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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostMon Apr 08, 2002 8:48 am 
Here is Pilar's trip report for Voodoo Peak. Here are also some links to the peak we climbed, the central rib you see in the picture is the preferred route to the summit--and the one we climbed.
Getting there: Drive to Darrington and then follow the Mtn. Loop Highway towards Barlow Pass for ~2.5 miles and take a right onto Clear Creek Rd #2065. Follow it until you hit snow (at approximately 1,250’). The trail: Stefan, Mike T and I started out a good 3 miles from where we were anticipating beginning. The day began by Stefan’s Honda being stopped by snow and the three of us piling in Mike’s truck and getting a good hundred yards further (we almost couldn’t see Stefan’s car from Mike T’s trucks high point!!). We began under “drizzly” skies that continued to get “drizzlier” as the day progressed. Starting without snowshoes we donned them after about a mile when the wet, heavy snow made “shoefree” progress extremely difficult. The day continued uneventfully as we slogged up the road finally crossing Clear Creek road as the road forked with Copper Crk. After crossing Clear Creek we continued up the road towards the “Witch Doctor Wall” before deciding to go cross-country at around 1,600’. The going then got ugly, post-holing through cut-over hemlock forest. We then crossed the main stream emanating from the saddle between Voodoo and Helena Peak continuing upward until we hit old-growth forest where we both lost snowshoes and the going got steep!! The snow was always saturated with rain and “ridiculously” heavy with almost continuous potential for post-holing. The NW ridge of Voodoo (really more of a due west rib) just kept getting steeper and steeper with each step. At this point it was becoming quite windy with a “very occasional” sucker-hole that kept Mike praying and saying that “the tide was changing” in our favor (…I don’t think so Mikey!!!!). This pipe dream faded quickly as it got wetter and colder as we climbed higher. At around 3,500’ the ridge became more distinct and the terrain near vertical. Stefan led exclusively from this point onward, the first pitch he climbed unroped while Mike and I wondered nervously below whether this was the right way… not to be deterred Stefan shouted down that this looked like the way to go as he threw the rope down to us. Mike used it as a hand-line while I full on roped up to do this steep crack that ended up on vertical brush. Once at the top of this gully we all roped up for the rest of the day. We continued in this fashion doing a running belay with me in the middle and Mike in the rear. Stefan continued plodding upward in horrendous snow conditions taking us all the way to the summit ridge at around 5,100’. Once on the ridge we’d hoped that we’d topped out on the summit but with only 5’ of visibility and blowing snow it was hard to tell. Unfortunately I thought that I could make out some sort of rock formation just a bit higher a few hundred yards to the south and of course we had to go check it out… so on we continued crawling up one cornice and down another ending finally at a small col before the (what seemed to be) the final summit pyramid. Now believe you me this thing was intimidating!!! We still had about a hundred feet of vertical up 40-50 degree slopes across a 30’ overhung cornice! Stefan didn’t bat an eyelash as he led out with Mike barking instructions and belaying him upward. In not time Stefan had made it to the top in what was now a driving blizzard confirming that we now were on the summit (Voodoo Peak 5,198’) whew!!! Stefan then proeceeded to downclimb the route while I prepared myself for my turn at the summit (a turn that I really wasn’t looking forward to!). Taking my time, Stefan urged me to hurry up as he continued to freeze at the belay station while I embarked cautiously up the steep slope. Needless to say I made it to the top while I posed on the summit for a picture taken by Mike, I then walked “down” to the summit cairn finding no apparent register. I then cautiously downclimbed the route while Mike prepared to go up. Mike ran up this thing like it was the most natural thing to do in the world and then down climbed the route pulling protection (we only had pickets to protect the final pitch), making it up and back in less than eight minutes with both time to rummage through the cairn and ask us to pose as he took our pictures from the summit, Wow!! Now that everyone was safely down we re-roped up and descended to the section where Stefan had freeclimbed and set up our one and only rappel. I went first taking about fifteen minutes as I spent most of the rappel untangling the rope from the brush (this was my biggest contribution to the climb, impressive eh?). Once down the others followed and we made quick work descending back to our snowshoes (we’d left them around 2,200’) via plunge stepping and glissading. We then re-donned our shoes for the 3-4 mile slog back to the vehicles, whew!!! We began the day (I’d woken up around 3:45 am) at 6:30 am and were back at the cars 12 hours later at 6:30 pm (a twelve hour day, ouch!) with about 4,000’ of elevation and ~12 miles of travel. In ending I’d just like to say a few words that I’ve been dying to say, “who do Voodoo…? We DO!!!!!” This was one of the few peaks in the cascades that none of us personally knew of anyone as having done!!! Unheard of!! Well take care kids! Pilar

Art is an adventure.
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Kim Brown
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Joined: 13 Jul 2009
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Kim Brown
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PostSat Apr 04, 2020 9:17 am 
Reading old trip reports. This looks like NWH's first, referencing a WTA report by Pilar ( at one time called Pilar the Climbing Kitty)

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Type E
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Type E
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PostSat Apr 04, 2020 9:59 am 
Reading a report from Pilar was like a blast from the past E

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puzzlr
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Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostSun Apr 05, 2020 9:05 pm 
That report generates no FOMO Your photos didn't come through. Here are a couple from Helena in 2012
Whitehorse, Jumbo, and Voodoo
Whitehorse, Jumbo, and Voodoo
Tip of Voodoo
Tip of Voodoo

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timberghost
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timberghost
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PostMon Apr 06, 2020 5:26 am 
Who do the Voodoo like you DO??

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