[TR] Jack Mountain- South Face 8/2/2004

[GreenT]

Climb: Jack Mountain-South Face

 

Date of Climb: 8/2/2004

 

Trip Report:

Myself and my 60 year old father climbed Jack Mountain 8/1-8/3, 2004. We approached via Jerry Lakes and set up camp at 6100' in Upper Crater Basin. The approach via Jerry Lakes is pretty intense for an approach with no bushwhacking ... there's a lot of elevation gain and loss. My TOPO! software says ~6500' gain and ~1600' loss on the approach. There is a way to save approximately 1000' of gain by finding a ramp beyond the first series of cliffs as you contour towards Jerry Lakes on the Jerry Glacier (just below Crater Mtn). I thought the time saved would be negligible, and since Jerry Lakes is such a beautiful place (the ramp bypasses the Jerry Lakes basin), we decided to take the long way. It was definitely worth it to see Jerry Lakes, in my opinion.

 

Once at camp the S. Face of Jack looks pretty impressive. It is a steep face with deep gulleys and sharp ridges. The views to Snowfield are SWEET, and the evening alpenglow made for some breathtaking shots. One has a much different perspective on Jack from Crater Basin .. I think Jack's much more impressive looking from Crater Basin than from anywhere else.

 

Monday we awoke to sunny skies and hoardes of skeeters. We quickly packed our daypacks and headed up to the Face. There is some confusion as to where the best place is to gain the face. There are relatively few safe spots (without using protection) to gain the face, and I will explain the way I think is best ...

 

There is a knoll below the S. Face (~7100'). While contouring to the west as high as one can climb in the screefield below the S. Face of Jack, watch Roland Creek (the creek that flows out of the S. Face drainage). Once any part of the creek disappears from view behind Pt. 7100, start up the face at the easiest place you see. If it looks like it cliffs out on the other side of a small ridge on the face, it doesn't. From there, climb generally straight up, staying just right of the summit pyramid and aim for high notches in ridges to climber's left. Cross the notches to the other side (to climber's left) and climb through ramps and gulleys (class 3-4). Top out where the SE and SW ridges of Jack Mtn meet. From here, traverse under the summit pyramid and gain a prominent gulley to the left of it. This gulley (snow-filled until late summer) takes you to the summit ridge. From here, it is a short scramble (~100') to the true summit. The views from the summit rival the best in the entire range. Ross lake can be viewed almost in it's entirety. Big and menacing Hozomeen can be seen to the North, and Little Beaver drainage and the Pickets (esp. Luna, Fury) can be seen to the West. The views yield 360 degrees of rugged N. Cascade beauty.

 

This trip is HIGHLY recommended. I don't think I can recall a time when I had so much fun in the mountains. Happy 60th dad.

 

Gear Notes:

Used Gear: HARDHATS

 

Shoulda Had: Paraglider

 

Approach Notes:

The Jackita Ridge trail is in excellent shape. To gain the notch below crater mountain, we found it best to start a rising traverse from the trail at about 6600'. This will avoid the cliffs and offers a nice cross country route to the notch [One can also ascend a water course on the climber's left side of the lake to ~6600 and then contour, but it's questionable whether it would save you any time]. For strong parties, a better camping spot is available at 7110' on the SE shoulder of Jack. There was plenty of running water there as of August 2nd, but in 2 weeks I expect it to disappear. The camp at 7110' is nearly as nice as a summit bivvy. DEFINITELY worth the extra hour on approach day if you can make it.

 

EXTRA NOTE: Rockfall on this route is quite heinous, beware!

[Alpinfox]

 

Thanks for the trip report and welcome to cc.com! Do you have any pictures?

 

Sounds like a great trip. I wish I could get my dad to go climb a mountain with me.

[GreenT]

Thanks for the warm welcome. We got some great shots. Once my dad figures out the digital camera I'll post some.

[JoshK]

Hi Green, great report on one of the more out of the way peaks. Did you have to cross any glacier at all? It sounds like not, since you don't indicate it or any gear.

 

thanks,

-josh

[GreenT]

We soloed the glacier. It is small and relatively flat with rock bands interspersed. There are cracks, but they are fairly concentrated and easily seen this late in the season. I'm not saying you can't get into trouble on Jerry Glacier, just that we felt safe enough to solo it.

[JoshK]

thanks green, that's exactly what I was looking for.

[spacely]

Great TR Green.... I had a failed attempt a couple years ago so it's on my list to get back and do it. Sounds like the view is worth the climb

[Ursa_Eagle]

My group got turned around last year on that mountain. We camped at Jerry Lakes, and made it to about 7500' on the south face. The attachment is a pic of the face, with our route in red, and the presumed route in green (we were expecting a rock climb and didn't have any snow protection with us, so we opted not to traverse the steep snowfield.) Is the presumed route remotely close to what you climbed? (I can provide a higher resolution pic without our route drawn in if you want to draw in your route.)

[chucK]

I have heard of soooo many people getting shut down by Jack Mountain. Great job T !

 

Nice pic too Ursa

[GreenT]

Ursa, no that is the opposite side of the face that we climbed. We climbed the right side of your photo,, Where your red line becomes vertical, is almost exactly where we began our ascent. And our route took us more or less straight up and SLIGHTLY left towards the summit block.

 

I tried to upload some annotated photos, but they are too large.

[David_Parker]

Has anyone climbed Jack from Ross Lake? I've been thinking of sea kayaking up and going from there.

[gotterdamerung]

Has anyone climbed Jack from Ross Lake? I've been thinking of sea kayaking up and going from there.

 

Bump. Anyone?

[obsydian]

Has anyone climbed Jack from Ross Lake? I've been thinking of sea kayaking up and going from there.

 

Did the North route with friends last year, took the boat to May creek, hiked in from there to the bottom of the glacier the first day, some bushwhacking on the final traverse, up the glacier then on the ridge the next day, steep traverse of snow/ice to protect just below the summit block, then 1 rock pitch to the top, back to camp the second day. 3rd day hiked out, met boat at 11am.

Here's the link to that trip: Jack Mtn Trip Report