Full NR of Stuart

[Highlander]

If you were doing the full north ridge of stuart, which approach would you use? (stuart lake trail or Ingalls Lake trail) and Why?

We have the ability to leave a vehicle at Ingalls Lake trail head to decend via cascadian couloir and avoid a north side decent if approaching via stuart lake.

Any beta on the mountaineer creek cross country route to the base of the North Ridge would be appreciated.

 

thanks for any info

 

[ 08-05-2002, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: Highlander ]

[Lambone]

Not quite sure what this means..."We have the ability to leave a vehicle at Ingalls Lake to decend via cascadian couloir and avoid a north side decent if approaching via stuart lake."

 

Are you going to leave a chopper at ingals lake?

 

I hear the Sherpa Glacier becomes difficult later in the season, don't know current conditions.

 

Going in from the south isn't bad, longer appoach but "easy" descent.

 

[ 08-05-2002, 06:16 PM: Message edited by: Lambone ]

[Highlander]

no chopper needed, I do not call in rescues when the shit hits the fan. I just walk down.

[Smoker]

 

 

[ 08-05-2002, 09:33 PM: Message edited by: Smoker ]

[Lambone]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Highlander:

no chopper needed, I do not call in rescues when the shit hits the fan. I just walk down.

---

well then have fun dick just wondering what kinda vehicle can get to ingals lake...

 

oh, and when we descended the cascadian in a storm we ended up going down the wrong gully. you see it was dark, we had been on the move for 18 hours and had never been there before, ended up curling up in my pack while getting pissed on till dawn. I'd recomend getting the beta on the Cascadian if you've never been there...but don't ask me.

 

[ 08-05-2002, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: Lambone ]

[Highlander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lambone:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Highlander:

no chopper needed, I do not call in rescues when the shit hits the fan. I just walk down.

---

well then have fun dick

---

Oh name calling. I will have fun. Later bitch

[Lambone]

yeah sucker...and you just better hope that you never need anyones help in the mountains just might be a bit much for your ego

[SEF]

Although it has been many years since I did the complete N Ridge, I do recall some things very well. We descended to Ingalls creek and hiked out over Longs Pass. Because we were carrying over, starting from a bivi near the base of the climb, we did some hauling on the lowest pitch or two. Climbing in mountain boots, we summited around sunset, but the descent was fast and pretty mellow, and we got back out to the car around midnight, hiking out with headlamps. I think if we had done the Sherpa Glacier descent, we may have ended up with another bivi.

 

To do it again, I would do the same descent as before. I have descended the Sherpa after doing the Stuart Glacier Couloir, and it went well, but in late season, would have added stress. I would not do it in the dark.

 

If you do the Cascadian, just make sure you get far enough East before before dropping down, or you will end up in Ulrichs Couloir, which will be steeper and slower.

 

[ 08-05-2002, 08:06 PM: Message edited by: SEF ]

[Highlander]

quote:

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Originally posted by Lambone:

yeah sucker...and you just better hope that you never need anyones help in the mountains

just might be a bit much for your ego

---

whatever, drink ,smoke a bowel, and chill.

[Highlander]

Any beta on the Mountaineers Creek cross country route? Areas to avoid, ect....

 

[ 08-05-2002, 08:51 PM: Message edited by: Highlander ]

[RedMonk]

...and wait for da choppa!

[Off_White]

Yeah, chill out you two, save the chest beating for the trip report rather than the descent and approach beta. As I recall, Mtneer's Creek is well suited for the Complete, while Ingalls with its higher bivy is better for the regular N Ridge. If you camp at Goat Pass, its either carry your gear over or endure the hike back to the pass just to get your gear and hike back down. When I did the complete, it was September on a low snow year, and the Sherpa was not an easy descent. We nothing but talus from the summit to the top of the Sherpa, and the gully itself was hard with an inch of slub on top, not conducive to a non-crampon descent. We bived at the top with an hour of light, deciding that headlampless darkness in the midst of a rappel descent would be a bad thing. This year, in August, you should be able to make it back down the Sherpa to your bivy in a day. So, to wrap it up, I think:

 

Ingalls approach for complete n ridge = carryover with a south side descent and possible bivy

 

Mtneer's Creek approach = reasonable one day round trip from the bivy below Sherpa Glacier.

 

Of course, everyone else on this board seems to move so damn much faster than me, you could probably also do Triumph and Bonanza later the same day...

[Lambone]

he started it...

 

we did the full route from ingalls. getting to the toe is kind of a pain in ass, but it's not so bad. the cascadian is smooth (if the correct gullyis taken) and the hike over longs pass isn't too bad.

 

it's probably alot more elevation gain and loss if you go over ingals and goat pass, but after doing the long ridge I was glad to have a non-technical walk off.

 

I guess if you have a Ford Explorer or a Jeep, yu should be able to get it up to Ingalls Lake no problem.

[Off_White]

Hey Bone: Early season, that would be a snowmobile. Didn't Colin report watching snow machines come over goat pass to play on the stuart glacier while he was on his oh-so-hotly-debated quick ascent of the N Ridge?

[Lambone]

So can you bring dirt bikes up in that area as well?

[Off_White]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lambone:

So can you bring dirt bikes up in that area as well?

---

Well, if you get a run at it.....

[Colin]

Highlander,

 

I've done both approaches a few times, and I'd reccomend the Ingalls Lake way for this trip. I think that the Mountaineer Creek approach is only preferable for winter/spring/early-summer. This late in the year, Ingalls will probably be faster - even for the complete. When I did it a couple weeks ago, we took both crampons and ice axes, but never used the crampons - something to consider.

[texplorer]

Watch out for Cougars! They hide just below the notch.

[Highlander]

quote:

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Originally posted by texplorer:

Watch out for Cougars! They hide just below the notch.

---

Its been a good year for cougars. Everyone should stay away from the NR this weekend, it could be dangerous.

[iain]

I thought a pocket knife was all I needed to avoid this hazard.

 

maybe loud music is the answer...

 

I think the real question is how much brush will I have on the way in? Please submit your climbing resumes and horsecock sizes before I consider the worthiness of your response.

[Dru]

quote:

---

Originally posted by iain:

I thought a pocket knife was all I needed to avoid this hazard.

 

maybe loud music is the answer...

 

I think the real question is how much brush will I have on the way in? Please submit your climbing resumes and horsecock sizes before I consider the worthiness of your response.

---

the pocket knife thing only works for canadians cause we are not allowed to carry sidearms.

 

of course if a cougar is chewing on your head anmd you try to shoot it in the head and miss you could russian-roulette yourself!

[russ]

I've done the Mteers creek approach twice and Ingalls T.H. once. If I go back again I'll go in from Stuart Lk and descend Cascadian over Longs Pass (but I doubt I'll do it again!)

 

As I recall, for Mteers creek, you break off the trail just as it starts going up hill to Stuart lake. find a creek crossing, then look for very faint passage signs up the right side of Mteers creek.

 

Cascadian is a long grueling descent, but non-technical. go all the way down the boulder field to the flat area before heading slightly right to the opening of coulior (another words, don't go right too soon). in the lower quarter of the couloir stay to the right and pick up a trail that take you closer to creek crossing for Longs pass.

 

great route - have fun

[mbcracken]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Highlander:

quote:

---

Originally posted by texplorer:

Watch out for Cougars! They hide just below the notch.

---

Its been a good year for cougars. Everyone should stay away from the NR this weekend, it could be dangerous.

---

It could also be dangerous next weekend...

[bcollins]

For complete No. Ridge this time of year, I'd go in via Mtneer Creek and descend the Cascadian. (obvious logistical car hassles but I think it's worth the drive) As Russ said, break left and cross the creek. Traverse around on benches towards Mtneer Creek but avoid staying high on the large boulder field as you head towards the No. ridge. If you traverse to the creek you'll find a trail on it's west side that will head upvalley. The boulder field will SLOW YOU DOWN. You will not need an ice axe or crampons and can do the appoach to the No. Ridge in approach shoes. BTW......looking at doing the upper No. ridge via Goat next weekend. Anyone been on the Stuart recently??? Is it possible to traverse it now without an ice axe or crampons while wearing appoach shoes??? I'd almost rather take 2 long ice screws and belay across than take an axe, boots, and crampons. This is a one day trip from the Teanaway. Any suggestions?

 

Barry

[JoshK]

bcollins, as I replied to another post, when we did the NR a few weeks ago, I did it in tennis shows, strap on crampons and a superlight aluminum axe. The snow was soft as teh weather was warm. If I, personally, was doing it again, I would probably leave the crampons, but that's just me. I actually found the snow from the false summit to the top of the cascadian coulior more sketchy than crossing the stuart glacier.

 

-josh