[TR] Mt Olympus & Mt Tom- 7/24-31/2004

[Chriznitch]

Climb: Mt Olympus & Mt Tom

 

Date of Climb: 7/24-31/2004

 

Trip Report:

For our big 2004 vacation, my girlfriend Amy and I decided to spend a week in the Olympic Mountains. Aiming for Mt Olympus, we hiked in along the backpacking mecca of the Hoh River trail 18 miles to the base of the mountain. The approach was pretty uneventful, but there was some interesting wildlife on the trail

 

 

Once reaching the Blue Glacier, we switched from tennies to boots and roped up to work through our way up the crevasses

 

 

The terrain switched from blue ice down low to snow up higher as we ascended the Snow Dome. This was interesting hauling up full packs but paid off later (UGH!)

 

 

The icefalls were incredible and we built our camp atop the Snow Dome--our home for 4 nights

 

 

Our day hikes were interesting. We observed the large mudslide coming off Mt Athena

 

 

We also visited the summits of Mt Olympus' west peak and Mt Tom, a neighboring peak. I was surprised to read in the register that the last ascent was in 2001--strange being adjacent to the heavily visited Oly. Mt Tom was a straightforward mountain, but required descending the west face the Olympus massif to obtain the White Glacier and the slog up to the summit. So afterward it meant re-ascending Olympus which was a butt-kicker

 

 

Our rewards for camping up high on the glacier included great views of sunrises, sunsets, the Northern lights, and the "Goat Show"--watching the antics of the local mountain goats inhabiting the area around our camp. We saved our best meal for the last night up there

 

 

This final night also provided the best sunset of the trip--over the fog-laden valleys leading out to the Pacific

 

 

It was definitely a great introduction to a special place.

[suckbm]

sweet pictures! how long are you on the mountain for after the approach trail? And is there some scrambling at the top? Were all the crevases open, meaning would it be easy to travel unroped?

[Alpinfox]

 

Mt. Tom has certainly been climbed numerous times since 2001. Not everyone signs summit registers.

 

Looks like a great trip. The way you did it, it was probably even worth carrying your packs past Glacier Meadows.

 

Thanks for the TR and pictures.

[Chriznitch]

I would assume Mt Tom has been climbed as well...

suckbm: past Glacier Meadows it is another 4 miles and 3500' to the summit. Most parties do this easily in a day with reasonable packs. The summit pinnacle offers various options: most climb a steep snow pitch and then scramble to the top. I chose to climb all rock--about 220' of 4th class stuff. It was solo'd easily enough, but I did make two 30m raps on the way down.

As far as the glaciers go, they seem pretty obvious, but I'm going to take the 5th when it comes to advising solo glacier travel

[dkemp]

sounds like a great outing - way to go!

[Double_E]

werd. cool pics.

 

4 nites on Snow Dome.... you crazy sonza bitchez!!! wow.

 

climbed Olympus on 4th of July weekend, 2001. MHANN I wanna go there again. some day...

[AJScott]

Great job! I spent this last fourth of july on snow dome, and wish we could have stayed longer! I was eye-ballin' Mt. Tom while we were up there, but never made it over there, summited the middle peak though. And what a amazing photo of that slide...I have a picture in which you could see half of it, but thats the full meal deal!

[Fairweather]

Great trip! Nice pics. That's quite a rockslide. Something that big should have shown up on seismographs around the peninsula, I would think!

 

As for Mt Tom, I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't been climbed since 2001. It's a stepchild-of-a-peak and well off the beaten path. Regardless, it is seldom climbed and I am envious of your accomplishment. I'd love to hear more details about the traverse over there and back. Any pics of the route? Any pics looking down White Glacier and the valley that drains into Elk Lake?

 

Cool trip!

[JoshK]

Any story on that mudslide? It looks like it covers part of a glacier? Maybe major ice collapse or something? looks pretty wild in any event...

[Pencil_Pusher]

Nice photos and TR.

[Alpinfox]

 

I talked to two people in the Hoh parking lot last summer who claimed to have just returned from summiting Mt. Tom. I didn't realize it was such a rare event or I would have asked for more info.

[Chriznitch]

here are a couple more pictures from the trip

 

 

Panic Point and the Snow Dome on the approach:

 

 

the summit of Panic Point:

 

 

This is the Snow Dome and camp (marked by arrow) from the summit. This day was obviously hazy from smoke:

 

 

enjoying the view from Panic Point looking at Mt Tom:

 

 

from near the Mt Tom summit looking back at the west face of Olympus. The White Glacier is gentle all the way from base to summit. My route to the White Glacier is in red:

 

 

bright Mt Tom with the valley and stream flowing off the White Glacier:

 

[Chriznitch]

as far as that mudslide--I'm not sure. Must've been earlier this season, at least before the RASTA STYLEE trip. Sure is pretty burly

[rbw1966]

Great pics! I've never climbed in the Olympics but I am inspired now!

[Figger_Eight]

Great pics With everything else on fire, the Olympics might be the place to go.

[cj001f]

Great pics With everything else on fire, the Olympics might be the place to go.

It was sweet this weekend

[Starker]

When rappelling from the summit, are there natural anchors suitable for webbing and slings or is it already fixed?

[cj001f]

When rappelling from the summit, are there natural anchors suitable for webbing and slings or is it already fixed?

There's 10 years worth of slings to rap from. You may want to bring a sling or 2 for the rock section on the way up/belay anchor.

[Alpinfox]

When rappelling from the summit, are there natural anchors suitable for webbing and slings or is it already fixed?

 

If you are asking about Olympus: there are established rap stations with slings around boulders.

 

If you area asking about Mt. Tom: I don't know. I don't think rappelling is required???

[Chriznitch]

you don't need raps for Mt Tom. For Olympus's west peak, there are (at least) 2 raps stations on the summit. One takes you down the rock side (south side)--this is what I used. Since I didn't have 2 ropes, I had to place a sling halfway down (it's a little over 200') so that should still be there. From the north side (standard route) a single rope rappel will easily reach the 45 degree snow slope where you can downclimb the rest...

The pinnacle has plenty knobs to place your own stuff. Slings provide ample protection.

[cj001f]

From the north side (standard route) a single rope rappel will easily reach the 45 degree snow slope where you can downclimb the rest...

? Single rope rappel will take you to a scree slope where you can descend to the snow (at least right now). The snow bridge at Crystal Pass collapsed so there's a bit 10' (maybe) of steep ice that some may find uncomfortable.

[Starker]

Thanks for the beta. I suppose we'll leave the pickets behind and carry some fat snargs instead?

[cj001f]

I went with a friend who's not done much/any tech climbing. We brought 1 picket & 2 screw each (1 too many each!) + 8mm*60m rope (50m would have been better) + a couple slings (swiped from the picket). The ice sections are fine if your at all comfortable on ice - I belayed my friend up/down them. Summit pinnacles maybe 15m of climbing - nothing hard for someone who can make it to that point.

[pete_a]

just curious...the steepish snow/ice you guys mentioned is making me wonder about what I was planning on using for footwear. Heading up to Oly the weekend after next and some of us were planning on using trailrunners and alum crampons. Sounds like at least one of us should bring boots that may be a little better suited for ice.. (still gonna use running shoes for the approach though)

advice? thanks.

[Chriznitch]

well, tennies are ESSENTIAL for the Hoh river trail. Once you get to the lateral morraine where that latest picture was taken (nice one cj001f!) it is 2+ miles on hard glacier ice and soft snow. Your call. I carried my leather boots and was glad I did, but we were on the glacier for a few days... Should be a great trip!