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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostWed Jun 03, 2009 11:57 pm 
Short story:
Brothers summit pano
63 labels
Brothers summit pano
Long story:
He really wanted to go with us
He really wanted to go with us
I really enjoyed this summit. It has a lot going for it. Almost three hours of driving to get there, a tourist filled lake close in, an amazing valley of old growth and magnificent boulders, one of the nicest backcountry camps I have been in, some steep forest, and old burn and avalanche field, a wet gully, scree and talus, snow filled gullies, and a final scramble to reach the summit.
Adam
Adam
Brent and Nancy
Brent and Nancy
Dave and Lisa
Dave and Lisa
Bill and Nancy
Bill and Nancy
Setting a new standard
Setting a new standard
We went in on saturday May 30. Some of our party was delayed, lost, and unequipped. Maybe they will join us later. suuure.gif There was no hurry, so we didn't. Lena Lake is very nice, and many families were camped there.
Mandatory trail poodle
Mandatory trail poodle
So far so good
So far so good
Overhang
Overhang
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
The wonder
The wonder
The trail signage is very good. The valley of the Silent Men lived up to it's reputation. Gorgeous old trees and boulders fill the valley. The climbers camp is between two forks of Lena Creek. Check upstream both ways for additional camps.
Wilderness
Wilderness
Amazed at the valley
Amazed at the valley
Roots from rock
Roots from rock
Underground river
Underground river
Beautiful valley
Beautiful valley
Big boulders
Big boulders
1/3 of team 'False Start'
1/3 of team 'False Start'
We partied hard, and listened to the other climbers in camp having just returned from the summit. Clues in hand we felt good about the next days plan. Brent cooked us chicken and rice and corn with a cream sauce. Adam stoked a small fire.
Naptime
Naptime
Good conversation
Good conversation
Camp mayhem
Camp mayhem
More WTF
More WTF
It was light when we left camp at 5:30. Easy trail cruised up through the timber, always within sound of the stream. We entered the burned/avalanched area, and wandered among two different paths.
Dark thirty start
Dark thirty start
Men
Men
A ways to go
A ways to go
Good morning
Good morning
A bit brushy
A bit brushy
Cairn and stream gully
Cairn and stream gully
A gully with water and loose rocks is easily followed upward. The entire lower route had no shortage of flags and cairns. We broke out of the gully and saw our first snow around 4500'. This is also where the goats started following us. paranoid.gif
First snow, route goes right
First snow, route goes right
We are being followed
We are being followed
Route goes right, always
Route goes right, always
He's coming right for us!
He's coming right for us!
Helmets and axes came out. No need for spikes today, but we took them anyways. The route is not always obvious. If a gully looks too narrow, then it is not the correct way. Whenever there was a gully choice, we went to the right. The only exception was the hourglass, which did not have enough snow to climb. This is easily bypassed on a ridge to the right.
Nice goat, please don't butt me
Nice goat, please don't butt me
Hourglass Pano, head right onto the ridge
Hourglass Pano, head right onto the ridge
Nancy posing, Pete concerned
Nancy posing, Pete concerned
Lisa telling the goat to move
Lisa telling the goat to move
Old burns, avalanches
Old burns, avalanches
Back into the main gully, it steepened. By this time it was consistently 40 degrees. Further up it got to 45, 50, and for the last few feet it may have been 55 degrees. Self belay was easy, and good steps were kicked.
Back into the gully above the hourglass
Back into the gully above the hourglass
Steepening
Steepening
Abstract, you make up a title
Abstract, you make up a title
As alpine as it gets
As alpine as it gets
Getting very close
Getting very close
A dirty scramble, a small snow patch, and some rock work got us to the summit block. Woo-hoo! A five volcano view. All of the Cascades and many Olympic mountains were out for us. It's tough when I know the names of so few summits over there. We were up top for at least 1.5 hours! eek.gif
Goofballs
Goofballs
Peekaboo
Peekaboo
We saw a man traverse over from the other summit. He mentioned a four hour bushwack and cliff dodge to get there. He did not recommend it. hockeygrin.gif Two skiers were the only other people we saw all day. Bill rigged a hand line for us on the way down the steepish rock. It certainly helped me make the first move. After that it was okay. Despite the steepness, decent glissading was to be had. Rocks are showing through, and we crossed two suspect snow bridges. By this time, the route has probably gone to hell. I highly recommend good snow coverage for this route.
A hand line is nice
A hand line is nice
Brent stops to melt snow
Brent stops to melt snow
In the burn on the way down we found another path that swung out to the north. It was here that I saw some large flower patches, and a nice waterfall.
Dirty stream gully
Dirty stream gully
Loose dirt in the burn
Loose dirt in the burn
Waterfall and phlox
Waterfall and phlox
Adam and Pete
Adam and Pete
Sundog and contrail
Sundog and contrail
We staggered into camp around 300. Hitting the trail around 430, we said good bye to the mountains and finally made the cars around 800. Turkey sandwiches, chips, and root beer hit the spot. chow.gif
Pleasant diversion
Pleasant diversion
Emptying of the campsite
Emptying of the campsite
Fern falls
Fern falls
Biguns
Biguns
Inlet crossing
Inlet crossing
Evening approaches Lena Lake
Evening approaches Lena Lake
Olympic faces, my first
Olympic faces, my first
R/T 17 miles, 6000'+ gain. It could be done in a long day with a trailhead bivy, but if you like to camp, there are plenty of great spots.

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Andy D.
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Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 209 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bow, WA
Andy D.
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 12:10 am 
Nice work, that's quite a team! I have pictures of that same waterfall, I remember it being really neat! I am also not too familiar with the Olympics peaks, so I started labeling your panoramic to help me out wink.gif

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GeoTom
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Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth
GeoTom
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 6:44 am 
Another entertaining read Magellan. Nice work spotting the trail poodle.

Knows literally nothing
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Pepper
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Joined: 10 Apr 2009
Posts: 80 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
Pepper
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 7:00 am 
Nice TR and photos, thanks for the report. up.gif

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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
JimK
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 7:21 am 
Nice report! Must be nice to have a clear day up there. Having only done it on rock, I agree it looks to be much better with snow.

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Spotly
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Joined: 06 Jan 2004
Posts: 3723 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spokane Valley
Spotly
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 7:55 am 
Enjoyable TR. The "Fern Falls" picture is excellent - moody.

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11th Essential
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Joined: 09 Jun 2007
Posts: 203 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline, WA
11th Essential
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 8:05 am 
Nice work, nice pics. I liked hearing about the goat that followed you. up.gif up.gif up.gif I saw a bunch of these "Olympic Faces" leaves when hiking down from Lena Lake. At first I thought it was some little kid poking holes in leaves as they rambled down the trail with their family. Then kept seeing more and more of them. What they heck are they?
Magellan wrote:
Olympic faces, my first
Olympic faces, my first

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Layback
Cascades Expatriate



Joined: 16 Mar 2007
Posts: 5712 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back East
Layback
Cascades Expatriate
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 8:10 am 
That's awesome Magellan. Nice work. up.gif P.S. That picture of your son rocks!

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dicey
custom title



Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 2870 | TRs | Pics
Location: giving cornices a wider berth
dicey
custom title
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 9:10 am 
Awesome smile.gif

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/
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ICLIMB76
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Joined: 08 May 2007
Posts: 222 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tacoma, Wa.
ICLIMB76
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 9:13 am 
I have been on this peak many times and I have never seen a goat. I hope to every time but they don't appear. Oh well. My day will come sometime. Good climb.

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Tag Man
side hiller



Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 602 | TRs | Pics
Location: Where the roots all twist...
Tag Man
side hiller
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 9:17 am 
Thanks for the report on the snow conditions up there. Nice backpack, I wish mine had wheels!

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Canuck
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Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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Location: Lacey WA
Canuck
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 9:21 am 
Spotly wrote:
Enjoyable TR. The "Fern Falls" picture is excellent - moody.
ditto.gif Great pictures, but that one is a perfect Olympics picture. up.gif Nice job on the summit!!!

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Highwalker's Daughter
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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Posts: 1575 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bothell, WA
Highwalker's Daughter
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 10:00 am 
Loved your captions and pix of the goats! Looks like a great trip.

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reststep
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Joined: 17 Dec 2001
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reststep
Member
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 10:12 am 
Nice report and pictures. I really like the Fern Falls picture.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking



Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!
EastKing
Surfing and Hiking
PostThu Jun 04, 2009 10:21 am 
Great TR and pics. Hope to do the Brothers next year.

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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