[TR] Thunder Slam: - Goode NE Buttress, Storm King, Booker, Logan 8/1/2012

[Steph_Abegg]

Trip: Thunder Slam: - Goode NE Buttress, Storm King, Booker, Logan

 

Date: 7/29-8/3/2012

 

Trip Report:

Camping on the highest point in North Cascades National Park, the summit of Mt. Goode.

 

For six days (July 29-Aug 3), Brian Walkenhauer and I traversed through some of the highest and most rugged and beautiful terrain in the North Cascades, carrying our full packs over two of the highest summits in the Park and scrambling up two others. We included in our itinerary one of the most spectacular camp spots in the North Cascades: on the summit of Mt. Goode, the highest point in NCNP. We occasionally hit a trail, but only briefly before we scampered back into the wilder cross-country terrain. Besides for the first few miles on either end of the trip, we did not encounter a single human being the entire time.

 

I've posted a full trip report on my website with maps, route overlays, about 100 photos, commentary, and the adventures of a particular tiny stuffed mountain goat.

http://www.stephabegg.com/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/thunderslam

 

Map of our daily GPS tracks:

 

Goode NE Buttress to SW Couloir carryover:

 

Storm King SW Basin Route:

 

Booker NW Route:

 

Logan Fremont Glacier to Banded Glacier carryover:

 

Again, the link to the full TR and many more photos on my website...

http://www.stephabegg.com/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/thunderslam

Edited August 5, 2012 by Steph_Abegg

[wayne]

Gosh Steph, we expected so much more from you.

All kidding aside though, Great job in them mountains sister!

That haul over Easy Pass prolly not so easy?

[genepires]

you gotta really like your partner to go that distance and time and not get all pissy.

 

once again, great job and keeping the stoke alive.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I wish I had 1/4 of this energy.

[JasonG]

Those are big days, impressive! It has taken me a lot longer to tag half of what you did in that six days.

 

Did the Snaffle keep you company on the summit of Goode?

[Sol]

Nice trip!!

 

No doubt that the summit of Goode is the best bivy in the North Cascades!

 

[dougd]

Looks like a great trip, thanks for sharing.

 

I really wanted to get back to the N Cascades this summer but life intervened... Your trip reminds me to stay focused with future plans for this area when I'm able.

 

d

[skykilo]

Glad to see you're however rehabilitated you must be to do this trip!

[Buckaroo]

Looks like Steph is almost back to her pre injury self. At least in terms of summits to days ratio. CONGRATS! That was a long hard road you took.

 

this is my fave photo for some reason, amazing that it was taken at night.

 

[crazedmaniac]

wow!

[Dannible]

Sweet trip! Damn I love that area; aside from maybe the Pickets that might be my favorite place anywhere. That Booker summit register is crazy to see. I can't believe 5 years have passed. Were there more entries on the next page? We did a similar traverse on that trip but climbed Buckner and Sahale instead of Storm King and Logan. The day before we climbed Booker we had made 10 scary raps to bail off of the south side of Megalodon Ridge on Goode, so we didn't actually summit Goode on that trip as the register suggests (though both Blake and I later climbed the ridge). I remember tired, sore legs on the walk over to Buckner. The north side of Booker is so overlooked for what it is. Cool cool cool and congratulations on the recovery.

[Steph_Abegg]

Sweet trip! Were there more entries on the next page?

 

Yep, still at a rate of 1 party per year. Except last year when there were 2.....

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Strong work Steph and Brian! Such a great area. You both should be proud.

 

We met you on your way down from Easy Pass as Keith and I were headed on a four day traverse from Hwy 20 to Cascade Pass headed over Logan-Goode-Buckner (didn't summit Buckner due to rain and lack of time). Two follow ups to your TR:

 

1) Regarding this from your website (effing awesome website BTW!): "We had a few reasons for wanting to descend the Banded instead of the more-typical Douglas Glacier: (1) we had heard tales about 'schrunds and 'schwacking on the Douglas Glacier route". The unnamed creek up to the Douglas Glacier was our approach route to Logan from the Fisher Creek Valley. This approach was relatively easy with not-too-bad 'schwacking. I kinda don't understand why it is not the standard Logan approach because it must be the fastest (about 13 hours from Hwy 20 to the Logan summit).

 

2) You were a couple days, and we were a few seconds, from near death in that left couloir heading to the Booker-Buckner col. This little story may make little sense, but where the couloir narrows several hundred feet below the top of the col in the below pic; there was a 'schrund that crossed the entire narrow part of the couloir that it appears you crossed on climber's left over what probably looked like a fat snow bridge/fin. The bridge was at least 25' thick (top to bottom) at the thinnest point and probably 20' wide, spanning about 40 feet horizontally across the 'schrund.

 

 

I assume you had to jump across a small gap at the bottom end of the bridge (which possibly was still closed when you crossed). On our last day (Aug 6), we were moving very fast out of Park Creek to cross that col enroute to Buckner and out over Sahale Arm. When I got to the 'schrund, I was planning on jumping across and waiting for Keith at the top of the col, but then thought that maybe roping up (for the first time on a glacier the whole trip) might be a good idea. Keith came up and we roped and set up a belay below the small gap. After I did a V1 mantle to gain the upper lip, I walked up and across the bridge and set up a belay above. Right when Keith was about to cross, the entire bridge sheared off the upper wall in a gigantic collapse! The bridge was so massive that huge chunks of snow came exploding off the rock slab 30-50' below raining over Keith! I don't have before pics, but my rope is running exactly over where the bridge was a few seconds earlier with the part in the lower lip I stomped out for the mantle move visible just a little up and climber's left from Keith in this photo:

 

 

This was the single craziest event I have experienced in 20 years of glacier travel. Anyway, Keith was forced to cross a way thinner bridge on climber's right. Sorry for the digression but I think we are the last climbers using this couloir this season...

 

Other than this little event and the rain later in the day, we had a great, great time too.

 

 

[Steph_Abegg]

 

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience on the Booker-Buckner col approach. As in the photo below, we did have a fairly thick bridge. I stopped below it and asked Brian to come up to the right and take a look before I actually crossed it, to make sure it was thick and strong enough. I remember thinking that it would probably be within the week that the bridges on that crack would melt out and make access more difficult....looks like you guys were there to see it happen. Glad you weren't hurt!

 

 

Sounds like you had a successful trip too. Did you bivy on Goode? I know you mentioned it was not in your plans....

 

-Steph

Edited August 8, 2012 by Steph_Abegg

[Teh Phuzzy]

Impressive as always. Great beta and amazing photos!

[Doug_Hutchinson]

 

 

Awesome bridge photo, thanks for posting. I wish I took a pre-collapse photo. It was WAY fatter in your photo than when I crossed it and now not there at all.

 

"Did you bivy on Goode? I know you mentioned it was not in your plans...."

 

A bivy on Goode would have been spectacular, but we needed to keep moving to stay on schedule so we dropped down into Park Creek Valley and camped at Five Mile "Camp." Probably our only route finding screwup was not finding the climber's trail down Goode and bushwacking the last 2500' down to Park Creek. Way would we want to use one of the few trails on our entire traverse when we could 'bushwack instead - keeping it real yo... Were you able to stay on the climber's trail down to Park Creek?

 

[Otto]

I, too, have fond memories of bashing down a creek bed to Park Creek after climbing Goode. It must be a fairly indistinct trail to follow, lots of folks missing it!

[Steph_Abegg]

Were you able to stay on the climber's trail down to Park Creek?

 

Yes, we just traversed left from the basin below Storm King until we hit it. It follows the rib above a steep drop off into an obvious gully. The gully is directly below Goode. The trail is quite distinct, and we were quickly down on the Park Creek Trail. I think the key is just keep heading left until you find it. Due to the large ravine, it's not really possible to head too far left.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Steph_Abegg