DRep Posted August 3, 2011 Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) Trip: Mt. Stuart - CNR Date: 8/1/2011 Trip Report: I know, I know another CNR of Stuart TR.... Just got back from two fantastic days on the North Ridge of old Stuey. Jesse and I left the car on Monday 8/1 at the Esmeralda Creek TH at 5:30am and started the approach. When we got to Esmeralda Basin it was intermittent hard snow which made for slow going up to Ingalls Lake. Ingalls lake was frozen thick in places so we just walked across with crampons. Stuart pass was fine, no snow. Getting over to Goat Pass requires use of crampons and self arresting device and most likely will for the remainder of the season. Crossing bellow the Stuart Glacier was quick and easy due to the high snowpack remaining. We left our crampons on and used our axes. The snow went far beyond the base of the route. Once on route we found no snow on the Lower Ridge. We bivied at the notch and found several good sized snow patches to melt water from. The bivy sites were pretty plush! No more snow until just before the summit. We had forgotten how much the Cascadian sucks to descend. We went out over Longs Pass which had a fair amount of snow remaining. This is an absolutely amazing climb - well deserving of its classic status. I would consider doing it again after I have long forgotten about the descent. On another note; We had quick glances across to the Sherpa Glacier and it looked like it had some large cracks opening up, don't know if its in or out, but I thought I would let you know. Also the gendarme bypass is completely covered in snow and will not be clear anytime soon. Ingalls Lake Goat Pass For those of you wanting to only climb the Upper Ridge, bring the pons and axes for the couloir. My first impression when I saw this was "That's not so big" little did I know I was only looking at a little over half the ridge! IT IS A BEHEMOTH!!! Jesse leading the 5.9 on the Lower Ridge - AWESOME pitch! The room with a view. Next morning we simuled to the gendarme in 3 pitches. this was an absolutely AMAZING part of the climb! Stuart Glacier below. It's not a climb without a heel hook right? Summit!!!! This was big for both of us because between the two of us we have had three false starts. Descent down the Crap-asscadian was this, sand surfing, more of this, and getting lost in the woods because we're retarded like that. Longs Pass still holding snow. Farewell good friend! Looking forward to more adventures to come! Gear Notes: Standard set of nuts, green-yellow C3s, blue-orange TCUs, doubles of BD .4 - 2. single 3 and 4. Though we didn't use the 4 because Jesse is freeking badass and didn't place it on the offwidth... crazyness! kids these days, I tell ya. Approach Notes: Light weight crampons and axes. Edited August 3, 2011 by DRep Quote
SkiMD Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 We came down the Sherpa on 7/24 and ran into trouble crossing the bergshrund. It had clearly opened up in the few days prior to our descent as there were footprints across a bridge that had fallen 40' into the crack, and evidence of a separate rap station off one of the center rock islands that did not make it across the (now very large) gap. There was a potential snowbridge on the far east side of the glacier, but we were able to rap across a thin, unsupported bridge on the west side (probably collapsed by now). Quote
Jonah71181 Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 Thanks for posting the conditions as I was just about to. I had an AWESOME time on the CNR as well the days before you. Took 3 days (Friday- hiked to toe of north ridge from Ingalls TH, Saturday- Bivy at 8400', Sunday- Summit and Cascadian descent.) We found meltwater trickles to fill up plus lots of snow on the upper, west side of ridge where we camped. Here's a video I made http://vimeo.com/27264468 Definitely an AMAZING climb with the weather we had. Well done DRep! ~ Jonah Quote
Off_White Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 Coming down the Cascadian with no snow is even worse, be happy you had what you did! Great route, I think it was my first successful time up Stuart after 3 failures. It's funny, I'd always had the impression that just doing the upper ridge was short and not worth it, probably based on a foreshortened photo in 50 Classic Climbs. After doing the complete I decided the upper ridge alone was well worth it, and went back a few years later to take my son up it for his first alpine route. Quote
DRep Posted August 4, 2011 Author Posted August 4, 2011 Coming down the Cascadian with no snow is even worse, be happy you had what you did! We both had been down it before 4 years earlier in dry conditions. It sucked just as much. Totally agree that the upper ridge alone is well worth it. Quote
DRep Posted August 4, 2011 Author Posted August 4, 2011 Thanks Jonah. Nice video. We found meltwater trickles to fill up plus lots of snow on the upper, west side of ridge where we camped. Yes, but there was no snow on the route between the notch and the few hundred feet below the summit. One would have to descend a hundred feet+ to get to snow patches. Quote
SmilingWhiteKnuckles Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 Here's a video I made "We're going to get cosy tonight" "I'm actually looking forward to it, cause these are all very warm people." Brilliant touch with the wigs. A real throwback ascent...when was the CNR first climbed?? Nice climbs all! Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 Coming down the Cascadian with no snow is even worse, be happy you had what you did! We both had been down it before 4 years earlier in dry conditions. It sucked just as much. Totally agree that the upper ridge alone is well worth it. The Cascadian Couloir is the worst, shittiest descent I've ever done (bone dry). A couple years ago we descended the N ridge of Adams - another one that gets a lot of negative comments - and that was a JOY comparaed to the Casssssscadian. Quote
Jonah71181 Posted August 4, 2011 Posted August 4, 2011 Yes this is true. After my group rapped to our bivy site we climbed from there never actually cresting the ridge untill a few pitches before the gendarme. We passed over lots of snow but you are right probably 100+ ft below the crest. Quote
Maxtrax Posted August 5, 2011 Posted August 5, 2011 Nice work guys, way to keep at it. Fully agree about the shitiness of the Cascadian. I climbed Stuart in '07 and '08 and the memory of the descent is still obnoxious enough that I'm not read to go back for more, as awesome as the North Ridge is. Quote
TRbetaFlash Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 I think the worst part about the Chosscadian is that you have to stare at Long's Pass the whole time down, you go all the way to the valley floor, then have to claw your way back up. One of my entrepreneurial goals was to set up a paragliding rental shop halfway down the chosscadian couloir. I'd make a killing. Quote
cam yarder Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 ...am i the only one who thinks that descending the cascadian is a total cruise? this IS mountain climbing after all Quote
pcg Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 I agree. When filled with snow it is a total cruise. Quote
DRep Posted August 12, 2011 Author Posted August 12, 2011 (edited) It's cruiser, but still just takes forever. I will admit though, it is a super easy descent off a chunk of granite that size. Edited August 12, 2011 by DRep Quote
kevino Posted August 12, 2011 Posted August 12, 2011 Dave I'm not sure you have enough stickers on your helmet. I signed up for 48 hours of OT, see you at work! Quote
DRep Posted August 12, 2011 Author Posted August 12, 2011 WTF is wrong with you Kevino! It's prime time alpine time and you want OT??? Screw that let's go climb something. Quote
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