[TR] Goode Mountain- East Buttress 8/3/2006

[SignoreSnello]

Climb: Goode Mountain-East Buttress

 

Date of Climb: 8/3/2006

 

Trip Report:

A buddy and I tried to climb the East Buttress of Mt Goode last weekend. Our climb did not go due to an injury during the approach, but I thought I would post some information on the approach for current conditions and directions to the bivvy site:

 

From 4.5 miles up the North Fork Bridge Creek trail, find a place to ford the creek. This can be extremely dangerous depending on the year and amount of runoff. The best places seem to be just past the last stand of timber in the Bridge Creek valley. However, by continuing upstream about 1/4 mile, a wide spot may also be located where a ford may be more feasible. In early season it may be possible to cross on snow about 1/4 mile past the last timber.

 

After crossing the creek, look to where the talus from Goode extends to its lowest point in the Bridge Creek Valley. At the toe of this talus is a hidden streambed that extends through the brush to the banks of Bridge Creek. By following this streambed, you will encounter the least amount of bushwacking.

 

Ascend the scree, staying left, but right of the stream (i.e. follow the stream on the left toward the deep canyon). Your approach objective is the dirty gully to the right of the deep ravine on the far left below Goode. Ascend the dirty gully to a rock bulge. Ascend about 6 feet on blocks and then turn left, ascending below the bulge. 15 feet of class 4 brings you to the top of the first bulge. Ascend another 75 feet of rock slabs (easy class 2-3). Enter brush for about 100 yards to the base of the next slab. Travel left at the base of the slab until you reach the creek. Ascend alongside the slab, cut right to the top of the slab. At the top of the slab, enter the brush again and ascend through brush on a faint trail. About 500 feet below camp, you emerge from the brush.

 

From the top of the brush, continue up on easy heather. At about 5,200 feet, turn right and traverse to a knob with small pine trees on it. This will be to the right of the ice cliff above, but left of the prominent rock buttress that is about 75 feet tall. At 5,200 feet there are nice bivvy sites to accomodate four people. Directly above the first bivvy sites about 200 feet are another set big enough for three people. Water is readily available at both sites.

 

Approach time is about 10 hours via Rainy Pass. 4 hours from Rainy Pass to PCT N. Fork junction; 2.5 hours from junction to Bridge Creek ford; 3.5 hours to ford river and ascend to bivvy site.

 

When crossing Grizzly Creek, ascend upstream from the trail about 100 yards to find a nice log crossing.

 

From Rainy Pass, water is available at 1 mile, 7 miles, 11 miles, and 12 miles. Other small streams are sometimes available.

 

To access the glacier from the bivvy site, ascend directly up rock slabs from the bivvy. Traverse left to snow ramps accessing the glacier.

 

For pictures taken 8/3/2006 visit : http://www.pinnaclepost.com/Peak.asp?PeakID=51&RouteID=

[curtveld]

That’s a damn long hike in and out of there to not get on the climb! Hope the injured climber is on the mend and you can get back after it.