Golden Horn - North Cascades, WA
August 22 - August 23, 2014 |
This was my 4th attempt to climb this summit. Previous trips failed due to weather, rock slides, sick dog and equipment issues. This trip was very satisfying.
Carl and I headed up the Pacific rest Trail from near Washington Pass and made excellent time to Snowy Lakes. We found a good spot at the upper lake and got setup just in time for a heavy rain - not too promising.
The next morning we wke up to a clear sky and set off up the steep scree with a short rope and a few pieces of gear for the technical section. The scree slog felt good and before we knew it we were standing at the entrance to the 4th class gully leading to the summit block. The gully was loose and we chose our holds carefully. It was fun. I placed two pieces of protection to reach the summit - one down low then a last piece to protect the short traverse at the top. It was cramped but Carl and I shared the top for a few minutes before rapping off.
The scree slope seemed much steeper on the downclimb and I slipped a few times and skinned up my hands. By the time we reached camp my knees were throbbing and I wasn't looking forward to the long hike back to the trailhead.
We picked tons of huckleberries on the way out - yummy. |
Click thumbnails to view larger images... |
|
|