[TR] High point of The Needles (AKA Big Methow Needle) plus the East Peak - Standard 08/02/2025

[JasonG]

Trip: High point of The Needles (AKA Big Methow Needle) plus the East Peak - Standard

Trip Date: 08/02/2025

Trip Report:

 

It seems to be that after 20 years you can repeat a peak and it is almost like you've never climbed it before.  Almost.  The memory of the character building approach in soft snow wasn't entirely forgotten when @Trent suggested the high point of the Needles (Top 200!) on a Saturday a few weeks back.  I had last been up that way 23 years before with my friend Dennis and we had gone straight up from the highway/campground, traversing endless ribs and isothermic mush for a few short 5th class pitches.  

 

BUT, Steve had found a better way!  Or, so I sincerely hoped, and so I found myself gearing up on the shoulder of 20 again, peering into the brush and looking for the faint hint of a trail @Eric Gilbertson had mentioned was in there.  After some minimal thrashing indeed a halfway decent trail emerged, though downed logs were beginning to reclaim it slowly but surely.  Things were looking better than I remembered and we continued up.

Thankfully the valley thrashing is relatively short lived and the ascent up an open forest rib soon lifts one to views and cooling breezes. A couple hours slogging brought our first views of the Methow Needle, which was more impressive than I remembered.

The views to Tower and Golden Horn were also much better than I remembered:

Soon we were at the base of the climbing, racking up for 3 pitches of 4th/mid fifth class:

@Trent took the sharp end first and launched up on the surprisingly steep first pitch, which was solid, if somewhat kitty litterish:

A couple more rambly pitches brought to the lonesome summit, which really hasn't gotten much more popular since the register was placed in 1968.  It was a much more entertaining read than most, and I especially enjoyed the firsthand accounts of FA by Pete Doorish and his partners many moons ago:

We were definitely not worthy, but we were there, on the summit nonetheless:

And the views, of course, were better than I remembered.  Buckner, Boston, Sahale, Tower, Eldorado, Mesahchie, Katsuk, Kimtah (L-R):

When I had last climbed it via the not recommended approach in less than ideal snow conditions, I was a young man and was still thoroughly whupped by the end of the day after climbing only Big Methow Needle.  This time, we were older and wiser and had some extra energy to head over to the East Peak of the Needles which afforded a grand view of the North side of The Needles, along with many ladybugs (visble at black specs in the photo of @Trent below):

But, pleasant as it was up there, we couldn't stay forever and reluctantly had to descend back to the brush and blowdown to battle the masses back west across the pass.  Still, a parting view of Big Methow Needle as we dropped to treeline was a good reminder that we have an exceptional backyard here in the North Cascades:

 

 

Gear Notes:
Light Rock rack to 2", 60m rope, helmet

Approach Notes:
Stay in the valley and find an old trail up Pine Creek on south side. Where it crosses to north side of creek follow for a bit longer into timber until it peters out and you head up via open forest to treeline and the peak.

[curtveld]

Well done, amigos Jason and Steve! And kudos for the rare TR that includes poetry, history, geography and fashion, as well as the outstanding photography we have come to expect.