good 1-day summits this time of year!?

[strabes]

New to Seattle. Was psyched to move to prime mountaineering territory. Strapped up my ax and crampons today and hoped for a killer sunny day on a summit in t-shirt and shorts. Was by myself so I just headed up to Pilchuk thinking it would be a casual hour to the top. ROAD CLOSED. Then tried to get to Dickerman or anything else on the Loop Highway. ROAD CLOSED!!

 

The forest service ranger said the county keeps the roads closed for safety reasons...they don't want people in the mountains til summer. WHAT!? This is the best friggin winter mountaineering territory in the lower 48 and I can't even get to these simple peaks for a casual hike in May!?!?

 

So today was wasted. Before I waste another great day, where can I go for a good solo run up a peak??? Please don't tell me Si is the only option. If there's nothing, I'll have to move back to WY/MT.

 

Edited May 19, 2008 by strabes

[kweb]

Granite and Mailbox are good staples.

[Alpinsanity]

McClellans Butte is a nice quick one as well.

Mt.Thompson, or many of the other Snoqualmie Pass peaks can be done in a day also.

Thompson's east ridge can be done alone, the view kicks ass, but it's about 15 miles round trip. Well worth it if you go light.

[jfreeburg]

There are dozens of other peaks off I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass that are great dayhikes. I scrambled up Alta on Friday and any of those peaks around the pass are do-able. Just get a map and almost any peak off I-90 will have some sort of boot trail or scramble route up to it.

 

Off Highway 2 there is Baring, Persis, Merchant...pretty much the same thing. Lots of summits, only limited by your imagination.

[minx]

yep...the I90 corridor is filled with good trail runs. you'll have no problem finding some of them.

[strabes]

thanks for all the ideas. are any of these "good" peaks? I don't see them in the mountaineering books. let me know if any of them have particularly good views, exposure or whatever. rather than a trail run, I'd prefer snow/ice conditions up top if possible to keep the skills fresh.

 

this time of year do you need snowshoes for powder conditions, or neve crampons for ice, or neither?

 

so many pro mountaineers live around here...what do they do for a quick day trip to stay ready? just I90 trail runs? I guess I'm just still shocked in the most serious mountaineering community in the US that the county government babysits everybody for "safety". so we can do Annapurna but Pilchuk is too dangerous?

 

I appreciate the help!

 

[powdrx]

Go get the Selected Climbs Vol 1 and 2. Full of alpine options in this great area. Rainier is open, Hood, Baker, Hwy-20 peaks, Colchuck, Dragontail, Stuart.... You should just get out and explore. And all peaks are "good" peaks bro... just get out and climb!! Check out the TRs and see what people are doing and conditions updates.

[Alex]

The problem with "mountaineering peaks" right now is that their access trails are a muddy mess, and hoards of folks would damange the wet trails much more so than if the FS / NPS lets them dry out for a few more weeks.

 

If you are looking for good "mountaineering" day trips, there are still plenty out there:

 

Colchuck via Colchuck glacier

Dragontail via Aasgard Pass

Mt Daniel

Any of the volcanoes if you can figure out the access

Baker with skis

Hood with skis

Olympic Mountains many

Tatoosh range summits

Yellow Aster Buttes/ Tomyhoi with skis

 

[mattp]

Whitehorse is a good choice and I bet Pugh would be good. I bet it is a long way to Mt. Daniel right now. There are a lot of good peaks off Highway 20, too.

[Braydon]

Stuart via Cascadian Couloir(if avy conditions are low) Bring a helmet!

[Stefan]

there are plenty of peaks to do right now.

 

you just gotta know where to go with the road conditions.

 

everything up the mid fork snoqualmie

stuff off of the mt. Baker highway

se olympics

 

search and you will find

 

[strabes]

does wet muddy trails mean that I don't need crampons this time of year? I know I might for upper terrain, but wondering about the trails.

 

thanks all! good stuff. it's easier getting favorites from locals than flipping through a few hundred pages of books and still being wrong (like my trip to pilchuk/dickerman).

 

this site rocks!!

[Fairweather]

Sherpa Glacier - Mt Stuart

Cooper Spur - Mt Hood

Little Tahoma - From Paradise