[TR] das toof - South Face & Tooth Fairy 06/21/2021

[underscore_child]

Trip: das toof - South Face & Tooth Fairh

Trip Date: 06/21/2021

Trip Report:

 

Finally got the trade route done with a bonus linkup of the rape bolted monstrosity the Tooth Fairy. woot.

 

Zach and I sacked up at 8:30 on some skin track that leads the short way to Source Lake. Being a regular SAR + ski patrol member has given him encyclopedic knowledge of the myriad paths scattered around Alpental. I (snowshoes) and Zach (microspikes) followed two skiers, Eric and Allen (I think...) most of the way to Source Lake. Nice dudes. They were headed for the Tooth Fairy as well. (You know that weird overachieving stoke that comes in the car ride at about Exit 45? We mutually agreed to try for the twofer S. Face and the Fairy so we wouldn't have to slog all the way up there again for a while, until we would get REALLY psyched and storm the East Face sideshow attraction.)

The big ramp above Source Lake was a slog but the moats were interesting to look at, if terrifying. I have yet to become comfortable on snow, at all. This was a big step tho. Eventually we reached Pineapple Basin. No sign of the skiers but we had two ladies ahead and a two dudes + dad behind. We passed the ladies and the trio passed us. Shoutout to them storming up that gully in approach shoes. 

Fortunately they, too, were off to the Tooth Fairy. We got to Pineapple Pass first and racked for glory. I led P1 and the P3 scramble, leaving, coincidentally, the crux 4th for Zach. We chose that juggy layback in the middle; I'm a little tempted to come back for the Catwalk but when I head up there again it'll likely be for Chair...

Summit was exquisite and certainly the nicest of the four ( :3 ) Snoqualmie summits I've been on. On the raps down we passed the ladies on P3 and the skiers on P2, as evidently a party of three in front (on toof fairy) was too much for them to endure. The spoils of whatever war they were fighting finding a better skin track.

The moats around the SW face are unpleasant. I shall say no more about that.

Tooth Fairy was a fun second half albeit a bit hot. Mostly 5.7-8ish except the very fun P2 and the awkward P5. P5 reminded me of the Plank (a highly overrated and rather contrived route at Exit 38) in the way that to avoid making their multipitch .11+, there's a bleh slabby traverse at the base of an overhang. Goes to show how difficult it is finding sport multipitch on andesite, so props to Nelson and Whitelaw.

Quite dehydrated at the end of P5, we discussed the necessity of expediting things. I gave up looking for bolts on P6 after mistakenly skipping the first one and romped left in a rage. Fortunately the gully I found led straight to the summit on dirt and heather plus had an overcammed placement for the one piece of pro on my harness (secondhand .75 X4). We rapped the South Face again with dry lips.

Contouring back on steep snow in climbing shoes was problematic. Getting over the moat was worse. Zach tried to jump and [REDACTED]. I found an OK spot and carved out steps with my axe. Rapping down those beautiful bolted anchors in the gully was exquisite. 

Terrified initially by the glissade I was disappointed by the lack of slope and speed in the rest of Pineapple Basin. Then there was no more glissading due to moats/pits/boulders, but lots of self-arrests to avoid those unpleasant little scummers. Eventually we made it out. 

Nice day out altho now I can't sit down because of glissade abrasions and my back hurts from carrying the rope whilst lurching about on slippery snow. Ya reap what ya sow I suppose.

Will post pics in a moment.

Gear Notes:
Buncha draws for tooth fairy. A few cams for South Face. Dry rope was nice for gully raps. Helmet... ICE AXE!

Approach Notes:
Patchy ski track to Source Lake - long snow slope to Pineapple Basin - couloir to Pineapple Pass

Edited June 22, 2021 by underscore_child
Mispelled route name LMAO

[underscore_child]

And by later I mean tomorrow not this unholistic hour.

[underscore_child]

Kk pics.

 Skin track on the way up

Chair

Bryant

Slopes

Pineapple Basin

The notch

Zach on the final pitch

Chair from the summit

More views

Scramble to first rap

The route

 

Second rap into the gully

[underscore_child]

Ahhh. Remembered I was gonna bring Mr. Herrington's weird ass Trango cam and place it and take a pic so he could see what all my shenanigans scaring his neighbors at 11pm finding his house to pick it up came to fruition, but I forgot.

Such is life.