[TR] Lincoln Peak - The Emancipation Proclimbation

[olyclimber]

great TR as usual klenke. i think the real measure of difficulty is your own. what is the most difficult climb YOU have done by the measure you're asking?

[John Frieh]

Oh yeah... Forbidden? North Ridge is easiest @ 5.0... or are one of the faces easier?

[fgw]

Great climb & a what a TR too Paul!

 

Looks like the opening decade of the 21st century might well be the Golden Age of Lincoln.

 

"After Fred Beckey’s first ascent in July 1956, the climbing history of Lincoln is a bit vague. We would love to hear from you if you made an ascent.. We knew of three previous ascent parties after Beckey’s:

John Roper, Silas Wild, Dick Kegel, and Reed Tindall on June 25, 1989

Don Goodman and Juan Lira on June 8, 2003

Dave Creeden, Stefan Feller, Mike Torok, and Greg Koenig on June 25, 2006"

 

 

[pms]

the pickets might have a few. how about ETN? and mr. kilo, what is the hardest pk. skied by its easiest route currently?

[pms]

maybe NEWS, now there's a nice sandbag. of course none of these little boys make THE list.

[Blake]

Great climb guys. I really liked reading the report Paul!

 

As far as hardest peaks to reach by any route:

 

East summit of SE mox peak has not been climbed by any party. It's got to be a contender.

 

I'd consider Agnes peak to be high up there as well.

 

I *think* NE Gunsight requires 5.10 climbing from any direction + glacier travel and 2 day approach. There could be potential for some easier route from the East or something.

 

Also, some of the spires/needles that were done by Doorish north of WA pass. (Lynx, etc)

[JoshK]

Lincoln doesn't get climbed a lot because it's, well, a chossy volcanic sub-summit. You're absolutely right that if it was self standing elsewhere in the Cscades it would get climbed a lot more often. So would Little Tahoma if it was a random 11k+ summit. I would say the fact that the other peaks we are mentioning are more common (relatively) objectives have added to their "easiness" factor. Also, different people are going to have a different idea of what dictates difficulty.

[goatboy]

Maybe someone already said this, but in the original TR you ask what's different between the two images...it appears to me that a cornice released on the photo on the right???

 

John mentioned Forbidden N Ridge at 5.0 as the easiest route, but aren't the E Ledges considered 4th class?

 

 

[marc_leclerc]

Maybe someone already said this, but in the original TR you ask what's different between the two images...it appears to me that a cornice released on the photo on the right???

I think that was a bit of a rhetorical question, where the answer is assumed b/c its very obvious.

[ncascademtns]

Trip: Lincoln Peak - The Emancipation Proclimbation - The Only Known Route

 

 

What's different in these photos?

 

 

"Only the 'Shadow' Knows".

 

Chimney Rock.

[JoshK]

Does anybody have pictures showing what this big nasty badass peak looks like in winter?

 

-j

[dberdinka]

Scurlock does

[Reilly]

A most excellent story! I suspect Lincoln would see more traffic if the preferred protection for the rock climbing was something other than snow flukes!

 

My vote is for Goode based on approach and route difficulty.

 

As a bonus aside I also offer this embarassing mea culpa. I went in to solo the NE Face a hundred years ago ('72-73?). When I got to Grizzly Creek it was about 30 meters wide and raging. I de-booted, tied my boots together and slung them around my neck, and un-buckled my waist belt in case I went down. Halfway across my feet were numb, my brain was before I started, and I was very annoyed at the boots hanging and banging my chest. I found a flat rock mid-stream to put my pack on and get up on to warm my feet. The far bank was now only about 50' away. I untied my boots to throw them across. Stop laughing, I'm not done! I took the first one and firmly grasped the laces and started twirling it like David lining up Goliath. When I figured I had developed the angular velocity required I initiated the launch sequence. What I hadn't anticipated was that in the process of opening my hand to release there was a hidden murphyism that entailed, so to speak, the laces wrapping themselves around one of my fingers. In my defense let it be said that I had correctly estimated the requisite angular velocity as boot #1 came within about 2.5 meters, if the burning memory serves, of a dry landing. In the defense of the good cobblers at Galibier let it be said that they craft a very seaworthy boot. Not only is the Galibier Peuterey self-righting it also has excellent longitudinal stability, in water not air. The last I saw it was on an even keel with bow downstream making excellent headway. A frantic chase, barefoot and nigh unto naked, through the bushes only confirmed the sadly excellent stability and hull speed of the Peuterey.

 

To add insult to injury I had to re-cross the 'creek' to contemplate the 9 mile (?) return to Stehekin. You can well imagine the looks I got upon my arrival. "Get into a backcountry game of strip poker, did we?" I've never gone on a trip since without yards of athletic tape as it does make a passable if absurd-looking moccasin.

 

An x-files addendum to this sad tale occurred the next summer. Bob Crawford (I only climbed with him once because he tried to get us both arrested and killed in one long Leavenworth weekend) and a friend went in to do the NE Face. A good mile or more before the Grizzly Creek crossing he walked down from the trail to N Bridge Creek to get a drink. Yes, at this point at least 1.5 miles from the crossing, he found my beached boot! He knew it was mine yet he left it!

 

Happy 2009!

Reilly Moss

Edited January 5, 2009 by Reilly

[sobo]

Now that was a helluva funny story, Reilly. As an enginerd, sailor, and climber, I can appreciate your choice of lexicon for that tale.

[Reilly]

Yo Sobo,

Yeah, funny for you and it has served me well on the speaking circuit, but I loved those boots, man!

Reilly

 

And just imagine that poor little boot traveling a good mile and a half downstream!

[klenke]

Nice boot story, Reilly.

 

Here is one of my own:

The Engadi Boot

[ivan]

funny - joshk did essentially the same dumbass thing this summer crossing the n fork of bridge creek to get to goode - the main difference being that i was calling him a dumbass for doing it through the entire throwing process

 

a careful eye in the background will show the 1 trango of josh's that actually managed to cover the distance

[Reilly]

Paul,

Nice! And to think I've beaten myself up over this lo these many years. I've always managed to keep from admitting it on the sperm bank disclosure forms. Not much worry of somebody coming across your boot!

 

Reilly

[Reilly]

Ivan,

In my defense I always point out that Grizzly was at least mid-thigh. See, that makes it not so stupid. By the way, you didn't even see that water moccasin you stepped over, did you?

 

Reilly

[ivan]

that was no water moccasion - part of josh's problem was the massive case he was suffering of what we politely refer to as "the trots" down south

 

it's funny - that pic makes the creek look tame - holy shit it wasn't though! i think it was more mid-thighish...

[JasonG]

I like the hardest peak by easiest route debate, its a good one.

 

My two cents having climbed the following (but not Lincoln, yet):

 

J'Berg, N & S Hozomeen, Nooksack Tower, Burgundy, Inspiration, Goode, All the Index Peaks, Agnes, Both Main Gunsights, etc.....

 

I think Nooksack Tower is hands down the mountain that I was the happiest to get off of.

 

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Middle Index. That is a tough one to get, but quite enjoyable in comparison to Nooksack Tower. I found the climbing on the Index traverse fun and varied.

 

A great thread, glad to give it a bump