West Mac Spire - 9/1-3/2012

We were excited for a 3-day weekend with a solidly sunny forecast.  Plan A was for another objective in the Picket range, for which we spent all our time preparing.  Peter had the foresight of making a plan B, which involved a single line among the many email exchanges.  We met Zoe and Liang in Lynwood at 5a and were first to arrive at the Marblemount Ranger Station 30-min ahead of opening.  By the time ranger station opened at 7a, the line was 10 parties deep.  No permit was available for Triumph, said the ranger, two parties had gone in for Friday and Saturday.  We all paused, with the long lines behind us, we promptly switched gear to Plan B and got permit for 2 nights in the Terror Basin.  Off to the bunny place for breakfast and last min studying of the route to West Mac Spire.

The Pickets range is in the North Cascade National Park.  It is about 2-hour drive Northeast of Seattle - North of Highway 20 by the town of Newhalem. The Pickets range is made up very rigged mountain range with peak names such as Terror, Luna, Challenger, and Triumph.  although it is not far from the highway as the crow flies, there is no maintained trail into the area.  the approach into the pickets is a bit of an undertaking, steep climber trail overgrown with brush or down trees, definitely not for the faint of heart.  It is our second venture into the pickets, our first was to climb the Chopping Block (aka Pinnacle Peak)  almost 5 years ago.

Group Picture with our Objective.  West Mac Spire is behind Peter

Day 1 - TH to Camp

It was a quick drive from breakfast to the Goodell Creek Group Campground where our trip began.  We were happy to be leaving a full length climbing rope and two rock racks behind.  Our packs weight ranged 25-37lbs, much lighter than what we prep for in plan A.  The trip started with 4.5 miles on an old road which gained 1000 ft in elevation, we made quick work of it.  At the end of the road, there is a stream crossing, we all filled up with fresh cold water, in preparation for the 4000 ft up the climber trail.  The climber trail was straight up, the way I remembered it, and in good shape.  We stopped briefly for lunch.  Blueberries were ripe and distracted us from the march.  We emerged out of the 4,000 ft ascent after 3 hours with our hands stained blue.  We stopped at a big rock at the 5,200ft meadow which had a nice viewpoint of the pickets.  The sun was out so no jacket needed.  We all took our boots off and took an hour nap.

View of Mt Triumph and Mt Despair on our approach

From the nap spot, it is a traverse to a 6200ft pass.  The climber trail was harder to follow here, but we found it on and off and made our way to the notch.  The approach is very scenic once above the tree line.  From the notch, you can see the 5,700 ft meadow camp.  Getting down the snow slope was tricky.  The snow slope was vertical in the middle with a moat on the left as well as right side.  We checked both moat out and decided to go down in the moat on skier left.  Left foot on loose rock embedded in wet soil, right foot on the snow which was bulletproof solid. It was yuck!

We arrived at camp at 5:30p.  clouds covered the top of the Mac spires and southern picket range.  Other than the clouds clinging onto the mountain, it was blue sky and the breeze stopped when the sunset.

view of Chopping Block from our approach	Chopping Block at Sunset from Camp
Crux of the approach - a steep tricky down climb between solid ice and disintegrating rock	Southern Pickets range including West Mac Spire peeked out from the clouds at sunset

Day 2 - Summit day

There was another group of 4 camped by us and planned to leave at the crack of dawn.  We wanted to give them some space so we planned for a leisurely start in the morning.  We said goodbye and wished them a good trip up while we're still under our sleeping bag.  Weather was good but the peaks were in the clouds. We had a hot breakfast with coffee and left camp at 9a.  The slightly downward traverse brought us to the the lake outlet, where there were 3 tents, after an hour.  After the outlet crossing, we aimed upwards and enjoyed walking up the clean rock slaps for about 1,000ft elevation.  We put on crampons and harnesses when we reach the snow and made quick work up the snow slope.  We aimed to the highest snow finger towards the west ridge.  Clouds lifted as we ascent and we had clear view of the route, the West ridge and eventually the summit.  Getting off the snowfinger was no issue, there could potentially be moat issue later on in the season.  right off the snow was smooth rock slaps with lots of small loose rocks on them, it was a little nerve wracking to get on them.

We stashed our crampons and ice axes, and ascent up some dirty rocks.  we reached a 30 ft traverse that's exposed so we set up a quick hand line.  once pass that, rock turned into clean and solid slabs with glorious view around.  clouds has clear out and we can see all the way up the summit and down to the glacier and our camp.  Zoe and Liang picked up the pace once on the nice slab, we all enjoyed our way up to the summit.  it is 3rd class, tremendous view all the way down to the glacier (some call that exposure).  that's what make a classic climb.

seeing all the way back to camp from the summit	hand line

Day 3 

We had a leisurely start this morning, 5 min out of camp is the cruxy steep ramp up the notch.  we negotiated that quickly, reversing our path on our way in.  our hike out was very scenic, we had view of the Southern Pickets that we didn't see on day 1 due to clouds.

Bonus was washing up in Goodell Creek after reaching the trailhead.  it was 4pm and the sun was out, we all went in for a cold splash and thoroughly washed up. 

Mount Despair, Baker and the Chopping Block	View of Triumph along the way to west mac
Happily walking in Tevas on the way down to the river.	Ice cream at Cascadian Farm

Time:

Day 1 - 7 hours moving time + 1 hour nap

  9:30a TH

  11a end of old road 4.5 miles 1,600 ft elevation

  2p viewpoint at the top of 5,200ft meadow

  3p after an hour nap

  5:30 Camp 5,700ft Meadow

Day 2 - 7.5 hours moving time + 1:45 hour nap
  9a leave camp
  10a lake outlet 5,550ft
  12:45 summit
  2:30 leave summit after nap
  6:30 camp

Day 3 -~5:30 hours moving time
  9:55a leave camp
  10:35 top of snow ramp
  11:45 viewpoint 5,200ft meadow (day 1 napping rock)
  12:20 leave napping rock
  2p end of old road
  3:45 TH

Gear Notes:

60M 8.5mm rope (30m glacier rope would have been fine)

Crampons

Ice axe

Cordelette and double slings used for setting up handline

4-6 mid-size nuts would have been nice to have

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