Lane Peak

[chubler]

It's been a while (couple months) since I've seen any trip reports on the couloirs of Lane Peak....anyone know of what the conditions are like on Zipper or Lover's Lane? Still plenty of snow on routes?

 

I've never climbed it (as a winter route) this late in the season - seeing if there is any current beta out there. Thanks!

[morrison_ryan]

Any new beta? I'm wondering how filled in the couloirs are right now.

Edited April 21, 2010 by morrison_ryan

[pac man]

I didn't see this post for a bit, but I have done the Zipper in May of '08. Unfortunately the webcam that points to the Tatoosh range has been moved slightly, but on the far right you can make out Lover's Lane and ~60% of the top of the Zipper. The Fly and the bottom of the Zipper are not visible.

Tatoosh Webcam

[morrison_ryan]

Awesome. Thanks for the link.

[goatboy]

Looking pretty damn snowy right now!

[CascadeClimber]

I climbed Castle and Pinnacle last Sunday (along with what seemed to be the entirety of the BoeAlps). The road has been cleared past Reflection Lakes and was mostly dry, but still gated. Skiing was mostly wind-packed powder with some heavier stuff near the lake. The couloirs on Lane looked to be in fine shape, in fact we considered heading over to Lane after Pinnacle. There were snowshoe tracks at the bend in the road that appeared to be headed to Lane- my guess is that it got climbed last weekend.

[chubler]

Thanks for the info - good to know about the road (unless the current weather system has changed things a bit). We'll head to Lane weekend after next - I'll be sure to drop current conditions then.

[pac man]

We climbed Lover's Lane Apr. 25th (probably the snowshoe tracks mentioned above). It was a warm day and the snow was soft at the bottom, but firmer higher up. If you decide to do this couloir, bring 2 ropes if you want to rap into The Zipper. We thought we could get by with a 60m and a 30m for the rappel into The Zipper, but after a brief look at it (slightly obstructed view), didn't even give it a try and rappeled/downclimbed Lover's Lane, making it a very anti-climatic trip. All of the couloirs looked completely filled in, but we did find a very very small "schrund" forming on climber's right of a wider section of Lover's Lane on the way down. I would imagine it would remain easy to bypass and may not be noticeable on the way up (I completely missed it).

 

I'll post a trip report soon.

[counterfeitfake]

Rapping seems goofy to me. Just walk down to the Lane/Bryant saddle and then walk the rest of the way down.

[treknclime]

It's a moderate scramble from the top of LL into the top of the Zipper...no rap needed. From there, it's a cruise to the top of the Zipper...then a descent as counterfeitfake describes.

[chubler]

Rapping seems goofy to me. Just walk down to the Lane/Bryant saddle and then walk the rest of the way down.

 

Yeah, that is the plan...no downclimbing for us...maybe bust around and scramble Bryant before it gets too late.

[Raindawg]

Rapping seems goofy to me. Just walk down to the Lane/Bryant saddle and then walk the rest of the way down.

 

Yeah, that is the plan...no downclimbing for us...maybe bust around and scramble Bryant before it gets too late.

 

There's some serious misinformation floating around here.

First, there's no "Bryant Peak" in the Tatoosh Range. You might be referring to "Denman" which is situated east of Lane between Lane and Plummer Peak.

 

Second, I've done "Lover's Lane" a good number of times, including solo, and maybe only one time easily (if my recollecction is correct) rappeled into the Zipper with a 50 meter rope from a tree'd ledge that one can find to the right where Lover's Lane ends. (the descent to the ledge can be a few feet to maybe 8 or so feet depending on snow conditions.)

 

If you can handle steep snow -maybe 70 degrees?...usually you can traverse right into the Zipper with a belay from that tree'd ledge and set up a belay in the Zipper to bring your buddy over. This is how I've handled it more times than not.

 

Also, you might notice a couple of chutes off to the right of the top portion of the wall of the Zipper heading up toward the summit. I've done them both and they will certainly take you near the summit (with some rock climbing at the top) a lot nicer than scrambing around the south side, depending

on snow conditions.

 

Bryant Peak.....ain't that somehwere up near THE TOOTH??

 

 

P.S. The Tatoosh Range ROCKS!

[treknclime]

 

Second, I've done "Lover's Lane" a good number of times, including solo, and maybe only one time easily (if my recollecction is correct) rappeled into the Zipper with a 50 meter rope from a tree'd ledge that one can find to the right where Lover's Lane ends. (the descent to the ledge can be a few feet to maybe 8 or so feet depending on snow conditions.)

 

If you can handle steep snow -maybe 70 degrees?...usually you can traverse right into the Zipper with a belay from that tree'd ledge and set up a belay in the Zipper to bring your buddy over. This is how I've handled it more times than not.

 

 

P.S. The Tatoosh Range ROCKS!

 

Raindawg is correct, without a doubt...it is a great place to knock off some short challenging routes. He cut his teeth in the Tatoosh.

 

The traverse has always worked for me. Can be kind of a balance thingy...and it'll depend on snow conditions as well.

 

I remember once long ago he climbed the E Face of Pinnacle Peak with some dude who drove an old green Nova. Foolish kids without a doubt.

[chubler]

Denman it is...not Bryant...my bad. Yes Bryant is up near the tooth and chair!

[pac man]

We didn't get a great view from the top of Lover's Lane and there could have been an easy traverse down, but I didn't see it. I saw the rap trees which looked OK to get to, but just peaking over the edge of Lover's Lane into The Zipper, it didn't appear to me that it was a short rappel, especially since a report from earlier this year said it required a double rope rap(Lover's Lane trip report). We ended up climbing left for another pitch on shallow soft snow over rock and just decided to bail by rapping/downclimbing.

[chubler]

Pac man - great TR and good photos on the other website! Good beta on the approach too.

[cms829]

Nice...hopefully it stays in for a while longer. Plan on doing the fly or lovers lane on 6/13 and then the fuhrer finger on the 15th. I wasnt sure if it typically stays climable until mid June but looking through my past photos...seems as though it does. Esp with all the new snow. Fingers crossed

Edited May 12, 2010 by cms829

[chubler]

I checked out the Tatoosh webcam for Mt. Rainier NP this morning and the routes still look pretty good, although the 70+ degree weather is not going to help. In looking at Pinnacle you can see quite a few wet slides from the recent dump. We'll bring back some beta for you.

[cms829]

yes please!