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10b4me
Trad climber
On that V2 problem at the Happies
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 24, 2005 - 09:01pm PT
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I like to climb non-crowded routes. I also like to climb in beautiful areas. I had been thinking about this route on North Peak for a few years. I had the rightside couloir on North Peak as an ice climb in 1998. I had heard about an easy rock route, and after some research, discovered the northwest ridge. This ridge is rated 5.3 by guidebook author R.J. Secor.
I emailed my friend Eric and asked if he'd be interested. He replied with an affirmative. I met Eric about 2000. Eric is a smart dude, I figure he's probably at least three times as smart as I am. We failed on a winter attempt of the NE buttress of Bear Creek Spire, and the following year we failed on a winter attempt of Mt. Emerson. Since then we have been more successful. I met Eric friday afternoon at his place. We stopped in Bishop for a bite to eat, and then headed to the trailhead at Saddlebag Lake just north of Tioga Pass.
Unable to find a campsite, we resorted to ob camping.
After a quick breakfast we started for our goal, the northwest ridge of North Peak. The trail begins at the Saddlebag Lake dam, and follows the west side of the lake.
The trail then passes to the east of Greenstone, Wasco, and Steelhead lakes.
A huge ramp is easily visible to the northwest of Steelhead lake. This ramp is used for accessing the northwest ridge. A good use trail leads up to this ramp.
The ramp ends at the northwest ridge.
The ridge starts off climbing blocks. One then comes to a series of impasses that forces you to descend down (climber's left) about thirty feet. One then comes to the first of three gaps. The first one we fourth classed, the second one involves a wide stem. Rope came in handy here, and the third one involved a jump to a ledge. Since we had brought a cord, we decided to rap this third gap. After rapping to this ledge,
one climbs up the opposite side of the gap.
You are now on the ridge proper. The ridge is somewhat exposed, but relative easy.
Before you know it you reach the end of the route, and
are on the sandy western slopes of the peak. I had
been on the summit of North Peak back in October,1998
via the right most couloir, but Eric had not.
The top of the peak offers great views.
After spemding some time on the summit, it was time to head back to the truck. The descent is down sandy slopes to the south. When you reach a notch in the ridge to your east, you find a well used trail that takes you down to the
Cascade Lakes, and ultimately back to Saddlebag Lake. I really enjoyed this climb. A very fun route on a somewhat obscure peak.
Happy Holidays
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Dec 25, 2005 - 05:13am PT
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sweet!
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Dec 25, 2005 - 12:25pm PT
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Nice climb, Steve!
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Freak
Social climber
Yosemite
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Dec 25, 2005 - 12:32pm PT
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I'm suprised you used a rope, what a powderpuff "climb".
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10b4me
Trad climber
On that V2 problem at the Happies
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 25, 2005 - 12:53pm PT
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Jody,
no not this past friday. This was back in August.
Freak,
sorry I am not hardcore enough for you. I just don't get out that much anymore so was happy to have a cord.
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KarlP
Social climber
Queensland, NorCal, Iceland
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Dec 25, 2005 - 01:20pm PT
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If you want to publish online, you need to cough up at least a couple of dollars for some bandwidth. Not much, but if you want to be able to stick things in large readership sites like supertopo, geocities just doesn't cut it :(
Sorry to rant, but I was really hoping to see your pics, North peak is a beautiful area, that seems to get overlooked a lot.
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