Monday, June 16, 2008
Climbing in the Olympics – Take Two
Me with rope leads Stan and Jim on the summit of Warrior
The climbing gods must be smiling on me. Last weekend’s trip up Warrior marked the third climb in as many weeks that were successful.
Eight of us met at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Quilcene Ranger Station. The Forest Service desk jockeys had no reliable information regarding the road or trail conditions, so we headed out. We picked the Big Quilcene River approach because the standard approach via the Dungeness River Trail was missing a key bridge. With spring runoff at its peak, we decided not to risk a river crossing. We also anticipated magnificent views from the camp at Marmot Pass and a possible scramble of Buckhorn Mountain.
Right from the start it was apparent that we had a strong group. Unfortunately, the smallest party member also had one of the biggest packs. This slowed us down significantly. The team rallied to carry some of her gear which helped a little. We reached Marmot Pass but were sorely disappointed by the whiteout that welcomed us. So much for the views! Since it was mid-afternoon, we convinced ourselves that descending to Boulder Shelter would be a good idea.
At 5 a.m. we were off again, headed towards the Warrior-Inner Constance Cirque.
Alpenglow on Mt. Mystery
