TR: Lundin Peak 10.15.02

[fredrogers]

Ambitions of going to Darrington for the first time were replaced with other thoughts, as a late start (11am) and other obligations kept TimL and I from leaving Seattle with enough time. Conversing by phone in the morning, we decided that the beautiful weather demanded we get out and climb something, anything. Lundin Peak had been on both of our lists for a awhile, after getting an up close and personal look from the top of Red Mountain in March of this year.

 

We packed daypacks and took a 30M rope and harnesses with, along with a couple of nuts and cams, should we decide to continue the traverse over to Snoqualmie and or/Guye, or do something else beside the SE Ridge ("only" 3rd class).

 

After stopping by the store so Tim could load up with Snickers bars and chips for nutrition, we left the PCT trailhead at the crack of noon. We took the old PCT trail (leaves from the horse parking area, not the main one), with every intention of avoiding miles of wandering switchbacks that portion of the trail suffers from. It worked. My guess is that it saves between 2-3 miles roundtrip and avoids a lot of unnecessary uphill, something I wish we had done on our one day ascent of Mt. Thompson.

 

The weather was magnificent, with views of Rainier, Adams, Stuart and Baker to be had, as well as incredible fall foliage. We reached the first section of the ridge scramble on good tread and had to hunt briefly for the exposed and loose 3rd class down scramble to continue on up the ridge. Within short order we found ourselves at the base of the route, right at the first of two memorial plaques on this climb…

 

Very exposed, but solid rock follows 3-4 huge anchors up the ridge (must be used for a hand line for basic students), giving a fair amount of excitement for such a non-technical climb. We summitted 3 1/2 hours from the car, signed the summit register and read the second memorial plaque and headed down. 3 short rappels off fixed anchors got us to the base of the route and the descent off the ridge. We got to the car at 6:30, slowed by my bum knee, for a total RT of 6:30.

 

Much to recommend about this route, especially if one only has half a day available or wants to take non-climbing friends on an outing. I was glad to have brought the rope for the rappels, as a fall would be fatal. The rack was, to Tim’s dismay, completely unnecessary.

[JoshK]

Fred, could you elaborate on the "old PCT" parking lot? AlpineTom and myself also did Thompson 1-day this summer and we both agreed that we could have done without all that wandering the trail does for the first few miles.

 

-josh

[chucK]

It's the Commonwealth Basin trail. Not only shorter, but it's more scenic than the PCT. You can get to it via the regular parking lot too. When you start the trail very soon (less than 50 feet) there's an old roadbed heading North (take a left). Go that way.

[TimL]

Basically, as you take the entrance road to the PCT parking lot there will be an immediate left turn into what looks like an overflow parking lot which is the parking lot for the old PCT. On the north hand side, facing Commonwealth Basin, of the lot is the place to look for the trail. After doing this approach I’ll never take the new PCT and its useless switch backing.

[fredrogers]

quote:

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Originally posted by chucK:

It's the Commonwealth Basin trail. Not only shorter, but it's more scenic than the PCT. You can get to it via the regular parking lot too. When you start the trail very soon (less than 50 feet) there's an old roadbed heading North (take a left). Go that way.

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Yeah, what he said.

 

I'd still park in the smaller lot, as that last 200 feet will make a difference if you do Thompson in a day... and I guess it's officially the "PCT North" trailhead.

[chucK]

I've never gotten a trailpark pass ticket in the horse lot either. I think you don't need a Northwest Forest Pass if you're on a horse.

[iain]

quote:

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Originally posted by chucK:

I've never gotten a trailpark pass ticket in the horse lot either. I think you don't need a Northwest Forest Pass if you're on a horse.

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They just pin the citation on its ass.

[vegetablebelay]

There is a very easy cross country trip to the PCT from the middle Kendall Peak Lake that saves 4 miles or so and a couple thousand feet of gain.

[chucK]

quote:

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Originally posted by vegetablebelay:

There is a very easy cross country trip to the PCT from the middle Kendall Peak Lake that saves 4 miles or so and a couple thousand feet of gain.

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Not for Lundin .

 

So is the parking "well-established"; i.e., is it posted and patrolled for parking passes?

[JoshK]

quote:

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There is a very easy cross country trip to the PCT from the middle Kendall Peak Lake that saves 4 miles or so and a couple thousand feet of gain.

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Ok, details, please....

[vegetablebelay]

quote:

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Originally posted by JoshK:

quote:

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There is a very easy cross country trip to the PCT from the middle Kendall Peak Lake that saves 4 miles or so and a couple thousand feet of gain.

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Ok, details, please....

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Go to topozone.com and find Kendall Peak Lakes. You take the Hyak exit at Snoq. Pass and go under the fwy and straight to a logging road and follow it up ingnoring two left branches in the road. You'll come to a big clearing and there take a left. Continue to about a couple hundred yards from the road end and find the obscure trail to Kendall Peak Lakes. Hike it to and around the first lake and then on to the second one. Head off trail almost due West to a low spot in the ridge. You'll see it on the map. Drop 50 feet or so to the PCT and you're within a half hour of the Kendall Katwalk.

[chucK]

I used Vegiebelay's shortcut today to climb Huckleberry Mountain. I think it took me about 1:15 to get to the Katwalk from the truck. I don't know if it really cuts much time off at all (compared to commonwealth basin trail method) considering it probably takes 15-30 minutes more driving to get there. Maybe if I knew the Kendall Lakes area better? 'Schwacking through clearcut is crumby.

[robertm]

I like doing Lundin from the other direction (West). You can stay on the ridge crest for some fun 5.0 climbing.

 

[fredrogers]

quote:

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Originally posted by vegetablebelay:

quote:

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Originally posted by JoshK:

quote:

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There is a very easy cross country trip to the PCT from the middle Kendall Peak Lake that saves 4 miles or so and a couple thousand feet of gain.

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Ok, details, please....

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Go to topozone.com and find Kendall Peak Lakes. You take the Hyak exit at Snoq. Pass and go under the fwy and straight to a logging road and follow it up ingnoring two left branches in the road. You'll come to a big clearing and there take a left. Continue to about a couple hundred yards from the road end and find the obscure trail to Kendall Peak Lakes. Hike it to and around the first lake and then on to the second one. Head off trail almost due West to a low spot in the ridge. You'll see it on the map. Drop 50 feet or so to the PCT and you're within a half hour of the Kendall Katwalk.

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Doh! Double doh! And I think I probably wouldn't have wrecked my knee if I knew this...

[vegetablebelay]

Nah, like Chuck said it wouldn't be a good approach for Lundin, but for Thompson and beyond....

[DLunkman]

went up and climbed Lundin Peak yesterday. we went up over Cave ridge from Alpental parkin glot and dropped down into the basin south of Lundin. Everything was coverd with snow (just an inch or two) and in the fog down by Alpental but once we got over Cave ridge it was sunny and there was very little snow. The west ridge was a blast. Actually warm sunny rock up there. the traverses on the north side are not too iced up. We went down the death slabs (E ridge) and over the little bumps to commonwealth basin trail, then out that way. Walking back up the Aplental road sucked

 

everything down low is snowcoverd, while up high there is very little snow. All the trails we walked on were groomed. That is lots of people have packed them in.

[SEF]

The "Commonwealth Basin Circuit" makes a nice spring (May?) training romp when most of the cruising is on snow. Hike in the Commonwealth Basin snow approach. Do Red, drop down toward then traverse over to Lundin. Climb E Ridge, descend W Ridge, then traverse to Snoqualmie. Descend to Cave Ridge and tag Guye before descending to Alpental.

[joshs]

I used Vegiebelay's shortcut today to climb Huckleberry Mountain. I think it took me about 1:15 to get to the Katwalk from the truck. I don't know if it really cuts much time off at all (compared to commonwealth basin trail method) considering it probably takes 15-30 minutes more driving to get there. Maybe if I knew the Kendall Lakes area better? 'Schwacking through clearcut is crumby.

chucK, the quickest way from Kendall Lakes is to follow the (faint) trail first to the lowest lake, then up to the middle lake, and from there (where the trail fades out completely) head straight up to the pass, which is (or was) marked with a piece of surveyor's tape. It may take a couple of practice runs to be able to do this without getting lost.

 

-Josh