[Alden Ryno]

Cosho Peak, 08/07/2020 Stats: 20-21 miles, 9,100' gain. Route: Ragged Ridge High Traverse, out-and-back. Last week I lopped Dorado Needle off of my Inspiration Traverse due to rain (wet rock) so I thought that I might be able to sneak up quickly Friday and climb it. Alas, rain, again. So my trip to follow the Needle became the sole focus. Instead of a half day plus full day for Cosho, I opted for a single-day go at Cosho. I knew it was far, but I figured that 15-18 hours would be plenty with a light pack. Of course, I forgot that the Ragged Ridge high traverse has a butt load of brush on it, and it was raining, just like at the Needle...

At East Pass, looking over NCH

I set off from my car at 0415 and immediately I thought, "uh oh." The brush right by the trailhead had wetted me slightly and I knew that there were several sections to Easy Pass that were overgrown. It still the brush on the traverse still hadn't dawned on me... Because I tried to minize getting wet, I went slower and used my poles, lengthening my ascent to Easy Pass, which I reached around 0550. The clouds were lifting along SR20 but not in the Fisher Creek Valley. Thus the wet traverse began.

Took this when I thought the clouds may lift. Nope, just moving quickly.

I made it to the buttress below Mesahchie and Katsuk at 1000 when the clouds began to slowly lift; the traverse this far was in a ping-pong ball. I plodded on, gaining from 7,400 to 7,600-7,700 for much of the traverse.

Is it clearing?!

SUCKER

There are small ledges much of the way, however, they don't always connect, so going up and down 50-100' at a time is routine. So. Many. Gullies.

Pick-Your-Own-Adventure Book

Nearing Kimtah

Cool arch

It's like it fell. The rock types are different yet the lines match up so well that it seems Improbable to have slammed/fallen into the slope. Thoughts?

Finally! A sight of Cosho at 1320 (120 pm). Note the clouds to the right

I hit the col where I transition from rock to snow at 1350 but the snow was holding clouds and I had no idea the condition of the Glacier. I thought that there might be a pure rock route that didn't involved too much descent so I wandered about Theives Peak... Going halfway around it before getting cliffed and going up before gettingore technical that I had anticipated so I reversed track back to the col.

A bunch of nope

The clouds had lifted and I went for Cosho! Thank goodness, that'd have REALLY sucked. I crossed the glacier, which only had one minor crack (pretty deep!) that was easily avoidable or crossable. I went back to rock ASAP and was unable to locate the class 3 route on the way up (may have had a snow finger in it yet) though I made my way up without too much trouble. I noticed a rappel along once nearer the summit. 1515 was my summit time.

At last, an unobstructed view of Ragged Ridge's raggedless end!

Might've slipped a time or two

Kimtah

It had taken 11 hours to get there... Meaning it was going to be near that getting back since the time consuming part is practically iso-elevatory (of the same elevation, made that up entirely). I debated whether or not to drop down to the Fisher Creek Valley (easy trail once there and a warm, more protected place to sleep with no true overnight gear).

More gentle traverse terrain

Goode and Logan. I used them as imperfect cloud level gauges

Ew. Those are some grotesque gendarmes

Last sight of the day

I sat (procrastinated) on the summit for 45 minutes when I left at 1600. I made it back to the Mesahchie/Katsuk rib at 2015 (815 pm) and it began to rain. By the time I was at the water outlet of the basin below it was dark and still raining. I threw on my rain shell jacket over me and my pack and zipped it up (it was TIGHT).

My night, confined to a solid angle of about 1/6th pi

Just when I thought I might get back in the dark albeit dry, it was wet again. My feet were wet from leaving the car to getting back to the car. Someone with a headlamp and I exchanged lights around 10pm last night. They were on the Fisher Creek Trail or at Cosho Camp (I presume). They probably thought I was crazy or lost. The traverse back was uneventful (thankfully) and my shoes, La Sportiva Jackals, were surprisingly grippy on both the wet rock and brush (wet grass and heather on slopes.... Ewwww). The rain stopped after an hour or so but the clouds and highly condensing atmosphere remained, so my headlamp was being washed out badly due to the water droplets in the air, giving me a 20-30' sight distance all the way back to Easy Pass. It went quite well and my elevation changes weren't too bad. I guess sling this a fourth time (out and back on two makes it a bit more known. Easy Pass at 0045 and the car at 0245 (sat and ate, changed soon after getting over the pass) for a 22.5 hour funfest! I still had quite a bit of food leftover (I didn't each much all day, oddly) and I had two extra pairs of socks, extra undies, two Echo hoodies, a polyester t-shirt, a balaclava, pants, shorts, a puffy, and a rain shell, so I could have just bedded down someone and really been fine, but I wanted to finish it and sleep somewhat decently in the car. It was about time that I had a character building trip, everything has been low-adversity recently (which is amazing), however, it's nice to be remind that sh## happens. I enjoyed every minute of the trip. But take my advice and either tag Cosho with Kimtah or just don't bother with the latter half of the Ragged Ridge Bulgers... A lone Cosho is turrible. 80/100 76/80 solo

[neek]

Love these epic TRs. Stay safe out there!

[Jake Robinson]

Impressive feat for sure. Did any of that sidehill across the steep vegetation between Easy Pass and Mesahchie feel sketchy since it was wet? I remember we got into some really bad spots on the way over to Mesahchie (ie, you fall you die), and it was perfectly dry. But I think we messed up the route by going too low. No judgment intended, just curious I think it was a good call to reverse your up route instead of dropping the unknown route down into Fisher Creek. On our route through there at least, there was a fair amount of slabby class 3 and 4 rock that would be downright treacherous if wet. Something I would want to rappel, for sure.

[Alden Ryno]

Absolutely sections that had horrendous run off. I noted elsewhere than there than I was extremely impressed with the grip on my shoes (La Sportiva Jackals are burly). Additionally, I was moving SO slow and being extremely cognizant of foot placement. As a result, nothing really seemed to hurt or ache until I was back on trail over Easy Pass. I may have whimpered a bit when I was finally able to put my feet up in the car (more relief than anything) haha Surely it being the fourth time on the traverse helped with my route finding despite it being dark and hard to see in the clouds. I'll check out that thread and see if they might have some thoughts

[Alden Ryno]

[awilsondc]

I can't believe you did the Ragged Ridge traverse route just for Cosho! That's some seriously rugged terrain. Once was enough for me, haha. Nice job man.

[rstoddard24]

Nice! I also can't believe you did the full ragged traverse to Cosho! Speaking for me personally, I thought it was a wash time wise for doing the traverse vs. dropping down to the trail for Mesauchie/Katsuk - for Cosho there is no doubt I would be much faster on the trail

[Alden Ryno]

That's actually good to hear in retrospect, Ryan! Ultimately it came down to not knowing the descent xhaving not gone up it, and hearing about how bad it was, particularly if wet. Regardless, Cosho is a heck of nuisance to get to... I figured the trail would have been MUCH faster; a comparatively easy 5.5-6 miles with 2,800' of gain? For my third round, I'll do the trail down Fisher Creek...

[Doug_B]

Hey we missed you yet again (Buckner a few weeks ago). We were camped on the ridge at 7400 just above Mesachie camp. We were sheltered by the rocks just down from the snow in your approach picture. We jumped into bivy bags when the rain started at 8:45 and climbed Mesachie and Katsuk in the morning. Sorry we missed you. Way to go on the route to Cosho. Your endurance on that sidehilling all the way to Cosho and back is incredible.

[Alden Ryno]

I had a feeling someone else was out there, Doug! Then I saw boot prints on the snow below that ridge. I was hoping I found some people for comraderie if nothing else haha. Good job on getting those two! How was the weather for y'all the next day?

[Doug_B]

We woke up to light rain that didn't stop until about 8:30. We slept in late in our soggy bivy sacks. We climbed both in the clouds. Basically no views until we got back to camp. Even by afternoon, the top of Logan and Mesachie were still covered.

[Fred Beavon]

80/100 76/80 solo I like your 76/80 solo ratio. Impressive! Fay Pullen did 72 of them solo. I wonder if anyone will ever solo all 100 of them.