[TR] Mt Stuart - West Ridge 08/20/2022

[bellows]

Trip: Mt Stuart - West Ridge

Trip Date: 08/20/2022

Trip Report:

What a classic route, total type 1 fun climbing at its best.  My wife and I climbed it over two relaxing days last weekend.  Beta is plentiful, so here’s pics.

Headlight basin, one of my favorite approaches in the Cascades.

Ingalls Lake, last flowing water until the next day.

We’re going here!

Starting up the super fun 3rd/4th class Staircase.

Looking across to Long John’s Tower.  Intimidating to look at, easy to scramble up on the right.

Settled in for a high bivy above LJT notch.  The alpenglow from the setting sun was incredible.  We stayed up late enjoying the ambiance and watched the stars and Milky Way come out.  

Then the weirdest thing, a long string of lights moving steadily across the night sky then disappearing made us question our reality.  UFO?  Turns out it was the same thing Oly saw over on the peninsula:
https://westseattleblog.com/2022/08/heres-what-that-bright-streak-in-the-sky-was/

 

Lazy start in the morning.

Snow available for water near the West Ridge Notch.

Somewhere on the summit block, maybe pitch 3?  It all seemed pretty mellow follow-your-nose easy 5th climbing.

 

Summit!  Saw several folks up top, one soloist who started from the car about the time we were waking up (an impressive 4 hours up the WR), two guys attempting the Stuart Range Traverse to Asguard in a day, and several scramblers up & down the Cascadian.

 

The descent was less enjoyable, Katie's first time experiencing the Cascadian and she said she wants to downclimb the WR next time.  Finally the slog up to Longs Pass gave us a parting view of Stuart and the route.

Back at the truck, tired but mentally refreshed as always.

 

 

Gear Notes:
Rope and minimal rack. No axe or crampons necessary.

Approach Notes:
This field is required?

[jakedouglas]

Any crampons/axe required at this time or is all snow avoidable?

[bellows]

Snow is completely avoidable, even the snowpatch below the false summit is avoidable.  Crampons/axe definitely not necessary.

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by bellows

[jakedouglas]

Thanks! Great pics btw.

[Michael Telstad]

3 hours ago, bellows said:

Then the weirdest thing, a long string of lights moving steadily across the night sky then disappearing made us question our reality.  UFO?  Turns out it was the same thing Oly saw over on the peninsula:

Saw this over Stuart two springs ago before I knew what it was. Gave me the chills. I was pretty sure the aliens were here and it was all over.

[Trent]

Nice pics! Climbed this with my wife about ten years ago; barely avoided an epic. Planned on a summit bivy, topped out right at sunset,

Thanksfor posting!

[olyclimber]

Well now we are forever linked by this night under the stars.

That  is a very nice looking bivy spot.

[olyclimber]

BTW the “approach notes” are mandatory but you can be as creative as you want with that section.  We need to look at making that optional.

[JasonG]

This whole global 24/7 satellite internet thing is going to get way out of hand. 

Say goodbye to stargazing as we know it within a couple decades.

And great trip report of a classic!