[TR] Colchuck Peak - NE Face 8/25/2012

[Dannible]

Trip: Colchuck Peak - NE Face

 

Date: 8/25/2012

 

Trip Report:

It’s 9 am when the sun finds me on the boulder field overlooking Colchuck Lake, Mount Cashmere, and the Icicle Valley. I stop to let it warm my bones while I take a drink. It’s surprisingly cold for a late August morning; at least that means the mosquitoes are gone for the year. My stomach rumbles but I can’t eat yet. Down in the valley when the sun was beginning to highlight the upper slopes of the canyon, after I had hid my bike in the bushes and walked to where I would begin hitchhiking, I began to unshoulder my pack when suddenly I pictured my breakfast and lunch sandwiches sitting on the counter at home. I would have to make due with two bars and a handful of energy gels, with the end goal being to get down in time for Heidelburger and anything less would be considered failure.

 

Above me looms the massive, dark North Face of Dragontail. I’ve climbed it many times in a variety of conditions and circumstances, and harbor a respectful dose of fear towards it. I don’t have it in me to set a hand on that face today; instead I walk towards the sunny and smaller northeast face of Colchuck. I’ve already seen and spoken a few words to more people than I would normally see in day, but I suppose this should not come as a surprise seeing as the trail winds through one of the most stunning places that my mind can imagine. The borders between wilderness and civilization blur with the smells of soap and Deet and the drone of conversation on the trail. Plodding upwards I leave that all behind.

 

Standing about 1,600 feet tall, the Northeast Face of Colchuck is a pretty respectable feature, but doesn’t see a lot of attention outside of the spring when its couloirs are getting climbed. The Northeast Buttress probably sees a few ascents every summer, harder cracks to the left of the buttress toe have been climbed but are generally avoided for no particular reason, and before yesterday the Northeast Face had only seen two ascents that I know of (once in late spring and once in winter), though I’m sure someone must have gone exploring up there in the 30 year period between those climbs.

 

While I get out in the mountains every weekend, I work hard during the week at a job that I enjoy and I have not been motivated to climb very hard or make serious plans. I have to fight the urge to spend my Saturdays drinking beer by the river, but Sunday’s beer always tastes better with sore feet. So it was that on Friday afternoon I scanned the Beckey Guide and was reminded of the obscure and apparently very moderate Northeast Face. The original route was climbed in June of 1971 and I don’t know where it starts. Looking at it yesterday I thought it went up the blocky ground to the left of the North Buttress Coulior, but now as I reread the description and look at pictures I think that it might start to the right of the Northeast Buttress Couloir. In any case the grade of 5.2 and mostly easier sounded good to me.

 

As I neared the face I couldn’t figure out exactly where the line was, so I headed for an area to the right of the line that Jens and I climbed in the winter last year where a group of seemingly mid 5th cracks wind upwards for about 500 feet before running into blocky ground and a polished depression that holds snow until mid summer. I was worried about the steepish snow guarding the base of the route because I had only light crampons and no axe, but I found an old picket that I could use to steady myself. A good omen, I thought. Just after crossing the snow and stepping onto a ledge at the base of the route, I was stung by a bee on the tip of my finger. Screw omens, I thought, digging out my first aid kit for tape and Ibu.

 

The first few pitches or so:

 

The route passed slower and with more uncertainty than I would have liked. The first 500 feet were a bit harder than I had been prepared for, but the rock was flawless. I passed over several short mid 5th cruxes, and had to downclimb a couple of times to find an easier way. There are many different options for climbers with a rope. The depression mid face was predictably low angled and rubble filled, but things got interesting again as I tried to meet up with the North Ridge. The slabs led to a melted out couloir that cut left towards the summit, but it was too chossy. The whole upper half of this route would be much more reasonable on a cold day in July (to minimize thawing) when there is still some snow on the face. I headed left around a buttress, headed up a rotten gully and was stopped by a chockstone, downclimbed, headed up the buttress which proved just solid enough, found another all too chossy gully, climbed another buttress, and was on the ridgecrest. The crest was fun, especially considering how different it was from the last time I had been there on a winter night.

 

Looking down the North Ridge from the sub summit:

 

On the summit I felt guilty about breaking the rule that I had set for the day: to not climb anything that I wouldn’t want to downclimb. I’ve soloed some weird stuff in the past and am proud of how I have been able to work though difficult situations and am grateful for what soloing has showed me about myself, but have been telling myself to back off out of respect for my friends and family. It is a powerful and addictive experience. I get to do what I want, when I feel good about it. There is no discussion or arguments about bailing or continuing on. I get to stop and stare at mountains and streams whenever I want for as long as I feel like it. I love covering easy and moderate ground quickly, but when unknown routes and loose rock come into play the game changes.

 

I headed down to Colchuck Col and started up the scramble route on Dragontail. I rested often, feeling my lack of food. As I crossed into the drainage to the south of the summit I was trying to justify not going to the top because I’d already been there this year. It would be pointless, I though. But most things in life are every bit as pointless so I went up for whatever reason. The views were as nice as ever.

 

 

I crossed the Enchantment Plateau. Around every bend clear lakes and streams reflect white granite peaks and boulders. The afternoon sun and a bit of haze from forest fires gives everything a pink tint. I remembered, as I often do, that I live in one of the nicest places that I know about. Though I’ve been all over the Enchantments, I don’t think I’ve ever done the loop in one trip. I think I’ll try to do things this way more often. Down in the woods I start out running, but badly twist my ankle. Apparently I limp quickly because I continue passing people, occasionally spewing profanity when I step wrong. I know that I will not be down in time for a burger and a shake but still I don’t feel like the day has been wasted. The bike ride isn’t bad and as soon as I step into my house I’m given a margarita and told that my sandwiches are waiting for me in the fridge. It’s a good life.

 

 

I'll post a topo in the next few days. It's past my bedtime. Sorry for the lack of pictures; I'm up there a lot and have too many pictures of the place that don't do it justice at all.

 

Gear Notes:

A picket that I found on the ground was useful, as was ibuprofen. Sandwiches would have been good.

 

Approach Notes:

I would approach this in the winter, spring, or early summer.

[pink]

nice!!!

 

[kevino]

Perfect.

[telemarker]

Ballsy Dan, venture solo out on new-ish terrain!

 

Coincidentally, I was right across the way from you taking a solo lap on Backbone to a deserted Dragontail summit.

 

The days are just about perfect now, eh?

[Sol]

Danimal!