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StephAbegg Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2010 Posts: 172 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham, WA |
High camp on Kololo.
Glacier Peak is visible from nearly every North Cascades summit. Or at least it seems to be. My eye has always caught on its aesthetic snowy volcanic form, followed by the inevitable: "I want to climb that someday." Finally, in July 2012, that someday came along.
In the years leading up to our climb of Glacier Peak, road washouts had gradually eliminated any quick and easy approach to the once crowded summit. The increased remoteness had made the area more appealing to me. Given a lack of an easy approach, Dan Aylward and I thought it would be fun to enact a slightly non-standard itinerary and climb Glacier Peak as a circuit with a couple of additional summits. Our plan: A cross-country approach, a spectacular camp on top of the highest of Kololo Peaks just a glacial expanse south of Glacier Peak, a climb of the south ridge of Glacier Peak, a traverse down the Honeycomb Glacier to access the north couloir of the seldom-climbed Tenpeak Mountain, and finally a return to the summit of Kololo. Essentially, this would be a three-peak circuit. With an amazing high camp. It sounded like a physical challenge. It sounded beautiful. It sounded fun.
It was all three.
Full Trip Report:
I've posted a full trip report (maps, route overlays, about 50 photos, video, commentary, and the adventures of a tiny stuffed mountain goat) on my website. Unfortunately, because of the way I have formatted it, I cannot directly copy and paste my html into nwhikers, so you'll have to go to my website to see the photos.
http://www.stephabegg.com/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/glacier
Map of Travels:
map of Kololo-Glacier-Tenpeak-Kololo circuit 3 days, 44 miles, 17850 elevation gain/loss
Couple of overlays:
Glacier Peak South Ridge. Tenpeak Mountain North Couloir.
Some photos (please go to my website TR for more photos and descriptions):
How to get there. Climbing Glacier Peak. Climbing Glacier Peak. Chocolate is a good flavor for a summit register. Climbing Tenpeak North Couloir. Climbing Tenpeak upper NW Ridge. Hmm.... Ice worms. These cool critters only come out to the surface of the glaciers in the evening and morning. Night photo at camp. Night photo at camp, star trails. Night photo at camp. Note the lightning on the horizon.
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
You guys are animals! Very nice work.
"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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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2344 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
Another good one Steph. Kololo is one of my favorite summits in that area or any area
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jcocci Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 484 | TRs | Pics Location: Longmont, CO |
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jcocci
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Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:47 pm
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Awesome. Looks like a sweet trip. Hoping to get out in that area this summer.
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Jetlag Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2010 Posts: 1410 | TRs | Pics
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Jetlag
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Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:51 pm
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I'm sold - Kololo next summer, early July if there's snow cover.
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Jason Hummel Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1209 | TRs | Pics Location: Tacoma Washington |
Awesome. I love it. When I climbed/skied tenpeak, I was very excited. The views of Glacier Peak and the Honeycomb Glacier are incredible from there.
Love your night shots!
Great hike.
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Riverside Laker Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 2818 | TRs | Pics
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StephAbegg wrote: | Chocolate is a good flavor for a summit register. |
Did you have a view of the Chocolate Glacier?
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:58 pm
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great report and beautiful area. glad you hit the weather window.
note: your spelling is a bit off. it's YES! peak
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StephAbegg Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2010 Posts: 172 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham, WA |
Riverside Baker wrote: | Did you have a view of the Chocolate Glacier? |
Southeast side of Glacier Peak as seen from Tenpeak.
Cool Glacier, Chocolate Glacier, North Guardian Glacier, Dusty Glacier
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ale_capone Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 720 | TRs | Pics
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Spectaular!
My girl dog kololo is jealous! .. and to fit your theme.. she's part chocolate lab.
Quite oddly, I've been between chiliwack and dakobed for my next boy dog for some time.
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silence Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 4420 | TRs | Pics
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silence
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Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:31 am
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sweet .. no pun intended .. great traverse!
when i first saw on your map that you took the lightening creek approach .. i thought wow .. what a shwack that would be this time of year .. but hey that's nothing new for you .. great effort!!
PHOTOS
FILMS
Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
PHOTOS
FILMS
Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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BirdDog Member
Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1067 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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BirdDog
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Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:38 am
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Very beautiful and remote area. I don't often sign sumiit registers, but cool to see my name on that one in your blog. Nice write up.
"There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country."
Teddy Roosevelt August 6, 1912
"There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country."
Teddy Roosevelt August 6, 1912
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SergioNapelo Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2011 Posts: 666 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
Thank you Steph for your report! I always enjoy your stories! And it gives me something to dream about for future trips. So many places, so little time!!!
"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From where shall my help come. My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!" - David, King of Israel 1,000 BC
"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From where shall my help come. My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!" - David, King of Israel 1,000 BC
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7220 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:26 am
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Outstanding trip and report. Thanks for asking "why" about the patterned ground, and then finding the answer. World of wonders.
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MrDobalina907 Lost in the Sauce
Joined: 06 Jul 2012 Posts: 63 | TRs | Pics Location: Ah-raska |
Somewhere between a spam sandwich and a mountain house
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