Direct North Ridge (Stuart) questions

[chris_stolz]

Hey all-- hoping to do a car-to-car in 1 day Sunday of Stuart Direct N Ridge. Will simul (grigri and blocks) anything 5.8 and under. Wondering 3 things

 

a) how long a walk from Car via Ingalls lake to base of N ridge?

 

b) if anyone has done it this year, is last water on route at base of N ridge or is there snow higher up?

 

c) If one approached from the north, how long from car to base of N Ridge?

 

Any help appreciated.

 

 

Chris

[telemarker]

A) Allow for 6 hours and be pleasantly surprised if faster;

 

B) There's reliable water at the base of the small snowfield below the false summit on your way down;

 

C) North approach is about the same time *if* you're familiar with the mountaineer's Creek drainage, where the trail is intermittent. Then you have to figure out how to descend either the Sherpa Glacier with its gaping crevasse, or the West Ridge to NW Buttress, or carry over to Sherpa/Argonaut Col.

[boadman]

I think it depends on fitness and how much crap you're carrying. We did it in about 4 hours. When I did it a couple of years ago in late august there were patches of snow all the up at the gendarme. The descent down the cascadian and hike back up and over took longer. The nice thing about going in at Ingalls is you don't have to worry about shuttling cars or hiking all the way back around, although you could traverse over to Sherpa and descent back to the mountaineers creek drainage that way.

Edited July 23, 2014 by boadman

[DPS]

a) how long a walk from Car via Ingalls lake to base of N ridge?

Obviously YMMV, but for me 6 hours.

b) if anyone has done it this year, is last water on route at base of N ridge or is there snow higher up?

I've found running water near the base of the NR and small snow patches at the notch in years past (August). Again, YMMV.

c) If one approached from the north, how long from car to base of N Ridge?

For me, four hours IF I nail the approach. I've done it easily over a dozen times and still manage to screw it up.

 

The REALLY nice thing about approaching from Ingall's is the delightful descent down the Cascadian Couloir and the character building climb back up to Long's pass.

Edited July 24, 2014 by DPS

[Drederek]

Get to the lake before sunup. Find the Longs pass trail before dark. Hang out by the the creek till the sun is off the trail, its more fun/less heinous in the shade. Double slings very useful.

[chris_stolz]

thanks for the advice. we're gonna go in from south, camp at base of route sat eve then do it Sun. We have a single rack to 4" and nuts and will simul on Tblocks and grigri anything below 5.9

 

is that trail that goes off the bottom of cascadian and up to Long's easy to find? ANyone have suggestions about where it is or do ya just gotta hunt?

[keenwesh]

The wide cams are probably not needed. There's a fixed #4 and 3.5 on the 5.9 wide section (as of last summer, they're super welded and still there unless someone has hammered them out). Bring singles to #2 and a single half rope.

[keenwesh]

the trail is huge and obvious.

[DPS]

is that trail that goes off the bottom of cascadian and up to Long's easy to find? ANyone have suggestions about where it is or do ya just gotta hunt?

 

The trail down the Cascadian becomes a bit hard to follow in the dark when it travels though meadows, but not unreasonably so. It intersects with Ingall's Creek Trail which is very obvious. From the intersection of Cascadian Couloir and ICT, you turn right/West on ICT. The turn off to Long's Pass is about half a mile on the left/South and is marked with a sign on a tree, can't remember what it says, but it is marked.

[Drederek]

The keys for me have been spotting the Longs Pass trail while still in the Cascadian so you have a feel for where you're headed and hiking a bit further uphill on the Ingalls trail than you think you ought to. The sign is weathered wood about eye level maybe 12" x 4". I think it just says Longs Pass

[laurel]

Last time I descended that way we ended up on a climbers trail down the Cascadian that intersected the Ingalls Creek trail 50 yards to descender's right of the Longs Pass trail intersection (so we should have turned left on Ingalls Creek trail). And yes, we blindly followed the Nelson beta, turned right and walked uphill unnecessarily for half an hour before turning around. If you end up getting in the trail there or anywhere else unusual you should be able to tell fairly easily from map and elevation (as long as you don't, say, neglect to recalibrate your altimeter at the summit because you are in a hurry to get down to the first water source you've seen in 24 hours and then not bother to look at the map because you've both been there before and the trail is so obvious).

[telemarker]

When you reach the Ingalls Creek trail, hike farther than you think to get to the Long's Pass sign. If you reach Ingalls Lake, you've gone too far. Duh...

 

The log crossing to access the Long's Pass trail passes right through the middle of a large camping area. I'm sure there will be plenty of tents by the LP sign.

Edited July 25, 2014 by telemarker

[Blake]

thanks for the advice. we're gonna go in from south, camp at base of route sat eve then do it Sun. We have a single rack to 4" and nuts and will simul on Tblocks and grigri anything below 5.9

 

is that trail that goes off the bottom of cascadian and up to Long's easy to find? ANyone have suggestions about where it is or do ya just gotta hunt?

 

Leave your long rope and your 3 and 4 camalots at home, you can totally do it in a day car-2-car as planned. It is going to be 100degrees, so you don't need much clothing.

 

4-6hrs for the approach from the south

4-7hrs for the climb (likely less if you are simul-climbing as much as it sounds)

4-6hrs for the descent and hike to the car

 

Everything except for the first 300' and the gendarme is easier than 5.7.

 

Bring a 30m rope or a skinny 60 and fold it in half.

 

Climb 3 x 30m pitches at the start. (5.8/5.8/5.9)

 

Simul to gendarme (3rd to 5.6ish)

 

climb 2x 30m pitches (5.8/5.9withStuckGearInTheWideSection)

 

simul to the top

Edited July 25, 2014 by Blake

[chris_stolz]

thanks ppl. Trip report now up. Next time I wanna do it car to car in 1 day.