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[TR] Mt. Olympus- 7/4/2004


AJScott

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Climb: Mt. Olympus-

 

Date of Climb: 7/4/2004

 

Trip Report:

I drove out to Forks thursday night to meet up with Adam who is living in Forks for the summer, we sat around drinking and decided to drive out to the trail head and crash there. We took Adams bus, which we drove at a nice rasta pace to the trail head, arriving at 1 in the morning.

 

5600Olympus_001-med.jpg

 

We left at the trail at ten in the morning for the long hike in, It was raining and I was really skeptical about this trip's weather from the get go-and my doubts were proving true. Traveling in the Hoh was amazing-lots of green stuff... We got to elk lake and were planning on going up to glacier meadows, but after hanging out in the shelter for a bit, we decided to crash there. We knew we werent supposed to sleep in there as its used for emergencies, and everyone who passed made sure to remind us...but we figured keeping our gear dry and LIGHT was an emergency.

 

We got going in the morning and the weather still looked like crap, but once we got close to the Meadows, the weather began to break and we got our first views of the massif. Our destination was Snow dome...and I could not be any happier about hauling all of that gear up there. I think we were some of the only people in the Olympics that weekend who got to camp outside of the clouds and the rain. They stayed hovering below us for two days.

 

5600Olympus_022-med.jpg

 

We had a amazing sunset, as well as a very large moon that came up behind Mt. Olympus, it was a very special night. It was one of those times in the mountains where you feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be in life...and everything feels just right.

 

5600Olympus_025-med.jpg

 

We woke up and got going around 7, and there were already parties on there way up to the summit that had left from glacier meadows! these people were ALPINE STYLEEE. we were more on a RASTA STYLEE MISION. We finally got going and after watching two parties try and go through the early season route, but both turned around...we figured we would still give it a shot. The schrund was way to large to cross, but we found a slot that allowed passage at the edge of the schrund. It went with a couple class 4 moves on rock, with some nice ice to frontpoint on! it was really fun...I led up it, and set up a fluke and an ice axe, and belayed Adam up. This was Adams first trip using ropes so he was pretty stoked on all of this.

 

5600Olympus_029-med.jpg

 

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We than cruised over to the summit, and went up the S.E. We kept the ropes on because we had them. The climbing was kind of fun, there was a fun lie back crack towards the top.

 

5600Olympus_035-med.jpg

 

We sat around the top for a while, and decided to go over and climb the middle peak as well. We rapped off the summit, and glissaded down the steep pitch to the saddle...I straight elevened the glissade, and took a pretty good tumble at top speed at the bottom, and Adam linked up some turns, then we took off for the Middle. We left all of the ropes and crap and went uber light weight alpine styleee and were on the top of the second summit in under an hour.

 

5600Olympus_044-med.jpg

 

The middle peak is a f'n choss heap...but it has a lot better views in our opinions. On our way out Adam displayed more of his graceful tele-stylee-glissading. I havent seen anything quite like it...but he can link nice looking turns with his feet. I usually try to go straight and fast...much like how I snowboard...It usually ends pretty nasty though.

 

5600Olympus_049-med.jpg

 

We hiked back down to camp, sat around for a bit and then packed up and headed down to the lake. We camped a little lower than the lake where we could have a fire...

 

Pretty standard climb of Olympus...It was my first time back to the area since I first climbed it when I was 11. Making it through the early season route was nice. I dont know how much longer you will be able to do that.

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Indeed, if what we see is really a rock slide, it's really hudge!!! from the map it should be approx 500m long...

 

I can't believe such an enormous rockfall happened. But I can't either see what else it could be???

It's sure it wasn't here 2 years ago as I was in view several days of Hubert Glacier.

 

sharp eye fairweather!

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