[TR] The Devil's Tongue - Standard- Illegal Immigration Ridge 9/16/2017

[JasonG]

Trip: The Devil's Tongue - Standard- Illegal Immigration Ridge

 

Date: 9/16/2017

 

Trip Report:

In anticipation of our 2018 unsupported mission to the North Pillar of the Devil's Thumb Scott and I recently completed a training climb of the Devil's Tongue. We feel it is a good step towards our end goal, mainly because we saw THREE bears..... and we hear AK has a few of them. That, and we had to ford a river (THE MIGHTY SKAGIT), fight with a Barred Owl, and scramble lichen encrusted EXPOSED third class rock. It was pretty intense.

 

But the pastoral scenery from camp and the approach to the peak helped to calm our nerves, even when we had to sweep bear scat from out chosen tent site. Intense! The chocolate didn't hurt either. But unless you're planning on the Devil's Thumb next year, there's probably no reason to climb the Devil's Tongue. This report is mainly to save you the effort of finding out firsthand why nobody goes up there (we were first party to sign in this year).

 

See what I mean?

 

the MIGHTY Skagit:

 

 

Jack and Ross Lake:

 

Hard Mox and that wall that Lunger and Layton climbed on Lemolo (separate trips):

 

Luna and S. Pickets:

 

 

More Lunger and Rat FA's, Zorro wall on N. Hozo and NF of S. Hozo:

 

Northern Lights on the left horizon, fire in BC on the right:

 

 

THE DEVIL'S TONGUE:

 

Foxy Moxy:

 

The Impressive NFs of McNaught and Rahm to the right of the Devil's Tongue:

 

 

 

Custer (L) and Rahm ® from the summit:

 

Scott on the summit with Spickard behind:

 

Hazy Pickets:

 

 

Scott inspecting his tax dollars at work:

 

 

Hardman living at camp:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good bivy on way to Trailhead:

 

Gear Notes:

Helmet, cord for hanging food.

 

Approach Notes:

Old Galene Lakes Trail. Save mileage by fording the Skagit after walking from the Nepopekum day use parking area to river. Follow flagged route uphill on far side which deposits you at Middle Galene lakes. Follow your nose cross country from there.

Edited September 29, 2017 by JasonG

[dberdinka]

That's a very nice picture of a frog.

[olyclimber]

Damn! I can tell you that this 3rd class scramble is right up my alley. Hard to top that scenery.

 

I can't believe you posted a picture of the Uber Secret Moderator Cabin. That is supposed to be hush-hush.

[olyclimber]

Sweet Collins head. Did you snag it? Put a handle on it and sharpen it up...better than what you can buy in the store these days.

[JasonG]

It is awaiting your ascent of the Tongue Oly! I had no idea what I was looking at other than a breaker bar with an old axe head shoved on top. I will look it up now, I'm curious. And sorry to spill the beans on the top sekrit moderator hideout. Obviously I got carried away when I was inserting pics.

 

Darin- I took that photo just for you.

 

[JasonG]

And.....just added more captions. You know, to kill the mystery a bit.

[Juan Sharp]

This is now officially on my short list provided Jason accompanies with all necessary photographic equipment, frog spray and bolt cutters to allow easy access to the hermit hostel.

[G-spotter]

There's some good bouldering right next to secret mod cabin. Probably too hard for the moderators though. I mean one problem's V3

[layton]

absolutely beautiful!

[JasonG]

There's some good bouldering right next to secret mod cabin. Probably too hard for the moderators though. I mean one problem's V3

 

I didn't know V3 was even possible!

 

Thanks Mike, glad you liked the photos. That wall on Lemolo is something else....

 

 

[ivan]

careful there, boy-o, he who listens to that slick serpent's lying tongue is turning his back on his salvation

 

[video:youtube]

[Phil K]

Nice photos (as usual) Jason. This is one of those areas we'd looked at in Red Fred and on maps and thought about getting into.... if it wasn't such a PITA. Now, thanks to you, age, and infirmity, I can completely write off the notion.

 

Thanks!

[mountainsloth]

Wow. I had no idea those peaks existed. Stunning trip as always. You seem to know just where to go to find obscure gems.

[JasonG]

You need to get in there Phil! The hike in from the river isn't bad at all and the ridge running over towards the Devil's Tongue stellar. Even if no peaks are climbed it is a great fall destination.

 

Thanks Mr. Sloth! It is mainly the result of spending way too much time looking at maps and Fred's books, and liking to get away from the crowds. The Cascades never cease to impress me, year after year, with surprising nooks and crannies.

 

And I hate to admit that I hadn't seen that video before Ivan. Damn. Glad I haven't been cut down . . .. . yet.

[AnthonyL]

Well, this looks like a dream of a trip.

[sepultura]

Another great trip J ! The new camera, although heavy, delivers.

That area is definitely a place I would go back too.

The amount of raptors flying around on that grassy ridge is amazing. It's a great place to listen to Pink Floyd and get dive bombed by owls.

Thanks JGAP LLC!!

[JBo6]

On 9/28/2017 at 7:17 PM, JasonG said:

It is awaiting your ascent of the Tongue Oly! I had no idea what I was looking at other than a breaker bar with an old axe head shoved on top. I will look it up now, I'm curious. And sorry to spill the beans on the top sekrit moderator hideout. Obviously I got carried away when I was inserting pics.

 

Darin- I took that photo just for you.

 

This is an incredibly delayed response but I believe that "breaker bar" is actually a mining drill bit meant to be hit with a sledge.  I've found several stashes in the Pasayten that have that same hexagonal/octagonal shape.

[olyclimber]

38 minutes ago, JBo6 said:

This is an incredibly delayed response but I believe that "breaker bar" is actually a mining drill bit meant to be hit with a sledge.  I've found several stashes in the Pasayten that have that same hexagonal/octagonal shape.

Yep agree. I was just watching a youtube channel this past weekend and they were exploring an old gold mine down in California.  It was a huge adit, with passage ways going everywhere.  They found a ton of that old steel left in the mine that looked exactly like that, and you could see the business end of them where they were pretty used up.  I think you could also hook them onto a machine driven by a compressor or something? Or at least the mine in the Youtube vid had one.