YocumRidge

Trip: Mt. Cruiser - SE Face and its variation Date: 8/22/2009 Trip Report: Mt. Cruiser 6104 ft. Olympic Mountain Range SE Face and its variation 08/22/2009 I never climbed anything in the Olympics before so I was happy to join the Mazamas AR (Advanced rock) climb of Mt. Cruiser via SE Face route (5.6). Despite the rainy start, we were overall blessed with good weather conditions throughout the climb. On the first day, we hiked 8 miles from the Staircase Ranger station to Flapjack Lakes where we set up our base camp. Olympic forest waterfalls: Flapjack Lakes: Next morning we set off for the Gladys Divide - another 1.5 miles - and veered off east through the boulder field once we spotted the Needle Pass that was completely dry except one little snowy patch at the top (see pics). The Sawtooth Mountain Range and Gladys Divide in the morning: Originally we had high hopes of snow/ice climbing through the Needle Pass chute thence the crampons, axes and ice screws we hauled all the way up there but invain - no need for those. The snow was gone that late in the season. What we faced instead was scrambling up VERY loose and steep choss and that turned out to be the most painful part of the trip. The Needle Pass: Mt.Olympus from the Needle Pass: Our approach: Once we reached the Needle, we ascended class 4/low 5 on the W of the ridge crest, passed a rock crevasse and crossed to the E of the crest for ¼ mile before heading down the loose chimney to the base of Cruiser. We then traversed across the scree field to the broad chimney at the base of the climb where we split up and geared up for the SE Face and its variation (see pics). First glimpse at the destination: Our routes: At the base of the climb: Erika and Ryan on the summit: Me on the summit (see, Ivan: I am not a dude!): It took us 3-4 pitches with the significant runouts to get to the summit. Routefinding on the SE face variation was a bit tricky and time consuming. The afternoon clouds had gathered quickly which did not bless us with much of the time window to enjoy the scenery. We rapped off of the bolt about 50 feet south of the true summit and one double rope rappel got us to the base. At that point we noticed a family of mountains goats who were checking our abandoned backpacks out looking for something to munch on. A male goat was a way too aggressive and was bigger than my coach at home. Pee loving goats: They were checking us out while we were rapping down: So we quickly loaded up and left for the Needle Pass. Two more raps down the crest ridge and sketchy chute got us to the boulder field. The descent really sucked: rocks were shooting down on us from everywhere and I have no clue how we made it back to the Flapjack Lakes. A nice trip overall but the approach could have been more enjoyable if done earlier in the season as a mixed climb. Gear Notes: Alpine rack and extra webbing (used), crampons, ice screws and axe (not used) Approach Notes: Needle Pass Chute is dry and nasty

Jon, Are you setting up a new FKT?

Who have lucky wives!

I have two O/N permits for the Colchuck lake zone but all my climbing partners bailed. My original plan was to climb Prusik peak plus something else, but at this point I am willing to climb anything in the Colchuck or Enchantments zones on all or one of those days. PM me your preferences. I only lead sport (would need to learn trad) but would simul-climb easy pitches. Please PM or e-mail at mitochondria100@gmail.com Thanks

Lost it in the Dihedrals at Smith around July 2009. If found please call 503-901-3837 or e-mail at mitochondria100@gmail.com Thanks

I have two O/N permits for the Colchuck lake zone but all my climbing partners bailed. My original plan was to climb Prusik peak plus something else, but at this point I am willing to climb anything in the Colchuck or Enchantments zones on all or one of those days. PM me your preferences. I only lead sport (would need to learn trad) but would simul-climb easy pitches. Please PM or e-mail at mitochondria100@gmail.com Thanks

The ICS is a great way to make life-long climbing partners but in terms of the improvement of your formal mountaineering education I would choose ASI, AR and ski mountaineering. While the AR is open to anyone who rock climbs at 5.7 and above, the ASI have certain entry requirements for the candidates to have climbed the Mazamas grade D and above, such as Rainier, NF of Mt. Hood etc.

As defined by your prior experience of the route or?

Trip: Mt. Washington (OR) - SouthEast Spur variation Date: 8/8/2009 Trip Report: 08/08/09 Mt. Washington (Oregon Cascades) SouthEast Spur (5.6?) After spending most weekends out of state this summer, I wanted to climb something close by for a change. Myself and Robert York formed the plot to do the SouthEast Spur on Mt. Washington in one day. None of us were on the route before so the route finding was mostly based on maps and a vague description given in “Oregon High”. We started at the Hortens lake TH at 7 a.m. on some sort of a trail Wild Strawberries at the Hortens lake TH: that quickly transformed into the most outstanding bushwhack through the fallen trees once we crossed the creek. Finally we got a glimpse of the mountain: and kept moving along the creek and up to the talus field on the east side of the mountain. A big mistake that cost us some time. We made our way up to the pass (between Mt. Washington and its satellite) to realize that we now need to descend 800 feet to get to the SE snowfields. Rapping down looked dodgy so we settled on some loose rock switch backs instead. Finally we crossed a couple of boulder and snow fields below the SouthEast Buttress (5.8): and began approaching of what was looking like the start of the SouthEast Spur: The start did not however appeal to us since it was buried inside of the 15 ft deep moat and so we gave a try to a south crack variation of the standard SE spur: followed by a sketchy traverse to get back on solid rock. The Oregon High called for 7-8 etc. pitches of “nice alpine rock”. The first 7-8 pitches with a nice knife edge mid section can indeed be defined as such but “ETC” is actually standing for another 8 pitches of loose “X”-rated crap and one unplanned painful night on the mountain. And that was not bivying! Being strapped to a tree on a hanging belay for 7 hours with the temperatures hitting 30s trying to catch some sleep was not fun. Three Fingered Jack off our O/N spot in the morning: We reached the summit around noon the next day: Big Lake from the summit: and rapped down via the North Face direct: and then took the northwest approach down to the Big Lake TH plus another 3 miles on the FS road 512 back to the rig. Summary: 17 miles total approach, 16 pitches, 2 days, food and water for one day, bleeding blisters. Gear Notes: Alpine rack (up to #2), slings and O/N hanging belay. Approach Notes: Do not take the approach to the east side of the mountain to stay away from the pass but continue on the Hortens lake trail for another mile or two after crossing the first creek. Bushwhack westwards from that point towards the SE side.

Thanks for the helpful beta. Will go for the standard east ridge instead.

You guys rock! Congrats on yet another cool ascent!

Have anyone been up the NE face of Eldorado recently? Ice or snow? I was thinking of heading up there next weekend so any beta on the route would be appreciated. Thanks

We saw them descending. Yes, 2 teams of 6 per rope. That's not a big deal since you can walk around rope teams. They are only slowing themselves down. A group of 12 in a bottleneck like the S face gully sucks for other parties. Priceless as ever! I bet they were rigged for the crevasse rescue just as well? I did notice one 3 feet wide crevasse on the Sulphide!

Absolutely stunning pics! One of the best I have seen. I bet many magazines would pay you lots $$$ for the copyright!

And I assume they were all roped up while crossing the Sulphide too?

That would be a pain! We saw that drop.

Trip: Mt. Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys/Southeast rib extravaganza Date: 7/18/2009 Trip Report: I have always been attracted by the rugged beauty of Mt. Shuksan, so a plan of attack was devised between Dinamyte, Robert York and myself to climb Mt. Shuksan via Fisher Chimneys/Southeast rib variation in a day and half. Our drive from PDX to the Austin Pass trailhead took us 6 hours and so we hit the trail at about 1 p.m. on Saturday 07/18/2009. The approach is currently in a good shape with snowfields en route to the lake Ann where we met with another team member - Brian Lavin from CO - who was bivying at the lake for a couple of days. He provided us with beta on the route finding to the base of what is supposed to be Fisher Chimneys but was not very enthusiastic to join us to climb FC with full packs on. And the full packs mean full packs, i.e. stuffed with a rope, pickets, tools, crampons and a rock pro. The three of us did head to and up the Chimneys to realize a little too late that the route is NOT pack/3 feet picket friendly at all and even more so on a way down. Oh well, too late to change our minds. In my humble opinion, the Chimneys stand as a crux of the whole climb! After topping out the Chimneys at 7 p.m., we headed across the snow and the boulder fields to the base of the Winnie’s Slide where we set up the camp. Dinamyte at the camp Dinamyte’s alarm went off at 5 a.m. and at 5.30 a.m. we reunited with Brian Lavin who made his way up the Chimneys in the morning. We all traversed the Winnie’s slide to the steep moat/rock section and crawled across the moat on the Upper Curtis glacier (not the most efficient way). The best way turned out to be to continue scrambling up this rock section until arriving at a cairn that marks the best place to cross the moat onto the Upper Curtis Glacier. Traveling up the Upper Curtis glacier was uneventful except a few end runs of the crevasses before reaching the Hourglass and the Hell’s highway which were both crevassed as well. Ascending the Upper Curtis glacier Hourglass The Hell’s highway crux pitch was sweet, steep and short and did not call for the extra pro we brought. One axe in Piolet ancre and front pointing were all we used on the firm snow of the pitch. Brian topping out the Hell's highway We topped out, and then merged with the masses slogging up the Sulphide glacier. Our plan was to climb the Southeast rib of the Summit Pyramid. By the time we reached its base, we realized too late that all the rock pro for simul climbing ended up in the Brian’s pack whose preference was to take the main gully up to the summit. To make the plan work, Robert York pretty much soloed the route with one or two rock anchors along the way. Myself and Dinamyte followed. About half way up, I traversed eastwards to complete a 5.8 variation (the overhanging roof) which was fun and unexpected for the otherwise low class 5 route. We had the summit to ourselves before starting rapping down the main gully. Dinamyte on the summit Robert York and myself on the summit Summit views Wearing rock shoes and getting entangled in the moats was not fun though. We had another shoes/boots change at the base and headed down the Sulphide glacier. A few minutes later, my crampon hit the strap of the other one causing my face down fall and excruciating pain in my left knee. For the moment I was debating whether I had a torn ligament or just a sprain. After lying in the snow for 30 min, I managed to get up and slowly cross the glacier. Dinamyte and Robert York were very accommodating and trying to cheep me up. The knee was swollen and did not bend much so I had to use my second ice tool for downclimbing the Hell’s Highway pitch. Anyhow, each of us brought the second tool so we might have as well used them. Downclimbing the Hell's Highway Hell's Highway amphitheatre Thanks to my injury, we lost considerable time trying to get back to the camp that we reached at around 8 p.m. It became clear that we had to spend one more night on the mountain before heading back to the car. Heading down the Chimneys the next day (Monday) was extremely slow before we had to negotiate a few dodgy class 4 sections/moats on the approach back and so we were back to the car at around 5 p.m. Dinamyte was a great partner, and very understanding of the situation, who made us laugh all the time and graciously provided us with water every half hour on our way back when I was simply hurting of a thought to refill my camelbak! Jon, go ahead and pitch in with whatever I missed. NB on the approach to the base of the Chimneys: Do not take the trail down to the Lower Curtis glacier but get on the gully that veers up and right off the main trail after crossing the first talus field. The good navigation points are a sketchy 50 degree snowfield to traverse to get to an equally sketchy moat linked to a loose class 4 step up to an awkward rap station off the tree. Then continue to a knoll with 2 superb bivy sites (would have been ideal for us), traverse another talus followed by a snowfield and a moat to get to the base of the so-called “Boulder” (currently wanded). The gully begins to the right off “The Boulder” and one could spot a 20 foot, brown perlon rap sling we set up 80 feet up off the base. Watch out for the loose and airy class 4 sections! Gear Notes: Axes, crampons, rope, webbing, rock pro (not used), pickets (not used), second tools (optional) Approach Notes: Rugged with unwanted surprises

Touray, I thought you are training to become an astronaut?

PM sent.

Does anyone want to climb Olympus (Blue glacier)OR Glacier Peak (via Frostbite Ridge) next weekend 07/18-19? Possibly, 3 days for Olympus; 2 days for Glacier Peak. I have all the glacier and crevasse rescue gear (including 4 season tent) and experience and I expect you to be competent for these routes. No newbies please. If interested please PM or e-mail at mitochondria100@gmail.com

A great job. What a beautiful way to spend the 4th of July!

How about eating human flesh and wood for 3 years in a row when the city was seiged by Germans? I was born and raised in St.-Petersburg (former Leningrad) and my dad has miraculously survived those tortures.

PM sent

Yes, I did notice nice seracs because I had the same thought in mind to practice ice climbing myself and as far as I remember XXX approved of my choice but must have forgotten by now. Here is what I had in mind and it is at about 8000': But do not go in there: Hope it helps.

Dinomyte, Have you been on the same mountain or have you summitted that satellite formation shown in the pic? We did see the trail down from it to the true summit though. I thought this is where people climbing the Boulder route end up and then descend to the true summit.