[TR] Stickney - Olney Creek to Standard Route 6/8/2013

[dugdaled]

Trip: Stickney - Olney Creek to Standard Route

 

Date: 6/8/2013

 

Trip Report:

Allan and I tried Stickney again and although the weather was not perfect, it was better than our previous attempt, and we got openings in the clouds at key portions of our trip. Our previous outing was on a rainy September day when we turned back after identifying the cairned turnoff for the trail that looked like it would be a wet brush-bash. This time, we headed up the Olney Creek road on bikes. This leaves the Sultan Basin Road (a traffic light east of town center) at about 11.5 miles and is gated at the start.

 

The bikes sped things up for the first part of the approach, but we ended up walking them uphill most of the way to the snow line. The first double switchback has a blocked road, but an easy trail bypass just before the switchback. We ran into continuous snow coverage about a mile past there and parked the bikes. The second double switchback leads to the ridge saddle followed by a gradual uphill road. Although the cairn was snow covered, we left the road about 300 yards past the saddle and found easy travel on well packed snow up the ridge. We traversed climbers left around 4100 feet and this led easily to one acre lake. We crossed this, and ascended slightly left to a small flat area that has small ponds when snow free. We then ascended rightward but continuing to traverse 30 degree snow slopes into the basin below the summit. To get to the summit ridge, we ascended 35 to 40 degree snow slopes for several hundred vertical feet, with a brief 45 to 50 degree snow section to navigate the bridge across the deep and somewhat intimidating bergschrund at the top (see below). From there a scramble leftward led to the summit in about 15 minutes. We roped a 20 foot exposed traverse just right of the ridgeline, though this is optional as the holds are good. After this, another 100 feet of scrambling put us on top.

 

To descend we rappelled off a tree to speed passage through the schrund, though the slope could be easily downclimbed in the relatively soft snow conditions we found. The bikes speeded our descent, though the multiple berms and washouts made us get off and on many times—and also caused a few crashes. Time to summit (mellow pace) was 6 hours. Descent time including lunch break was 5 hours.

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice Ax. No crampons or snowshoes needed.

 

Approach Notes:

Walk or bike Olney Creek Road

[tmccrea4]

lookin good DC! way to get after it!