franklinb Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 (edited) Trip: Lincoln Peak - X Couloir Date: 6/21/2012 Trip Report: Lincoln Peak (9080’, p720’), Black Buttes/Mt Baker X Couloir June 21, 2012 DonB, DonB (PJ), TomS, FranklinB After planning and several years of waiting we finally gave a shot at Lincoln. A first trip of summer, a reminder with the Lincoln Vampire killer movie coming out, but more that conditions, weather, group were all aligned and ready. The video has the best impact and below some brief narration. This is a trip I’m glad I did and seriously doubt I’ll be feeling like going back to repeat. [video:vimeo]44637793 The actual trip started with a few emails after The Don’s skiing Baker. Conditions seemed a go. A midweek weather window didn’t slow things done, work or not timing needed to be right and the window for Lincoln seemed to rest in a month period of end of spring beginning of summer. If you hit it right it would be so much better than the alternative –ice, front-pointing, rockfall, avalanches, cornice drops, thin covering over rock, rotted snow… The route starts on the west flank of the Black Buttes (Mt Baker)at the east end of Wallace Creek. A ski approach could be from Heliotrope Ridge over the Thunder Glacier, Our approach was up the Middle Fork Nooksack River Road (watch for logging trucks even at 6am). Then an hour walk up the switch-backed road east of Rankin Creek (a bicycle would have been great). Then follow the overgrown old roadbed and cut up to the lakes at the head of Rankin Creek. Rounding the ridge at their NE end is the first view of the Black Buttes and the forbidding west face of Lincoln Peak. Even though the west side is imposing, the north and east sides are more so with vertical cliffs falling thousands of feet. We arrived a day before and early in the morning to see where and when the sun hit the slopes. The forecast was for freezing to be about 8600’, so soft snow and movement would be an issue. It was a stellar day to lounge, hike to the ridge just west of the Buttes and relax. This spring has had mixed weather and the heat and sun was not lost on us. We started in the dark hoping for a quick ascent. Over the 6200’ ridge, NE and down around the buttress on the south of the bowl. The first 1200’ were relatively mellow. At c7400’ we came to the large shrund and found a way over the gap and up and over (two tools…). The next pitch steepened as we worked left, over a rib and across to a narrow gulley. The steep gulley had a mix of kick-able snow and firn. Tom having a grand time Topping that we move up the next rib before crossing. As the theme of this trip it was even steeper. New morning light on the Twin Sisters as Tom rounds the upper rib, and Don waiting DonB (PJ) loves the steep and lead over the rib (65+deg) and across the very airy exposed traverse. The snow was compressible, it appeared we had conditions as good as you could ever get for this climb. Plunged tools would offer a little resistance, but maybe not a full self belay, due to the quality of the snow pack. Across the traverse Don was singing as he ascended the upper gulley past the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I kept my slow plodding stopping to admire the view and try to catch footage in the new light of morning. Tom was getting jazzed and hitting the firmer firn shifted gears front-pointing up. After his mention of being done with Lincoln I wondered why he’d go for a second summit (fourth attempt). Now I know why. There are a lot of great trips, but only a few like this that are remote, seldom done and give you the feel of a big mountain adventure/experience. Arriving at the summit saddle It was still before 6am when we arrived at the saddle north of the summit. The snow was rotted and with some digging Don crawled his way up the last airy crux to the summit. This spot would have been nice with firm snow. A plunged tool would offer little more than balance. Looking down, if you slipped the next stop would be three thousand feet below… 6am on the summit, a beautiful morning, alpineglow done on the Twin Sister Range. Grant Peak covered in its own private cloud. A tent city a top the Railroad Grade and another to our left on the north side of Heliotrope Ridge. A few groups heading up from the Heliotrope side and it looked like 4-5 groups heading up toward Grant from the Emmons side. Did they hear us as we let out a summit yell? Don waiting his turn for the summit with route extending below. Don and I on the summit Just below the summit it was fairly comfortable, popping on the top there was a cold wind. Standing atop a sloped 5’ snow cap on the summit looking down, vertigo was teetering on the edge. This was airy, really airy! We didn’t hang around and the closest spot to take a break was the cornice on the saddle. It would have been great to hang out more, but it was cold and besides needing to warm up, we needed to get off this berge before the sun hit the steep slopes, or loosened the frozen rock starting rockfalls. A long way down Don at the Leaning Tower Don on the airy traverse The airy upper traverse Don at the rib Downclimbing seemed to go on forever, past the Leaning Tower, across the über airy traverse. Over the ridge then the first rappel into the steep gulley. Mid-gulley another rappel from a dubious rock. Near the bottom of the gulley we hid behind a bit of rock to avoid the shower of ice chunks from the next rappeler. hiding from falling debris Tom at rap station 4 Another short rap to a rock island with a sling from four years ago, to rap down to warm sunshine on the steep slope above the waterfall gulley. Rap into the gulley via a runnel, then re-climb to un-stick the rope. Prepping the waterfall rap ... will it be wet or frozen? Last rap over the luckily still frozen waterfall. And over 1600 vert of glissade. A little uphill over the 6200’ ridge and we were back to 5700’ camp around 11am. tracks on the upper mountain Wheh! A little elation, but more deep thought. Maybe little of the mind being numb of the possibilities of what could have been. This climb did not offer much for misses or slips. Luckily, we’d nailed it. Now to pack up and head out. I knew the 4.6 miles out would feel long, but the final road walk felt like torture. As a climb buddy said before, “I’d rather shot myself in the head than mindless road walks”. Heading out... This was a serious climb and long in the waiting for me. Glad I did it, and watching the video reminds me of my feelings during it. Happy trails! FWB Stats: Total: 12.8m, 7020 vert (about half for approach/half for climb) Approach: 4:10, 4.6m 3400 vert Climb: 4:30 up, 5:00 down, 3m, 3620 vert Return to car: 2:00, 4.6 million miles Gear Notes: Crampons, slings and rope to rap, ax and tool. Approach Notes: Up Rankin Creek to west side, camp at 5700' Edited July 1, 2012 by franklinb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonG Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Strong work! I go back and forth on whether I would like to climb Lincoln.....Right now I am in the Krakauer camp (a la NF of the Eiger). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeShy Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Great report Franklin. I liked the video. That airy traverse looks rad. Congrats on the summit to all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdDog Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Spicey - yes! Nice work guys. Love the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonG Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I just noticed that it took longer to descend than ascend.... very telling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklinb Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Thanks. The steep spots had an added pause at the exposure. Questions in the mind -was the snow in good condition, would anything slide, would something fall from above... I think the exposure more than anything else gave the "pause". -just don't look down. I've found up is much easier than down. Lincoln showed that true. No ropes for the ascent, but after hours of downclimbing we opted to rap the steep stuff. And with warming temps the snaw started changing fast. Now to see what comes after Lincoln... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Solid work! I recall the volume of down climbing on that route to be plentiful and exposed! I remember thinking at the time that It would be a long time before I would consider wanting to repeat it....and that Dallas(Kloke)was probably the only one alive that had completed Lincoln twice. With his passing, now it is Tom who may be the only one with 2 Lincoln summits under his belt. Nice! I wonder Tom, have you summited Seward yet to complete the Black Buttes? I am thinking that I may never get that opportunity to complete the foursome if I have to get up that damn Assassin Spire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_Sjolseth Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 @Jason.. You should catch it in good conditions and just do it. The conditions we caught it in were perfect (thanks to Aaron Scott's photos). Aaron climbed (and skied!!) the route a few days prior to our arrival, and I had the luxury of checking out the conditions before we went up there. I've said it before.. there is no place quite like the Black Buttes for this type of climbing in the Cascades. There are hard [unclimbed] routes that have free-standing pillars, and there are easier routes with just steep snow (like X-Couloir). I am surprised more people don't climb them. @Scott.. I have not climbed Seward.. I got to within 100' of the summit a couple of Winters ago before being forced to retreat by steep, unstable snow flutings. One of these days I'll head back in there and climb it. As for Dallas, I definitely think I enjoy the same types of climbs he enjoyed. I wish I could have met Dallas, and as I've said before, I have always admired his accomplishments - definitely one of the original Cascades hardmen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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