[TR] Another West Ridge of Stuart TR. - Third gulley east of west arete . 9/14/2007

[Bug]

Trip: Another West Ridge of Stuart TR. - Third gulley east of west arete .

 

Date: 9/14/2007

 

Trip Report:

Nothing says "Friday" like a trip to the mountains.

Mer-bear was sick so I bailed out of work to pick her up at school. Soon after, I tracked down her mom in a seedy bar on 1st Ave and reminded her she was supposed to be on duty that day.

An I don't mean "Workin".

But it was an amicable divorce. Wait a minute,...thread drift.

So now I had Friday off.

Hmmmm. Let's see, I'm already packed for a trip to Stuart. Should I go back to work or go climb Stuart?

I know. I'll flip a coin.

OK, two out of three.

Well shit, coins are all probability anyway and I "probably" wouldn't get any work done at this point. Now that's a clear case of counteracting probabilities, otherwise known as the theory of realatve realities, as in, it's REALLY important to me right now.

Besides, I was almost to Snoqualmie pass at this point.

So I parked, and peed, packed, and plodded and found myself looking at the WR of Stuart in no time.

 

Since I had done the WR in a day 13 years ago I didn't want to do the same route again. So I traversed over to the third gully which rises directly to the base of Long John Tower. It was probably overall a little more work than going up the second gully but it was new to me. Actually, it was so much like the other gulley I experienced gulley drift. I kept looking for the exit to the the right but was constanly blocked by large walls of glistening granite (hint hint). Eventually, it started to glow all around me and knew I hadn't smoked anything so I stopped for the night on a ledge about 300' below LJT.

 

It wasn't the best alpinglow ever but it was worth another pic.

 

So then the stars came out. One shot by at warp speed right after dinner was gone. The next thing I remember was first light which I ignored. About 8AM I got up, ate and proceeded toward the summit. As I was climbing up into the notch on LJT, I dropped a pink water bottle. If you find it, drink the water (it was treated with iodine) but please return the bottle before my daughter figures out is has been stolen. I followed the standard route to the top of the heap above LJT and around the horn and back down the right of the crest to the summit notch. There I found a little ice to fortify my dwindling supplies. I also paused long enough to put on my climbing shoes, harness and rack up (all 7 pieces) and get my brand new hot pink 30m 8mm 1/2 rope ready. I know, pink seems like a theme here. I'm not coming out of the closet, I just have daughters who need to feel included in the gear purchases.

So anyway, I continued up the standard route going up right from the notch then veering left around to the north side and up through the notch past a fixed stopper and a fixed pin. Then I veered right across the west face then left then far right almost all the way over to the crest of the S Ridge. From here it was straight up through ledges and finally a corner with twin cracks. There was a fixed pin about 15' feet off the ledge so I clipped into that with both ends of the 8mm string, and clipped into a fig8 on each one. I gave myself about 10' of slack and climbed up about 8'. There, I put in two stoppers and tied the ropes into them. I also took off my pack and set it on a ledge. Then I put two prussicks on the rope at different lengths (NO THEY WERE NOT IN MY PACK) and clipped into those. Then I down climbed to the pin and unclipped my rope and climbed back up. From there it was just a few feet to the summit.

I give you all this beta because too many people talk about climbing 5.9 on this route. There isn't any. It's 5.4-5.6. Just follow Becky's description and it works out fine.

Once on the summit I started hearing voices. I was relieved to see two guys approaching from the Cascadian. It was Jared and friend.

I did not find the wedding ring but looked carefully for about 45 minutes. There are a lot of rusty cans up there. And used to be some gear left in cracks.

I descended via the false summit and down the snowfield where I dislodged one 25 pound rock from the loose scree. It was gone before I had a chance to catch it and was doing 50' bounces the last time I saw it. With the snowfield getting really small, the stuff underneath it is really loose. Be careful following anyone up there.

I dropped down the coliour west of Cascadian from the treed mound at 7000. It dropped straight toward Long's pass and had a scratched out trail all the way down. I found water in a gulley just into the trees and came down to the Ingalls trail right at the junction with the Longs Pass trail. I bumped into Jared and friend there too but then they were gone.

It was good to get out and test my knee on a long route. I had been out of climbing all summer due to tendonitis.

This is a classic route to cruise. Take lots of water.

 

 

Gear Notes:

When I was climbing a lot, all I took were climbing shoes and water. This time, I took the kitchen sink. 30m 8mm 1/2 rope. 7 stoppers and four slings.

Bivy gear.

 

Approach Notes:

Drive a lot then keep walking.