Mini-TR: Chair Peak

[mattp]

Right you are, AT. I spent a couple of hours up on Yellow Aster Butte yesterday afternoon, with no other party in sight. The Butte is one of the most popular hikes in the Mount Baker area, and we had expected there to be people all over the place. On the way up, we passed at least eight parties who were headed down. But because we left the car at 4:20, everybody else had gone home.

[This message has been edited by mattp (edited 08-13-2001).]

[Lambone]

Cool, do you think thats the best way to get the Tooth on a weekend? Wait untill all the other parties are off. Or is it hopeless?

[Alpine_Tom]

I left work early on Friday to do a solo scramble up Chair Peak. I got to the Alpental parking lot a little after 4:00, and saw at least one car with a ticket on it. Apparently they’re still serious about the trail park passes up there.

I hit the trail around 4:20, and took the route scrambling up from the Source Lake trail, though it appears from above that there’s a trail that follows the ridge over to Snow Lake. Inspired by Ray Jardin, I did the hike in on running shoes, which did cause a problem (see below.)

I did the NE buttress route, which was beautiful; plenty of clean holds, no terrible exposure. FB calls it class 4, and that seems right to me. I got to the summit by 7:00 PM.

(no doubt there are folks here who could do it in penny loafers, but I’m not one of them. I used my newly acquired rock shoes, thanks Rafael and the CC Yard Sale forum, and felt pretty comfortable with them.)

I had been expecting that the SE ridge would be the way to assure success, since FB says it’s the easiest way up (and so does “Seattle Scrambles Guide”) But the NE Buttress looks so good, I did that instead, and descended the SE Route, partly because I thought it might be quicker, and to have a look at it. What a mess! It’s totally loaded up with garbage, you can’t move without setting off avalanches of loose rock. I can’t imagine climbing that, up or down!

So, a beautiful day, a fun solo climb, but no summit register. (Have the North Cascades climbing rangers been operating this far south?)

Two tragedies on the descent: I was wearing my Walkman (I know, I know!) and somehow it came off the gear loop of my pack, and it, with tape 32 of King County Library’s Books on Tape edition of War and Peace, went bouncing down the gully, probably all the way to Lake Melakwa. It’s a real problem, because I was just getting to the evacuation of Moscow after the battle of Borodino. Now I don’t know how it ends! (The good news is, Books on Tape is replacing it for me free!)

Then, just as I got back to the trail, after scrambling down through that obnoxious band of brush and trees, as dark was falling, I set foot on the trail… and twisted my ankle on a rock! For a couple of seconds I was sure I was crippled, and would be eaten by cougars there, alone in the night. Then, after I got tired of gritting my teeth, I stood up and was able to walk out without any real problems. (By the next day it was swollen up nicely, however, and I was excused from helping some friends move.)

That’s what happens when your guard is down. I’d been descending scree for half an hour in the gathering darkness with no problems, and had decided that once I got to the trail, I was home free. It was getting dark, around 9:00, and I just stopped watching my feet. You just can’t stop paying attention.

Crowded climbs: once again, I had the mountain to myself. I passed a dozen or so people on the Snow Lake trail, and one person coming out on the Source Lake trail, but that was it. After that, the whole place belonged to me. Demonstrating once again that solitude isn’t all that hard to come by, even at Snoqualmie Pass, if you’re willing to venture ever so slightly from the weekend ritual.

And, a couple friends went and climbed the same NE Buttress route Saturday, and were completely alone up there (of course, the Snow Lake and source lake trails were crowded.)

[This message has been edited by Alpine Tom (edited 08-13-2001).]

[CascadeClimber]

Thank you for sharing, Mr. Ibex. I was one of those "fucking idiot gumbies" and we were decidedly not from the organization I think you were referencing. Still, it is nice to hear your truth.

It's too bad you felt such consternation about the crowd, but really, what did you expect mid-day on a sunny Sunday in August on one of the most popular moderate routes in the area?

-CC

[Cpt.Caveman]

One can never aviod the crowds on the Tooth.. I prefer the Chair Pk myself..

[Jman]

Loren-

Thanks for stepping forward. I'm sure you're not the "f-ing idiot gumby" Ibex thought you were. Besides, even if you were inexperienced, everyone begins somewhere - those who are "experts" were beginners at one time, too.

Mr. Ibex needs an attitude adjustment.

Intolerance for inexperience is juvenile and betrays an insecurity of one's self.

[Cpt.Caveman]

All is true. True

Ibex is actually a pretty nice guy from my experience. You guys would probably all get along under different circumstances.....

[fredrogers]

I was also up at the Tooth on Sunday with a few other friends. We rapped down through the group of seven and found everyone to be friendly, congenial and willing to make the most of a crowded belay stance. A few of those climbers were inexperienced, true, but we were all having a good time. You can't expect to climb the Tooth (or Ingalls or Liberty Bell or...) on a nice summer Sunday and not get hung up with a group of beginners.

Ibex, was that you with the wall rack?

[Jman]

Not to be intolerant of Ibex, that would be hypocritical on my part. I just don't like it when someone is disparaging of others due to "experience". The mountains are first-come, first-serve... even if they be slow.

Glad to hear everyone had fun and was kind to each other. That's what it's all about!

[Smoker]

Most of the drivel snipped

"....group of 7 f_cking idiots, along with a few other couples.

Moral of the story: should have left LATER."

 

Well Shawn, I was also on the Tooth Sunday.

It is one of the most crowded climbs there is in the summer. You didn't know that?

If you were the team of 3 sheltering from the sun, you showed good style leading on 2 ropes and bringing up 2 at a time. It is too bad that you can't be as styling about your perception of other climbers.

There was nothing but smooth raps and plenty of passing lanes for the other climbers out that day.

You climbed that in your rock shoes, didn't you? Un-huh I thought so.

Smoker

 

[Pencil_Pusher]

Da Tooth.

[Charlie]

A late-ish start is how we bagged it last sunday- you bagged the tooth, sweet! How did you train for such a climb? Did it go free, or did you aid through the crux? And if so, did you have to nail or did it all go clean?

[Ibex]

Matt,

A late-ish start is how we bagged it last sunday. We got there around 10 and started walking at 10:45am. We took our sweet time as we got close to the base of the tooth, as we could see a small armada of gumbies on the 2nd belay ledge.

When we finally got to the base of the route we waited another 1-1.5 hrs to start b/c of the log-jam of "seattle based non-profit, instructional organization" group of 7 f_cking idiots, along with a few other couples. summited around 6pm-ish and got back to the car around 8:30.

Moral of the story: should have left LATER.

Shawn

------------------

Put a high price on your own head, or rest assured, no one else will.

[philfort]

Climb it at night.