NWHikers.net - View topic - 2 Fingers, a Thumb, and Bear of a trip 6/30-7/2/09

Jim Dockery · Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:55 am 2 Fingers, a Thumb, and Bear of a trip 6/30-7/2/09

This is a tale of dichotomies: Ambition vs. reality, youth vs. age, adventure vs. beta, trails vs. bushwhacking, alpine high vs soul crushing drudgery, getting in shape vs. breaking down, and finally dreams vs. defeat. The details are too much to divulge so I'll let the pictures tell the story, suffice it to say Shred and I found some alpine solitude and interesting climbing, but got our asses (and feet) whooped and now need extended rehab.

And so it begins

Innovative axe technique

Waterfall bouldering

Walkin' da waterfall

Pure Cascade goodness

Liberty Mt. from Big Bear

Glacier Pk.

Squire Creek Wall

Descending Big Bear

Climbing [i:2127e21b8f]The Thumb[/i:2127e21b8f]

Climbing The Thumb

Top of [i:2127e21b8f]The Thumb[/i:2127e21b8f]

Top of The Thumb

Descending the W face of [i:2127e21b8f]The Thumb[/i:2127e21b8f]

Descending the W face of The Thumb

Traverse to S Finger

Climbing S Finger

Sunset from S finger

Mt. Baker

Chopper circles the peak

Sunrise

Steep hard morning snow

Descending S finger

Traverse to Middle Finger

Descending Middle

Traverse to trail

On the way to Goat Flats

Starting the road

14 miles later

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jimdockery.com
Panoramio

Magellan · Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:47 am

Holy bleep! That is some adventure. Fantastic pictures as usual!

run4cache · Member Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 137 | TRs | Pics

I get nervous just looking at those photos! Great pictures. Cant wait to get there myself. Great job.

Schroder · Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:27 pm

Was that approach up Copper Creek?

Tom_Sjolseth · Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:42 pm

Really nice photos, thanks for the writeup!

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Heavy and slow.

Jim Dockery · Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:10 am

Schroder, yes we came up Copper, but went down the 3 Fingers trail (not the original plan), then had to walk the whole damn road to get out (we thought we'd only have to go about 6 miles to a washout, but the FS blocked it off way back)!

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jimdockery.com
Panoramio

Quark · Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:14 am

The Angry Hiker · Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:56 pm

Isn't there a lookout up there? I wonder what kind of shape its in with the road being closed the past couple years.

Shred · Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:10 pm

Great pictures Jim!
Can't wait to get back and finish the project!

tazz · Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:33 pm

How the heck did I miss this?

where are the skis?

Good stuff you two!

Shred · Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:48 pm

Well Tazz, I had big plans to ski that week... However I was indebted to Jim for skiing Rainier a few days prior. Guess its time to hang the boards up and get out some of those snaplink thinges

tazz · Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:20 pm

Oooo i like those snaplink thinges!!!