[TR] Cinderella - East Buttress 6/4/2016

[JasonG]

Trip: Cinderella - East Buttress

 

Date: 6/4/2016

 

Trip Report:

Both Curt and Darin have written up TRs on the mythical East Buttress of Cinderella with a lot of swanky beta, so I'll spare you a retelling. Suffice to say that the Green Creek valley is a pretty special place, even for people used to such places. This was my third trip in there and I think I may even be more taken with the beauty, solitude, flora, and interesting geology than I was several years ago on my first visit. The climbing is pretty darn good too!

 

This time we found the excellent climber's path that is now established into the upper valley and it made a world of difference. The easy(ish) travel means you can hike in after work (2- 3 hours) to the excellent camps and be ready to tackle your choice of high quality routes early the next morning. For dads like myself, this area has quite the remote feel without the time commitment of getting deeper into the range. The views alone are worth the price of admission. The East Buttress of Cinderella isn't the best route in the area, but it is, long, scenic, and worth doing (IMO). As you can read in Darin's report, a soloist can race up it in a couple hours, but it was a pretty full day for us, even with a bivy in Green Creek. Expect climbing to mid-fifth or so and some looseness (for this area, not bad for the Cascades in general).

 

I realize I'm talking up the area a bit, but I think it could use a bit more love, if only to keep the climber's path established. Although, Blake's new book features Green Creek, so maybe you'd better get in there while it is still quiet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Medium rack to 2", with emphasis on the smallest cams. 60m half rope works well. Helmet! Rock shoes are nice....

 

Approach Notes:

Bridge still out over Middle Fork. Log upstream. There is a VERY NICE climber's path that leaves the elbow lake trail at the end of the long traverse just before the major switchbacking commences. Look for obvious tread traversing steep slope below the trail. Easy to follow all the way to treeline. Good camps below Green Creek arete, on other side of the valley near the major creek junction.

[dberdinka]

I wonder how old those two big cedars are? They are pretty special.

 

[olyclimber]

Wow what an awesome trip, and awesome pictures. Thanks Jason. Beautiful and stoke inspiring.

[JasonG]

Thanks guys!

 

I know Darin, they are amazing. Kit (guy in the pic, and long time USFS employee) thought that those yellow cedars may be contenders for the oldest trees on the MBSNF. Given the altitude, species, and size, he thought they were both easily more than 1000 years old, maybe even approaching 1500-1800 for the scraggly one.

[dberdinka]

Awesome. A worthy destination in and of itself.

[layton]

awesome^10

 

please keep posting your trip reports which have the highest ratio of adventure to spray on the site

[JasonG]

Thanks Mike, I really appreciate the kind words! Glad you enjoy the TRs, will do my best to keep the wife happy and the hall passes flowing like Canadian Hunter around the campfire.

[olyclimber]

this may be the best i've seen someone rock the Devo helmet. It actually looks almost normal on his head! On me it makes me look like I'm wearing an orange flower pot.

[JasonG]

Ha! I'll let Kit know. My wife still laughs whenever she sees a photo of me in my Sirocco. Although, she does sort of like the fact that I have no chance with any lady climbers I might run into in the hills.

 

The helmet is just too damn light and comfortable for me to care how it looks.

[dberdinka]

No doubt it's only the helmet that prevents you from having any game.

[olyclimber]

Yes, it definitely scares off the wooly ones with hooves doesn't it? baa

[mountainsloth]

"I dig your style dude."