9,415 feet
North Ridge Grade IV; 5.9 (attempt)

2 30 meter half ropes
gear to 3 inches
slings

September 29 2008

The Drive

Dylan and I left very late Sunday night after work. It is already starting to sound a lot like our Dragontail Peak climb! We actually made it to the trailhead pretty quickly as we didn't have to deal with traffic at all. We pulled into the trailhead around 12:30 in the morning and threw our sleeping on the ground. My car thermostat read 36° so I took a hand warmer into the bag with me.

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We woke up at about 5:30 A.M. and started packing our bags. We were prepared to spend 1 night high on the ridge and my pack defiantly felt heavy. At about 6:00 we turned on the headlamps and started hiking in the dark.

The Approach

I've hiked this trail many times so it was easy to follow even in the dark. It actually seemed to go much faster in the dark! By the time we made it to Ingalls way it was about 7 in the morning and the sun was rising. To the south of us Mt. Rainier was drenched in red and orange. It was a beautiful site.

Sunrise on Mt. Rainier from near Ingalls Way.

From the pass we had our first views of the south face of Mt. Stuart. It's an amazing feeling to have that mountain towering over you. The sunrise made all the fall leaves in Headlight Basin turn the color of gold. I tried but could not capture the colors to my liking.

The trees were covered in gold.

We kept moving through the basin and up to Ingalls Lake. We crossed the lake on the west side and took our first good break at the lake outlet. It was about 8 in the morning.

Ingalls Lake in early morning light.

We probably took about a 30 + break at the lake. The fall air was cool and crisp and the down coat felt great over my base layer. After relaxing we followed the trail down into the basin. The Nelson & Potterfield book tells you to descend about 300 feet and then traverse back up to Stuart Pass. We kept descending thinking we would find a trail that would start to climb north to the pass but we must have missed it. After losing about 600 vertical we decided to just start bushwhacking up to the pass. We probably lost some time but not much. We found the trail right when we reached the ridge. The ridge turns into some 3rd class rock before you reach the pass. We found it pretty easy to stay high on the ridge.

Dropping down to low into the meadows.

After the pass we just kept hiking toward the West Ridge of Mt. Stuart. This trail is steep with loose dirt and passes some pretty crazy rock. By 9:45 I made it to the base of the ridge at about 6900 feet and was looking down at the horrible "rock glacier".

Smoke and Glacier Peak.

I descended about 200 feet until you are forced onto the huge boulder field. From here you just start hopping from one rock to another. It becomes pretty monotonous. I stayed high in the boulder field but I think it is actually easier if you stay a bit low. The climb up to Goat Pass was even worse than the rock glacier. There is no easy way up! I thought the rock would be easiest so I hopped boulders for awhile. Then I thought that the trail to the left of the rocks would be easier. Nope, it sucks too!

Where's Waldo?

Eventually I made it to the top of Goat Pass! It was now 10:30 and I started worrying that we wouldn't make it to the notch in the ridge by 12! Instead of waiting for Dylan I just charged on and dropped down the other side of Goat Pass. The climb down from the pass is pretty bad! Loose dirt and rocky moraine that slides with the slightest touch. I skirted below the first lobe of the glacier and climbed back up to an rock island in between the two sections of glacier. The glacier looked steep and icy in both direction.

The Stuart Glacier.

I dozed off a bit while I was waiting for Dylan catch up. It was great to be resting in such a dark and intimidating area. I could hear the glacier crack and moan from the immense amount of ice that gravity slowly pulls apart. But I was excited to be here, and I could see the notch directly across from me!

Me catching some much needed rest.

Dylan eventually showed up and we strapped on our spikes and started to cross the glacier. It was hard ice and we had no ice axe so we figured it would be safer to be on our own and not rope up. The traverse was steep and really hard for me to get purchase with my crappy crampons. I thought it would be cool one day to buy these really light crampons for light glacier travel. So far I have used them twice and I think I might throw them away! They are completely horrible! I am fighting for purchase on a nearly 35°ice slope. I basically start cutting steps in the ice with the half inch long spikes from the crampons for better purchase.

After about ten minutes of this non-sense I hear Dylan yell, "ROCK!!!!"

I look up and behind me to see t.v. size boulders crashing onto the glacier about ten feet behind me! We both get sprayed by shrapnel from the rock fall. I have one thing on my mind right now and that is to keep moving and do it fast! I continue across the slope until the angle eases a bit and I feel more secure. I look back to see that Dylan has turned around and is back on the rock island.

Dylan had enough of this alpine climbing thing and wanted to turn around. I had to call upon the god's of utter disappointment to keep myself from freaking out. All these years that I have wanted this route and this is how it ends? The route falls before me and we are going to turn around? You gotta be kidding me?!