[TR] The Mole (Edwards peak) - South Face 6/5/2011

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Trip: The Mole (Edwards peak) - South Face

 

Date: 6/5/2011

 

Trip Report:

Gorgeous weather, deep snowpack and marginal avy forecast? What to do? I convinced my friends DC and LL to climb the Mole, what else?

 

Nelson and Potterfield list two possible approaches - one is the Snow Creek trail and Tolketie Lake, the other via Hook Creek. The latter was not recommended for full packs. Based on the amount of snow and possible route-finding and snow issues for the former, we opted to haul heavy-ass packs up the brutal Hook Creek approach. We needed to get in better shape anyways.

 

The trail up to the base of the gulley on Yellowjacket Tower went quickly and smoothly. Wildflowers were everywhere and the air was heavy with flowery fragance. Despite the forecast 12K freezing level, and a 10 am start up the trail, we were treated to pleasant, breezy temps.

 

Going started to get more difficult as we traversed around Yellowjacket tower. We followed cairns here and there but mostly ended up in some unpleasant schwacking for a few hundred feet before we hit slabs. There were plenty of blowdowns and sharp sticks to make us earn our progress.

 

Traversing around YJT:

 

The view up towards our objective:

 

 

Snow became continuous around 4700 feet, and we soon broke into open slopes. From here the going was OK. The snow was certainly quite soft and we punched through up to our knees here and there. At this point exaustion was setting in as we approach the last 1000 feet gain of our 5500 feet for the day.

 

Final snow slopes towards Edwards Plateau:

 

From camp on Edwards Mesa we were treated to glorious views of the Enchantments, including our objective:

 

 

We opted to sleep in a bit on Sunday, heading out of camp around 7 am. First we descended some "lovely" sand and scree:

 

 

Next we traversed a few snow patches and rock bands. We had only brought trekking poles thinking there'd be no snow, or soft snow. Unfortunately the snow was neither soft nor insignificant. Some of the patches were a bit dicey, but we did not want to backtrack. Soon we got to the gully below the chock stone. It was snow-filled and steep enough to warrant concern. Moreover, downclimbing to the snow we noticed a hole with a huge dropoff and had no idea what was solid beneath us.

 

After a few minutes vacillating about retrieving our ice axes we opted to rope up and lead the snow-filled gully to the first pitch, placing a few pieces in the rock wall on the left.

 

DC leading the snow to pitch 1:

 

Unfortunately there was no dry spot to swap rock shoes for boots, so we all ended up with wet shoes trying to friction up the first crux (left-slanting 5.7 crack). Kudos to DC for the lead. I managed to almost tear off a large flake in the crack and lose some teeth in the process. If anyone heads up there beware of the loose flake...

 

LL led pitch two - which just has a few 5.x moves and some class 3 traversing on ledges. She was unsure how high to set a belay for pitch 3 and backed down a bit. DC then took over again and led up the second crux. Supposedly this included some 5.7 cracks but we did not encounter anything that seemed that hard. We were on route however as we hit the hidden flake with the tight, awkward chimney and downclimb (5.5. according to Nelson and Potterfield).

 

LL squeezing through the flake:

 

I took over next. I had two choices - a tight chimney or a lie-back flake. I was expecting 5.easy at this point, so the flake seemed "out" (I did try it). I focused on the chimney. Unfortunately my fat ass plus rack would not fit into the chimney enough for me to work my way above the first constriction, so DC took over and led this.

 

Chimney for skinny people on left; lieback flake/crack on right:

 

I then led the final pitch to the summit blocks - blocky 5.easy.

 

Nice view of Temple Ridge from the summit.

 

DC busts a bouldering move to the summit block.

 

The descent involved a single, overhanging rappel off the East side, some class 3 scrambling back to the the climbing route (the top of the skinny-person chimney), a double-rope rappel down the climbing route, and a short rappel back to the snow-filled gully.

 

DC sets up the first rappel:

 

LL scrambling:

 

We got some great glissading down the steep slopes and managed to follow cairns most of the way out. It took under 4 hours to get back to the cars - albeit a brutal, mind-numbing 4 hours.

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, helmet. Small alpine rack up to BD C4 #3.

 

Approach Notes:

Strenuous.

[mountainmatt]

Nice!

 

I was on the opposite side of the valley all weekend looking up there wondering when the enchantments would be in good shape. Way to get after it!

 

I have not done that approach, but having come down from Toketie wall last year, I am not sure how much I would want to do that approach either. Sounds like coming around from Prusik might be the easiest (however far longer).

[telemarker]

Very nice! The punishing approach to the Mesa has always deterred any notions of humping a heavy pack up Hook Creek. Good on you for suffering the vertical to camp in a wonderful setting!

[YocumRidge]

Looks awesome!

 

Glad you guys got some warm alpine rock at last.

[jordansahls]

Very nice! The punishing approach to the Mesa has always deterred any notions of humping a heavy pack up Hook Creek. Good on you for suffering the vertical to camp in a wonderful setting!

 

The approach isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Don't get me wrong, you can really screw yourself and end up schwacking through the suck. Still, its magnitudes better than rat bastard creek.

[spotly]

You have more faith than we did - looks like it paid off for you.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Nice job, that's a pretty spot up there.

 

I didn't think the approach was all that bad for the elevation gain when we went up to do the North Face of the Mole last year. It was certainly easier than when Matt and I came down from Toketie. It's a haul though!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Nice job, that's a pretty spot up there.

 

I didn't think the approach was all that bad for the elevation gain when we went up to do the North Face of the Mole last year. It was certainly easier than when Matt and I came down from Toketie. It's a haul though!

 

OK, OK. The approach was 'strenuous' but not particular bad. There was one shitty section of brushiness between 3300 and 3800 (for us at least). The rest wasn't too bad, especially the bigger boulder-hopping, slabs and snow.

 

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

You have more faith than we did - looks like it paid off for you.

 

It's not too late to go back and get 'er!

[telemarker]

Nice job, that's a pretty spot up there.

 

I didn't think the approach was all that bad for the elevation gain when we went up to do the North Face of the Mole last year. It was certainly easier than when Matt and I came down from Toketie. It's a haul though!

 

OK, OK. The approach was 'strenuous' but not particular bad. There was one shitty section of brushiness between 3300 and 3800 (for us at least). The rest wasn't too bad, especially the bigger boulder-hopping, slabs and snow.

 

 

Nonsense!! Hook creek is littered with the bleached bones of those unable to endure the extreme suffering of this approach. Count yourself lucky. To all else, might I recommend Colchuck Lake or Stuart Lake.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Nonsense!! Hook creek is littered with the bleached bones of those unable to endure the extreme suffering of this approach. Count yourself lucky. To all else, might I recommend Colchuck Lake or Stuart Lake.

 

Oh, yeah, I guess I did forget the bleached bones, 6K of deadfall and wading through blackberries and slide alder while digging my ice axe into the dirt for insecure footing. Oh and when you get there the Mole is really on 30 ft high, it just looks bigger from below. Colchuck Lake is a much better hike all around. ;-)

[telemarker]

Oh and when you get there the Mole is really on 30 ft high, it just looks bigger from below. ;-)

 

It's amazing how foreshortening works. I've been fooled more than a few times.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Nonsense!! Hook creek is littered with the bleached bones of those unable to endure the extreme suffering of this approach. Count yourself lucky. To all else, might I recommend Colchuck Lake or Stuart Lake.

 

That's what I kept crunching and stomping on, not to mention the slashes on my legs from the shards of sharp fragments!

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Nice work, KK and co.

 

Mike C and I did this as a day trip last year coming in from Toketie Creek. We surmised that no approach to The Mole is recommendable.

 

However, Stefan went in there on a traverse from Mountaineer's Creek and they said that's the way to go (it took them 12 hours RT, despite having attempted both Rat and Hook Creeks beforehand).

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Nice work, KK and co.

 

Mike C and I did this as a day trip last year coming in from Toketie Creek. We surmised that no approach to the mole is recommendable.

 

However, Stefan went in there on a traverse from Mountaineer's Creek and they said that's the way to go (it took them 12 hours RT, despite having attempted both Rat and Hook Creeks beforehand).

 

Cool. Looks like the crack we avoided in lieu of the short skinny person chimney is the standard way.

 

 

[Tom_Sjolseth]

I believe the chimney is actually standard (go up, left behind a flake, then back down to traverse to below the 5.7 flake).

 

We went up a short crack that seemed harder than 5.7. Maybe I'm getting old and feeble.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I believe the chimney is actually standard (go up, left behind a flake, then back down to traverse to below the 5.7 flake).

 

We went up a short crack that seemed harder than 5.7. Maybe I'm getting old and feeble.

 

We did the flake and downclimb, then up a short crack. It was there that we went up a 2nd, narrow chimney up to a chock stone and the rappel anchor. You guys (in your photo you linked to) went up the crack to the chock stone and rappel anchor above.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Yeah.. I meant crack but said flake - sorry for the confusion. We went up another more difficult crack (5.9?) below where that photo was taken, which is just left of where you start to head up to go behind the detached block. I couldn't fit behind the detached block, so I downclimbed, went left, and up the said crack (overhanging).

[Tony_Bentley]

The approach of both Toketie and Hook have gotten considerably worse over the years. It seems like every year more trees fall down and the undergrowth gets thicker. I went over the top last year and camped at mesa lake, left a few Dale's Ales tucked under a boulder for this year. The fish are smaller than they used to be. Hopefully a good winter kill has thinned the population.

 

The worse part is always the return back down about 500'above Yellow Jacket Tower , traversing back to it.

 

I'd still like to climb w.face of the Blockhouse. Looks like a grade 5.

[bwrts]

Nice job, that's a pretty spot up there.

 

I didn't think the approach was all that bad for the elevation gain when we went up to do the North Face of the Mole last year. It was certainly easier than when Matt and I came down from Toketie. It's a haul though!

 

OK, OK. The approach was 'strenuous' but not particular bad. There was one shitty section of brushiness between 3300 and 3800 (for us at least). The rest wasn't too bad, especially the bigger boulder-hopping, slabs and snow.

 

 

Nonsense!! Hook creek is littered with the bleached bones of those unable to endure the extreme suffering of this approach. Count yourself lucky. To all else, might I recommend Colchuck Lake or Stuart Lake.

I completely agree!

[bwrts]

The approach of both Toketie and Hook have gotten considerably worse over the years. It seems like every year more trees fall down and the undergrowth gets thicker. I went over the top last year and camped at mesa lake, left a few Dale's Ales tucked under a boulder for this year. The fish are smaller than they used to be. Hopefully a good winter kill has thinned the population.

 

The worse part is always the return back down about 500'above Yellow Jacket Tower , traversing back to it.

 

I'd still like to climb w.face of the Blockhouse. Looks like a grade 5.

WFACE is NOT grade 5. Thanks for the beer stash.

[Gaucho Argentino]

[unfortunately my fat ass plus rack would not fit into the chimney enough for me to work my way above the first constriction]

 

KK, remember there are no fat asses, only strategically located fat reserves to survive longer in a winter storm :-)

 

Good times and good climb, Buddies...

[Tony_Bentley]

I never said it was. Good luck finding my stash.

[franklinb]

LOL, white bones littering the route... The Hook has become my preferred route up. Fast at 5 hours or less and easy access with minimal issues. I like the log and slab walking. It's the lower part up to Yellowjacket that sucks and not to partial to the loose stuff up the top.

 

Looks like you may have done the same route we did last year, but we must have been on a little different version, we found a 5.2-4 leftward crack at the bottom and the one ~5.7 crack after the hidden flake. The rest was class 3 with some cl4 near the top. We stayed tied in all the way not knowing if there were any surprises up higher.

Always interesting how each group can have a variation of the similar experience by just going a little right or left. I like the spice.

 

I've found The Mole one of those places I'd like to stay longer and work a few more of the routes.

Here's our tr showing a bit different conditions in the summer.

 

Mole SE route topo

 

 

Glad you guys had a great climb,

-fwb

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

We actually used your TR for beta on the route, Franklin. We were pretty close to following it.

 

But 5 hours up Hook Creek? Not with our full packs and fat butts...