Cascade Cannonholes

[dberdinka]

While backpacking with my wife near the Napeequa River this summer I spent a night near a relatively unique feature in the Cascades, a cannonhole. In the morning I scrambled up near it and took the photo posted below. It wasn't huge but at least 15' across, maybe more.

 

I'm curious how many more of these exist in the Cascades. A large one near Dome Peak is pretty well know and is featured in the Kearney Guidebook. The Pillar of Pi, if not a cannonhole, is certainly an oddity.

 

John Scurlock seems to be aware of quite a few. I've paraphrased part of e-mail from him below.

 

"Dome,

Jack,

Snowfield (has two),

Bear (two also),

Arches (up near Arriva),

Silver Star,

and a couple others that don't come to mind just now."

 

If anyone has photos of these or knows of others I'd be interested in hearing about them.

 

 

This is found on the high ridgeline seperating the Napeequa River from the north side of an unnamed valley dropping down from High Pass.

[knelson]

There's one on a ridge between the Edmunds and Mowich Glaciers on Rainier. I'll see if I can scrounge up a picture... thought there was a shot of it in Beckey, but I couldn't find it.

[kurthicks]

there is a shot of it in Beckey, perhaps an older edition though.

[MPaul_Hansen]

RE: Cannonholes - ridge near PCT, s. of Bear Gap

For the geology minded,

from Bear Gap walking south towards Sheep Lake on the PCT,

there is a "hole in the wall", a 'cannon-hole' in the rock ridge to the right above the PCT trail.

 

Was tempted to attempt to take a photo of Rainier through it...aka like other shots made through the one on the Dome Peak ridge. But rock quality was poor.

And also was far, far too dicey to ascend from the trail to the hole, being alone...and unroped + w/o pro.

 

Maybe on another trip when equipped and w/ trained companion(s). Any takers? About 1? hour from the parking lot for the Crystal Mtn Ski Area.

[Blake]

There is a tall skinny one on this shoulder of Devore Peak. It's not visible in the photo though. I didn't get too close to it.

 

[John_Scurlock]

Hey Darin --

 

A little more info on the ones I know of (besides Dome):

 

Silver Star -- a small hole in the Wine Spires, formed by a chockstone. I don't have a photo of it. Another below SS col, high on the 'wrong' gulley on the south climbing route. This is more of a short tunnel, found unintentionally during a climb in the early 1990s.

 

Jack -- More of a 'slot' hole, on the ridge N of Nohokomeen Gl., at about the 7 to 8k elevation. No pics... but it is big enough to see down into forest to the N when flying over it.

 

Bear -- High on the E side of the 'Diamond', visible in this pic: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/47111504 - a tiny hole below the ridge, down from the L summit. Mike Swayne has told me of another one on the W pk he found during a climb.

 

Arches Pk - I learned of this one from John Roper. I have not seen it. It's the basis for the pk's name, I believe.

 

Nooksack Tower - A small 'hole' below two of the pinnacles to the NE below the summit. Also probably a 'chockstone' situation. I have seen it but have been unable to photograph it.

 

Cloudcomb pk (Saska/Cardinal area) - a small hole in the pinnacles on the south summit ridge area, seen while flying in that area, but no photographs.

 

Snowfield E ridge - the big one was noticed while reviewing pics from a flight. On return to photograph it, the small one was spotted. The pics are tipped, the ridge is actually a lot steeper there than shown. It is also visible here: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/38018930

A friend of mine, Jim Lane, tried but was unable to see this on a climb earlier this year - too steep & no rock gear.

 

JS

[dbb]

The Rainier one can be seen from spray park on the north side. pretty cool as the afternoon sun makes a "spotlight" on the north mowich glacier. taken from the central mowich face:

 

From observation rock, the arch (and spotlight) can be seen below the first prominent notch from the summit on the righthand skyline:

[cj001f]

Curious if anyone's seen/done the Teewinot tunnel route in the Tetons.

[AJScott]

There is one visible from the Mt. Baker Ski area on the Ruth Ridge (Mt. Sefrit area) I have always been curious about. It looks like a hole shot right through the mountain, but we all know how mountains love to play tricks on our eyes, probly just a wierd pile of towers and rocks. Might have to make a traverse of the ridge and check that thing out next summer.

[sweatinoutliquor]

One on Iron Mountain in the Oregon Cascades. No pic, sorry.

[Dru]

There are a couple of them at Peshastin!

[Dru]

In Beckey guide there is also one on Mount Temple Ridge somewhere east of Prussik...

[jkeller]

There are two in the south ridge of Mount Bailey down in Oregon.

[dberdinka]

Cool Shot Dave. Looks BIG. Surprising number of these things around it seems. Anybody need a topic for a Geology Thesis??

[Dru]

There's one on Conuma Mountain on Vancouver Island that's big enough to fly a helicopter through.

 

Also the Teacup Handle on The Table in Garibaldi Park is pretty big.

[Dru]

 

Mount Nott, Valhalla Prov. Park

[dmarch]

There is one on the way to Columbia Peak in the Monte Cristo area. It might be more of an arch than a cannonhole though...

[jordop]

Very cool one up by Waddington on Hall Peak:

[philfort]

Here's another shot of the hole on Mowich Face, with sunlight shining through it, making a spot on the snow.

 

It's pretty big, I would guess two people high (I had several hours to contemplate it this summer while hanging out across from it on the face)

[Chriznitch]

there's one on Mt Washington's North Ridge (just below the "nose") and there's one on Broken Top's Crater Rim, just southeast of the summit.

Maybe I should use the words "there was"...very likely these have crumbled

[campwire]

There is one just below the summit of Old Snowy towards Ives Peak in the Goat Rocks.

[telemarker]

Top of Aasgard Pass Sentinal

 

[jaee]

There's a small one on Curtis Gilbert approaching from Cispus. Just big enough to climb thru.

 

There are a couple on Illumination Rock on Hood. I walked over one of them, but it freaked me out as it was basically friable "mudstone" and only a couple feet thick and overhanging the N. face. I think there's a northside route that tops out thru one of these.

[gyselinck]

In Beckey guide there is also one on Mount Temple Ridge somewhere east of Prussik...

 

[gregm]

on vasiliki tower, with view of liberty bell