[Matt]

The Needles is a group of rock pinnacles north of SR 20 across from Lone Fir Campground. Needle 8140, the summit marked on USGS maps, is a scramble to a fine viewpoint. In July 2011, we attempted Needle 8160, but were stopped by a deep moat and too little equipment. A side trip up Needle 8140 made a good consolation prize. Needle 8160, the highest needle, is a rock climb to a 1739P, T200 peak. In May 2011, we returned to Needle 8160 with more snow and more equipment and enjoyed a successful climb to a rarely visit summit. A bonus to either trip is an unmapped but well-maintained trail along Pine Creek, complete with several nice waterfalls.

The Needles viewed from Hinkhouse false summit

Needles GPS Track: Blue line 2011, red 2012 ascent, yellow 2012 descent

Needle 8140 Scramble (July 18, 2011) Party: Matt, mtnmike, Fay Pullen We car-camped nearby and arose at 5am to get an early start on Needle 8160, one of the last summits that both Mike & Fay needed to finish the Washington’s 200 highest peaks. But the peaks were cloud-covered and we dithered for an hour and a half. Then we decided to drive to Lone Fir campground and try finding the rumored trail on the south side of Pine Creek. It’s invisible from the road, but starts about 100 feet south of where the creek flows under the road, 3700 feet. Just a bit into the woods, however, it becomes a very well-maintained trail. So we decided to go for it and hiked back to the car to get our gear. To save weight we took only one of the 30-meter ropes that were in the car. So merrily we headed up the trail, hours late in time and short on gear. Can you see the ominous foreshadowing here? The trail had been industriously maintained, with hundreds of cut logs. It took us smoothly upstream about 1.5 miles to a creek crossing at 4400 feet. High water made this impossible, but we contrived a bridge from avalanche debris about another hundred yards upstream. With valley-bottom snow mostly melted, it was too brushy to continue up the creek. We went up through the woods to about 4900 feet, where we found bits of trail and traversed west across two gullies. The first one was very brushy, but there was a faint trail leading across both. Then we went up the broadest, central rib leads up to the needle east of 8140. It was mostly open scrub brush till we reached 7000 feet, where a rock nose blocks progress. We had to work our way across broken slabs to get past the left side of the nose and into the upper basin. Above 7500 feet, easy snow with bits of scree led us to the 7800-foot ridge crest., where we paused on a small outcrop next to the 8160 Needle.

Leave road here to find trail

Crossing Pine Creek

Brushy gully crossing

Flowers on the rib

A small side outcrop lay just west of the 8160 Needle, with a steep notch in between. We unloaded our gear at the base of the outcrop and appraised the route. Two serious problems became apparent. Between the snow and the rock wall was a 15-foot deep moat, with a 30-inch step across onto a slanting slab to get started. Below was a steep slide onto hard snow and then rocks. Above the rock wall looked harder than we expected. With a short rope, we weren’t sure we could climb or rappel far enough.

Needle 8160 and its side outcrop

The snow moat and steep start of the route

So we diverted to Needle 8140 instead. This turned out to be a straightforward scramble, with a couple brief steep moves to get onto the last rise of the outcrop.

Needle 8140 (viewed later from midway ledge on 8160)

Fay & Mike below Needle 8140 summit

Ladybug proof-of-summit

The steep east faces of the other needles were especially dramatic from this summit.

Other Needles & Silverstar

Steep east face of Needle 8160

Tops of 8160 & Tower, with the giant summit cairn visible on Tower from 5 miles away

Needle 8140 top was also a fine viewpoint for the surrounding area, where clearing clouds framed the big peaks.

Black Peak & neighbors

Eldorado & some other big stuff

On the way back out, I went off the trail a bit to photograph the waterfalls that are at about 4300 and 4100 feet on Pine Creek.

Upper falls

Pretty cascades

Another fall

Big Splashes

2012 Climb of Needles 8160

[cefire]

[Laural]

Awesome! The snow looks so much better than last year at this time, I'm looking forward to Mazama/Winthrop hikes.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Nice photos Matt. That used to be my nemesis peak (1 for 3).