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RichP
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 10:12 am 
Clmberjeff and I headed out for four days in the Pasayten Wilderness to knock off several peaks in his quest to complete the second 100 highest in Wa. I've been picking away at both lists for some time though I'll probably never finish either. With the possibility of doing Lost Peak, which is a T/100 peak, I was convinced to go. We camped at the trailhead at Slate Pass on Friday in order to get an early start to walk the 16 miles to just past Shellrock Pass where we camped for three nights next to a tarn.
Fred's Lake
Fred's Lake
Fred's Lake
Fred's Lake
Mt Rolo
Mt Rolo
Shellrock Pass in distance
Shellrock Pass in distance
Osceola
Osceola
Carru and Lago
Carru and Lago
Blackcap and Monument
Blackcap and Monument
Shellrock Pass in distance
Shellrock Pass in distance
Shellrock rocks
Shellrock rocks
Three Pinnacles fromShellrock Pass
Three Pinnacles fromShellrock Pass
The following morning we set off for Three Pinnacles which required dropping down into the Monument Ck drainage to about the 4800 foot level. The trail was actually in better shape than I had imagined and it was relatively easy to follow though it's been abandoned for decades. Here we essentially went upslope some 3000 vertical feet to reach the summit. There were a few minor rockbands along the way but Jeff expertly led us through them working rightward until the summit was in view.
Clint's collapsed cabin along Monument Ck
Clint's collapsed cabin along Monument Ck
Two of the Three Pinnacles
Two of the Three Pinnacles
Approaching Three Pinnacles North
Approaching Three Pinnacles North
Peering through a gap below Three Pinnacles North
Peering through a gap below Three Pinnacles North
Summit register Three Pinnacles North
Summit register Three Pinnacles North
Lake, Monument, and Blackcap from Three Pinnacles
Lake, Monument, and Blackcap from Three Pinnacles
Middle Pinnacle 1 foot shorter
Middle Pinnacle 1 foot shorter
The north pinnacle is the highest by 1 foot, so we were satified with that one.
Jeff makes another summit in his second T/100 quest
Jeff makes another summit in his second T/100 quest
The other two of the Three Pinnacles
The other two of the Three Pinnacles
From here we ran the ridge toward lost Peak which Jeff had already climbed 25 years before. He graciously accompanied me to the summit since the ridge to Pass Butte is at nearly the same level.
Steep side of Three Pinnacles North
Steep side of Three Pinnacles North
Splendid ridgerunning
Splendid ridgerunning
Robinson and Lake
Robinson and Lake
Lake, Monument, Blackcap, et al with the Monument Ck drainage below
Lake, Monument, Blackcap, et al with the Monument Ck drainage below
Lake, Monument, and Blackcap
Lake, Monument, and Blackcap
Lago in center
Lago in center
Lost Peak 8464
Lost Peak 8464
Lost Peak summit
Lost Peak summit
Ridge from Lost to Pass Butte and Trailblazer
Ridge from Lost to Pass Butte and Trailblazer
Looking towards Pass Butte, Trailblazer, and Ptarmigan Peak from lost summit
Looking towards Pass Butte, Trailblazer, and Ptarmigan Peak from lost summit
On Lost Peak with Many trails peak in background
On Lost Peak with Many trails peak in background
Jeff's photo of Trailblazer summit cairn and pack
Jeff's photo of Trailblazer summit cairn and pack
After crossing over Pass Butte, I was too tired to go on and returned to camp. Jeff did Trailblazer solo which is a T/200 peak. This turned out to be a 14-hour day. The following morning, Many Trails Peak was on the agenda. This required dropping down into the Ptarmigan Ck drainage to about the 5200 foot level. I had heard that this trail was full of logs and it turned out to be true. We literally hopped over or walked around hundreds of trees to get to the point where we turned off to head upslope. The route was relatively easy, but somewhat brushy. 12 hours later we were back at camp when it started to rain and did not cease all night.
Morning reflection in tarn below Shellrock Pass where we camped
Morning reflection in tarn below Shellrock Pass where we camped
Camp below Shellrock Pass
Camp below Shellrock Pass
Foggy morning on Butte Pass
Foggy morning on Butte Pass
Trailblazer
Trailblazer
Looking across Ptarmigan Ck drainage
Looking across Ptarmigan Ck drainage
One step forward, one-half step backward
One step forward, one-half step backward
Jeff making his way to Many Trails summit
Jeff making his way to Many Trails summit
Lost Peak in background
Lost Peak in background
Trailblazer from Many Trails
Trailblazer from Many Trails
Ptarmigan Peak
Ptarmigan Peak
On Many Trails summit
On Many Trails summit
Sheep Mtn way over there
Sheep Mtn way over there
Ptarmigan Peak
Ptarmigan Peak
Lost, Pass Butte, and Trailblazer
Lost, Pass Butte, and Trailblazer
Descent route from Many Trails Peak
Descent route from Many Trails Peak
Old fire break atop ridge
Old fire break atop ridge
View to Many Trails Peak from Butte Pass
View to Many Trails Peak from Butte Pass
Trailblazer 8211 from Butte Pass. Jeff did this peak solo
Trailblazer 8211 from Butte Pass. Jeff did this peak solo
The final day was a death march out in cold rain. When we reached Lake Doris, it began to snow. We rushed through this section to get to lower ground since conditions were ideal for hypothermia. When we arrived to Slate Pass the sun was shining and the flowers were in full display. This was about the most difficult trip I have done in recent memory since it involved much elevation gain and loss as well as tons of miles. Our estimate was about 55 miles and 21,000 ft of gain.

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wildernessed
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 10:43 am 
up.gif Nice Rich, you've been busy out in the Pasayten this year, hopefully I can get in a couple more trips myself. I like the decent route in the one picture.

Living in the Anthropocene
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dicey
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 11:26 am 
Whoa! That's a lot of vert and miles. I was in that area a couple of weeks ago, but we camped at lake Doris. How is the camping at Shellrock? Water available?

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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Bright River
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 1:32 pm 
Great effort, great trip!!
Thanks for the Trip report, and all the good photos - amazing how differnt the Lake- Monument area looks from the Lost Peak ridge. 3 Pinnacles was an classical looking thing, and not much traveled. Did you camp between Shellrock and Butte Passes? Could you have camped easily(with water) at Butte Pass or between Butte Pass Peak and the next highest peak to the east?? It looked like the weather was unsettled the whole time. Did you see any lightning??

..-and rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving. Rise free from care before the dawn and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. HDT
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Stefan
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 1:35 pm 
great stuff! You didn't happen to take a picture to the SE from Many Trails Peak...more of Rampart Ridge did you?

Art is an adventure.
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RichP
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 2:35 pm 
Dicey, We camped at a tarn about 1/2 mile past Shellrock Pass. Plenty of water and a nice place to spend a few days. BR, No lightning, but a bit of rain every day. Again, on the way out, it rained almost the entire way. No water at Butte Pass though it is a huge rambling area. Stefan, I hope this pic is of some use to you:
Rampart Ridge?
Rampart Ridge?

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Stefan
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 2:43 pm 
wow. that is exactly what I was looking for. hopefully if everything goes right I will be in the area during larch season! Thanks for the picture!

Art is an adventure.
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Bright River
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 4:42 pm 
Route from Johnny Lakes??
I have been trying to work out a possible route from Trailblazer to Many Trails or from the pass Butte Area to Many trails. The ridge from Trailblazer to many trails looks a little knarly just north of trailblazer, but there was not really a photo showing the whole ridge. But I thought there ought to be a possibility of doing Many trails without losing all that altitude down Ptarmigan creek. JUst don't always know where the photos are taken from ,or which is which peak. On the photo labeled"Ridge from Lost to Park Butte and trailblazer" is that the edge of the Johnny Lakes that I am seeing toward the right edge about midway up the right side?? I wondered about dropping off the ridge just east o fPass Butte, and traversing over to Johnny Lakes, crossing just north of Trailblazer at a saddle and traversing north ( 2 small lakes on the map) at about 6400' and climbing Many Trails on the SW face. Do you have any sense of what this route would be like?? It almost looks like the south ridge of Many Trails is a lot of sand!?

..-and rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving. Rise free from care before the dawn and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. HDT
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twodogdad
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 5:06 pm 
Congratulations on completing the Pasayten perambulation. N

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RichP
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 5:07 pm 
Re: Route from Johnny Lakes??
Bright River wrote:
On the photo labeled"Ridge from Lost to Park Butte and trailblazer" is that the edge of the Johnny Lakes that I am seeing toward the right edge about midway up the right side?? I wondered about dropping off the ridge just east o fPass Butte, and traversing over to Johnny Lakes, crossing just north of Trailblazer at a saddle and traversing north ( 2 small lakes on the map) at about 6400' and climbing Many Trails on the SW face. Do you have any sense of what this route would be like?? It almost looks like the south ridge of Many Trails is a lot of sand!?
I believe you can see the uppermost Johnny Lake in that photo. We did clearly see the lakes on the traverse. In fact, one of the groups that signed the register on Many Trails had come from Johnny Lakes. As far as the route passing the two small lakes on the SW side of Many Trails, we descended to the outlet creek of these via a well chosen gully which seems to be the only easy way down. I think that going up this way would be somewhat tedious as it is very loose though not too steep. We crossed a saddle above these lakes and thought about traversing high back to Butte Pass but opted to drop back down to Ptarmigan Ck instead for the return.

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Riverside Laker
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 5:15 pm 
Sounds like your knee is doing better!

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twodogdad
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PostThu Aug 12, 2010 11:49 pm 
RichP wrote:
We camped at the trailhead at Slate Pass on Friday in order to get an early start to walk the 16 miles to just past Shellrock Pass When we arrived to Slate Pass the sun was shining and the flowers were in full display.
Were you able to drive to TH at Slate Pass? I thought even Harts pass was inaccessible because of some road construction. N

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RichP
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PostFri Aug 13, 2010 7:39 am 
twodogdad wrote:
Were you able to drive to TH at Slate Pass? I thought even Harts pass was inaccessible because of some road construction. N
Niko, That was a while back. It's been open for some time now.

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ree
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PostFri Aug 13, 2010 10:54 am 
Wow, beautiful area!! I haven't been to that part of the Pasayten. Looks like good wandering terrain. Nice. up.gif

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Slugman
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PostFri Aug 13, 2010 11:40 am 
Sweet pictures and an awesome trip. up.gif One question: by "second 100 highest", I'm taking it that means the peaks between the 101st highest and the 200th highest, or does it mean doing a second list of the 100 highest? Sorry for the "non-climber" type question. I can't help being ignorant, I was born that way, but I'm working on it. embarassedlaugh.gif

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