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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
Since the first time I saw mount Cruiser, years ago from atop the first mountain I ever climbed, Mount Ellinor, I've wanted to climb her.
On 7/19/2013 my beloved grandfather passed away, leaving me with an opportunity to do an epic memorial climb in his name. This climb quickly became a classic, one I will talk of for years to come.
I have never been interested in climbing the mountain from the standard approach, via Flapjack Lakes. Instead, I wanted to climb her from the much more beautiful Mildred Lakes. I also didn't want to pack overnight gear up there for a climb that's only roughly 10 miles round trip with 4200 feet of elevation gain. So I called my buddy Nate to see if he was interested in doing it in a day, and he was. So, we set off at 4:30am on Saturday morning.
We arrived at the trailhead around 6am. Around 6:30, armed with a mini alpine rack and small diameter 60m rope, we set off at warp speed, aimed for the lakes. We soon arrived at the middle lake, where we stopped for a munchies and water refill break. After the refreshing stop, we headed to the big lake and decided where to break off into the forest.
I already had the entire route planned out, so we headed up the slope right below Alpha. It began as an easy bushwhack, but after about 400 vertical feet it opened up for clear hiking. Once we skirted the cliff bands and reached the talus slopes, we began traversing toward Cruiser. We soon reached the wide gully that leads to the first chimney of the actual route.
We decided to solo up the chimney, as it didn't look like anything more than 5.0 and it was in fact quite easy. We soon arrived at a nice ledge with a bunch of webbing wrapped on sketchy boulders. After a quick minute of looking for the "cannon hole", we spotted it and continued towards it. I decided that it looked quite fun to crawl through the hole and Nate decided to climb over the top of it.
Once through the hole, we arrived at an amazingly large "chill spot". So since it was so chill, we decided to chill for a bit. We took a 45 minute break. After eating some delicious food, we rock, paper, scissored for the first lead, and I lost:( So, we geared up, flaked the rope and tied in. I clipped on my belay device and Nate started up.
Nate clipped the few rusty old bolts and pitons and placed a couple pieces and brought me up. Once I arrived at the newly bolted rap station, I continued past on the exposed knife edge ridge, all the way to the summit. I quickly slung a rock up top, clove hitched in and brought Nate up on a quick hip belay.
We had successfully reached the top! I pulled out the memorial poster that I had made for grandpa, put in a plastic baggy and wedged it into a crack on the highest part of the summit.
We hung out for maybe a half hour before rapping back down the summit block.
After 2 more raps from the ledge back down to the talus field, we decided to get back to the lakes a different way and the real adventure began. It became an epic, an epic I don't feel the need to explain in full.
I'll shorten it up a bit: worst mosquitos I have EVER been in, emergency 100ft hyperspeed(due to the mosquitos) rappels, the gnarliest bushwhacking I've ever done, an arm destroying fall, coming out at the lake in the wrong spot, "!@$% it, I'm swimming across", more mosquitos and last but not least, getting back to the car at 9pm.
16 hrs or so car to car.
Rest in peace Poppo, I hope it's peaceful atop Mount Cruiser
The trail The Horn Mildred Lakes After the Cannonhole Nate contemplating the route Superman The slab pitch The last "pitch" The summit block Looking down the slab Nate on the summit Me with my grandfather's memorial The Sawtooths Mount Gladys At the rap station Me on the rappel
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
I want to climb this peak in the worst way. Thanks for the report. How is your arm?
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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
My arm is pretty tore up, I slipped and fell right onto a snag that was sharp and pointing straight up. The inside of my elbow took the entire force of the fall.
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
I'm very sorry to hear that. Sounds gruesome. A dead snag opened up the face of my friend once while we were doing the crappy route on Cannon Mountain.
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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
Thanks dude. Yeah, those dang snags are just out to get us climbers!
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 6:12 pm
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Nice way to memorialize your gramps.
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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
Thanks RichP!
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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silence Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 4420 | TRs | Pics
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silence
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:55 pm
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PHOTOS
FILMS
Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:32 pm
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Good stuff! Well, except for the way out. Heal quick!
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IanB Vegetable Belayer
Joined: 21 Jul 2010 Posts: 1061 | TRs | Pics Location: gone whuljin' |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:53 pm
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Great story, spectacular pictures! Congrats on the nice memorial.
I really like the idea of gaining the ridge from the Mildred Lakes side - even though they come with the worst mosquitoes on the peninsula.
May your injury mend well.
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
Thanks folks
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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Redwic Unlisted Free Agent
Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics Location: Going to the Prom(inence) |
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Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent
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Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:14 am
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60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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b00 Member
Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 1144 | TRs | Pics
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b00
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Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:03 pm
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thanks for the t/r. your climb sounds fun.
i've read about steep snow being an issue.
did you bring crampons and/or ice axes?
is all the snow melted out for the approach?
is there steep snow on the approach from flapjack lakes?
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olymountainman Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: Tumwater, WA |
Thanks!
No steep snow on either side, everything up there was basically completely melted out So nope, didn't bring an axe or crampons. We went extremely light; headlamp, tiny alpine rack, light rope, food, water, helmet and harness.
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too.
-Hervey Voge
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HumpnoocheeGirl Member
Joined: 03 Feb 2011 Posts: 335 | TRs | Pics Location: Grays Harbor |
Way to attack Cruiser from the non-traditional side And, a beautiful way to celebrate your Poppo's life Sorry for your troubles on the way out. Mend quickly.
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