JasonG

Trip: Markhor and Needle Peak - Traverse Trip Date: 07/07/2025 Trip Report: I am too behind on everything right now to write much, but I figured some of you may be interested in a lesser known romp across the valley from Yak Peak off the Coquihalla. It is quite the scenic and reasonable outing for the mature mountaineer, but I think most would enjoy the lovely ridgeline between Markhor and Needle Peaks. It starts with a steep grunt up the climber's trail up Markhor, with expanding views of Yak Peak across the way: Within an hour or two, the summit of Markhor comes into view, with nothing more challenging than some exposed class 3 standing between the car and the summit: The view expand greatly, with the shapely Needle peak beckoning across a kilometer (we're in Canada, eh) or two of ridgeline: The bugs were a bit on the bad side so I didn't waste much time picking my way down Markhor to a rap station and fixed line which greatly aided the descent down a slabby section. I wrapped a prusik around the thin line which was a nice hand hold as I slid it down and scrambled lower. Here's looking up at the slabby bit below the summit of Markhor after clearing it: And then the really good stuff lay ahead. Always scenic, often exposed, sometimes a bit on the kitty litter side, it was nonetheless "distinctly alpine and a pure joy" to quote Fred from some peak or other in the North Cascades (Logan?). It was usually pretty easy, although a few sections edged into exposed 4th class where a fall would end very badly: I caught a glimpse of another couple behind me as I scrambled along: And soon was on the summit of Needle, alone with the festive summit register: The bugs here were terrible as well so I didn't stay long, mosying down the well trod Needle Peak trail that was very scenic the entire way. Yak Peak on the left and Markhor on the right: Partway down there was a nice viewpoint where I could take in the entirety of the Markhor to Needle ridge traverse: And soon was spit out at the well marked Needle Peak trailhead: I think it took me about 5-6 hours for the loop, including stops, which was a bit longer than the drive, thankfully. The only bummer is that it isn't longer! Gear Notes: helmet and approach shoes. Brought a 30m RAD line to rap but fixed line in place on slab downclimb Approach Notes: Park at Needle Peak Trailhead and find flagged route up Markhor to the east, starting in pipeline swath. Descend well marked Needle Peak trail after traverse

Quite the difficult adventure climbing way back in there @JonParker, way to keep it safe and somewhat sane! Less sane is solo broken ankle dude. To say he won the lottery is putting it mildly. Good on you guys for helping redeem what likely would have been a very bad outcome.

We went up to the right of that arete under the col: Tim scrambled it and dropped a rope to Steve and I and we were glad for it!

Beautiful! It is on the list!

MEGA! Love it, all of it! Glad you had another safe adventure in the wild heart of the North Cascades. Thanks for taking the time to share the flavor.

Great effort and some really good beta for folks. Thanks @JonParker! I am a bit shocked by the approach as well, esp. this early. I know @therunningdog and @sparverius approached via the Terror call some years back and said it wasn't that bad? Maybe it would stay in longer?

DAMN! Still amazing, still off of my list (to lead), but thanks for the report! Good work using all the skillz in the chossdawg toolkit to make it up and down safe. That one is def. no joke and a worthy bonus to the Difficult 10. If nothing else, this TR is a good reminder that I need to go back to Icy for that amazing scenery!

I'm thinking the other side of the spire 180 degrees looked the the probably first ascent line? But certainly neither this nor that aspect perfectly match the Beckey description. FWIW, I was thinking that from this side the route would step down and right from the notch into that crack system to the right and then up. But it didn't look easy!

Was that up the NW side? That thing is pretty impressive! My first time up close...

Ha! Well, @Trent and I may be old but at least we still can armchair mountaineer with the best of them. Sorry to hear about your trip @Nick Sweeney (and happy you survived!), but glad to know we made the correct call. Thanks for the write-up! I'll finish this, this week.

Trip: Tokaloo Rock (Sunset Ridge bailure) - Standard Trip Date: 06/29/2025 Trip Report: Sometimes prudence is the better part of valor....or at least that is what @Trent and I told ourselves as the murk cleared and we had our first good look at Sunset ridge after walking in for 10 miles in our venerable Lowa Civettas. We were camped at what we thought was going to be our "low" camp, next to some partially melted tarns to the NE of Andrew Benchmark, above St. Andrews park. Our high camp was planned for about 11.1k on Sunset ridge the next day. However, the entire upper mountain was very boney in the fading light and it looked like a several hundred vertical foot section of the ridge where the route went was completely bare of snow (~11.5-12k). Hmmmm. We had enjoyed the scenic ramble in from the NPS gate at their chosen spot on the still very drivable West Side Road earlier that day. Lush forest, interesting geology, wildflowers, and swirling mists, it was unlike most approaches to the highest point in WA. But then we got to camp and the predicted clearing didn't materialize and so we sat, napped, and stewed. But then, like magic, the veil was lifted and Tahoma was revealed! As was the camp of a neighbor, who had snuck up on us in the mists. We would find out the next day that it was none other than our very own @DPS, who I had last climbed with back in 2005! But as we turned in for the night, @Trent and I both agreed that we didn't want to climb Sunset the next day. We wanted to climb it in good conditions, not just climb it, and it was plain that it was not in good nick. And so we turned in for the night. I admit I wrestled with the decision throughout the night and didn't sleep that well. Were we just being old and scared? Would the route have gone fine? I felt like we never would know (actually, that was wrong- see below). But the next day dawned clear and bright and the least we could do was take a ramble up to Tokaloo Rock with light packs. It truly is a glorious side of the mountain and it was hard to complain about "missing out" on Sunset Ridge. Adams: Tokaloo Spire! From this side it looks very stout, which @Fairweather confirms below. Maybe easier from the other side? Looked blockier but neither really matches the Beckey description. Maybe another time! @Trent rambling up towards the top of Tokaloo Rock: Cumbre! What a view of the West side of Tahoma: Tokaloo Spire and St. Helens from the summit: Lovely parklands and Adams: We couldn't ignore how far we were from the car, however and in time retraced our steps back to camp and packed up. There was cell service up there so I checked if the nearby "Andrew" benchmark was on any peak lists. Turns out it on the "Mountaineers 100 Peaks in Mount Rainier National Park". As @Trent says, It must be climbed! And, so it was. @Trent admiring the view from summit #2 of the day: And then began the ramble out in our plastics.... which was long, but at least it was hot! My feet took a beating. Tahoma from the Puyallup River crossing on the Wonderland trail. Sunset ridge is the left skyline. That bare section is I think where @Nick Sweeney got to before they bailed (description and link below): The hike out through the lush forest was just as beautiful as the hike in, even if a bit longer (it always seems that way doesn't it?). Even though we didn't even get very high on the mountain, this route has set the hook in me. There is just something about climbing the entire mountain that appeals to me, and is a feeling that is easy to escape on the more common Rainier routes. Sunset is long enough, we a low enough start to be very sporting. We will be back! RESPECT: Western Tiger Swallowtail: Gear Notes: snow gear if there is snow.... easy class 3 scrambling to the top of the rock. The Spire is considerably harder Approach Notes: West side road to South Puyallup Trail to Wonderland Trail to off trail near St. Andrews Park. Good camps at tarns just NE of Andrew Benchmark

Super cool to have solitude on that side! Thanks for the report....

Hmmmm....important distinction....let's see....I think the west side?

Well done surviving an attempt on that one! It was on the list until it I saw it firsthand in 2007 and realized I wasn't nearly tough enough.... but maybe it was the massive/serac rockfall that strafed the approach while we watched, or at least that was the mental excuse I used all these years.

So GREAT!