Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mount Cruiser Memorial Climb via Mildred Lakes- 7/27
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olymountainman
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Location: Tumwater, WA
olymountainman
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 1:45 pm 
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 smile.gif
The trail
The trail
The Horn
The Horn
Mildred Lakes
Mildred Lakes
After the Cannonhole
After the Cannonhole
Nate contemplating the route
Nate contemplating the route
Superman
Superman
The slab pitch
The slab pitch
The last "pitch"
The last "pitch"
The summit block
The summit block
Looking down the slab
Looking down the slab
Nate on the summit
Nate on the summit
Me with my grandfather's memorial
Me with my grandfather's memorial
The Sawtooths
The Sawtooths
Mount Gladys
Mount Gladys
At the rap station
At the rap station
Me on the rappel
Me on the rappel

The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too. -Hervey Voge
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Gimpilator
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 4:53 pm 
I want to climb this peak in the worst way. Thanks for the report. How is your arm?

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olymountainman
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olymountainman
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 5:41 pm 
biggrin.gif 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
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Gimpilator
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 5:50 pm 
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
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olymountainman
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 6:10 pm 
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
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RichP
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RichP
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 6:12 pm 
Nice way to memorialize your gramps.

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olymountainman
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 6:28 pm 
Thanks RichP!

The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too. -Hervey Voge
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silence
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silence
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 8:55 pm 
The summit block
The summit block
way to go up.gif up.gif up.gif

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 10:32 pm 
Good stuff! up.gif Well, except for the way out. Heal quick!

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IanB
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IanB
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PostSun Jul 28, 2013 11:53 pm 
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
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olymountainman
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olymountainman
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PostMon Jul 29, 2013 8:34 am 
Thanks folks biggrin.gif

The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too. -Hervey Voge
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Redwic
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Redwic
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PostMon Jul 29, 2013 9:14 am 
Great TR! I have wanted to do this peak for some time, myself. It is on the Top 100 Steepest Peaks list, and looks really cool from other nearby peaks. Nice work!!! up.gif up.gif up.gif

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.
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b00
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PostMon Jul 29, 2013 12:03 pm 
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
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PostMon Jul 29, 2013 1:26 pm 
Thanks! No steep snow on either side, everything up there was basically completely melted out biggrin.gif 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
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HumpnoocheeGirl
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PostMon Jul 29, 2013 4:24 pm 
Way to attack Cruiser from the non-traditional side up.gif And, a beautiful way to celebrate your Poppo's life smile.gif Sorry for your troubles on the way out. Mend quickly.

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