[TR] Mt. Goode / Storm King - NE Buttress / Standard Choss 7/26/2014

[LukeShy]

Trip: Mt. Goode / Storm King - NE Buttress / Standard Choss

 

Date: 7/26/2014

 

Trip Report:

 

Lots of beta out there on NEB and SK. So I'll stick to the pictures and current route conditions.

Flickr Photo Set

Our Route (caltopo map)

 

Hike in was uneventful 15 miles. Grizzly Creek required boots off crossing 3x times and the North Fork Bridge Creek was easily crossed at the first clearing. (other party out that day found a log to cross just upstream) Once across we climbed the slabs just right of the left-most waterfall and through the "magical alder tunnel" to the open meadows and bouldery slopes below the glacier to easily find 5,200' camp.

 

Looking up from the NF Creek Crossing

5200' Camp Photosphere

 

No glacier death blocks were heard falling all night so we were stoked that getting onto the glacier would be feasible.

 

The next day we awoke at 4 AM, packed up, and headed up and left towards the 5,400' bivy. From that bivy we went straight up the slabs to the base of the glacier than did the rightward traverse below the hanging glacier quickly crossing to the snow ramp and safety.

 

Crossing the DANGER ZONE

 

We roped up and did a big 'S' route to get above the crevasses, following a bootpack from the day before (thanks!) to get to the moat. Once there we found the awesome fatty snow ramp that lead right to the base of the route. No moat shenanigans were had.

 

Easy Moat Crossing via Snow Ramp

 

Matt and I headed out first, simuling up and towards the buttress crest. From there we swapped leads, I took over and headed us towards the class 3-4 portion. Our other team took a bit different way, trying to be more direct, it didn't work so we waited a while for them to catch up. Once they did we headed up class 3-4 terrains until the buttress steepened.

 

Matt climbing the lower NEB

 

From there we got back on the crest (clipped an old Beckey piton!) climbed, manteled, climbed, manteled, etc. until we got close to the big bivy ledge (2 simul leads). I traversed up and right into the gully below the ledge to access it. We took a break there allowing our partners to catch up a bit.

 

Dustin and Nips on route (taken from big bivy ledge)

 

From there it was another couple mid 5th simul pitches to the summit. It felt great to finally get to the top after a ton of climbing. We waited for our other team, snacked, signed the register and enjoyed the amazing weather and views.

 

Summit Views

 

Mt. Goode Summit Tiny Planet and Summit Photosphere

 

The decent was fairly simple. 2 raps got us to the black tooth notch ledge traverse. Than 2 more down the SW couloir to infinite class 3 choss. It was nearly 8:30 PM by the time we got to great bench at 7,700'. We quickly made dinner, fed faces, and than passed out (after fighting off the rats, apparently they have a taste for human flesh) to get up early to climb Storm King.

 

SW Couloir Descent - Views very nice! Choss not so much...

 

Sunset Pano (Camp was down at the heather bench)

 

We woke up early and were out by 5:45am heading towards SK along the 7400' traverse. The snow hardened up so we put on 'pons and cruised to the base. We climbed the far right gully to get to the north side and than began the exposed traverse to get to the final scramble.

 

Storm King-landia Basin

 

SK Ledge Traverse - we set up a fixed line for the actual 'duck down' move

 

Dustin - Maximum Stoke

 

Storm King Tiny Planet and Photosphere

 

One rap, exposed traverse, down climbed the gully, and the simple backtrack along the ~7400' traverse got us to the base of Goode. WE than headed down the meadows below to find the climbers trail on the right side of the creek. It was 1 PM when we hit the trail, maximum heat, so we began our slog out. It was warm and uneventful until we were almost back to N Fork Camp where we found 2 bears feeding their faces full of blueberries giving 0 craps about us no matter how much noise we made. They finally wondered off the trail and we quickly moved on and hiked to the junction at N Fork Trail where we'd stashed trail shoes. Sadly my bag hanging in a tree was stolen/taken/eaten (WTF!), but Matt's shoes were OK so after a little break we hiked the remaining 10 miles out getting to the TH at 9:30 PM.

 

Bear feeding face

 

Nipples is tired of hiking

 

Amazing trip climbing a classic route (and a choss pile) with some great friends. It was an awesome way to spend my birthday weekend.

 

Gear Notes:

Alpine Rack

60m rope - worth it for raps (we shortened to 35m to simul)

rock shoes not required - mountaineering boots only for few intermittent 5th class moves.

 

Approach Notes:

Long hike in via Bridge Creek TH, 4 creek crossings, find the "magic alder tunnel", bivy sites at 5200' or 5400'.

 

Long hike out via Park Creek Trail to Bridge Creek TH, 18+ mile slog on good trail.

Edited August 5, 2014 by LukeShy

[SoundSummiter]

Great write up Luke! I think you adroitly documented our adventure. Anyone using the 5200' bivy will be in debt of Nips' hard mining work to even out a pesky rock.

 

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This was definitely one of the best trips to be had in the Cascades, even after dealing with the vampire Bushy-tailed Woodrats and stubborn Black Bears.

[matt_warfield]

Thanks for the TR. Haven't done that one yet but the views and pics are very nice.

 

A couple notes: we on cc.com prefer the term snafflehound to wood rat as too much scientific jargon clouds the issue and confuses some readers. The smell of a rodent inches from your face in the middle of the night, bushwhacking, crossing streams, and finding bears on the trail makes it a perfect Cascade outing. Oh and lots of hiking and of course the climbing.

 

[Sidviscous]

rock shoes not required.

 

What did you guys climb in? Do you think trail runners would have been fine?

[ivan]

What did you guys climb in? Do you think trail runners would have been fine?

joshk can testify to that after having inadvertently chucked his boots into the north fork of boulder creek

[SoundSummiter]

rock shoes not required.

 

What did you guys climb in? Do you think trail runners would have been fine?

 

We climbed in mountaineering boots. I have a pair of Scarpa Charmoz. The 5th class climbing is pretty easy because the rock is pretty sticky.

Edited August 4, 2014 by SoundSummiter

[LukeShy]

Definitely mountaineering boots only. Many ledges to stand on between 5th class moves the entire route.

 

I'll have to add snafflehound to my alpine vocabulary! (Gladly Nips is still alive and didn't die of a snafflehound born disease as we originally feared )

[YocumRidge]

I used Scarpa Crux approach shoes on NEB while my partner's footwear choice was more elaborate:

 

Plus Alu crampons and one ice tool in hand for crossing Goode gl. Have fun.

 

I probably should post a TR as well when I get time.

 

 

[bush-in-sky]

Nice report and pictures. We're looking to head there this weekend and thinking of bivying on the route - was there much in the way of snow higher on the route for water?

 

Thanks

[SoundSummiter]

Nice report and pictures. We're looking to head there this weekend and thinking of bivying on the route - was there much in the way of snow higher on the route for water?

 

Thanks

 

There is a huge bivy ledge about 3/4 of the way up the buttress. When we climbed (July 26/27) there was some snow just around the corner from the bivy ledge, but not much. I don't remember seeing too much snow around the route besides that. I would recommend carrying any water that you think you will need.

[bush-in-sky]

Thanks