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Trip: Mt. Stuart - SE Variations 1 & 2 Date: 6/21/2013 Trip Report: Sorry for the 1wk delay in writing this up. My partner, Ashley Gateless, and I climbed the SE Variations 1&2 to the East of the Cascadian Couloir during the solstice weekend 2013. I say we climbed both variations simply because we traversed all over the place, but had a blast goofing off the whole time! We left the Ingalls Creek trailhead on Friday, June 21st at around 8pm and hiked up to Longs Pass. Stuart from Longs Pass at about 9pm Me (Lindsey) at Longs The full moon in full force! At this time, there was only a short rock/scree downscramble to gain the snowfield on the other side of Longs and a fairly safe glissade, minus one rock at the bottom to meet up with the meandering creek trail. We navigated to the creek crossing by headlamp and moonlight and made it to camp just across the Ingalls Creek log at 10pm. Camp was set by 11pm and we were settling in for the night. The night was long w/ the bright moon and rodents trying to get after our summit snacks all night. Nearly a sleepless night, but we awoke the next morning stoked anyway. A campground host with three velvet spikes greeted us at 5am, nibbling greens all around our site. We hung our food and set off at 6am. We originally intended to climb via the Cascadian Couloir along with about a dozen others, but a friend gave me some beta to continue about half a mile down along the creek and take a more mellow trail. This took us up a narrow, winding trail across a broad meadow, surely one of the SE variations to the Cascadian Couloir. Ashley on the meadow trail on SE variation We took the trail and varying offshoots of the trail upward until the meadow narrowed to a waterfall gully system. We scrambled left of the gully onto the pyramidal undulating slopes that separate the what is likely SE Variation 2 toward the Cascadian Coulior, side-hilling up and down small ribs and then upward between rock buttresses and to the right again, gaining the lower part of the Sherpa Glacier. Trees and hillside beneath us between the Cascadian Couloir to the West and SE Variation route 1 or 2 to the right Hit our first patch of snow around 7000 ft just before connecting w/ Sherpa Glacier We moved quickly on the glacier and cut left (West) through the scree rib that continues up from the Cascadian Couloir unnecessarily because we saw a snowfield continuing left below the false summit and wanted to check it out, but ended up traversing back above the scree rib and heading straight up to the false summit anyway. A little extra exercise never hurt anyone! Me heading up on the right (East) side of the scree rib on Sherpa Glacier before cutting through the scree to the left (West) side of the scree rib Ashley kicking into the snow left of the scree rib on our way to the false summit The conditions on snow were fairly consolidated and fast-moving. Above the scree rib, the pitch steepens another 5-degrees or so on snow to the false summit. Me on the slightly steeper section up to the false summit Clouds were starting to come in over the top of Stuart. Just before hitting the false summit, we encountered a party of 2 descending from the false summit. They left camp at 3am and were exhausted and too uncomfortable with conditions from the false summit to the true summit, so they turned back. We headed on. Ashley on the false summit The clouds parted for a brief second, lending us a view of the route to the summit. Looking at the summit from the false summit We said, "heck ya!" and went for it. Unlike a party of 3 who traversed along the ridge, which sounded in poor condition and sketchy, we descended on class 2 with the odd (though not exposed) class 3 section with interspursed snow patches. I placed a few willow wands to mark our return route, which was really helpful. Ashley hit the summit snowfield and plowed forward! Ashley on the summit snowfield The snowfield was a bit steeper than that heading to the false summit, but probably nothing more than 40 degrees (though one party told us it was 60 degrees!). Steps were kicked in nicely up higher by the part of 3 who descended just before we arrived at the snowfield. The upper 50 feet or so to the summit was dry bomber rock, so we goofed around on that and arrived at the summit at noon. Me goofing around and practicing my alpine mantel in crampons at the summit Ashley making her token warrior pose at the summit We were still socked in, so we descended at 12:20pm and found the snow had softened quite a bit from our ascent on the summit snowfield. I wouldn't be surprised if a week later this is melted out. We retraced our steps to the false summit, collecting my wands, and headed down the Sherpa Glacier quickly and easily. The snow was so soft, I had no problem plunge-stepping even in steeper terrain. We opted to take the scree rib in the center of the Sherpa Glacier. Me on the scree rib Then, we followed snow as low as we could, picked our way down between narrow rock buttresses and found the path of least resistance until we miraculously connected back up with our starting trail. Walking back to camp, we felt thankful we didn't take the Cascadian Couloir with the other parties. It was completely snow free and full of loose scree. Our knees thanked us as well! Back at camp at 4pm, packed up and left by 5pm, back up Longs Pass. Stuart from Longs Pass at 6pm. Cascadian Couloir is the left-trending couloir to the far right in the picture (our route meandered on the farthest right of the picture up midway and then back and forth toward the Cascadian and up ovoer the knob to Sherpa Glacier) Descending the easy albeit long switchbacks to the car, we started talking of lamb burgers and other tasty foods, which lead us to picking up our pace and eventually running. When we hit the last few hundred feet, we started squealing and giggling like little girls down the trail and yard-saled our bags next to my Sprinter van, throwing high fives and doing other silly things. Boys in the parking lot thought we were rediculous. We talked with one party who attempted the W ridge and said it still had snow in sections that made it harder and the crux section was covered in inch-thick lichen, making the route unpleasant. Best to wait on that route for a couple more weeks of dry weather, though after the hot spell this week, it might be good! Back to the van by 7pm. Gear Notes: Ice axe, crampons, helmet, willow wands useful Approach Notes: Few small patches of snow leading up to Longs Pass, which are probably melted out by now. Longs Pass still had snow on the other side. Creek log still in good shape over Ingalls Creek.

Looking into the Paron Valley from the Esfinge approach, Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Lindsey topping out on virgin boulders at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca in Peru

Lindsey dashing for the top of La Esfinge after pulling the last roof crux and now into the fingery balance moves, Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Lindsey clipping famed Golden Triangle on Lao Liang Island in Thailand