[TR] Mt. Triumph and some other places - NE Ridge attempt and other shenanigans 6/15/2013

[Leland]

Trip: Mt. Triumph and some other places - NE Ridge attempt and other shenanigans

 

Date: 6/15/2013

 

Trip Report:

If you are looking to read about a climb, this will be an unsatisfying TR. If you are looking for a way to pass some gloomy winter time laughing at the poor choices made when a couple guys listen too closely to their raging June climbing boners, read on...

 

(This pretty much sums up the trip)

 

Spring was in the air with the pungent crotchy smell of sun warming the wet North Cascades forest, and we had the OK to go play GrabAss for a few days in the mountains. Time to drink a bunch of beer and make an overly ambitious climbing plan! Ron suggests the NE Ridge of Triumph and my nethers stir (or maybe I suggested it, and Ron's nethers stirred?) Either way there was stirring in our nethers and we needed to be in a tent. And the lack of June TR's from the NE ridge wouldn't deter this pair of retards! Off we went..

 

(Early summer over Thornton Lakes to Triumph Col and the peak beyond)

 

Crossing the snow bridge over the first lake outlet was a little sketchy, but we were more worried about some actively disintegrating snow on the approach to the col. We ended up staying high to the right side of the gulley, after we watched a car-sized snow block from the rock slabs above break off and avalanche through the central bottleneck. Probably should have taken this as a warning shot across the bough, but our bulges pressed us onward and upward!

 

 

 

As we approached the gulley the clouds were gathering and rumbling in the distant SE. Good thing we hadn't gone to the Enchantments! (so we thought until we read a TR from the same weekend of nice trip up Prussik after a stormy night in camp)

 

 

As we got above the steepest snow slopes and onto the upper part of the gulley the weather took a sudden turn - right at our sorry asses.

 

 

The wind shifted, the cloud deck and temperature dropped, and soon we were in the belly of a fire-and-fucking-brimstone thunderstorm. We couldn't see lightning bolts, just the blowing clouds around us flickering and exploding. Seriously freaky shit. Knowing dramatically higher topography surrounded the col, making a lightning strike unlikely, we opted to get off the open slope to the col quick and get in the tent to get warm/dry. Getting the tent up in 40mph blowing rain and thunder and lightning was tricky, and by the time we got in all was pretty wet inside and out.

 

 

 

 

 

Usually we set up a ridge of gear between us in the tent to keep us from naturally rolling together and spooning "unconsciously" during the cold night, but with water running down the walls of the tent we decided to use the gear to keep us away from the wet sides, creating a sort of central nest of warm dry gayness. Of course once we were all comfortable the weather broke up - but the man nest remained...

 

A look at the NE ridge confirmed our worry: a mess of thinning snow plates melting on rock slabs, huge mounds of snow on the steps in the ridge. No go...

 

We drank all our booze and ate some mystery pills swimming around my first aid kit, and woke up late and ashamed the next morning with a new clever plan.

 

 

We beat a quick depproach, and got back to the truck for some cold liquid courage and dancing.

 

 

 

 

A sunny drive over the pass brought us to Early Winters campground in a fire-and-fucking-brimstone thunderstorm.

 

But again the weather broke, gear was dried, beer was drank, Steely Dan was blasted and discussed, Mazama Rock climbing plans were made, and Johnny Can was played.

 

[video:vimeo]

 

Already an interesting couple days, things were destined to take yet another unexpected turn. We woke to sprinkling rain and headed for the Mazama Store for the best goddamn breakfast sandwich on earth. Killing time, Ron mentioned that he had never been up to Hart's Pass. A bright eyed kid approached me in the parking lot asking if we were headed up towards the pass and could he get a ride up start a backpacking trip - sounds like destiny calling again, and something to do while the rocks (hopefully) dried out. Off we went, along the way passing a heard of goats.

 

Goats!

 

We also passed a forest service truck and crew getting reading to do some road grading (this came into play later). We dropped this kid from Wisconsin who had never really backpacked out here and had a cut off HOCKEY-FUCKING-STICK(!) for a trekking pole/ice axe, and he marched off to his inevitable misery and death on the PCT. He actually returned after about 30 minutes, already lost. We directed him back into the unforgiving maw of the mountains and started back towards an afternoon of clipping bolts at Fun Rocks, and were met with this:

 

 

The forest service crew had abandoned our flaming tax-dollars in the middle of the road, and we didn't want to temp fate and squeeze past lest the fucker explode on our asses, so we watched, filmed, smoked, and chewed, crapped, etc...the fire worked its way from the engine compartment and through the cab with lots of neat popping and hissing. Eventually it reached the auxiliary fuel tank in the bed and the fucker went up A-Team style!

 

 

[video:vimeo]

 

All said and done it was a pretty cool trip. We didn't climb shit, but we learned a lot (and "knowing is half the battle") and forged and rock hard friendship, leaving a little piece of each other inside of each other, and some other little pieces ourselves in little holes in the woods.

 

 

[dadoufergy]

The Mazama store DOES have the best breakfast sandwiches!

[JasonG]

The June curse!

 

I am curious how you found the crossing of the major creek on the old roadbed though. I thought that would have stopped you before you even got to Thorton lakes. Maybe there is a bridge now?

 

P.S. I love the burning USFS rig! Do you know the story behind the fire?

[goatboy]

http://www.komw.net/news/local-news/no-injuries-vehicle-fire-harts-pass/

[JasonG]

Thanks! I imagine that the unofficial story is probably juicier than "mechanical issues".

[cfire]

Too late to vote for best TR of year?

[Leland]

I don't remember any dicey creek crossings on the road, but one was pretty WIDE & shallow. My partner's feet probably got wet...

[genepires]

Too late to vote for best TR of year?

 

best of the year but second to Chris's failed bugaboos trip from a decade ago. Chris didn't have any burning cars (awesome) but the personality interactions are priceless.

 

Edited January 2, 2014 by genepires