Mount Washington (Olympics)

[summithound]

Hey Everyone:

 

I've been a longtime member of nwhikers.net but I'm new to this board. Just last year I started getting in to alpine scrambling and I would really like to keep pushing myself above and beyond my comfort zone. My problem is that I lack a good foundation of friends wanting to expand their horizons in mountaineering.

 

I have a handful of peaks under my belt including Vesper Peak, Mount Pilchuck, Mount Persis, Baring Mountain, Mount Si, McClellan Butte, Snoqualmie Mountain, Mount Saint Helens and most recently, Red Mountain near Snoqualmie Pass. My goal for 2011 is to tag the remaining four Washington volcanoes and Mount Olympus in the Olympics.

 

Meanwhile, I've posted an ad on nwhikers for anybody interested in scrambling up Mount Washington in the Olympics with me and a few buddies this coming weekend. At the moment we're unsure as to whether it will be Saturday or Sunday but we'll take whatever day deals us the best conditions.

 

This climb will be dependent on both snow conditions and road accessibility. I'd like to at least be able to drive to the turnoff to FS Road 2419 before we hit impenetrable snow. With a chance of snow at Lake Cushman from Tuesday through Thursday, it's looking a little bleak but here's for hope.

 

The plan is to snowshoe/boot up the road to where the summer bootpath begins for the route described in Climbing Washington's Mountains and proceed from there. I've never done this climb before but an acquaintance emailed me a GPS tracklog from his climb of the same mountain which gives us a predetermined line of ascent. Snowshoes, headlamp, crampons and an ice axe will certainly be necessary.

 

We aren't the quickest of climbers but we are very determined and are eager to make this summit given a safe route of travel. The plan is to get an insanely early-morning start in Seattle and loop around through Olympia. We'd like to arrive at the trailhead by 6:00 a.m. and with an approximate Google drive time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, we'll be on the road by 3:45 a.m. We're open to picking up others along the way or rendezvousing at the trailhead/end of the navigable road.

 

If you're as crazy as us and would like to join, please let me know! Always the more the merrier. I'll give an update toward the end of the week as soon as I can get a better read on conditions.

 

UPDATE 1/21: We are all systems go for Sunday! Let me know if you want to jump on board.

Edited January 21, 2011 by summithound

[turnpikegates]

I sent you a PM. Let me know if you want another partner.

[summithound]

I have updated my original post above. This trip has been postponed for those still interested!

[Jamie]

Another option is that you could go in by way of Big Creek trail that starts at 900 feet, but it would be a very long day.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Jamie

[Drederek]

Did ya make it last weekend? Conditions were prime on sunday. Heres a shot of Washington from Ellinor.

[summithound]

Oh yeah, we definitely made it! It was gorgeous! There was about a three-mile road walk before the start of the scrambling route. Snow conditions were excellent and Ellinor was peeking in and out of the clouds.

 

Edited February 3, 2011 by summithound

[Jamie]

Great going there. I know of more than a few people who have tried Washington in winter and didn't make it for one reason for one reason or another. Congrats! and...nice pictures!

[Drederek]

Nice! The sky was surreal that day.

 

[mountainsloth]

Sounds like a perfect day. For a variety of reasons it took 3 attempts for me on Winter Washington. Its beautiful this time of year.