[TR] Fortress and Helmet Butte - Standard 07/28/2024

[JasonG]

Trip: Fortress and Helmet Butte - Standard

Trip Date: 07/28/2024

Trip Report:

I have fallen woefully behind on TRs this summer, not exactly sure what the deal is with that, but I am slowing trying to rectify things.  In no particular order from the past few months, here is a short report on a trip I did with my brother @ZakG about a month ago to Helmet Butte and Fortress.  Now that I am firmly in my mature mountaineer phase I am oh so slowly working my way through the Bulger list.  I say slowly because I think I climbed my first Bulger (Cashmere?) in 1994 or so.  I hope to be done before I die, but it might take another decade at the pace I am going. Anyways, I digress, first world problems.

@ZakG arrived at Trinity on a beautiful Saturday to a half empty lot and no people milling about.  A good sign and indicative of what we would see that weekend....which was nobody.  I am not sure if I have hiked more than 20 miles on maintained trails, on a weekend, and not seen another party, but that was what we experienced. I hope this is going to be more common!  A few miles up the Buck Creek trail we knew there would be a bridge out over the Chiwawa, but there is a good log that trail crews dropped across the creek

Shortly thereafter we were treated to awe inspiring views of Buck's north face, yet another Bulger I haven't gotten to:

This section of trail is burned for several miles and there were quite a few logs across the trail that we had to work around.  Still, the combination of fireweed and snags made it scenic.

After about 9 miles and some on the excellent Buck Creek trail, we veered north on a climber's path to Pass No Pass, which we reached in early afternoon.  There was a flowing stream for water a few hundred vert below the pass and not another tent in sight anywhere.

After dinner we went up Helmet Butte for the view and to take a look over at Fortress to pick out our route for the next day.  The clouds were more stubborn than forecast, and there was smoke in the air from the Suiattle fires, but all of it added some drama to the skies and interest to the views.  We couldn't see any tents down at Buck Creek Pass, nor any people.

We awoke in a cloud the next day and opted to hang out in the tent for a bit to see if we could get some visibility.  It didn't improve much, but we hadn't hiked all that way to not even try and so we slowly made our way up into the murk to see if we could get above it.  And sure enough we did!  Nothing quite like the feeling when you realize that you are going to have good views and the summit is within reach.

See if you can spot @ZakG:

@ZakG on the summit of Fortress with Clark behind:

Looking toward Bonanza and Dark:

Coming down:

And then it was the usual, hurry down, pack up camp, slog out, swat flies in the heat, fish the beer out of the creek, eat some chips, change into glorious cotton, and merge into the masses on the highway heading back to town on a Sunday evening.  And we wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Gear Notes:
Ice axe and crampons if there is snow, helmet.

Approach Notes:
Buck Creek trail from Trinity to climber's path to No Name Pass. Follow your nose from there to both Helmet Butte and Fortress

[bedellympian]

Amazing pictures as always... especially appreciate the shots of Buck N Face

[plexus]

Thread was worth it just for that pic of Buck's face!

[JonParker]

Ooh real purdy.