JasonG

Trip: Rogers Pass Ridge Running - Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, Sir Donald, Asulkan Ridge, Tupper Trip Date: 07/25/2018 Trip Report: It's no secret that Rogers Pass has some of the best moderate alpine rock routes anywhere. Still, I was surprised by just how great the climbing is up there. I had been to the pass in 1999 on an attempt of Sir Donald (verglas turned us around low on the NW ridge) and driven though it many times on my way further east, but I had never spent much time there until a few weeks ago. Wow. And so few people! When we ran into a local midway through the week and asked him about this, he shrugged his shoulders, grinned, and said "this is as busy as it gets." I think we ran into two parties on 11 peaks over the course of the week and nobody actually on a route we were climbing. Even on the uber "popular" Sir Donald, we were the only party on the NW ridge. Of course, thunderstorms were building and we did have to run away from 3/4s of the way up it! Oh well, a good reason to go back. But the trip has hardly a failure, overall. Using the newish Jones book as our guide we managed three trips totaling five days: 2 days on Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald (strenuous, camped at Uto-Sir Donald col); The Asulkan Ridge Traverse (Abbott, Afton, Rampart, Dome, Jupiter with camp at Sapphire col); and a day trip up the west ridge of Tupper - All five star outings (there are many other excellent traverses and routes detailed in the guide). If you haven't been up there, put it on your list! Speedy at the Top Sekrit HELLACAMP! A different sort of alpine hazard: Looking up at the impressive Illecillewaet Glacier: Steve starting up Avalanche, en route to Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald: The incomparable view from Eagle of Uto and Sir Donald: Looking back at Avalanche. Swiss Peaks in the background, right: Ummmmmmmm.....That's quite a North Face Sir Donald has: Steve, putting our names in the Uto register: Descending Uto: We scored the best site at the Uto-Sir Donald col: Steve leading the charge up the NW ridge of Sir Donald: Crap! Watching as the summit slowly disappears into the approaching thunderstorm. We bailed about here and traversed around to the South ridge to descend: Steve on the descent of the south ridge of Sir Donald: Looking back at the summit of Sir Donald, between cells: We descended the South Ridge and walked off the Terminal side of the mountain. Here Steve is on his way to Pearly Rock: Trip #2. The Asulkan Ridge Traverse. The Illecillewaet Neve from the Abbott ridge trail: Abbott, Afton, and Bonney: Summit of Abbott I think. You can see the Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald ridgeline we traversed above Steve: The North ridge of Swanzy is supposed to be uber classic. In the foreground is part of the Asulkan ridge traverse: Near the summit of the Rampart. Jupiter above Steve. Dawson Range in the distance: Trying to find a way off the Dome: Sapphire Col hut! Moonrise over the Dawson Range: Classic scrambling up Castor (summit of Jupiter): Summit of Leda (another Jupiter peak): Mount Fox with the Dawson Range behind: Approaching the Asulkan Hut: The Johannesburg of the Selkirks, Mount Macdonald: Hermit meadows, looking back at the Asulkan Ridge: The summit block of Tupper! Tuppertoe: At the summit of Tupper, looking at the Swiss peaks: The incredible SW face of Tupper: The Hermit Gendarme on Tupper: Looking across the highway from the summit of Tupper at the huge north face of Macdonald and Sir Donald in the distance: North Face of Tupper: The bugs were as impressive as the views from Hermit meadows: North Face of Macdonald: South face of Tupper! Gear Notes: half rope, medium rack to 2", approach shoes (which I didn't have), ice axe, Al crampons, helmet Approach Notes: Trans Can and walk

I think from the traverse from Access Creek to Luna col.

Also a friend of a friend of a friend. It isn't a large Tribe. Sorry to hear about the deaths this past weekend, it certainly isn't a safe activity we practice.

DAMN

That is how Kearney recommends. I can see why, but still not without objective hazard.

You're a sick, sick man. Wow. After you realized you weren't making work on Monday,and got a call out to your boss, I'm amazed you pushed through the night. Oh, and the last time I was by the toe of the buttress the RCOD rained enough rock to kill everyone in Marblemount. More than once. That memory was enough to permanently delete it from my list. Well done getting through that in one piece!

You know @wayne, you were mainly the reason I had it on my list! I seem to remember you talking it up many years ago and it lodged in my brain. Glad the TR brought back some memories. Glad to have helped add some info to the interwebs @joe_catellani @willithewanderer!

@StevenSeagal!!! My faith in spray is slowly being restored.

I'm glad they finally put a via ferratta up der Waddhorn @G-spotter

So..... what's the story on the guy's fall? Just a misstep? Falling rock or ice swept him? How far did he fall, etc.... Not good, sorry to hear about your involvement....and nice work on getting up and down the climb safely.

Amen.

Calvin was a force of nature who, unfortunately, I had the chance to hang out with only once. It was at a Mount Erie clean-up event he hosted in Dallas Kloke's honor, the year after his passing (2011?). Afterwards we climbed Zig-zag in memory of Dallas, Calvin with a rope tied around his waist and in Nowegian welt boots- just like Dallas had done on the FA. RIP Calvin, you are missed.

That's a tough and insecure feeling solo (I can only imagine). Strong work to get up and down without a serious mishap!

I can't resist the irony of giving your post a "like" @ilias

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo............................................

I think you have to have them in a post? @jon ? @olyclimber

So many good photos! Just went back thru and perused again. I need to put this on my list again I can see.

C'MON!!!! I don't think I've ever seen that sort of behavior in such a spot in the North Cascades. Nice work, that's a great trip- certainly one of my favorites. And yes, the slog up the Blum "trail" is indeed soul-crushing.

I have to think that there were on the summit??!!!

That's not what Fred writes (nor Wikipedia). I've always thought that the Cascades end at the Fraser River and those volcanoes in BC are part of the Coast Mountains. But it is probably just semantics. The volcanoes are typically not related to the rocks they protrude up through, but are all related to the subducting of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the NA plate. In that sense I suppose all the volcanoes from Southern BC to N. California are related.

WHAT??!!

Now that is amazing. I thought he was a dead man. That must have been exciting to have his anchor blow apart while he was being pulled by the helo.

Yeah! Wow, though, crowds on Goode?? That is pretty crazy.

@mattp!! Good to see you back around these parts....

DAMN!!!!!!