JasonG

Have you ever wondered what if would be like to traverse this ridgeline? If you live anywhere within a two-day drive of Mount Vernon, WA, then you'd better plan on coming in to town on Wednesday, October 3rd and find out! At this month's meeting of the Skagit Alpine Club, Wayne will be telling tales of four new routes in the Pickets including Mongo Ridge and the Southern (photo above) and Northern Picket Traverses. With many FAs to his name, Wayne has been climbing for decades in the Cascades and greater ranges. The first ever recipient of the Fred Beckey Award from the American Alpine Club, Wayne has authored feature pieces for both the American Alpine and Northwest Mountain Journals. This show is not to be missed! The meeting will be at Skagit valley College, Nelson Hall Room 120, 7pm. http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf There will be refreshments, but not of the alcoholic kind. We'll remedy that after the show at the Porterhouse . . . Cheers, Jason Griffith

Trip: Cutthroat - North Ridge Date: 8/24/2007 Trip Report: With the weather forecast to crap out yet again on the weekend, dR and I snuck away on a Friday to check out the North Ridge of Cutthroat, a climb that I have not heard a lot about. Fred says the rock is "superb" so we had to at least give it a try. It is basically the right skyline in the picture below: We opted for the approach branching from the normal South Buttress trail and climbed a loose 5.7ish pitch to gain the sharp notch in the north ridge. Bail slings midway up signaled that this was not a high quality pitch and the next one out of the notch didn't look a lot better (loose rock, poor pro, 5.7ish?). So we opted to drop into the basin to the NW and find the original route that Fred took to gain the North Ridge: This was more like it! Solid, easy, and fun climbing got us onto the ridge proper and from there the climbing was generally good. Scrambly sections followed by short mid-fifth class bits, sometimes you had to look a bit to find the easy way: other times it was obvious: I think it took us around 2 hours to the base of the climb and maybe three hours on route. The last few rope lengths had some fun climbing on the airy ridge: [ Soon we were enjoying the views on the summit: We descended the South Buttress via a bunch of single rappels and enjoyed a nice hike out as the light turned golden: All together this is a recommended climb. I think the original start is better than the variation we took, but the approach is certainly quicker via the south side of Cutthroat. So I guess it probably is a wash . . . Anyway, if you are looking for a less crowded route in the WA pass area, it is worth checking out. Cheers, Jason Griffith

So, did the entire Canadian party die in the debris???? I'm surprised such a potential disaster gets so little discussion in the story . . .Maybe I'm reading things wrong?

Trip: The Molar Tooth - Issue 119? Date: 8/18/2007 Trip Report: After seeing the topo for the Molar Tooth in Beckey years ago, I always wondered why it wasn't climbed more often. After all, why wouldn't you want to climb a moderate 5-6 pitch route with "generally solid" rock? So yesterday Doug and I went in to investigate . . . After camping at the Cutthroat Lake TH we got a fairly early start and began the approach. Beckey says to leave the trail around 5200', we went higher and I think that probably was a mistake. We had to traverse some brushy avalanche paths, but all in all it wasn't too bad- 2.25 hours to the base of the route. The Molar Tooth from below on the approach. The start of Issue 119 is not hard to find- it's a big gully just right of the massive and intimidating Northeast Chimney. Right off the bat we realized that this wasn't going to be a high quality route. It was pretty loose, but at least it was dirty and run-out! At one point, a block that I thought I had tested well, suddenly cut loose from under both my feet - Yikes! Anticipating the looseness, we had set the belay out of the line of fire so Doug was fine, as was the rope (luckily I hung on, otherwise it wouldn't have been pretty). More carefully, I continued to pick my way upwards. The climbing was never very hard (seemed easier than the 5.7 listed in the topo), but took much care because you were basically climbing on the least loose thing you could find. After this first pitch we climbed some loose fourth class terrain up and right a bit. At this point we weren't sure where the route was supposed to go. Beckey says to follow some "water streaks" for three pitches to the top. We didn't see anything that we thought matched this description, so we basically followed weaknesses (mid-fifth?) up to the north ridge. It continued to be dirty, loose, and run-out. From the ridge, one easy mid-fifth pitch gets you to the summit. This pitch (and actually the entire north ridge) seemed to be a bit more solid, but it might just be because of what we were comparing it to . . The descent down the north ridge was uneventful. Two 30 meter raps and one shorter one brought us to the scramble leading towards Cutthroat Pass: The hike out was probably the best part of the climb - nice views all around. So for those interested in the Molar Tooth, my advice would be to avoid Issue 119. The north ridge didn't look too bad, but it is a long way to walk for two pitches of climbing. The Northeast Chimney is an amazing looking feature, but I am probably not up for the "hard, sustained climbing" Fred says is on it. Hopefully it is more solid than Issue 119! Gear Notes: Standard rack to 3", although we mostly used smaller pieces. Approach Notes: Red Fred has a pretty good description. We left the Cutthroat Pass Trail a bit too high and had to traverse some brushy avalanche paths. Finishing the climb by traversing the north ridge to Cutthroat Pass is so scenic you might just forget the looseness of what you just climbed.

Oh man, dR is going to be pissed that you are drawing attention to his favorite conditioner . . . 37 times and counting! It is a fun little jaunt, isn't it?

Oh, I have to add that we had every summit to ourselves and saw only one other party of three while off trail (they had just pioneered some super brush bash down to Lousy Lake from Challenger). I wish we could have warned Steph and Ed about Luna Creek, maps don't tell the whole story! After seeing the Pickets in person, I also have a lot of respect for the folks that put up all those crazy north side routes- HARD CORE!

Trip: Northern Pickets July 23-29 - Various Date: 7/23/2007 Trip Report: I don't have a lot to add to the many TRs already out there, but here is a brief synopsis of what we (Dennis, Gord, Steve, and myself) did last week. Following some rain over the weekend, we delayed our start till Monday (7/23) and took the boat up to the Little Beaver. The hike in was uneventful and beautiful, although the trail could use some brushing here and there. During the evening and night it rained and rained, and made us wonder if our choice of light, single wall tent was indeed wise. Ahh, the Pickets! The next day dawned drippy but improving, and we made our way upwards to Whatcom Pass. We stopped at the pass to dry out and examined our first objective - the North Ridge of Whatcom. What appeared intimidating from below actually was quite a fun and moderate climb. Some steepish snow and exposed third class scrambling brought us to the summit: We could spy our next objective from the summit, Challenger: We booted quickly down to Perfect Pass and had a grand evening watching the western sky glow: The next day Steve and I split early from Dennis and Gord and went to try our luck on Crooked Thumb: It was a bit involved just to get over to the start of the regular route and I ended up turning us around a couple hundred feet below the summit. I didn't think we had enough gear to get off the thing ( lots of slingage, a longer rope, and maybe some pins), and time was fading and I still wanted to climb Challenger that day. We ended up going over to Challenger and climbing it, just as Gord and Dennis were coming down. The key bridge is now out and you have to do some steep snow climbing around some ugly crevasses to get to the summit pyramid. Keeps your attention for sure! From our Crooked Thumb attempt, we were pretty tired and opted to camp on the shoulder of Challenger: The next day we dropped into Luna Cirque, hiked up to Luna lake and then above to Luna col. Wild Country! The Luna Col camps are small but incredibly scenic, with running water nearby. We had a nice evening reading and readying ourselves for Fury. We left camp just before six the next morning and heading up along the regular route to east Fury. Very scenic! The hardest part of the route was traversing steep meadows to get to the glacier (dirty, wet scrubby cliffy areas), but in general the climb was pretty straightforward and enjoyable. Soon we found our selves up top lounging and enjoying the views down into the pit of brush hell on all sides. We headed back to another night at Luna col and got up early the next day to watch the morning light from the top of Luna Peak. What a great spot, it might be the best scramble view in the state! Steve and I went over to the true summit, although I am not sure I would recommend it. Very loose rock and not really any better views-you might be better off spending more time enjoying the view on the false summit. We did have a good view of Gord and Dennis on the false summit though: That afternoon the weather looked like it was changing so we broke camp and headed down to the camps at the head of Access Creek. It is a very pretty hike across the meadows and over to the gullies leading down into Access Creek. We had nice last night, swatting bugs, enjoying a good camp fire, and drinking the rest of Steve's Scotch. We knew the next day would't be too fun, but it turned out to not be that bad either. We went down stream of Access Creek to find a log across the Big Beaver that didn't look like it would throw us into the river, although it most certainly tried. Some beautiful and impressive old growth hiking kept the views interesting along the trail on the way out of the Big Beaver. And a long trip such as hours isn't complete without a good swim! We saved the last six miles of walking with another boat ride, and finished the trip off at the Marblemount Drive Inn (Good Food)- burgers, fries, beer (shhhh), and milkshakes. Good Times!! Jason Griffith

Glad you had a good trip! The route you took to the upper snowfield looked pretty interesting. . . . maybe I'll have to try it next time. Jason

Trip: Argonaut - NE Couloir Date: 5/29/2007 Trip Report: Just more of a conditions update for those eyeing this route in the next few weeks. I don't have a lot to add to the excellent trip reports already out there. After a hard freeze Sunday night we found quite icy conditions on Monday including a couple short sections of water ice. A couple of screws would have been nice, as would steel crampons and a second tool. As it was, everything worked fine as you can find some good rock gear on the sides (and we cut a few steps with our single axes- Ome style). Of course, if you can boot up the thing, you probably don't need anything but an axe- it's maybe 45-50 degrees at the steepest. The rock pitch we did to get to the upper snowfield was not much harder than 5.0 and pretty fun. We were the first party to sign in this year, although I wouldn't be surprised if some non register signing hardperson had preceded us. We descended the east gully and hiked up to the top of Colchuck before heading to the lake and out. I think it took us a few minutes over 13 hours car to car. Fun route and most certainly recommended! I suspect with the warm weather it won't be continuous snow and ice for long . . . Jason Gear Notes: single axe, aluminum crampons, some wires and tri-cams. Approach Notes: Stay near the creek and cross below the forks. A little bit of brush and you are in the basin below Argonaut pretty quick

My wife and I climbed the route today mostly inside of a cloud. the snow cover down low in the gully is melting fast and a few glide cracks are opening up. Probably in another week or two, it won't be continuous. Fun climb, even if I made the last rock bit much harder than it needed to be . . . I'll second Jens displeasure with the new trail, except I'm mainly upset that they wasted a bunch of resources on a trail in otherwise great shape. What about all of the other trails that could use some work in the North Cascades or Monte Cristo areas? It would be nice if those who purchased trail park passes could vote on where the funds were to be used. Although, now that I think about it, that probably wouldn't get any more money shifted out of the I-90 corridor.

FYI- Doesn't sound good for summer access . . . For Immediate Release Contact: Heidi Hooper Date: March 7, 2007 425-259-7911 or 360-436-1155 Forest Service Closes Suiattle Road 26 Because of New Road Failure Due to concerns for public safety, the Darrington Ranger District has closed Forest Service Road 26, locally known as the Suiattle River Road, until further notice, according to Peter Forbes, District Ranger. The Suiattle River Road begins seven miles northeast of Darrington, off State Route 530. A site located six miles up the Suiattle River Road has failed where the river is undermining the roadway. A landslide remains active at this site, and continues to take more of the roadway with it into the river, making the road unsafe for motorists to travel into the Suiattle area. Several road and trail systems in many popular areas of the Darrington District have suffered serious damage from major flood events in October 2003 and November 2006, including multiple sites along this 25-mile-long road. As winter rains and snowmelt continue in 2007, landslides also continue to occur. Three sites damaged in 2003 have prevented road access to popular campsites and trailheads for more than three years. Repairs to these sites had begun last fall, when November floods damaged the road at the twelve-mile point, downstream of the 2003 site repairs. The Forest Service has contacted the Washington Department of Natural Resources to pursue an easement for a temporary bypass on State land around the six-mile damage site. A permanent reroute may involve moving the road farther away from the Suiattle River, to avoid this slide and another unstable area 200 feet beyond it. The reroute would extend public access to the twelve-mile washout; the remaining road would remain inaccessible until repairs can be made. A public open house at the Darrington Ranger Station, 1405 Emens Avenue North, in Darrington, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, from 4:30 to 9:00 pm. Maps showing the District’s 2003, 2006 and latest road and trail damage locations and closures, along with other projects, will be available for viewing. For more information about the closures or the public meeting, contact the Darrington Ranger Station at 360-436-1155.

Thinking of heading up with the wife next week to Olympus and was thinking of making it a longer trip with some time spent camped up on the snow dome. Since it has been awhile since I was last up there, does anyone know if there are snow-free tents sites up by the research hut (perhaps with running water nearby)??? I seem to recall that some spots melted out later in the year, but my memory is foggy. Just wondering if we would need the double pads and extra fuel for melting snow . . . .Thanks for any info!! Cheers, Jason

Jeez people . . . . I appreciate your concern for my wife, but it would be nice if someone could actually answer my question! If you have been down the east ledges (or heard from someone who has) in the last couple of weeks, I would appreciate any info on conditions. If you haven't, please keep your random speculations to yourself. Thanks.

I've done it a few times and I think the east ledges are a fine way down - I wasn't asking about people's opinion of the best way down, just wondering if there were still snow patches on the the ledges after the raps. Thanks for any info.

Just wondering if anyone has been down the ledges recently . . .Thinking of taking my wife up the west ridge this week and was curious about conditions on the east side descent (still snowy??). I'm trying to figure out which descent she would find most "fun" this time of year . . .Any info would be appreciated!!!! Cheers, Jason

With the good forecast, a friend suggested trying Silvertip Peak off of the Sumallo Rd. Just wondering if others have done this and liked it. And, if you have been in there in the winter time, were skis or snowshoes better (given relatively firm conditions)? Would it be too far for a longish day trip?? Anyways, thanks for any and all info!! I realize that there is probably a bunch of info on Bivouac, but I am not a member . . .Thanks! Cheers, Jason

Just wondering if the north aspects are still worth skiing . . .I'm assuming that south facing slopes are breakable crust and ice? Any first hand info would be appreciated. Thanks! Jason

Based on Alex's fine TR, and armed only with a printout of the TR, I took my wife and a friend up Burgundy yesterday. We had a blast and I was able to pin down the routefinding perfectly with the help of his descriptions and pictures. Our time was about an hour and a half longer, but we aren't too good, fast, or tough- many breaks were the theme of the day. It had been on my list for awhile, so I'm thankful for the TR to remind me to get out and get it done. A great route to fine vantage point. Thanks again! Jason

Juan et al . . . Sorry, I haven't checked back in awhile. We did the full ridge without the ice of the NW face of the north ridge. It was very icy looking with some rock cliffs to deal with down low, more than we wanted to bite off without real ice gear. The lower part of the north ridge is mostly 4th class with some bits of 5th up to maybe 5.6 (at least that is what Beckey says), but nothing too sustained or tricky. Good edges for boots too. Pro is great and there is one knife edge section in particular that is absolutely spectacular. You would miss that if you did the NW ice face, but I agree that it does look like it is worth doing, just maybe with a little more snow (for a wimp like me). Access to the face is looking pretty spicy right now, but I'm sure that it is still climbable for those looking for a challenge. Now I just need to go back and do the NW face (of Forbidden) rock route- that looks superb!!! Anyone done it?? Jason

Climb: Forbidden-North Ridge Date of Climb: 8/21/2005 Trip Report: Well, this isn't going to be much of a TR as AlpineDave wrote quite a nice one last year, and I don't really have much to add. It's a great route! This is mainly for those who are heading in that direction and would like to know what conditions are like. Here's a couple of quick notes: . .. I would highly recommend the alternate route over Sharfin col, no worse than fourth class and a single rap almost gets you to the snow. The glacier is melting fast, so we had to do a little bit of fourth class to get onto the Boston Glacier proper. . . .The Boston Glacier is VERY broken right now. We barely found a way that worked, and if a few key bridges melt out (likely within a week or two) all bets are off. To us this was the crux of the route, with some sketchy bridge shenanigans. There were a few instances where we thought we were going to have to turn around and hike back out. We were glad to have three people. . . .We didn't have a problem getting onto the ridge and the bivy sites at the notch were nice, if a bit exposed and windy. We hauled snow for melting from the Boston Glacier. . . . .The east ledges descent seems to be set up right now for 60m ropes (or we missed some stations). A couple of the raps took all of our rope, but you could downclimb if your rope was shorter. I think our times were about 7.5 hrs to the bivy, 5 hours on route, and 5.5 hours to the cars from the summit. We aren't super alpinists, so others might be able to blast it in a day (we took two). All in all, this is one of the more fun routes I've done in the Cascades: Awesome scenery, decent rock, and wild exposure- you couldn't ask for more! Jason Gear Notes: Crampons, axe, 60m rope, medium alpine rack (to get longer simul-pitches). Approach Notes: The whole deal.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience in a similarly dry year . . .I'm mainly curious about moats around Sharfkin Col and any problems negotiating the Boston Gl or getting on the ridge itself. Thanks for any info!! Jason

That was us! The rest of the parties showed up much later in the day. You guys were cruising the Rib! Nice work.

There is still snow at the major bivy spot where the Direct and Bypass routes meet, and it might even be there another week- no promises though. As has been said before, the Pocket Glacier is pretty much gone and it is really easy to get on the climb. If you are dropping off a vehicle at the regular route TH, you might want something that has more clearance than a CIVIC or a Golf (our off road vehicles of choice), there's some pretty big (for a 2WD) waterbars in the last few kilometers. And has been posted before, with 2WD you do about another 4K of walking on the Nesakwatch Creek side. The new trail to Slesse is obvious . . .but didn't seem to have a sign, just a cairn. Hats off to Alex and Jens for a fine speedy ascent, it was cool watching them casually flying up the buttress. Thanks to everyone else we met (they aren't joking when they say 50 Crowded Climbs) for any enjoyable bivy (8 people shared the ledge!!) and a fun climb. Hopefully everyone had a good time on day 2 .. . and got through that hellishly steep descent in one piece. Jason

For those who may be headed in there soon . . . No snow getting to Goat pass, plenty of snow on Stuart Glacier- no slots enroute to the access gully- - crampons and ice axe are nice to have. Gully has a fair bit of snow still, but we scrambled rock on the marigin easily. Snow helps getting over the chockstone near the top. A couple of bivy sites are melted out, several are still covered in snow at the notch. The ridge up to the gendarme is completely dry and fun, looks to still be a bit of snow and ice (probably not too hard to work around) on the traverse below the gendarme. We went up the gendarme and only encountered the odd snow patch en route to the summit-easily avoided. Ice axe and crampons handy for the descent, although you coul avoid the snow if you were determined. Quite a good route- I was impressed. Cheers, Jason

Just wondering if anyone has first or second hand knowledge . . .Thanks!!! Jason