[TR] Chimney Rock - E Face 07/18/2020

[JonParker]

Trip: Chimney Rock - E Face

Trip Date: 07/18/2020

Trip Report:

 

Low 5th solos came to mind as an option given the pandemic and I thought I’d check out chimney rock.

 

Hit the road on Friday later than intended so I didn’t start the hike until 6:30pm which didn’t leave a lot of time to get to the bivy before dark. Even so, scratching up the climbers trail in the fading light, which is at points extremely steep, wasn’t too bad. Made it to the bivy area as the stars were coming out (about 3.5 hours?) found a reasonably flat rock and enjoyed fantastic star gazing as I drifted off.

I’ve seen singular bright flashes a couple times while star gazing recently. What is that?

Took my time in the morning, left around 8am. Proceeded to nearly lose my phone in a crack between a rock and snow while putting on crampons. Luckily was able to blindly excavate it with my axe.

Glacier approach was uncomplicated but once at the rock I checked 3 or 4 different options twice each before picking a way onto the rock that was just barely tolerable solo. A trip report from a week earlier mentioned snow straight onto rock but this seemed to already be deteriorating. By now the block of snow I stepped on is probably gone. Sometimes these things have a way of getting worse but then improving again depending on how snow melts and how the rock is. So I wouldn’t rule out getting onto to the rock now, but assume it will not be trivial.

The route was pretty easy to follow. I had screenshots of the copious internet beta to help (good thing I rescued my phone  ). I wore climbing shoes for extra security. All the 4th + 5th seemed pretty reasonable to me, managed to almost entirely avoid sketchy rock. There are cuts everywhere in the rock which keeps things low stress. No committing slabs or down sloping sections that I can remember. The most insecure part was the snow on the 2nd pitch, which was quite steep and exposed, had to switch back to approach shoes and crampons and axe for that.

Treated to great views from the summit. I hadn’t got around to climbing anything in the area before. Stuart and Thomson are the closest I had yet been. It’s a worthwhile summit, I was pleased to be there.

The descent wasn’t very fun, no surprise there. I could have paid more attention to the rap anchor locations on the way up. Had to do some wandering and down climbing less than clean exposed 4th to find a couple of them. I’ve been spoiled by steeper routes where one rap glides smoothly into the next. Packing the rope and scrambling between raps I kept tangling the rope. Finally made it back to the glacier, I think on the 7th rap, which easily got me over the moat.

Things went smoothly from there and my spirit was high until near Pete lake. By this time the evening was getting on, around the same time as my approach the previous day. For some reason the bugs the day before were pretty annoying but not horrible, but this day they were absolutely insatiable and soul crushing. I ran as much as I could (good thing the trail is flat), threw my bag in the car, flailed my arms and legs around for a minute, jumped in the car and sped away. 

Gear Notes:
60m rope for raps

Approach Notes:
Most of climbers trail easy to follow once you find the log crossing but https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=1424334 gps track was appreciated. No issues on glacier, moat was just starting to get complicated.

Edited July 23, 2020 by JonParker
Trying to add photos

[Alisse]

Jon!!! Nice work! 

[DPS]

Is this the peak Peter Potterfield had an accident on?

[Carbonj]

Yep peter was doing east face direct I believe.

[JasonG]

52 minutes ago, Carbonj said:

Yep peter was doing east face direct I believe.

Actually, it was the regular East face route, which goes thru the "U gap" labeled on Page 183 of Brown CAG:  http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13198907302/Fall-on-Rock-Inadequate-Belay-Washington-Cascade-Mountains

Is this the route that @JonParker climbed in this TR?

[DPS]

Thanks, I wasn't sure. I think there is a Chimney Rock in Idaho, and Montana, and Oregon, and Wyoming, and...

 

[JonParker]

I don’t think so, I did the e face direct described on summitpost

19 hours ago, JasonG said:

Actually, it was the regular East face route, which goes thru the "U gap" labeled on Page 183 of Brown CAG:  http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13198907302/Fall-on-Rock-Inadequate-Belay-Washington-Cascade-Mountains

Is this the route that @JonParker climbed in this TR?

 

[Carbonj]

My brother and I had done the east face direct with the icefall approach and told Peter it was a great route. Didn't turn out great for Peter.