939 to 1985) between Thompson and Bressler's visit and mine. And regarding Custer, on 8/10/71, we were able to tell that we probably had the second ascent of what was then called Matsaac Peak (Custer), and the 4th ascent of what was then called International Peak (Rahm). We weren't any more impressed with the quality of rock here than klenke, calling them "Rubble" and "Grunge" amongst ourselves. And Harry, Thanks for the update.

Harry- Thanks for the kind words. I may have poked around these hills a bit, but what these guys are pulling off in this generation is a quantum leap above. If you have an extra copy of your NWD of Custer's journal down the Upper Skagit, I'd sure like to complete the collection, please. Same address as last.

It is good to see Harry Majors back with his encyclopedic knowledge and analysis of the history of mountaineering in Washington. What Harry did in meticulously analyzing Henry Custer's cryptic 1859 journals of the Northwest Boundary Survey in his "Northwest Discovery" series in the 1980's, is beyond belief, and the post here on Mox is very enlightening. As far as the origin of the name "Twin Spires," a piece of this historic name puzzle was found on the top of one of the minor summits along the Ridge of Gendarmes when I climbed it on 7/4/85 (while Russ Kroeker stayed in camp, Shoe-Gooing his delaminated boot sole back on). Inside of a white, red, and blue Johnson & Johnson Waterproof Band-Aid (Borated Pad) metal box was a piece of crumpled paper that read, Sept 20, 1939 S.W. peak of south peak, Twin Needles (own name) We aren't very ashamed to turn back on this baby. It's got everything Will Thompson Calder Bressler Ptarmigan Club, Seattle We'll be back! So it looks like Thompson and Bressler (not Bill Cox, as CAG, p.128 reads) came up with the "Twin" idea. Since there were already "Twin Needles" in the Southern Pickets, named by Strandberg, Degenhardt, and Martin in 1932, perhaps Beckey made the alteration to "Spires."

Spectre (7840+, it was 7920+ on the 15' Challenger quad) T's off a little south of the ridge connecting Phantom and Swiss. It is just north of "Pickell Pass" (6038' Picket-Goodell Pass) . There's a short class 5 move required to climb it from the NE (Swiss) side. FA 7/29/80 by Reed Tindall, Stuart Ferguson, Peter Jewitt, and John Roper. Spectre's SW face is the most spectacular south-facing wall in the Northern Pickets, and is as yet undone, as far as I know, as is the nearly 4000'-vertical, full SW Ridge of West Fury rising out of Goodell Creek which goes over the "Pole of Remoteness," the most out-of-the-way place in the Cascades.