jury-rigged: Mt Thomson

On September 15-16, 2012, I jumped on a Backpacking/Alpine Climbing trip with Brian, Laura and Craig. We hiked the PCT from exit 51 off I90 for about 11 miles: we took a 4th easy 5th class detour scramble up Kendall peak, traveled across the Kendall Catwalk, past Ridge and Gravel Lakes, around Alaska Lake to a col between Huckleberry and Chickamin Peaks. We found the some lingering patched of late lying snow in the meadows on the col and made camp by the best water source in the area, a small, slow flowing spring. Over the course of 5 hours the water source in camp surprised us by filling a tarn that Brian and Laura had initially set up their tent in! We were sure the tarn had been dry for quite awhile, but by morning it was full of 6" of crisp clean water! Smoke, we believe from the fires in the East, had settled in the valley Sunday morning. It was thick, obscuring more distant peaks, and palpable, leaving us with a metallic taste in our mouths. The air felt heavy.

Craig and I branched off and summited Mt. Thomson via the west ridge, an alpine route that goes at 5.6. Though I have no photos of Mt. Thompson! I left my camera at bumble bee pass knowing I'd be more focused on the ropes and my feet. We completed the climb in 5 pitches and topped out by 3:30pm. Craig lead the whole thing! since I was feeling a bit heady from the exposure. The first two pitches were the most sustained vertical pitches, with the crux at the start: a step out from the belay ledge over some heady exposure, with no real great hand holds. The route continues fairly vertically until you reach the slabs (visible from the valley) on the third and fourth pitches. Seams and weathering along the slabs provide great footing while also feeling wonderfully open and exposed. While the scramble across is easy, the pro is limited and a fall would result in a long swing. After crossing the slabs you climb vertical over the false summit, scramble down to the next belay ledge and back up the true summit for the final pitch. The descent route required 2 rappels and some class 3 and 4 down scrambling. We reached the valley by 5:30pm.