The Roost, Oct. 2000

[geordie]

A beautiful day, no climbing partners and a craving for adventure. A perusal of my Beckey guides led me to the Roost. 6705', located between Mt. Ross and the Pickets, 6 hrs from Newhalem. "The route is not difficult, but expect some crosscountry obstacles, including berry bushes." Perfect.

I had been up Goodell Creek to the Southern Pickets earlier in the summer and knew that the hike along the old road would go quickly and that the path up the hillside, while steep, would be routine. What a joy to be doing this with a daypack.

At 3200' according to the Suunto on my wrist I headed off the climbers' trail and into the huckleberries. Soon enough I reached the "talus tongue" (mentioned in the old Beckey) and boulder-hopped my way up. From 5500' the area is wide open and covered with wonderful rock slabs spread out across the west facing slopes. The season's first water ice was sprinkle across the slabs here and there. A little scrambling through recent snowfall led to the "summit" - the largest bump on the ridge.

But what a view. The Pickets,Triumph, The Chopping Block, and that little strip of asphalt called 20. And I on my Roost!

If only my descent was as simple as my climb. I retraced my steps down to the bottom of the boulderfield. From here I headed down the slope and near 3200' began looking for the climbers' trail. There should be an obvious shelf here where the trail traverses north. And yet..

Out came the map and compass. Which of these seasonal streams was big enough to be shown on the map? I traversed the slope having heated internal discussions that would make the producers of Survivor proud. Somehow I kept finding steeper forested slopes that were much steeper and nastier than the ones I came up.

I wasn't really lost though - all I had to do was descend and I'd hit the old road. (sounds easy doesn't it?) Finding the climbers' trail would make this so much more pleasant.

For one reason or another I listened to the Devil on my shoulder and decided to follow a streambed down. At the first the going was moderate. The angle was gentler than the surrounding slopes and there was friendly vegetation to hold on to. As I progressed, the walls of the gully trapped me in and the going got rough. Before I knew it I was descending a class 3/4 waterfall with all my gore-tex on to stay dry. "If I get hurt I will disappear forever." Sweat collects on the inside of my raingear and my pulse quickens. I take deep breathes and continue down.

An hour (?) of this struggle and I find a way out of this wet hell and onto forested slopes. Magically and mysteriously I'm not far off from the climbers' trail and I scurry down it. I'm filled with relief. Down on the overgrown road I begin to run. I'm ready for the day to be over. After 10 hrs in the mountains, it is.