[TR] Mt Cruiser - South Corner 3/13/2015

[bellows]

Trip: Mt Cruiser - South Corner

 

Date: 3/13/2015

 

Trip Report:

A “heat wave” on Friday was the perfect forecast for a long day and mellow alpine climb on some low elevation south facing rock. Mt Cruiser fit the bill perfectly.

 

West side of Mt Cruiser from Gladys Divide. The lack of snow in the Olympics was startling.

 

Heading up Needle Pass. Approach shoes, aluminum crampons and a whippet worked fine for me on the snow. Getting up to needle pass would have been difficult without the crampons.

 

Classic first view of the south face of Cruiser. For a 5.0 route the first view sure was intimidating!

 

Looking Down the route from the summit. I scrambled everything up to the ledge on top of the chockstone, then self belayed a single pitch from the ledge to the summit.

 

Views of Olympus were a treat.

 

Washington and Ellinor.

 

The Brothers.

 

Flapjack Lakes on the hike out.

 

Bridge over the North Fork Skokomish River. The Olympics are cool!

 

Gear Notes:

Light is right, it's a 20 mile day.

 

Approach Notes:

Not a touch of snow until 5000'. Nice trail all the way to Gladys Divide.

[Drederek]

Thanks for the pics and writeup, looked like a great day out.