Early Glacier Climbing with Linda – GlassMountains Trip Reports

Linda and I met in the Spring of 1990 through the Chemeketans, a climbing club in Salem, Oregon. That summer we started climbing together on rock, snow, and ice. Here I describe some of the mixed climbs we shared while getting to know each other. These were club climbs and I have fond memories of our experiences and those we shared them with.

Mount Jefferson, Oregon Cascades

In June of 1990 Linda and I joined Betsy, Nancy, Bill, Darcy, Debra, Leah, Roy, George, and Tom on a Chemeketan climb of Mount Jefferson, the second-highest peak in Oregon.

Mount Jefferson takes a quite different appearance from each side and offers some challenging routes on snow, glacier, and rock. Timing can be important. Too early in the season and the summit rock pinnacle can be covered in snow and rime ice making it quite dangerous. Too late in the season and the glacier crevasses can be difficult to avoid or cross and a steep snow traverse below the summit cliffs can be quite icy.

Over the many years my success rate for summitting Mount Jefferson is only about 50%, but I admire that mountain the most of all those in the Oregon Cascades.

Linda enjoying the backpack into Jefferson Park along the Whitewater Trail. — Linda enjoying the backpack into Jefferson Park along the Whitewater Trail

At sunrise we rope up to climb the Whitewater Glacier. Linda is in the center

Linda on the Southeast Ridge. After climbing the Whitewater Glacier we reach the Southeast Ridge. Here we remove our crampons and coil our ropes for the climb of loose rock to the Red Saddle.

Mount Jefferson's summit rock pinnacles from the Red Saddle. On this climb we had to turn around due to high winds and steep loose snow. This can be a heartbreak after so much work to get this close. — Mount Jefferson’s summit rock pinnacles from the Red Saddle. On this climb we had to turn around due to high winds and steep loose snow. This can be a heartbreak after so much work to get this close.

Linda and I and a few others returned to Mount Jefferson the following September. This time we reached the summit. The summit registry contained this placard.

Corkscrew Route, Sloan Peak, Washington North Cascades

The glacier below the East Face of Sloan Peak. This is part of the "Corkscrew Route" up the peak — The glacier below the East Face of Sloan Peak. This is part of the “Corkscrew Route” up the peak

In August of 1990 Linda and I joined Bill, Gary, and Doug on a Chemeketan climb of Sloan Peak in the North Cascades of Washington State. This was Linda’s first trip into the North Cascades, a wild and beautiful mountainous region with steep rock faces and ridges and hanging glaciers. We would return many times to these mountains and build vivid memories of our visits.

Wading across the North Fork of the Sauk River below Sloan Peak

Linda climbing the glacier below the East Face of Sloan Peak

Bill, Gary, and Doug climb over large rock blocks to the summit of Sloan Peak

The Monte Cristo peaks from the summit of Sloan Peak

Eliot Glacier, Mount Hood, Oregon Cascades

The Eliot Glacier and the North Face of Mount Hood, Oregon Cascades

In the autumn of 1990 Linda and I practiced ice climbing and crevasse rescue techniques on Eliot Glacier. The Eliot Glacier descends the steep north face of Mount Hood and is heavily crevassed. It is an ideal ice playground after the snow melts and the crevasses are open and ice seracs stand exposed.

Linda "front pointing" up the wall of a crevasse. She uses two ice tools and the front points of her crampons to climb the ice. — Linda “front pointing” up the wall of a crevasse. She uses two ice tools and the front points of her crampons to climb the ice.

Linda "prussiks" out of a crevasse. Here she uses a pair of cord loops (prussiks) knotted around the climbing rope to ascend the rope to and over the lip of the crevasse. Perhaps I should have had her on belay in case the cords failed. — Linda “prussiks” out of a crevasse. Here she uses a pair of cord loops (prussiks) knotted around the climbing rope to ascend the rope to and over the lip of the crevasse. Perhaps I should have had her on belay in case the cords failed.

Kautz Glacier Route, Mount Rainier, Washington Cascades

Mount Rainier from near Paradise Lodge. In this view our route crossed the Nisqually Glacier on the lower right from right to left and up onto the obvious ridge just right of center for our first camp. The next day we climbed the broad snowy ridge towards the upper left to just below the ice cliffs for our second camp. The third day we climbed around the ice cliffs up the Kautz Glacier to the summit (14411'), returned and broke camp, and descended back to Paradise Lodge (5420') and our cars. — Mount Rainier from near Paradise Lodge. In this view our route crossed the Nisqually Glacier on the lower right from right to left and up onto the obvious ridge just right of center for our first camp. The next day we climbed the broad snowy ridge towards the upper left to just below the ice cliffs for our second camp. The third day we climbed around the ice cliffs up the Kautz Glacier to the summit (14411′), returned and broke camp, and descended back to Paradise Lodge (5420′) and our cars.

The following July Linda and I joined Ray and Roy and climbed Mount Rainier via the Kautz Glacier route. This route avoids the crowds at Camp Muir and on Disappointment Cleaver. The route includes a scenic high camp below ice cliffs and steep glacier climbing above.

We experienced strong and cold summit winds. On our unroped descent from high camp Linda lost her footing in crusty snow and slid towards the Nisqually Glacier. Fortunately she was able to stop herself with her ice axe. By the end of the trip Linda was an experienced and proven glacier climber.