Forum Index > Trip Reports > Argonaut - 5/17/2016
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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, WA
Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostWed May 18, 2016 1:58 am 
One day of good weather. We started hiking at 3:30am. Cross Bean Creek, follow Beverly Creek, over the pass and then down Fourth Creek. Ingalls creek was raging. I was prepared to cross it, but Josh insisted we search for a log. Good choice! There's one 100 yards to the west.
crossing Bean Creek in the dark
crossing Bean Creek in the dark
Argonaut
Argonaut
our route
our route
Josh crossed, but we didn't like this log
Josh crossed, but we didn't like this log
we liked this log
we liked this log
We bushwacked up the south slope on Argonaut and crossed under a rib at 5800 feet to enter the main gully at 6000 feet. Ticks! I flicked two off of my pant legs into the snow. The snow was firm in places and we used crampons. Higher up it got steep. Then we got off the snow onto rock just below the crux scramble gully. But there was a snow formation in the way that had to be dealt with first.
my ticks
my ticks
pretty coloration
pretty coloration
getting steeper
getting steeper
snow formation
snow formation
I scrambled up the crux gully and then Heather and then I gave Mike a belay. Josh came last and we all went up to the summit. The register indicated that we were the first ascent of the year. We spent some time up there waiting for the snow to soften. Heather and Mike took naps.
Heather starting crux gully
Heather starting crux gully
single class 4 move
single class 4 move
summit looms
summit looms
leaning rock
leaning rock
Stuart
Stuart
Josh triumphant
Josh triumphant
Mike coming up
Mike coming up
Heather wants Stuart
Heather wants Stuart
first of the year?
1 label
first of the year?
nap time with exposure
nap time with exposure
Mike sleeping soundly above Mountaineer Creek valley
Mike sleeping soundly above Mountaineer Creek valley
Stuart
Stuart
the goods
the goods
We rappelled down the crux with my 30 meter and took turns using the 2 harnesses we brought. The snow was now soft enough for plunge stepping and glissades. I got to make some long standing glissades which always thrills me.
Heather rappelling
Heather rappelling
Mike rappelling
Mike rappelling
glissade
glissade
pink trillium
pink trillium
white trillium
white trillium
We crossed the log over Ingalls again and then made the semi-brutal hike back up to the pass and down the other side. 17.5 hours round-trip with lots of long breaks and time on the summit.

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Distel32
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Joined: 03 Jun 2014
Posts: 961 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, WA
Distel32
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PostWed May 18, 2016 6:19 am 
up.gif

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Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent



Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to the Prom(inence)
Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent
PostWed May 18, 2016 6:30 am 
Whoa! Long day! Great job! up.gif up.gif up.gif

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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awilsondc
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Joined: 03 Apr 2016
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awilsondc
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PostWed May 18, 2016 6:31 am 
Standing glissades!!! Love those... I've never seen anyone else do it though. Seems most prefer the butt method. wink.gif Looks awesome as always!

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wildernessed
viewbagger



Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics
Location: Wenatchee
wildernessed
viewbagger
PostWed May 18, 2016 7:30 am 
up.gif Except the log crossing. eek.gif

Living in the Anthropocene
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Anish
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Joined: 07 Sep 2014
Posts: 79 | TRs | Pics
Anish
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PostWed May 18, 2016 9:57 am 
Great trip you guys!
Love seeing who else is out here
Love seeing who else is out here
Great view of Mt. Adams
Great view of Mt. Adams
Rainier dominating the skyline
Rainier dominating the skyline

"Our way is not soft grass. It's a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upwards, forward, toward the sun." -Ruth Westheimer
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Fletcher
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics
Location: kirkland
Fletcher
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PostWed May 18, 2016 10:11 am 
Excellent! Argonaut is my favorite peak in the Stuart Range, such a cool peak. When I did it I accidentally dropped my pack (and axe) and watched it uncontrollably tumble 1000 feet down slope.

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Michael Lewis
Taking a nap



Joined: 27 Apr 2009
Posts: 629 | TRs | Pics
Location: Lynnwood, WA (for now)
Michael Lewis
Taking a nap
PostWed May 18, 2016 10:44 am 
Sooo sore! Will add pics eventually. Thanks for getting us back safely. It was a good trip

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Rainie Too!
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Joined: 12 Dec 2008
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Rainie Too!
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PostWed May 18, 2016 11:07 am 
Like this peak too! Was wondering how early it would go. Thanks!

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iron
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Joined: 10 Aug 2008
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Location: southeast kootenays
iron
Member
PostWed May 18, 2016 11:08 am 
awilsondc wrote:
I've never seen anyone else do it though
boot skiing: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7967236

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rocknclimb
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Joined: 10 Sep 2010
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Location: Wenatchee Valley
rocknclimb
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PostWed May 18, 2016 1:47 pm 
Good stuff up.gif Glad you found a log to cross Ingalls safely. The crossing at 4th Creek was probably the sketchiest creek I have managed back on May 6th. I ended up breaking my left arm recrossing at Falls Creek a few days later.

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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Dustin Trails
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Joined: 23 Feb 2015
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Location: Ashford, WA
Dustin Trails
Member
PostWed May 18, 2016 2:21 pm 
That looks like a great spring trip, I did it in summer and it is quite enjoyable then as well. I love that solid scrambling and the summit block is super fun. I also found it to be a very nice nap summit.

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics
Location: Stuck in the middle
puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostWed May 18, 2016 2:25 pm 
It figures you could knock that off in one day. Congrats on making it. Seems like a different peak with all that snow in the gully. How much trouble did you have with the brush lower down? We found a mostly clear way but got stuck in about 100' of thick alder at one point.

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Jetlag
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Joined: 17 Aug 2010
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Jetlag
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PostWed May 18, 2016 4:54 pm 
Impressive! That's a LOT of work for one day. Do a second tick check ASAP. I just finished the last day of my antibiotic treatment for an Ixodes tick.

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Brushbuffalo
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Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Posts: 1887 | TRs | Pics
Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
Member
PostWed May 18, 2016 5:04 pm 
Standing glissades have a long history. Rowland Tabor taught me, when in 1967 we boot skied the North Buttress of Shuksan after climbing the route. He had some LaTrappeur boots with a curiously upturned toe...perfect boot skis!

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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