Lost Backpack on Ingalls Peak - Lost on 7/26/2014

[Jim Pitts]

On July 26th a student of mine dropped her backpack off the west-face of Ingalls Peak during a climb of the South ridge. The pack contained her personal gear as well as my cell phone and one rope from my twin/half rope set. There was also part of my lunch, a Payday bar. Three attempts were made to recover the pack. Yesterday was the fourth attempt. However, the pack is no longer on the ledge where it was resting. Both the student and I would be very grateful for the return of the pack with it's contents. We will offer a reward for it's return... and you can keep the Payday bar too. If you could spread the word and help me network a bit I would appreciate it as well. Thanks!

Edited August 24, 2014 by Jim Pitts

[Thomas Hamlin]

Hi Jim,

 

My friend and I just returned from N. Ingalls on 8/24. We'd brought only one 60m rope and planned to take the west face descent route. We made our way carefully down in a threatening thunder storm.

 

While down climbing, we spotted a yellow/gold pack in a gully below, obviously fallen/abandoned. When we got to it, we saw it was wet, partially buried, and had some debris washed inside. But the gear looked okay and I hate to admit it, but finding your 60m rope was a real treat because we were facing having to down climb or rap unknown ground with one rope. So I carried the pack up until we found the rap anchor above a long (~55m) slab marked on the attached image.

 

We were trying to get off the mountain quickly and didn't think it would be safe to try to carry the pack (and I looked for valuables/ID but only saw clothes), so it seemed that leaving it here at a relatively frequented place was the best way for it to be returned.

 

I put the pack under the tree at this anchor. However, we did borrow your rope to rap down and that was all the reward we needed! We carried the rope all the way out. I am sorry that we had to leave the pack - in retrospect I wish I would have carried it to the south saddle at least.

 

I'm in Portland. I could ship the rope to you or I may be heading north in two weeks so we could rendezvous some place depending on where you are.

 

Thomas

 

larger pic: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=99498&title=north-ingalls-peak-2c-west-face-descent-route&cat=509

Edited August 26, 2014 by Thomas Hamlin

[Jim Pitts]

Amazing! I'll need to make a return trip to scoop up what remains of the pack and it's contents. Thank you so much for grabbing the rope. It's 1/2 of my twin/half set! I'll send you a message about connecting to pick it up. I am glad it helped you get off the mountain safely. I guess these things happen for a reason...

[Jim Pitts]

Yesterday (9/1) we hiked in to the base of the friction slab of the SW face. After climbing the face we topped out at the tree and the pack was sitting right where you said Thomas! Thank you so much for moving it there as it made for an easy rescue. Had you taken it to Ingalls Pass it almost certainly would have been long gone.

 

I sent you a PM about picking up the rope. I am glad to meet you locally during your trip. Also, I have friends going to Portland for 9/14-9/16 who said they would be glad to pick to the rope up for me. I put my email address in the PM so if you get a chance drop me a note and let me know what works for you.

 

The climb up the SW face was super easy but thin for pro. It was a FULL 60m rope length to the tree. A single rope rap might have gotten you to a small ledge but I didn't see anything one could used to sling a rappel anchor, but I didn't look that hard. The double rope rappel was just enough to reach the bottom. The down climbing would have been super easy but a slip would have been messy. I am glad the rope was there for you.