[TR] Mt. Stone Thunderstorms- 6/11/2006

[Flying_Ned]

Climb: Mt. Stone Thunderstorms-

 

Date of Climb: 6/11/2006

 

Trip Report:

Six of us managed a friendly outing on Stone last weekend in excellent weather, taking the Putvin Trail to where the trail leaves Boulder Creek and cutting over to the abandoned road leading to the upper trailhead. It's amazing how the forest is reclaiming this road. 15 years ago it was open and sunny. Now the alder has taken hold and evergreens and kinickinick have created what is now essentially a footpath.

 

The route is in familiar condition, with the first snow encountered below the second, smaller headwall. The potholes are starting to melt out, and are inhabited by huge frogs that burrow in the mud when alarmed. At this bench I made a rising traverse and took the first drainage toward St. Peters Gate (there is a flag here, and another blue marker higher in the creekbed). Although there are several options to get beyond this wooded step, none are clean and obvious, and while I took the direct route, the rest of our team traversed the bench toward Lake of the Angels, taking a longer but more gradual line into the upper snowfields. The creeks are short, but snakey, making use of tree limbs and moss-slicked rocked. Snow bridges are melting out now.

 

The group came together at the head of the high snowfield, below the first scramble to the uppermost basin. From here a short snow traverse to the summit block had our group on top after about 6 hours. Material in the register was in surprisingly good shape, and business cards we left on 3-21-92 still survive.

 

At 3pm the weather moved in fast and we encountered light rain and thunder as we navigated back to the snowfields, where we had a series of pleasant glissades down to the potholes. Distant lightening and loud, booming thunder was our constant companion. We arrived back at the cars in heavy rain, and enjoyed a fine pilsner while getting soaked. There we met a party of three who had just completed the traverse from St. Peters Gate to Upper Lena, describing the trip as "brutal." From the summit we could see that Stone Ponds and Scout Lake were still frozen and the traverse is still 90% snow covered. Should ideal in early July.

 

Gear Notes:

Axe and the ability to use it.

 

Approach Notes:

No worries. Business as usual.

[Norman_Clyde]

I was thinking of you guys. The Brothers stood out clear from Seattle in the AM-- I figured you had a bluebird day. Sounds like the weather just added spice to the trip.

[olyclimber]

Mt. Stone is a cool climb. I love the hike up the Putvin, and the position in the Olympics is pretty cool...it gives a great view of almost the whole range.

[PVD]

 

 

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a fun trip.

Stone is a beautiful climb.

This brings back great memories from my Stone climb a few years ago -- my first solo trip in the olys. The incredible views of Pershing and Skokomish, my first good look at the snow-covered interior, and my first heart-stopping exposure (on the wrong side of the summit block).