[Gimpilator]

viewed from Copper, June 2014

viewed from Skokomish, July 2012

Mount Cruiser is the highpoint of Sawtooth Ridge in the Olympics. It's and impressive looking peak from any angle, especially Mount Skokomish. One would never guess that the standard route is only 5.0. Sawtooth Ridge has a number of other named spires, many of them technical. The standard route for Cruiser goes over the top of Beta.

Flapjack Lakes

Needle Pass above

goats

Mount Skokomish

Matt and I started at the Staircase trailhead at 7:20am. We hiked up to Flapjack Lakes where we had planned to fetch water, but big neon green algea blooms discouraged us. Further up the trail we found a cleaner looking stream. Near Gladys Pass we crossed broken rocks and boulders and then began the ascent to Needle Pass. We saw two large goats coming down the face above.

The Needle

Olympic choss

not fun

photo by Matt

Normally Needle pass has steep icy snow, but not this year. Near the top I climbed very steep loose dirt on the left side of the gully, literally digging my fingers into it for purchase, while Matt scrambled up solid rock covered in loose pebbles on the right side. It was pretty sketchy. We passed several rappel slings before reaching the pass. Definitely one of the worst gullies I've ever seen.

scrambling Beta

photo by Matt

1 label

notch near summit of Beta

descending right gully

photo by Matt

At the pass we turned left and scrambled up exposed class 3 to the summit of Beta. Right past the summit there is a small notch with two gullies leading down the northeast side. We scrambled down the right hand one which had a single class 4 move. The gullies join together and the let out onto a scree and talus slope. We traversed the slope over to the next group of crags and cliffs where we found another long gully allowing acces to the lower scree slope below the summit block.

looking back at Beta

Cruiser

descending the long gully

nearing bottom of long gully

Matt at the base of the chimney/gully

We were now below the class 4 chimney/gully underneath the summit. This gully splits half way up. The left side is a scramble through a cannon hole while the right side is a more direct 5.0 variation. We took the direct variation. Matt soloed it without pro and then belayed me up.

class 4 and trailing the rope

5.0 direct variation

5.0 "south corner" pitch

nearing the final ridge

photo by Matt

photo by Matt

This landed us on the belay ledge below the summit spire. Matt led the final very-exposed 5.0 pitch and then belayed me to an upper belay ledge. From there it was only exposed class 3 to the summit, but we still belayed eachother back and forth on that final section of ridge.

exposure and tat

Matt near the summit

Pershing, Washington, Ellinore, and Mildred Lakes

stoked

1st rappel

2nd rappel

3rd rappel

We made 3 rappells to get back to the base of the chimney/gully and then reversed our scramble route back to Needle Pass. Neither of us was looking forward to descending the chossy gully. But we were able to make an initial rappel off a giant horn and skip the worst of the steep dirt. We descended staying on opposing sides and it was a good thing because we sent tons of big rocks flying down the gully.

Cruiser

Cruiser

Cruiser summit spire

back up to Beta

photo by Matt

photo by Matt

down to Needle Pass

4th rappel

Olympic choss

The hike back to the staircase trailhead was uneventfull and we arrived at 10:21pm for a round-trip time of 15 hours and one minute. Thanks for leading me up Cruiser Matt! I'll never forget it.

Skokomish

nice light

Needle Pass

Lincoln

Lincoln above Flapjack Lakes

photo by Matt

Notes: No plethora of placement options. Some new bolts and some rusty loose ones. A single 50 meter rope will do.

[Ski]

cool.

[RichP]

That is one gnarly looking mountain.

[HumpnoocheeGirl]

I will say, upfront, I'm not a climber nor do I have a desire to do so. BUT, I immensely appreciate, enjoy and admire your adventures in doing so. Just looking at some of these photos make the things that I was born with pucker and clench! I can imagine the payoff of the views, the climb, the descend and the triumph of classic Olympic terra make it so worth it. Great job guys

[HumpnoocheeGirl]

[Gimpilator]

Thanks HumpnoocheeGirl! That's very kind of you to say and I appreciate the feedback.

[Fletcher]

Nice! I'm jealous.

[puzzlr]

You may have found this in your research, but in case you didn't it's Manning at his finest (in rough draft) before he realized he liked hiking more than climbing. It made me lose all interest in this peak, at least until you down-rated it! The Making of a Mountain Bum: Bruiser Cruiser (page 3)

[Redwic]

Mount Cruiser is an awesome-looking peak and a very worthy objective that I know you have considered for a long time. Good job!

[Distel32]

Looks brutal

[the Zachster]

That's just nuts unless you're really good...congrats on an amazing summit. Thanks for the great report and photos that really tell the story.

[Mikey]

Puzzlr What is this publication by Harvey Manning "The Making of a Mountain Bum" ?

[puzzlr]

[Fletcher]

Looks awesome! Nice job guys!

[Bryan K]