Needles traverse?

[OlympicMtnBoy]

I ran up to Mt. Baldy the other day and was looking down the Graywolf Ridge. Anyone do the traverse across the Needles? It seems like it'd be a fun trip to start at Baldy and follow the ridge and hit six or seven peaks, then come down to Royal Lake and out that way. Should be some fun 3rd and 4th class stuff past Graywolf. Maybe a couple of days with an ultralight pack and a bivy sack would be fun?

[PONCHO&LEFTY]

Go do it.

Take pictures.

Report back with pictures.

[bremerton_john]

I've been up on the ridge and done portions of the Needles. From Baldy you can get a fair way's over to the Needles, but it gets complicated and real interesting when you approach Walkinshaw and Mt. Clark. I think another fun trip would be to start at Suprise Basin and work your walk over the Needles to Deception, climbing each of the spires along the way - Sweat, Gasp, Incisor, Martin, Johnson etc. A friend of mine attempted the GrayWolf Ridge traverse last summer. Travelling light it took him a couple days to get across to Walkinshaw and find a way down to the lake.

[MTNEER]

The section of the Graywolf Ridge from Baldy to Walkinshaw is covered in the High Alpine Traverse section of the Climbers Guide To the Olympics. The upcoming 4th edition will include a few traverses over several summits on the needles ridge. If you do this traverse, input to 4th edition is welcomed. You may contact myself, Bremerton John, or the Olympic Mountain Rescue website -olympicmountainrescue.org

[PhilU]

I went from Baldy to below Royal Basin a few years ago for a long dayhike. Can't comment on climbing the Needles or Walkinshaw but the Graywolf Ridge walk was awesome. I can post pictures once I figure out how to do that. In the meantime here's my long TR from wta.org:

 

I went from Baldy to below Royal Basin a few years ago for a long dayhike. Can't comment on climbing the Needles or Walkinshaw but the Graywolf Ridge walk was awesome. Here's my long TR from wta.org:

 

I did this loop as a big dayhike under cloudless skies. Access is easy, although lower road 2860 remains closed. Directions can be found at the USFS site, or Wood’s book. Spent the night at the end of road 2860-120, accessed off of 2860 with a right turn at the sign indicating two miles to the Upper Dungeness trailheads. 2860-120 can be driven for about 1.5 miles, ending near Mueller’s Creek. Upper Maynard Burn trail can be found by walking up nearly the full length of 2860-120. Alternatively, next to a ditch a few hundred feet past Mueller’s Creek is a well-established and steep trail that can be followed straight uphill to cross 2860-120 and continue uphill on the Upper Maynard Burn trail. This short-cut may save time. Upper Maynard Burn begins as a punishing trail straight up the ridge of Baldy Mt. Approximately 1.5 miles in is a remarkably flat, gravelly area to the north of the trail, well-suited for a campsite. The trail continues up the ridge at a more moderate grade until opening up to the expansive meadows at the head of Mueller Creek and tbe ridge between Baldy and Tyler. The trail fades out at this point, but one can simply ascend to the northeast false summit of Baldy and then on to the true summit at 6797 ft. The views are stupendous: Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, Mt Baker, Rainier, and St. Helens. Closer and to the east is the Buckhorn Peak/Marmot Pass area. Approximately 2.5 hours from car to true summit of Baldy with fast pace and minimal rest breaks. Beyond Baldy to the south is Gray Wolf Ridge, with the highest point at 7218, and ending past a 7076 peak. The ridge is not an easy walk. Between points it is a simple stroll for the most part, but ascending each peak more stenuous. The western slopes are relatively moderate in grade and descend to broad meadows, suggesting the possibility of excursions into the Gray Wolf valley. Much wind up on the ridge! The views only get better along the ridge. At 7218 is a great view. From this vantage, one can see the full extent of the Grand Ridge Trail between Deer Park and Obstruction Point, the Needles, and most of Royal Basin, as well as the northern and eastern views noted from Baldy. In this area I was able to view a helicopter hauling loads from Royal Basin to the Grand Pass area, and was then buzzed as they flew north. Past 7218 and over 7076 it is an easy walk to under the north slopes of Mt. Walkinshaw, where I headed down the steep talus slope. I descended the most moderate of the steep talus slopes between 7076 and Walkinshaw, generally following vegetation where possible. For some time I paralleled or went down the course of a stream/trickle, with vegetable belays courtesy of subalpine firs. I essentially followed the most obvious course downward and southward until this became tangled with cedar and slide alder and finally ended in a drop-off. At this point I skirted even further to the south to find more solid ground under big timber. My recommendation would be to make for this area of big timber while further upslope. Once in the big trees I clambered downhill until setting my abused and relieved feet on the Royal Basin Trail, headed downhill to the car.