[TR] Das Tooth, Hemlock, Bryant - South Rib 6/7/2009

[SmilingWhiteKnuckles]

Trip: Das Tooth, Hemlock, Bryant - South Rib

 

Date: 6/7/2009

 

Trip Report:

A much needed surgical strike yesterday. Definitely avoided the crowds on this journey as I arrived first car in the upper Alpental lot and started walking about 6am.

 

Snow was pretty good for walking and I'd say this area is still skiable for a bit depending on the weather over the next couple weeks.

 

Climbed the south rib of the Tooth. Catwalk definitely had my attention! And it was an Alpental pea soup type of day with a quiet cloud layer shrouding all the peaks above about 4700'--so the views were limited and the route finding a bit more challenging.

 

The light mist that began on the summit, dampening the lichen, definitely made the climb down the north ridge a bit more exciting. Having descended the north ridge once before, this went pretty smoothly and I made it down to the snow again without having to use the rope I brought.

 

Hemlock Peak was quickly attained and after donning crampons again I descended steep snow to the NW or W which ended too quickly. I just kept them on to ape hang off trees and down climb down a steep section. Then I was able to traverse to Hemlock Pass.

 

There was snow right to the pass and it would have been a simple downclimb back into the Tooth basin...had it been the objective.

 

Climbing up Bryant Peak was easy snow and a little scrambling at the top. Great airy ridge summit with all the north flanks dropping away below..

 

If one is looking down and south down the mellowest slopes from Bryant, perhaps on a different day, one would see Malakwa Lake. To the skier's right of this South? rib, there is a big cliff going down the fall line. Descending down to 5000 - 5100', I was able to traverse right (west). Eventually I found a chink in the cliff and was able to downclimb onto a snow finger happy to avoid breaking out the rope at all.

 

From thereon, all was straightforward. Up to Bryant Pass and down and to the right (east) around Bryant's north shoulder into the Tooth basin and down to the car by 12:30pm.

 

Awesome for one more snow adventure at Snoqualmie! So close to home!

 

Gear Notes:

aluminum ice axe, aluminum crampons

 

brought but didn't use: 30m rope, harness, a few slings.

 

Approach Notes:

Good snow for walking.

[TMO]

Nice! Way to get it done! How hard was the North side descent?

[SmilingWhiteKnuckles]

Not bad and pretty quick. A couple steep downclimbing steps but no ridiculous exposure at these. I guess I'd call it mostly 3rd class except for these couple spots.

 

There's a cool spot where you can look straight down the opening pitches of the Tooth NE slab route (before bailing down a much less frightening gulley on the west side).

[LostCamKenny]

I noticed that you didn't have a camera on your gear notes... No photo documentation of this ascent? No self-shot pics at arms length, or with a timer? No visual stimulation for the rest of us to ... over? I feel I have been slighted!

 

How was the weather? Any wind?