Trip: Leavenworth - Snow Creek Wall - Outer Space
Date: 3/7/2015
Trip Report:
Hello! This is my first trip report on Cascade Climbers, so please let me know if it's useful or useless, overly or under-detailed, etc!
Four of us of went out Saturday morning to try our hand at Outer Space. I was half of the second party, and I stepped onto the wall at the great hour of...10:30. We decided around 330 to turn around: the walk-off decent off to the south would be icy or not good for us, and we did not have great information on the rappel route over to Pearly Gates. Anyway, we made it to the top of the fourth pitch (5.6). The important information is that there is snow on most of the ledges and on part of the route (notably, the fourth pitch) and snowmelt/running water in several cracks and on some of the slabs. Fun! At the top of the third pitch (5.9), we found a gear anchor that apparently a party sometime before us rappeled off, I guess upon seeing the snow-covered slab at the beginning of pitch 4... (I have most of that anchor, if it's your gear, let me know and I'll return it.)
A good day, beautiful weather, and we made it back to the TH by...745, I think.
Gear Notes:
"Standard rack to 3 inches" I think is what the guidebook says...worked for us.
Approach Notes:
The trail: compact snow and rather icy in the morning; we had no "traction devices" or trekking poles to assist but we made it just fine. Not too tricky to find where the climber's trail begins off of the main trail. A little fun finding a good route to cross the creek, lots of snow -- some postholing ensued.