[TR] Nooksack Tower - NE Face (Beckey/Schmidtke) 6/10/2013

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Trip: Nooksack Tower - NE Face (Beckey/Schmidtke)

 

Date: 6/10/2013

 

Trip Report:

Lunger and I conspired this weekend to do some climbing in the Nooksack Cirque. Our grand plans of high alpine shenanigans only partly materialized, but we had a great time effecting our plan B and wound up on the summit of Nooksack Tower.

 

We set up camp on a tiny dry patch of ground at ~6k above the glacier. After setting up the shelter which we nicknamed "The Concorde", we lounged around and enjoyed the views of the Price Glacier Cirque. We soon engaged in some fairly interesting discussions, covering topics ranging from cigarette boats to tacos.

 

Conditions on route were a bit spicy with plenty of snow still on the face. A lot different experience than my previous trip up Nooksack Tower in July 2009.

 

Thanks to lunger for signing up on such short notice and for teaching me the ways of the light and fast Jedi.

 

Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wayne]

Looks fun! Nice report, thanks

[DPS]

Jeebus Tom, you are crushing it! I was mightily impressed by Nooksack Tower when I got a close look from Price Glacier.

 

Does anyone know if the North (NW?) Buttress has been climbed from the small saddle one has to climb over to access Price Glacier? I don't have my Beckey guides anymore.

Edited June 11, 2013 by DPS

[Le Piston]

Very cool! Nice work gentlemen. Great pictures.

[ivan]

looks a mite kewler w/ all that snow on it - did that make the approach any less annoying?

[Tom_Sjolseth]

DPS.. that N Buttress has been climbed and goes at 5.9. There are a few trip reports on cc.com (Marcus & Darin and Eric L & Mike L's TRs come to mind).

 

Ivan - the approach was slightly easier with snow cover.. the talus traverse was covered, so that made things a little bit better. PS.. nice drawing in the summit register, I missed that last time. Was that courtesy of you or Layton?

 

 

[DPS]

Thanks Tom. I recall Mike Layton's trip report.

[ivan]

PS.. nice drawing in the summit register, I missed that last time. Was that courtesy of you or Layton?

 

i can't hardly remember last week, and it seems a looooong time ago since me n' mike did that thing - what was it of? if a giant hairy rocketship, that was probably me

[Tom_Sjolseth]

 

[ivan]

classic layton - and classic summit-fear parsnipittiness short-hand on mine

[BirdDog]

I was wondering what you were up to. Nice work. Your 3rd pic is fabulous!

[mattp]

DPS, the North Face or maybe it is called North Ridge route generally follows close to or on that buttress. It is good fun.

 

Thanks for the TR, Tom.

[JasonG]

Way to open the season on this!

 

Did you find double raps to be worth the effort? I've heard to limit it to singles to minimize stuckage, but you would know.

[ivan]

we had no problems doing double raps the whole way but certainly there's a potential for stuckage - i recall being more concerned we'd set off rockfall on each pull, so used my pack as a riot shield

[sepultura]

Way to go Tom! Repeating more of the Difficult ones. Definitely hard driving.

I have still not forgotten my first unplanned bivy coming off of Nooksack Tower in 2000!

[lunger]

Super fun trip with plenty of inspiring views, engaging climbing, and hilarity--much thanks, Tom, for the invite. Have wanted to check out this side of Shuksan for a while, it's as remote and beautiful as imagined--all enjoyed from the comfort of our pimped Concorde.

 

On the loose traverse, Price Gl background:

 

 

Tom on the ridge crest, near the top:

 

More pics here

 

[olyclimber]

DA BALLER!

[Jens]

That area has always reminded me of the Alps.

[kukuzka1]

the beckey route still needs a winter ascent? i think kit and nelson did the complete couloir then up the east ridge. ??

[layton]

i piss on you from great heights!