first ascent [TR] Summit Chief Mountain- North FAce 4/18/2004

[Colin]

Climb: Summit Chief Mountain-North FAce

 

Date of Climb: 4/18/2004

 

Trip Report:

Dave and I climbed the North Face of Summit Chief Mtn today after hiking into the base of it (via the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie) on Saturday. The conditions were fantastic, and we encountered more actual ice than I have ever before seen on a Cascades alpine-ice route. I think that the route took use about 5.5 hours and then about 2 hours to descend via a couloir on the west side.

 

Joe Catellani, ever generous, clued Dave and I into the face a while back, and mentioned that it was probably unclimbed. Whether it had been climbed or not, it was a fantastic route, very similar in character and difficulty to the 1971 route on the North Face of Dragontail. We chose a line just right of the central rib, but many different routes would be possible on this face - generally harder to the right and easier to the left.

 

Dave had a digital camera, so some pictures should probably surface fairly soon.

 

Gear Notes:

We had only 2 ice screws, but wished we had 3-4.

 

The rock is quite compact (although not very loose), so knifeblades were useful.

 

Approach Notes:

Bikes, hiking, snowshoeing.

[catbirdseat]

Were you able to reach the Hardscrabble Lakes/ Dutch Miller Gap trailhead by car? Since you mentioned bikes, sounds like you didn't.

[Stefan]

Fricken amazing just to hear this.

[dberdinka]

 

Fuggin-A you guys did good! Check out Dave's trip report at www.alpinedave.com

[slothrop]

Nice job, guys! I remember seeing that face from across the valley a couple years ago and wondering whether anyone had climbed it:

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=2116&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

 

I won't believe you any more, Dave, when I ask what you're doing this weekend and you say "Oh, probably just skiing"...

[JoshK]

Damn! That is so sweet. Can you introduce me to this Joe fella, he seems like a good guy to know

 

I'm guessing that will become a fairly oft-repeated route based on your pictures. Absolutely gorgeous!

[dbb]

Well, we brought the skis to the trailhead Sloth

 

That was a fun weekend! I was really surprised how easy it was to get back in there. Probably not too much harder than going into the enchantments from the icicle, but with less elevation gain. We were able to drive to within a mile of the M.F./Dutch miller gap trailhead where a big tree is laying in the road. We biked in that mile or so.

 

some pictures:

 

[mvs]

awesome!

[wdietsch]

And who says the Cascades are all climbed out ..... seek and ye' shall find ..... nice job fellas ..... looks SSCHWEET!

[Paco]

Awesome gentlemen!

[JayB]

Killer.

[Billygoat]

Sheeit!

 

[Off_White]

I thought I'd bump this vintage thread, a good looking route that didn't become popular. Gating the road at Dingford Creek didn't help I'm assuming, still, there are lots of folks who oughta go climb this thing. Alpine Dave's website with the TR is still alive, though no new content since 2009. I pilfered the picture of the face with the route line, but here's the whole report with pictures of the FA of this route:

http://www.alpinedave.com/summit_chief/north_face.htm  

[JasonG]

I remember this, great looking line.  Thanks for digging it up @Off_White!

[Off_White]

It was your TR from Big Snow that sent me looking around, and what with the popularity of Triple Couloirs on Dragontail I thought pointing out an equivalent alternate would be a real public service. I was trying to find Scott Presho's reports from cragging up by Hardscrabble Lake on that good looking rock, but come to think of it it might be ChucK who did that. I'm still figuring out the search function on the new software.

 

 

[JasonG]

BIG SNOW!

Good point about 3C on DT, I wonder if this line is as reliable or Colin and Dave found exceptional conditions?