[TR] Dorado Needle - NW Ridge 7/14/2016

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Trip: Dorado Needle - NW Ridge

 

Date: 7/14/2016

 

Trip Report:

 

Four years in a row I got time off from work and lined up a climbing partner to climb Goode. Every year it's been shutdown due to weather.

 

This year one of my climbing partners flippantly replied "Julyuary" - as if that is a normal term for Seattle weather - where summer is supposed to start July 5.

 

Fuck.

 

Of the six days I had open to climb this week, only one had decent weather so I decided to give Dorado Needle a go - in one push. I figured that since I'm no speed demon this would take me about 18 hours car to car. Shenanigans ensued. It took 23 hours.

 

I met my buddy Scott at Prost at 4:30 or so Wed and we headed to the Eldo TH. Up at 3 am, moving by 3:45. We initially made decent time - 3:15 to the ridge, 4:45 to the Eldo base camp/rock island. We solo'd up to this point then roped up. I think it was under 8 hours to the base of the climbing route.

 

Scott at the rock island (7500').

 

Dorado, with her legs spread wide:

 

My route description said to start at a notch at the top of the glacier. Which I did, ignoring an obvious boot path up a moderately steep snow slope just to climber's left. Turns out that was the route (pitch one is under snow right now), and we did a viable variation adding a couple pitches (short), but we knew we weren't on the proper route and that slowed us up a bit.

 

The climbing went well from here, but the weather came in. We were in a cloud and the temps dropped quite a bit. By the time we finished the climb it was below 40 with windchill.

 

Summit shot:

 

With around 6500K gain and 15 hours on the day already, we were already getting fatigued when we got to the Eldo camp. I was cold while my partner was still rearranging his pack. He's an ultra marathoner, avid cyclists, and generally faster than me, so I opted to head out first - he agreed. We both figured he'd catch me soon (and he had the filter that I needed for water), so I started down. Clouds were blowing in and it was a little tricky to follow the boot path after crossing the flats, but I managed. The clouds cleared here and there and were totally gone below 6500'

 

Weather sets in:

 

Just above the gully crossing:

 

 

Unfortunately Scott somehow picked up a different boot path and ended up in heavily crevassed terrain (we were both soloing down). He opted to follow that path down and off the glacier since he could not see and did not want to stumble onto any cracks. This put him way off course. As I waited and the sun set, I picked up Scott's headlamp flashing and set mine to flash as well He saw it and made his way towards me at the gully that drops into the Roush. It took 2 hours to get to me and it was almost 11pm. We then navigated down in the dark and add 4 hours to the day more. Good times.

 

Scott's GPS track:

 

Gear Notes:

Standard glacier travel gear, small alpine rack.

 

Approach Notes:

No snow until the upper basin below the ridge crossing. Muddy.

[ilias]

Nice work, way to catch the short weather window to tag the peak.

 

Also, just another illustration of the risks of splitting up, especially in bad weather or when it's dark. I've been on a number of trips where the decision was made to split up and then meet back up, for whatever reason, and it's never turned out well.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Nice work, way to catch the short weather window to tag the peak.

 

Thanks. Still, I'm bummed about Goode. You guys did it at the right time.

[ivan]

be careful what you wish for, that-there goode can be a realle aoulde bitch

[Bronco]

Glad you guys got out ok. I accidentally descended off the south side of the W. Ridge of N. Twin on Saturday in low visibility. It cost an extra bit of very wet off trail travel. I haven't been lost in a long time. Good reminder that it's not real fun as I looked around very unfamiliar territory and realized I had screwed up.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Glad you guys got out ok. I accidentally descended off the south side of the W. Ridge of N. Twin on Saturday in low visibility. It cost an extra bit of very wet off trail travel. I haven't been lost in a long time. Good reminder that it's not real fun as I looked around very unfamiliar territory and realized I had screwed up.

 

I've been up the Eldorado glacier around 7 times so I was pretty confident that it would be a no brainer. Like I said, although there was a wide boot path, it was a bit tricky to follow going down the first few hundred feet (then I hit the bottom of the cloud layer). My partner realized his mistake but thought it best to follow a boot path off the glacier. Personally, I think I would have *ascended* back to the flats and moved back onto the correct track.

 

It was actually quite pleasant sitting up ther at night with the clouds moving through, stars peaking out, and a >1/2 moon rising and moving along the sky.

 

Fortunately i know that boulder field like the back of my hand and guided us out fairly easily with just one issue at the vertical rock step near the bottom.

 

[jeremyallyn]

KaskadskyKozak....Given the seasonal snow conditions, would a 30m rope suffice for descent in the next week?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

KaskadskyKozak....Given the seasonal snow conditions, would a 30m rope suffice for descent in the next week?

 

We needed a 60 m for the rappel. a 40m would definitely work for the pitches, not sure about a 30. If you downclimb the first pitch/snow, then yes a 30 m would suffice

[jeremyallyn]

Thanks man!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Thanks man!

 

No problem. Now that I think about it you could simulclimb that ridge with a 30m, or you could do it in three pitches if need be.

 

Good luck!

[scottpotpie]

Should have stopped as soon as I had that funny feeling. If I got the map out sooner and waited for a break in the clouds I probably could have backtracked like you said. Stupid mistake to trust in a boot-track to nowhere! Anyway, it was warm below the clouds and probably wouldn't have been a bad night to bivy. I'm headed back this weekend to do it as a 2-day, clean!