Alasdair Posted July 26, 2005 Posted July 26, 2005 So over the last few years some of my favorite climbs have been solo (glacier peak, colchuck NBC, Luethold Coulior etc). This weekend looks like a good one to do something fun. This weekend I want to do something really memorable. The nice thing about soloing is you can cover very large distances very fast. I figure anything that might normally be considered 2-3 days is fair game, 4 days might even be considered. Anyone got any suggestions? Obviously I am trying to avoid large broken up glaciers, and any rock above about 5.6. My thoughts so far... Sucess cleaver on Rainier - but I dont have the solo permit, so without a little help from MikeG I think I am fucked here. Something in the Pickets - N buttress of Fury?? - Anyone got beta on how technical this actually is? Thanks in advance, ALasdair Quote
Dru Posted July 26, 2005 Posted July 26, 2005 Pierce Lake--->Macfarlane--->Crossover--->Parkes--->Slesse and out. Quote
Chad_A Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Al- I just had a couple of pals that went up to do Black Peak, and it sounds like it was pretty chill. Can't remember what they said the approach was like, though...anyways, just a thought. Quote
TimL Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Black Peak is a day climb, and maybe a half day if you are moving really fast. Ptarmigan traverse comes to mind but you might have problems with the car issue. Quote
goatboy Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 And I personally would prefer a partner for the N Buttress of Fury -- exposed rock pitches around 5.6, steep(er) sections of snow and alpine ice, possible schrund or glacier technical sections...lots of exposure throughout... North Face of Buckner could be good as a solo trip, from a high camp on Sahale. Perhaps a Colchuck Lake to Snow Creek Traverse, climbing the easier routes on Colchuck and Dragontail along the way might be good too... Quote
Alex Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 North Face of Buckner could be good as a solo trip, from a high camp on Sahale. goatboy, this time of year? was reading the recent TR here and it looks a little involved on the gl for solo central alasdair, some good trips that come to mind are W Ridge Stuart, a "stuart range traverse" (not quite what Croft did but..) maybe W ridge Stuart, W ridge Sherpa, then just cross country over Argonaut to Colchuck and out? Ptarmigan would be great but there is so much high traversing in the Olympics and Cascades besides this one, Baily Range Traverse, or Challenger is a good solo. I nice 2 day trip would be just to head to Trapper Lake and go fishing. Quote
Dru Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 twin sisters range traverse too. maybe S--->N starting off with darin's arete route? Quote
John Frieh Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Dome (true and SW summit) -> Flat top -> Snowdome -> Dynaflow -> Overdrive -> hydramatic spire (or how ever you spell it... sub spire of dome). Forbidden West Ridge Davis Spire Challenger (5.8 though) Warbonnet Everything at WA pass (minus NEWS and Minute) can be done at 5.6 or easier. etc Quote
John Frieh Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 alasdair, some good trips that come to mind are W Ridge Stuart, a "stuart range traverse" (not quite what Croft did but..) maybe W ridge Stuart, W ridge Sherpa, then just cross country over Argonaut to Colchuck and out? I did most of this in winter... lots of hiking but fun time out... Quote
Alpine_Tom Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 You could head up to the N. Cascades hwy, and tag Colonial, Pyramid, Paul Bunyan's stump and the other one. Peggy Goldman's book on the 100 highest mountains has several trips that combine two or three of them -- Jack Mountain and Little Jack, I think was one of them -- that involve two or three days. Quote
Alasdair Posted July 27, 2005 Author Posted July 27, 2005 North Face of Buckner could be good as a solo trip, from a high camp on Sahale. goatboy, this time of year? was reading the recent TR here and it looks a little involved on the gl for solo central alasdair, some good trips that come to mind are W Ridge Stuart, a "stuart range traverse" (not quite what Croft did but..) maybe W ridge Stuart, W ridge Sherpa, then just cross country over Argonaut to Colchuck and out? Ptarmigan would be great but there is so much high traversing in the Olympics and Cascades besides this one, Baily Range Traverse, or Challenger is a good solo. I nice 2 day trip would be just to head to Trapper Lake and go fishing. I like this idea. Anyone know how hard it is to get to the west ridge of stuart from the Stuart lake TH? Quote
MCash Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Should be a piece of cake. Hike up the Stuart Glacier near the base where there are no crevasses, cross the 2 high passes and around to the gulley start. Quote
John Frieh Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Cake. 3-6 hours depending on how much you are carrying. If you haven't done it before daylight helps. And you start the west ridge from the first pass... not the second. Quote
goatboy Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 North Face of Buckner could be good as a solo trip, from a high camp on Sahale. goatboy, this time of year? was reading the recent TR here and it looks a little involved on the gl for solo central Yeah, good point Alex. I was assuming that if the author was comfortably heading deep into the Pickets and taking on the N Buttress of Fury alone, he'd be willing to undergo the glacier travel to get to Buckner . . . When I climbed Buckner, it was in September, and the glacier was an (unroped) piece of cake...so perhaps that is coloring my perception as well. Never know til you go look for yourself! Some people might rope up on stuff that others choose not too... Quote
chucK Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 Yeah Jack Mountain would probably be cool (maybe go over Crater Mountain, then out via Little Jack). Stuart West Ridge is great fun. Tacking on others would be a good time out I'll bet. And NOLse, the first pass from Stuart Lake TH is Goat Pass. West Ridge does not begin there. It's the next pass (Stuart Pass). However, you could head up the NW Buttress perhaps (which you can attain at or before Goat Pass), I think Beckey calls it 4th class (? or in the low 5th range for sure) before it links up with the coolest climbing on the West Ridge route. Quote
Alasdair Posted July 27, 2005 Author Posted July 27, 2005 Ive done the west ridge of stuart before, and have been to the n side of stuart numerous times, I just ahve not gone up the stuart glacier before. Anyone who has done the N. Ridge of stuart recently know if there is any ice left in the Gendarm bypass? Quote
hasbeen Posted July 27, 2005 Posted July 27, 2005 I was on the N. Ridge on Monday. There is still some ice in the bypass. There are just a couple of places where you might have to take three to four steps either along an edge or sort of on top of the ice. There were also some steps visible across one of the ice/snow patches but those might be melted out by now. Hope that helps. Quote
Snafflehunter Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 Alpine Tom's idea is a great one. Go up and get Colonial, Pyramid, Paul Bunyan's Stump, and Snowfield (the icing on the cake). I did this same trip solo and it was one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever been on. Another thing to consider .. if you went up to Stuart and Colchuck, you wouldn't really be 'solo'. You'd see tons of other folks. You probably won't see a soul if you go up to the Snowfield/Colonial area. Quote
Blake Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 go to hwy 20 and aproach up thunder creek. climb Logan, Thunder peak or any high points there, before dropping down the Banded? (or might be douglas) glacier to N. fork bridge creek. then solo Goode NEB (5.6 only for a couple pitches) and descend to park creek, hike to park creek pass, and out thunder creek. Quote
Alasdair Posted July 28, 2005 Author Posted July 28, 2005 Blake wins! What a fucking great idea. This is definatly one of my favorite areas. I have always wanted to climb logan, and there is no doubt that NEB of goode would be one of the best solos ever, considering I have had one of my most memorable climbs on that route with others. Quote
Blake Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 HA! go get it, I did both of them in consecutive weeks, with Storm king in there somewhere as well, but all at once solo is definitely another level. Now that I think about it, I'd ammend the itinerary a little: Unless you really felt the need to come in from the head of N. Fork Bridge creek, I would do the trip this way: Drive to rainy pass, hike to the start of Goode NEB climb the route, decend blacktooth notch/SW gulley thingy descend to park creek trail by using climbers trail, which is on the up-valley ridge of major creek flowing off of Goode hike to park creek pass Go climb logan-fremont Then, either descend to north fork bridge creek and go back to rainy pass, or descend to thunder creek and hitchhike up hwy 20 to your car. Logan's main summit doesn't drain to BRidge Creek directly, but while I was sketching out on the middle peak, I noticed a very direct line down to the N. Fork Bridge creek, so you might need to be somewhere along the ridge other than the top of Logan before you descend to Bridge creek. If you are feeling more ambitious, also climb Thunder peak, Storm King, Logan Middle peak, Buckner, Everest, etc. Anyone heard of Goode NEB being Soloed before? Quote
eric8 Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 anyone know how broken up that glacier on Goode is? Quote
goatboy Posted July 28, 2005 Posted July 28, 2005 I like that Colonial area idea for a solo trip! Blake, the NEB of Goode has definitely been soloed before. I know two guys who did it car-to-car (not soloing) last summer too, in what was a 24-hour effort. Quote
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