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Tom_Sjolseth Born Yesterday
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 2651 | TRs | Pics Location: Right here. |
Be forewarned that this is more of a climbing trip report, but we hiked to get in there, so...
On Friday, the Memorial Day forecast wasn't looking promising. Most everyone was predicting doomsday scenarios with the weather ("engulfing the entire west coast" was one of the phrases I'd heard tossed around). But, they were forecasting east winds, so I thought this might be the one chance to experience the Mt. Baker rainshadow.. turns out I was right.
Mike Collins, Sean Martin and I drove out to Middle Fork Nooksack Road on Friday night after filling up on burgers and beer at Red Robin in Bellingham. We were able to drive to ~MP 10.5 before snow stopped forward progress (Elbow Lake TH).
Saturday morning we awoke to sunny weather! There were very few clouds in the sky as we made the approach up Rankin Creek. It was a little less than a year ago that we trudged up this very same ridge on our first attempt, only to return empty-handed. We were somewhat determined not to repeat the non-summit.
We set up camp with great views of Lincoln and Sisters, with partly cloudy skies, but plenty of sun. We had a great meal of Pesto Pasta with parmesan cheese, and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Scotch to top it off. Things were really looking good!
We awoke at 2AM to tiny patters of rain on our tent. This climb has many hazards, one of which is copious rockfall which tends to be induced by rain, so we decided to wait a bit and see if things cleared up. At 5:30, the skies cleared and we got ready to head up.
Soft snow slowed progress. We thought it would firm up as we climbed, but it seemed like it only got softer. At the gulley pitch, we encountered a 10 foot deep avalanche runnel about 4 feet wide and about 60-70 degrees steep with nearly vertical steps every 30 feet or so. The conditions were even more heinous than our previous attempt. Avalanche activity is rampant in this gulley, and it's one of those places where you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best. We set up a belay here which slowed progress to the point where I was getting pretty worried about time.
At the top of the gulley pitches, we experienced the first avalanche. After yelling AVALANCHE!, Sean quickly shuffled aside. Luckily he was anchored in with a sling to probably the most solid rock on the whole mountain, which certainly saved him a 1500' lawn dart down to the glacier below. The avi slid off to one side of him, and showered his pack with sluff. He seemed a bit rattled, and I was beginning to become concerned at the worsening conditions.
After the avalanche, we were able to climb up on to a knife-edge arete that dropped very steeply off both sides. We felt sheltered from any avy activity here, but this is where we witnessed some of the largest slides of the trip! The aforementioned 80 degree "gulleys" (avalanche chutes) began sliding seemingly once every 10 minutes, and we were right smack-dab in the middle of it all. I was halfway tempted to wait until nightfall (and more solid conditions) to get the hell out of dodge, but that would mean descending in the dark and that didn't sit well with any of us. Our determination to summit was waning fast. Our next mission, should we choose to accept, was to cross over the knife-edge arete into the bowling alley. This area is shaped like a funnel, the top a broad bowl about 60 degrees steep, the bottom of it draining into a vertical drop as far as the eye can see. No matter how much we wanted to summit, we would be stupid to continue on in these conditions.
So 400 vertical feet below the true summit (~8,650'), we started the rappells.. 7 of them. All full 60m raps on deadmen pickets. Our last rappel in the dark off an overhanging, 100ft tall ice floe with a waterfall to boot! Of course the ropes got bunched up and Sean had to dangle in the mist to free the rat's nest. Safely back on the snow, Sean was already talking up his next attempt. As for me, I'm pretty sure I'll go back, but it will have to be perfect conditions.
But hey, we had a great Memorial Day Weekend in perfect weather, and I've got the sunburn to prove it. Thanks for a good trip Mike and Sean.
Lincoln is a very imposing mountain. No pictures can do it justice, you just have to experience it to believe it. Nowhere have I seen vertical snow like Lincoln has. There are several gulleys on its SW face (the "walk-up" side) that exceed 70 degrees. Some of them I would guess are about 80 degrees (beyond my comfort level for sure). It's amazing that snow even sticks there.
Conditions on Lincoln are very difficult to determine in advance. I have yet to solve the puzzle, but I'm convinced that the key to a successful bid is getting it in the right conditions.
In the prophetic words of Mike Collins, "The mountain always wins, you just try not to lose". Truer words had not been uttered the whole weekend.
Lincoln Peak from the approach. The gang at camp. More views from camp. The Sisters Range in the morning light. The traverse. Looking down from the traverse. Two of the three stooges. Staring off towards Vancouver. Sean on his first alpine lead. Looking down at Sean and Mike. Mike at the bottom of the runnel. Sean setting up the next rap.
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Yana Hater
Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 4212 | TRs | Pics Location: Out Hating |
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Yana
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Mon May 26, 2008 8:43 pm
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PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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Tazz Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 7902 | TRs | Pics
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Tazz
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Mon May 26, 2008 9:07 pm
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Randy Cube Rat
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 2910 | TRs | Pics Location: Near the Siamangs |
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Randy
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Mon May 26, 2008 9:09 pm
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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4308 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Mon May 26, 2008 9:31 pm
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Glad you made it out of there okay.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Schmidt Alti-Babe The Ice Queen
Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 606 | TRs | Pics Location: Buried by backlogged pictures |
I was shaken just from reading your report. I'm really glad everyone is alright. Great pictures of the area.
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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5093 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Mon May 26, 2008 10:03 pm
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Um....I thought you were in Canada.
thanks for coming back so I could climb with you guys again.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Awesome TR and effort !
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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dicey custom title
Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2869 | TRs | Pics Location: giving cornices a wider berth |
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dicey
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Tue May 27, 2008 3:29 pm
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Tom_Sjolseth wrote: | In the prophetic words of Mike Collins, "The mountain always wins, you just try not to lose". |
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
When is someone important enough to be considered "assassinated" and not just killed?
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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SlowWalker Perma-grinner
Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Posts: 888 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
That's an inspiring trip report! The photos "The Traverse" and "Looking down from the traverse" nearly made me pucker.
I hope you don't mind a couple of questions from a novice.
1) In "The Traverse" it looks like we can see 4 anchor points. Are all of those using aluminum pickets? Just curious.
2) You said all the rappels were from deadman anchors. Were these pickets? Do they get left in place? Or if not how are they retrieved by the last guy? I know that slings are often left on rocks after a rappel, but I'm guessing you wouldn't leave pickets behind.
Thanks in advance for the education.
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Mike Collins Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 3100 | TRs | Pics
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Tom is ObiWon with ropeclimbing skills. If you want to get to the top of something he has "the right stuff" with abilities. We left seven pickets behind for this climb. All the deadman anchors were pickets with the sling coming out from the hole midanchor. The slings extended two feet from the anchor and had carabiners attached. The biners help assure retrieval of the rope which was of paramount importance not because of the cost, but because it was our ticket home. I was very concerned the rope might snag on the one rappel made from a rock anchor. All rappels were double-rope rappels so the knot snagging was a very real possibility. In the traverse I believe Tom placed four anchors but it might have been five.
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Mike Collins Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 3100 | TRs | Pics
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dicey wrote: | Tom_Sjolseth wrote: | In the prophetic words of Mike Collins, "The mountain always wins, you just try not to lose". |
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These words are not originally mine. An author penned the reflection when writing about K2. The adage is good to remember though as it is a lifesaving truism when threatening situations arise.
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Martin S Member
Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 181 | TRs | Pics Location: Out in the perimeter, where there are no stars |
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Martin S
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Tue May 27, 2008 8:35 pm
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Great effort guys, and I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece. Here's a picture of the west side of Lincoln from last November. Where was your high point?
If that picture don't make ya pucker, you're made of stouter stuff than I.
"nothing's for certain" took the elevator down
while "anything can happen" climbed the stairs
- Ryszard Krynicki
"nothing's for certain" took the elevator down
while "anything can happen" climbed the stairs
- Ryszard Krynicki
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seawallrunner dilettante
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 3309 | TRs | Pics Location: Lotusland |
holy wow, what an adventure. you guys were really on the edge of adventure, and I'm not talking about the knife-edge near the summit.
you drew upon your long experience, and made good decisions - and there was a great adventure for you all. well done, and the mountain will be there next year for another great weekend out.
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