[TR] Temple Ridge fun- Lighthouse Tower attempt, Comet Spire, Mount Temle 9/19/2005

[gyselinck]

Climb: Temple Ridge fun-Lighthouse Tower attempt, Comet Spire, Mount Temle

 

Date of Climb: 9/19/2005

 

Trip Report:

 

I wanted to visit someplace nice, somewhere I hadn’t gone before. Sunday morning Lyger and I went cragging at Vantage and discussed options. It must be noted that Lyger fired up Bob’s Your Uncle, free solo, without chalk, barefoot, and blindfolded. There’s just about as much truth to that little story as the climb I told her she should lead, which was only 5.7. (Turned out to actually be a 5.9 ) By the end of the day we chose to seek burly adventure in the Enchantments on Temple Ridge. She had been there once before and could be my guide. My other choice was the Nightmare Needles.

 

Monday morning, accompanied by deadbeatchrist, we headed into the wild, well kind of. Our first objective was to climb Mount Temple, then Black Pyramid. However, upon reaching upper Temple Canyon, I was enlightened by the sights of Lighthouse Tower. What a marvelous sight. If only the airplane had taken such note, as did I.

 

Airplane:

 

Lyger had tried to climb the tower once before, but failed. Huh…I thought in the back of my head, I can climb that…I begged and begged; finally deadbeatchrist and Lyger agreed that we could change our itinerary and climb it. I stashed some gear and off we went.

 

Lighthouse Tower:

 

As we started up the West Face, there was a very strong wind. Soon my hands became so cold that I could hardly pull the trigger to place a cam or even clip a karabiner. I resorted to A0 to gain a ledge only 15 feet from the summit. I yelled down to the others that I would belay them up, we had this, and it would be easy from here.

 

Lyger climbing up Lighthouse Tower:

 

I noted a 7 inch wide crack off to my left which looked like easy going. I belayed them up and began inspection of this crack. I had no pieces that came close to fitting in it, but I still thought I could run up it. First I tried to free it, but wimped out for fear of taking a whiper onto the ledge below, there was no pro. I then tried to aid it off a bolt, with no hanger.

 

Aid attempt:

 

I got high enough that I could easily get up the crack, but couldn’t see where it went. Again I wimped out, this time for fear of getting stuck up there. Next we tried a shoulder stand; yet again the crack put us in our place.

 

Shoulder stand attempt:

 

I could see it lead nowhere. Time for a new plan…Next I spent 15 minutes trying to throw a rope over the top, where we could prusik up the backside, but couldn’t get it over with the heavy wind. We tried everything we could possibly have done, but couldn’t mount the summit. It is completely void of cracks on all sides. We bailed. (I will be back, next time with a bow and arrow to shoot a string over the top, and then pull the rope over.)

 

Next we went to Mount Temple. This climb was a ton of fun and offered great views. By this time the sun had risen and our fingers and toes had warmed. We sat on top and took lots of pictures.

 

Summit photo:

 

We descended Temple and decided we didn’t have enough time for Black Pyramid, so instead we climbed Comet Spire. This was also a fun little climb, which seemed to be rarely done.

 

Summit photo:

 

I’ve been trying to clean up the mountains lately and brought back just under 10 pounds of old webbing, from these two peaks. Pretty crazy that theres that much up there. After Comet, we all had had enough burly adventure and began the long trudge home. We hiked through the night. Had a ton of fun. Awsome area. Want to go back soon.

 

Gear Notes:

brought huge brown, heavy Beckey Book

 

Approach Notes:

Easy because we followed Lyger

[wdietsch]

I’ve been trying to clean up the mountains lately and brought back just under 10 pounds of old webbing, from these two peaks.

 

excellent stewardship good man

[gyselinck]

Some of it was wet, so weight isnt a good measure. I just measured it all out to be about 98 feet of webbing. And this was only on two little peaks. Plus I know Lyger took some that didn't get in my bag.

 

Has anyone on here got up Lighthouse?

[TeleRoss]

We did the East Face of Lighthouse earlier this year. But we got stymied at the same spot you guys did. That wide crack was funk with no pro and looking at an ugly whipper onto that large slab.

We walked down and around to the S side of the summit block and it looks like there's a short aid crack over there but we didn't do it.

We didn't bother trying to throw rope and prusik that just seemed lame. We wanted to climb not prusik.

Yeah, that summit block is a puzzle.

[cook]

Nice job man, but next time i'd appreciate it if you all worked around my schedule a little better. Nice work to the Lyger and the Deadbeat. I bet you wished you had a #8 cam though.

 

Also, stealing 98 pounds of webbing so you can tie the scraps together and reuse it is not stuardship. Get a job hippie. Cut your hair and buy you own webbing.

[Lyger]

The shoulder-stand has to be the best move I’ve seen someone make in the mountains, even better though, was when Gyselinck decided to stay on Deadbeat’s shoulders so he could “take a break” while checking out the route.

[Lyger]

Gyselink, you forgot to mention how much you were whining the whole way up about not having brought any beer. When Deadbeat pulled out that 6 pack I thought you were going kiss his feet. That was the happiest I’ve seen you in months!

[Dru]

Should it be renamed Lyghthouse Tower now?

[cappellini]

i climbed that wide crack, yes no pro after bolt, its 10+, it leads to a good stance and a steep face which appears to have enough holds...but still no pro...i lacked the fortitude to boldly charge the dirty face and therefore downclimbed the bitchy crack...we did not summit either...i will be back with something to beat that face into submission with

 

harvesting tat is a bit of a sport in itself everyone should do...i have moved lots of it around....i usually remove the new stuff for later and rap off the old stuff...i ve discovered two things, they should not manufacture bright colors and if people don't trust the webbing which is already there they should replace it not just add more shit to it....

[bwrts]

Fred et al. has been to the top (at least twice) and they used aid and rope toss with prusik to surmount the summit block.

I also tried to go up this wide crack but wimped out and brought my mentor, cappellini, up to show me how to grovel up. Never been more afraid of watching someone go up and down a wide-crack feature. The #5 camalot was pretty tipsy. The bolt, I think is what, Fred used to fix the rope over to the other side for prusik ascent.

Nice work on the rest though...fun climbing indeed!

[catbirdseat]

...i ve discovered two things, they should not manufacture bright colors and if people don't trust the webbing which is already there they should replace it not just add more shit to it....

One thing that can be said of bright colors is that they fade quickly and can be used as a gauge of the age.

[deadbeatchrist]

I had such a wonderful time up in that area that I almost forgot how much I hurt (physically) now that I am back down in Eburg. Oh! And after having tried my best all weekend to keep up with Lyger and Gyselinck, I now have a new-found respect for them. So much respect in fact, that I let Lyger use my kitchen to cook me a steak dinner.

[deadbeatchrist]

By the way... where are all the chic images of Lyger? My favorite is the one where she goes for 'Le Tigre.'

[Lyger]

As photogenic as I am, I think there are enough pictures of me for this trip, lets just keep all those others safely locked away, don't want to scare away the "normals"

[gyselinck]

From the Challange of the North Cascades, by Fred Beckey, regarding the plane crash.

 

Often on dreary days I wandered in spirit to these flowery meadows with clear-running streams and star filled nights. But not until late September did a group of us find time for a full week in the Crags. Between the end of summer jobs and the start of Autumn Quarter at the University of Washington many climbers were available. Pete arranged for a pilot to fly from Kenmore Air Harbor on Lake Washington and drop supplies among the pines beneath Lighthouse Tower.

 

We were on the scene when the plane came over, ready to spot and retrieve the bundles - dufflebags containing food, ropes, and gear. But to our alarm, the small plane suddenly went out of control; a load had fallen against the right-hand stick of the dual controls. Flying slow and low, the pilot, helpless, crashed into boulders. Fortunately he escaped unhurt except for shock and bruises. All plans were abandoned, of course, until we could escort the pilot to the road and then bring in a party to carry out salvageable parts of the plane.

[deadbeatchrist]

Ah ha! Lyger was right Gyselinck... those were pontoons. I guess you owe her a gram of coke.

[slaphappy]

...i will be back with something to beat that face into submission with

 

...my plan exactly...

 

Nice trip, great area!

[gyselinck]

We should all go in there and do it this weekend!! I'll carry a heavy pack with bolts, if you bring em and place em.

 

I kept seeing bolts sticking out, but they pulled the hangers. You might be able to get away with it that way, just bring hanngers and using the bolts already in, the second could retrieve the hangers again.

Edited September 22, 2005 by gyselinck

[Lyger]

you over ambitious gangly f###!

[gyselinck]

Hey Lyger, you want to go running??

[Lyger]

I could run you into the ground any day of the week, EVEN with a massive hangover