Calendar

Past Activity

Mt Washington

  • Start date: 07/29/2023

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 07/29/2023

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Let's climb Mt Washington! We'll start in the dark, hike the PCT for about 4 miles then hit the climbers trail. Will pop out on a ridge and make our way to a rocky saddle where we'll put on our harnesses. Then we do 3 rope pitches of climbing. It's more than scrambling. There are some 5th class moves, you get your money's worth. We'll rappel back off the 3 pitches and pick our way back to the climbers trail. Plan on a 12 - 15 hour long day. It'll be great.

  • Event Leader: Hansen Marci

  • Assistant Leader: Butler Jill

  • Event category: Climbs

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Difficult

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 180

  • Season: 2023

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Harness, two prussiks for climbing, one short cord loop for an autoblock, a webbing for personal protection leash, four locking carabiners, rappel device, climbing helmet There is no water on the route at all, so a minimum of 2 liters of water. Food and drink for a 15 hour day. A backpack to hold everything plus room for group gear including a climbing rope.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 10.5

  • Member Fees: —

  • Elevation Gain: 3000

  • Non-Member Fees: 15

  • Committee: Climbs

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Six of us Obsidians summited Mt Washington on July 29, 2023. It was smoky, the views weren't very good. But no one felt short of breath. Temperatures were fine, low-mid 70's. We parked at the PCT trailhead. We stopped and looked at the cut off to part at the Patjens trailhead. It looks like that could be open again and is worth exploring. It was an 11 hour trip from car to car.

As our team of 6 was descending with our packs from the notch, a group of 8 Mazamas was trying to start climbing. In doing so they knocked off a 2'x3' rock. It took a bounce toward a couple our team members. It was very scary. Its hard to explain if you haven't been on Washington, but they were starting the climb in what we perceived as an extremely unsafe way. Marge (my assistant) and I were concerned for the safety of their team, but it turned out, we were the ones in danger from their actions. The moral of the story, be very very careful in the gully below the notch if other people are on the route, you are in the fall line.

Every Obsidian climber was fine and unharmed; though a couple people were very scared seeing a rock come so close. The new climbers learned a good lesson about the seriousness of rockfall in the Cascades.

Members & Guests signed-up & waitlisted

  • Number of spots on trip: 6
  • Number of spots available: 0
No. Status Full name Phone Transportation Needed? Trip Fee # Can Take?
1 Signed-Up Hansen, Marci 360-852-2041 N 15
2 Signed-Up Butler, Jill 360-460-2130 N 15
3 Signed-Up Davis, Steve 832-527-1756 N —
4 Signed-Up Perry, Dewayde 248-910-2204 N —
5 Signed-Up Leng, Jane 541-232-3239 N —
6 Signed-Up Miller, June 808-282-5201 N —
7 Signed-Up Winther, Paul 541-666-9956 N —
8 Signed-Up Morris, David 541-954-6207 N —
9 Signed-Up Trieston, Miranda 337-308-2646 N —
10 Signed-Up Huseman, Marge 541-743-3658 N 15