tazz

nice!! Since i did the corkscrew route i have always wanted to do a rock route on this bugger. The routes and fun to be found and had on its faces and ridges make me ... . Some day... Love the tr and GOOD jarb!! thanks for sharing.

ahhh I see...sorry. I thought it was a list you added too not just your list. I'm learning...

why is that? Is it just a walk in the park now days? Are you frowned upon or less a climber if you don't FA a 5.7 or more. I don't understand why anything FA is not put up. An FA is an FA and should be fairly documented right? hmmmm? I am an id-jut...clue me in will ya.

ahhhh...well, Now I am looking forward to the report. Suffering and puckering always makes for a good report and trip.

Did you try for this one or another peak "like" it, a few days ago? And YES! I love bushwhacking! (minus the devils club and going against the grain of slide alder) All part of the fun!

what trail are you talking about? You park on the road right in front of the peak. Drop down into the trees (a stick with a flag is visible from the road for the entrance point. Even without the stick the path is EASY to find) on a path/trail that gets you across the creek. Then a perfect trail takes you all the way to the basin. From the basin follow the tracks up to the gully to the left. I am confused and curious as to what "drainage" you speak of. Are you saying you went to the wrong side of the mountain or the wrong gully? Hope you get the chance at it again! It is a fun peak.

rent? size?

well I should rephrase that to "more solid than reports on other routes." I know of an FA on the west face reported here maybe 2 yrs ago. then the route 'issue 119' is reported to be crap buy a poster here but then who knows. Then there are several other routes. I found that most of the loose stuff was predictable and what we played on was solid. beckey beta

Trip: Molar Tooth - North Ridge Date: 8/31/2009 Trip Report: This trip is one of my favorite of the season. To have the opportunity to climb with and get to know such incredible well seasoned climbers was a real treat. Fred and Moni Spicker are from Spokane and climbed together in Europe and many us states since 1972. I have known them online thru summit post for few years. Moni and exchanged a few e-mails tossing peak ideas around. Moni mentioned the Molar Tooth. I said where the hell is the molar tooth? After getting a slight bit of beta that is out there (Beckey has a snippet about some routes and two reports on CC none of which was the route we planned but they helped with some clues here and there) I wanted to do this peak it looked interesting and fun! It has everything I like. Alpine rock, bushwhacking, route finding, and pure fun! Then to top it all off I got to hear wonderful climbing stories, learn some tricks of the trade and enjoy a wonderful couple of climbers. The Molar tooth is a 7547’ peak on the ridge running north to south from cutthroat to cutthroat pass. It is located just north of the north peak of cutthroat. It is not often climbed. We planned on the north ridge but spiced it up with a variation with some extra climbing on a rib that runs westerly off the north ridge. One could hop on this rib much earlier than we did. It is solid rock and looks like it would be fun. About 1.5 miles from rainy pass trailhead take a right at 5200’, before the log bridge over porcupine creek; take a turn east into the forest. This will start you up the broad end of a ridge that is forested. We hugged the northern side and discovered the error of our way on our descent. We encountered more brush and downfall on our ascent. Stick to the ridge proper if not a bit to the right at times. It is nice open forest floor with less low trees and brush. The ridge runs east - ne east. This leads you to the northern most gully that take you up to the saddle at the base of the North ridge route. The gully is loose but not too bad. As we worked our way up we came to a notch on the west rib. We set up and climbed solid rock with lots of lichens. No sign of anyone on this ridge till we reached the north ridge. Most was class 4 low class 5. first pitch second pitch It was 3 short pitches. The rock was fun and very solid. Then we turned right and scrambled along the flat part of the north ridge to the last 2 pitches of the day. These last 2 run around 5.5 maybe. There are many variations. The rock was solid. The entire route was much more solid than cutthroat the day before. All pitches are well protected. 4th pitch up the summit block last pitch to the summit. from here it is a easy scramble After hanging at the summit for a bit it was time to get going. One rappel down to the flat part of the ridge. Then two rappels down the end of the north ridge got us back to the class 2-3 gully to start our descent.a shot of the orute up the summit block some class 4 scrambling last rap to the base of the north ridge. We came out about 30-40’ away from where we entered. SPOT ON!! It was a great fun climb with some mystery to it and I loved every second. Then to top it off I learned a lot from two wonderful people who filled my head with dreams of climbing in the Alps Gear Notes: 30m twin ropes webbing and rap rings. we set up new stations as the webbing was very old and not used in a while. pro was a few nuts and some mid size to small cams.

thanks! i use a cannon power shot S3. Not the best for rock climbing as i can't protect it because it is so big. If i put it in a case then it is even bigger and takes too long to pull out for the good action and timing shots. May think about getting a smaller one at some point.

Trip: Cutthroat - West Ridge Date: 9/1/2009 Trip Report: Carla, Yana, Tom Sjolseth, Colene and I Climbed Cutthroat west ridge on Sunday. Poor Tom, stuck with 4 female alpinist's !! This is a beautiful fun peak but man, it has some loose stuff, especially that gully! We headed up the gully to reach the base of the first pitch to gain the ridge. Yana and I took the more solid rock ridge scramble route and the other three headed up the loose nasty yuck. All five moved quick through the pitches to gain the ridge. The ridge is mainly a scramble but with lots of air on both sides! There is one section you have to step into air to traverse around a horn. The exposure is puckering! looking down on the west ridge. Then more scrambling to get to a belay ledge on the north face. We decided to head strait up the summit block from there. The next pitch was on kitty litter with friable holds. I had a hold crumble in my hand and fell down bellow on poor colleen's hand. The last pitch was on more solid fun rock. Both pitches were maybe 5.4 or so. Nice summit with great views. We topped out at noon and lounged about the summit for a while. I had a perfect view of our route up to the base of The Molar Tooth that I would be playing on Monday. Then time to get down. We did a 60m rappel off the west face. The first part is free hanging and FUN!!! pic of west face... This took us to a ledge we needed to climb up from to gain the W ridge again. We could have rapped from there, but our stuff that we left behind was in the other gully. Up we climbed an inventive hand line Tom rigged up with slings . Then we had to do the airy class 3-4 w ridge again. FUN! The scrambled down to another rap station. One more full 60m rap and we are reunited with our gear. As we arrived at the car, my partners for a climb of The Molar Tooth were there to greet us. That was cool! I said my good buys to the group and I headed to the campground to meet my partners. Tom, thanks for the leads dude! Thank to all for a fabulous and very entertaining day!

another clean up peak for me...don't ask... been bugging my partners or perspective partners about this route for 2 months! just ask poor birddog! hahah! I met up with Radek and Shirley at wing lake after they finished the route and i some-what finished the scramble route....don't ask... told ya folks 2006 was bad for me... Ever since then i swore I would finish this peak by this route! anyways thanks for the fresh beta and great pics!! no need for axe or pons! nice!

nice route! thanks for sharing.

weeee...nice!

haha!! Oh GAWD...LOL! I was just kidding too...I know you have a hawt gal and you two look like twins and its cute. I am not hitting on you mike!!! I was being a smart ass as usual... let me rephrase that for ya. if a gal is not HAWT but climbs would 'you' single guys still climb with her? Probably not. Just saying what folks on this won't.

WHEEEW!!! I am safe!! But would ya still climb with me...?

Peak baggers are list tickers. they can't check things off the list and add to the # count if they don't summit. So...for most it is ultimately about the summit.

HELLO! Reggie's cool, huh? We go way back. Wait...what do you DO with those eggs???? :noway: what i do with the eggs is a sekret...shhhhh.... a Reggie story... many times I hear the hens screaming and clucking LOUDLY in thier coop. Not all the time but often. So I was like WTF!?! I let it go for a while. but when my landlords are gone I watch over them I was think well maybe something is getting in there and harassing them or something. I went to check it out one day. OMG! Reggie was having his way with the girls! NOT something I will go check out again!

Steph, You inspire me! You kick ass! Thanks for all your reports and great images!

they are trying to tell you that the trail ("route" as you call it)doesn't go near Dragontail. The trail runs up the left side of the pass. Dragontail is on the right. Rockfall off DT would never even get close to hikers on the trail up to the pass.

nice!! you nailed it, for me!

NOM NOM NOM!!!

What he said!!! Damn you are very good with words!

I was a peakbagger for a long time. Started on the east coast and worked my way across the US. At the time it was fun. Now i have gotten bored with the racing and slogging. Not completely bored but bored enough that i wanted to change things up a bit and work on my dreams of alpine routes. Many of my friends and partners are peakbaggers. Like the Buck trip. Frankiln bagged 12 peaks in 4 days! Matt bagged 7-8. Not small peaks either. YES it is obsessive compulsive disorder. These folks won't stop moving! they don't know how to stop and relax. It is also a goal that many like to set for themselves. A challange to themselves and themselves only. I think also it is the beauty of our state. So many different areas to see and play in. then there is the exposed unroped class 4 scrambles that they all do. Some sketchy class 3-4 peaks out there. A good adrenaline rush. ego...hmmm. Some yes, but most folks i know do it because they need to challenge themselves.