Step Sister-NW Ridge

[plexus]

After hearing about my friend's trip on the South Twin on Sunday night, I decided that T and I needed to do some unfinished business on the southern end of the Twin Sisters Range.

 

Last May we pulled up 50 feet in elevation and 250 short of te summit due to my getting frostbite toes, lack of daylight and seriously deteriorating weather (we couldn't see the summit rocks anymore).

 

Made our way up the road at 1 p.m. got to the creek that a year ago, I fell through the snowbridge and tweaked my knee (it was 2 months before it stopped hurting). Made way up brush, using game trails that were favored by bears (plenty of scat, tree markings). Up easy ridge and got to the boulder field and saddle between Last and Step Sister.

 

Climbed two small towers in he saddle, traversed over, climbed solid face (Class 3-5.4) for one rope length. Topping out is tough due to bunch of loose crap. Next pitch is Class 3 up to a slopping shelf that is the garbage dump for the mountain, piles of loose shit and dirt all over the place . At this point you are just to the south of Cupid Tower. Head up twin cracks to arete on to summit blocks (80 feet, 5.6).

 

For those not familiar with the range, the rock is absolutely wonderful and like many of the other peaks (Cinderella, Nancy, Barbara) in the range, you can make many different variations. The final summit pyramid had at least four different Class 5 routes on it, including a beautiful overhanging hand crack.

 

Also the West face, which is a good spring climb with Class 4 and up to 60 degree snow, is merely a Class 2-3 walk-up on heather and boulders now. We used that for our decent, a few snowpatches remaining.

 

The only down part were the mosquitos were enormous and couldn't drink enough of our blood. That and we left some gear at the beginning of the climb. So we had to traverse over and I had to climb up the boulderfield once more.

 

Only animal encounter was a grouse that chased after us hissing (probably protecting a nest). Plenty of bear and cougar scat and elk hoofprints. Last May T and I had a huge black bear run from us and climb a tree. Amazing to see this huge beast climb better and faster than me !!

 

Go check out the Twin Sisters Range when you can. It's my fourth trip into there and I always am treated by some great rock.