[TR] Nine Lives Peak (Pk 5110)- From Kromona Mine Road 3/6/2005

[klenke]

Climb: "Nine Lives Peak" (Pk 5110)-From Kromona Mine Road

 

Date of Climb: 3/6/2005

 

Trip Report:

(This is not a TR about mixed ice climbing or extremely narrow couloirs. This a TR about an FA of a peak.)

 

Stupid minds stink alike...

 

It was Friday and I sent out an email to John Roper wondering if he was interested in getting a probable FA on Sunday for a peak behind Prospect Peak (Mt. Stickney Quad). After I sent that email I additionally contacted Don Beavon and Mike Collins. Soon Don & Mike were in on the game. The next day John responds saying my plans were prescient, for he and Ian Mackay had been discussing on Thursday a climb of the exact same peak. So here were the two of us separately planning that same peak that no one has ever climbed. Yep, seems this peak in question was hot to trot on the front burner of the peakbagger stove.

 

By the time all the planning was said and done we had ballooned our numbers up to nine. Nine! I was worried the Mountaineers would catch wind of our plan and put the nix on it, saying we exceeded their maximum allowable party limit for the area. I expected Mountie helicopters to hover overhead and chastise us with bullhorns.

 

Nine of us biked the road that goes from Olney Pass to the crossing of the Middle Fork of South Fork Sultan River below the Kromona Mine . The road is about 5 miles long. There is a washout about a mile in that requires one to get off the bike. There are also numerous windfalls hanging over the road that will ensnare poles and iceaxes overhead.

Someone said the first one to the top gets to name the peak so a mad race ensued roller derby style. This made those miles of road go quick.

 

Even though I knew the way (had a sound plan, at least) no one wanted to listen to me. Not initially, anyway. Do you have any idea how hard it is to shepherd a herd of peakbeests diagonally up a brush slope? I just didn't have a long enough rope to lasso those recalcitrant beasts that wanted to stray up the easy boulder slope that goes the wrong way. In the middle of the woods on Prospect's SW slopes we stumbled upon a sturdy open-walled shelter someone has built. Probably a hunter's shelter, but we checked under the tarp for dead bodies anyway. Ian broke the little green chair that was there. Someone's going to be pissed.

 

We eventually got to the boulderfield below the Prospect saddle, whereupon the beasts took to grazing their way to the top of it, roiling and rolling boulders as they went. Mt. Stickney looked handsome from this side.

Here's Mike on the boulderfield. Mike was my right-hand man on this day. He would scout ahead in the brush while I lassoed the stragglers.

 

The Prospect saddle afforded us our first view of our primary destination--Pk 5110 (430P). It's the left end of the concave crest (left of center):

With my zoom lens I could see there was some sort of rock horn at the top. Would it be a problem? We'd have to wait and see. Here is another view of Pk 5110.

 

Finally, on the other (east) side of the saddle we found consistent snow. A 300-vertical-foot drop was necessary to get into the basin on the other side. From there, a straightforward traverse got us to below the northwest side of the summit. Snow conditions were great, but I can't understand why I had to get all the unconsolidated leads. Seems like whenever Don took point he would get the crispy crust and not sink in at all. Not fair.

 

As we neared the summit the skies began to cloud up. Was it going to rain? As it turns out, it didn't, though I did spot virga in the vicinity.

 

Mike, Don, and I got to the summit first well ahead of the others. The slightly leaning summit horn thrust upward before us. Hmmm, looks crazy. Is there a way to scramble up it? Would this climb count if we couldn't? It was only about 20 feet high but fairly featureless on the approach side. On that side I found a vertical dihedral with a pedestal start but it felt like a high-5th layback dyno with awkward launch angle would be required to heave oneself up to a notch. Meanwhile, Don had a look around the corner to the south side. The south slant of the horn had a nice knee-wide crack in a dihedral corner with which to claw one's way up (here is a picture of that side taken later). Soon Don was sitting on the 6" by 6" apex. With my head down I forced my way up the low-5th slot but had to stop when Don repeated "It's a one-person summit. Stop!" And sure enough, it was:

Don said he was uncomfortable up there. But he was the man of the moment. Everyone who was still in the basin below wanted him to loiter so they could photograph him.

 

Eventually, everyone got up to the summit and we mixed laughter with namedropping. We each took turns doing the summit horn. And by doing, I mean by whatever means and positions you felt comfortable. A number of us looked like we were having sex with it, humping it with splayed legs. Only Jerry Huddle opted out all together. Mike Collins had brought his helmet like the dutiful husband he is. He was nice enough to lend it to a number of us. It was more a psychological lift than anything. But Mike Torok was the real stud muffin amongst us. He said he'd stand on the top. And that he did. Even if he did not straighten his knees or actually stand on the exact apex it counts.

Mike Collins and Paul Klenke touching the top:

 

John Roper and Mike Torok touching the top:

 

It was then time to tackle the most pressing issue before us: the christening of the peak. What should we call it? (There was no evidence of prior visitation--no cairn or register--so we make the strawman comment that ours was the first ascent.) In hindsight, we should have auctioned the naming rights on E-bay like was done for that new species of monkey recently. We had some ideas beforehand: Tyrolean, Clothesline, and Slackline because of its nicely arcing summit crest; Little Four Mountain because of the four bumps on the continuing crest. It was initially agreed that, whatever the name, it should be two syllables to fit well with the other two-syllable peak names in the area (Stickney, Prospect, Bushwhack, Snowslide, Headwall, Frostbite, Static). Names were bandied with abandon but would not stick to our teflon naming board. Somewhere during the proceedings Don said "Nine Lives Peak" in reference to the nine of us who climbed it. This immediately drew unanimous acceptance and the name was forever dropped into the box of Pacific Northwest lore. Or something like that. {Yeah, yeah, I realize it's actually a three-syllable name. }

 

Here are the nine of us at the summit (there's a whole lot of peakbagger history in this photo; probably more than 10,000 different summits gained by the likes of these yahoos):

 

It was eventually time to leave (at around 2:30PM). It had taken 5 hours 30 minutes to make the summit. It would be a shorter return trip but we wished to go over Prospect Peak on the way back, taking its north crest back to the Kromona Mine trail. Meanwhile, Don and I decided to climb the next point (Pt. 5080+) to the west of Pk 5110.

Because it was just the two of us, we called it "Two Lives Point."

Here is Don at the top and here is Nine Lives from there.

 

Don and I caught up with the rest of the peakbagger gooroos at the Prospect Saddle. From there a short climb got us to the summit of Prospect. The gendarme on the ridge was passed on the west side. It was Mike Collins' and my second trip up Prospect in 35 days (the first trip). Since he and I knew the way back along the north crest, we could take it back to the Kromona Mine thence to the trail back to the road.

Here are Mitch, John, Mike T., and Ian at the summit of Prospect Peak (Pt. 5080+ is at upper left and lancegranite's rock wall is behind Mike):

 

We got back to our bikes with about half-an-hour of light left. We cut it pretty close, but I had my bike light just in case. Approximately 10 hours, 13 miles, and 4,000 ft of gain roundtrip.

 

 

Gear Notes:

Not that I expect any of you to do this peak, but don't climb it in summer. Do it in winter or early spring when snow covers brush or the brush doesn't have leaves on it.

Other than that, take snow travel implements (snowshoes and/or trekking poles but not skis). An ice axe will probably not be necessary though there is about 40 feet of steep snow at the top. It could probably be avoided if need be.

A 40-ft length of rope would be sufficient to belay someone up the summit horn. Harnesses would not be necessary. A bowline around the waist and a counterweighted hip belay through the dihedral notch would be sufficient.

 

Approach Notes:

Drive to Olney Pass.

Bike gated road to washed out bridge below Kromona Mine.

Cross-country from there.

[olyclimber]

Nice Klenke! Wow, that is a lot of people to go peakbagging with! You might want to warn Torok that he looks suspiciously like a mountie in training (see the mountie thread) when he is standing on top of the peak.

[klenke]

Torok's a real stand up guy, ha ha. Actually, what he did was quite impressive. It was scarier than it may look. The other side dropped away about 60 feet. No Mountie gumby would dare it.

[jmace]

Nice, TR,

 

A quick note on 10 000, thats 1100 each which over 20 years of climbing is a new peak every week.

 

that my friend is impressive!!!

[AllYouCanEat]

I like roper's term for this kind of peak bagging..."Dumpster Diving".

[klenke]

No, this isn't a dumpster peak. It's over 5,000 ft and you've got to work to get to it. But I know what dumpster diving is. I've dived myself many times. My definition of a dumpster peak (and this is only my definition) is any peak less than 3,000 ft in elevation. The manner of making the summit is immaterial. You could drive it, bike it, shwhack it, snowmobile it, ski it, ski-lift it, pogo it, balloon it, helicopter it, hang glide it, skydive it, human cannonball it, bungee jump it, even space re-entry it. It's still a dumpster dive. Certain peaks are exempt, though. Such as Beacon Rock if you do it the hard (rock climbing) way.

[lancegranite]

....and it's not my rock wall.

[klenke]

Some views from the day...

 

_Prospect Peak_ Bushwhack Peak Frostbite Peak_ Headwall Peak

 

Gunn & Gunnshy Ragged Ridge__ Three Fingers__ Persindex & Persis

 

Pilchuck & Spada Static Point & Pk The view north I The view north II

[MCash]

Nice TR and photos. Congrats on your first ascent.

[AllYouCanEat]

No, this isn't a dumpster peak. It's over 5,000 ft and you've got to work to get to it. But I know what dumpster diving is. I've dived myself many times. My definition of a dumpster peak (and this is only my definition) is any peak less than 3,000 ft in elevation. The manner of making the summit is immaterial. You could drive it, bike it, shwhack it, snowmobile it, ski it, ski-lift it, pogo it, balloon it, helicopter it, hang glide it, skydive it, human cannonball it, bungee jump it, even space re-entry it. It's still a dumpster dive. Certain peaks are exempt, though. Such as Beacon Rock if you do it the hard (rock climbing) way.

 

Sorry, not very kosher of me Nice TR and trip

Edited March 9, 2005 by AllYouCanEat

[Stefan]

thanks for sharing Paul!

[klenke]

John Roper's excellent TR for this climb can be found here.

[tomtom]

No Mountie gumby would dare it.

 

There are at least a couple confirmed mounties in those photos.

[klenke]

True, but I said Mountie gumby. These gents aren't the gumby sort.