Flagpole beta request

[billcoe]

Thinking I should get up to the enchantments before I get too old. Any current beta on the Flagpole or would be appreciated. Whats the best access now, and didn't that area burn a while ago? Would you recommend other climbs in that area as more worthy or enjoyable?

 

Thank you

 

Bill

[max]

What I have to offer falls into two groups: the climbs and the fire.

 

About the climbs. They look awesome! I can't provide any information about specific routes, but I can say the formations are spectacular and I don't think very many people go there (the use per area gradient between the enchantment basin and the slopes above ingalls with all these climbs must be pretty high!) Some pics:

 

Looking NW straight at the SE side of the nightmare needles and McClellan Peak from the Navaho peak trail.

 

 

Looking NE at the west side of the formation from near hardscrabble creek. Those spires are (fuzzy!) outragous, huh!?

 

 

A similar view, except from somewhere between hardscrabble and crystal creeks, looking at the lower, more southern end of the formation

 

 

You will also find some good photos at this guy's site, but not much about climbing if I remember correctly

erics base camp

 

Hiking up ingals creek trail is definately the way to go, but leaves you with a serious whack getting to the climbs (at least from what I could see...) It took about 3 hours from the trailhead to good camping and a fresh-cut saw line going right up the drainage one east of crystal!

 

About the fire:

 

WNF incident web page

 

from that webpage:

 

The photos from the USFS page don't really show how hot some of this area burned, but here's one from some of the most active burning (Smoky's a little pyro! )

 

 

 

The reason I say this is the fire produced a very irregular pattern of burn across the hillside and dramatically reduced the stability of the rocks and trees on the slope. I can't overstate how much shit was falling during AND AFTER the active burning ... Helicopter pilots could see debris slides from 2000 ft altitude and there was at least one movement of material while crews where there that made it to near the trail! The fire operation took down most of the hazardous trees near the trail, but even a short hike up the slope would lead into some big, precariously hanging snags.. yuck. And any approach (even those dropping down from the Enchantment basin will involve some of this steep, rocky, burned, unstable terrain. Also you'll note many of the likely approach routes would invole traveling up draws that debris will funnel into.

 

It's been a wintersince then which would seem to help stabalize some of this crap, and ultimately it comes down to a personal judgement of the environemtnal hazards, but personally, I don't think it's a good time to go there. I don't find much pleasure in grunting uphill and wondering what's hanging above me. Waiting even one more year would significantly decreases these hazards. Why risk it when there are other sweet, very similar climbs

the duolith and mole

a mess of "remote" enchantment hike-and-climb spires

Tokette wall

 

hope that's helpful.

dave

[Mtguide]

Go to p.71 of Selected Climbs in the Cascades Vol.II by Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield,pub.Mountaineers; and pp.248-250 of Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide.Have fun.

 

As far as other climbs in the area,well,it's only one of the most incredible rock climbing areas in the NW.It is hard work getting in there,so you might as well plan your trip so that you can spend some time as long as you're in there, and do a bunch of stuff.You won't be dissapointed.

 

Also: the pictures of McClellan Ridge and Nightmare Needles are great; but that's not where the Flagpole is.It's actually one more canyon(and it's a big deep,steep,rugged one)and ridge over,just below Pennant Pk. on the upper part of what's called Cathay Ridge.Like I said,you got your work cut out for you just getting in there.

 

Edited March 7, 2004 by Mtguide

[max]

So now I feel like a dumb-ass for missing a critical piece. Well, that's sort of an overstaement. But anyways, I see mtnguide's info and !ahh! crap. I can't try to put any of these pieces together bacause CRAP in the process of looking at the diagrams in the becky guide (obviously not very carefully, huh?) to write my post, I decided my book was trashed enough to warrant a rebinding and dropped it off today. Ironic. And annoying.

[billcoe]

Hi Guys

 

That's awesome info, thanks. I'll most likely take you up on the offer to wait a year.

 

Really Really Really: Thank you, that's a mass of great info:

 

Regards:

 

Bill

[Alpinfox]

Max,

WOW! Great research and pics (even if you were a bit off in some of the specifics locales).

 

Billcoe,

I'm gonna go out on a limb (hehehe) here and say that MOST of the precariously balanced deadfall would have gotten blown over and stabilized during the winter storms. If you have your heart set on that route, I wouldn't dismiss the idea of doing it this year. CARPE ANNUM! Maybe hike up there a bit and check things out?

 

Note: I haven't been up there since the fire , but I wouldn't put one of my dream routes on hold in this situation.

[max]

...most of the precariously balanced deadfall would have gotten blown ....Maybe hike up there a bit and check things out?

 

Not at all to discount what a.f. has said here... (this seems like pretty reasonable advice to me!) but you might be suprised how much the rocks and soil have been destablized. The roots grow between, crack, and hold onto boulders and soil, but then when they burn out, leave a balanced pile or rocks (that seem like they would have been jostled and stableized over the winter...). Just an observation of what I've seen. But like af said, it can't hurt to go for a hike!