[TR] North Cascades - Washington Pass Area - Mushroom Tower & Big Kangaroo 6/13/2010

[Dallas kloke]

Trip: North Cascades - Washington Pass Area - Mushroom Tower & Big Kangaroo

 

Date: 6/13/2010

 

Trip Report:

Our plan was to finish with Melted Tower but time and soft snow

ended that. With Jason Griffth kicking steps for the 3000 foot approach to the base of Mushroom, Mark Nelson and I followed up a

more direct route then what I've done in the past. The step across under the summit rock on Mushroom was wet because of a large snow patch on top. We rapped off Beckey's two 1/4 inch bolts - having been placed 68 years ago. The traverse to the notch for a rap to the gully for Big Kangaroo was soft and dicey in a few spots. The gully that leads up to the start of the rock climbing for Big Kangaroo had the most snow in since I did the 3 Tower Traverse in 1973. From the ledge just below the summit of

Big Kangaroo, we belayed each one over and back one at a time. There is only one 68 year old bolt on top. Down climbing with a top rope seems safer then rapping. The prominent gully directly

below Big Kangaroo makes a quick descent with about half being

glissaded. 8 hours round trip. Thanks for the beer, Mark! Jason took some great photos.

 

Gear Notes:

60m - 7.7mm rope, small rack, crampons,

 

Approach Notes:

Start at hairpin turn below Washington Pass, cross creek and

head up. Stay in trees, then follow left side of gully up ridge,

some rock scrambling. Just below steeper rock, traverse left

and then up steep snow to the base of Mushroom.

[JasonG]

Thanks for a great day out Dallas! I'll have to go back for Melted. I will try and get some photos up soon . . .stay tuned.

 

JG

[Trent]

Dallas: Would have liked to be there with you all, but duty called. Sounds like a successful trip; perhaps replacement of the bolts next time?

[sepultura]

Nice work guys! Don't worry that bolts fine....

[JasonG]

OK, some pictures:

 

Creek crossing near the haripin-

 

Liberty Bell and Whistler-

 

Booting up with expanding views-

 

Starting to get steep and scenic-

 

Dallas at the base of Mushroom Tower. Knickers and red wool socks, doesn't get any more classy than that!

 

Mushroom tower, Dallas, Mark, on the steeper (and softer) than it looked traverse over to Big Kangaroo. Dallas assured us it is much better without snow-

 

The man with the plan, on his 50th year of climbing!

 

 

The view east to the Gardners-

 

Dallas on the final summit block of Big Kangaroo-

Edited June 24, 2010 by Heinrich

[sparverius]

very nice you guys

 

[mountainsloth]

[stevetimetravlr]

Right on!

[layton]

Not that I'm advocating it, but there looks to be a few nice walls up there if someone were to bolt lines to connect cracks. Did you see the N face/ridge of Tomohawk?

[JasonG]

I didn't notice it, but I wasn't looking much that way . . .I agree that there are some impressive walls on the east side of Kangaroo ridge! You wouldn't think so looking from the highway . . .