[TR] Twin Sisters Range - Various - 6/28/2013

[Dr.Go]

Trip: Twin Sisters Range - Various -

 

Date: 6/28/2013

 

Trip Report:

I headed into Green Creek on Thursday, hoping for clearing skies, nope. I made it to the basin completely saturated. I found a large boulder to huddle under and rung out every piece of clothing (at least it wasn't cold). I had intended to try The Green Creek Circuit and bivy on the S Twin the first night, but weather changed my plans. The cloud layer was hanging at mid-height on the Arete and I didn't feel confident heading up it into the clouds. I had been up to Cinderella before, and thinking that if the weather cleared on Friday I would at least be up high and in good position, so I headed up into the cloud bank following the meandering ridge along the left hand flank of the Green Creek Glacier, using the rocks as a handrail. Topped out on Cinderella at 6:30, sorry no picture, imagine a few rocks in the clouds and one soaking wet dude. Found a spot to camp down the ridge a little way, again rung out every piece of clothing and settled in for some moist sleeping. Woke to clear skies.

South Twin at Sunrise

 

Mt Baker

 

I circled around south, then west of Little Sister and dropped into the basin below Hayden.

 

Basin below Little Sister

 

 

 

I made the next saddle to the east of Hayden and dropped down again and circled under the west ridge of Skookum. Climbed the Jaws Tooth and then Skookum. The slabs on Jaws Tooth were a little spooky for me, so I climbed out to the left and on to the top.

 

Looking up Jaws Tooth, with Skookum on the right.

 

 

Skookum

 

From the notch between Skookum and Jaws looking at Cinderella

 

Mt Baker

 

Skookum summit shot, with S Twin in background

 

Cinderella and Little Sister

 

 

Hayden

 

Interesting clouds on Mt Baker

 

I descended the S ridge of Skookum and made my way back to the E saddle of Hayden and traversed the south side of the ridge to the snow notch, and climbed the E ridge bypassing some gandarms. I found it enjoyable climbing and wished I had down climbed it rather than dropping down the steep snow.

 

Summit shot from Hayden looking South with Little Sister on the left

 

I then bumped over to the W face of Little Sister and climbed the spine to the right of the one Darin climbed. I started out on the left spine due to a huge moat, then crossed over to the right hand spine. This is definitely my new favorite climb in the Sisters. Very solid rock, class 4 with some 5.4. Awesome!

 

Looking up the start of the W face on Little Sister

 

Summit Shot form Little Sister, looking at Hayden on left and Skookum and S Twin on right

 

Unclimbed Peak to the west of Little Sister? (no longer)

 

South Sisters Range

 

Camp, Little Sister and S Twin

 

Looking back up the Green Creek Glacier

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice ax and Crampons. Be ready for some steep snow.

 

Approach Notes:

Schwack

[Sol]

Nice work Ben!

[dberdinka]

Hey Ben. It cool to hear some confirmation on the quality of climbing on Little Sister. In the rest of the Cascades 4th class or low-5th class climbing might typically be.....meh. But in the Sisters it means aesthetic lines with fun, exposed, steep climbing on awesome rock. Basically the type of terrain you might find on say 5.7ish routes elsewhere, just more jugs!

 

Pretty incredible that there existed an unclimbed 800' wall of great rock on a real mountain only 30 miles from town. What else is waiting out there?

 

Darin's Indirect in red. My guestimate of Ben's Direct in Green.