| Steve Dougherty ~ Aug 4, 2005 |
| The climb team enjoyed a Friday night dinner of spagehtti, steamed vegetables, salad, bread and berry cobbler, prepared by the leader's wife Shelley, at Big Meadows Horse Camp, just 13 miles short of Santiam Pass. After reviewing plans for the next day, the climb team drove to the Patjens Lakes trailhead to camp for the night. The climb team woke at 5:00 a.m. and set about the task of breaking camp. Jeff Howell transported leader, Steve Dougherty, and the tailgate breakfast arriving at the trailhead at 5:30 a.m. The group set out from the Patjens Lakes Trailhead at 6:15 a.m. The climb team arrived at the cairn marking the climber's trail at 7:05 a.m. Following a ten minute break the team made its way to the north ridge topping out at 8:15 a.m. A group of nine camp counselors were descending back to the church camp based at Big Lake. They did not summit but did depart Big Lake at an ambitious 3 a.m. and were headed back to attend to the campers in their care. The conditions were calm and notably warm as we made our way up the ridge. The climb team arrived at the notch below the first rock pitch at 9:45 a.m. with no competition for the route. Three fixed lines were set by the leader, the final one was completed at 11 a.m. Climbers used their long prusick slings and a prusick knot to self-belay themselves up the route. The path between the fixed lines was marked with baby powder to speed the climbers along their way and to insure that they followed a relatively safe path. Assistant Tom Kline belayed assistant Kirk Kraschel as he cleaned the two first fixed lines and staged the ropes in anticipation of the middle and final rapels. All climbers were on the summit at noon where summit photos were taken. Assistant, Scott Phillips was first to descend and quickly set up the middle and final rapels. Climbers descended the first fixed line with a Muunter hitch and then the middle and final rapels with their rapel device. The final rapel rope was pulled at 1:30 p.m. and the group departed the notch at 1:40 p.m. It took a full hour for the group to make its way down the dangerous gully and then to the bottom of the scree and then another hour to the cairn marking the climber's trail. Mathew Phillips clocked the distance from cairn to car in a swift 30 minutes despite carrying his pack loaded with the 100' rope. The final members of the climb team reached the car at 4:35 p.m. This was without a doubt the leader's most efficient climb of Mt. Washington arriving back at the cars an hour and a half ahead of schedule. Climbers regrouped at Big Meadows Horse Camp for the awarding of summit certificates and a meal of steak stirfry, salad, bread and an apple crisp baked on site by Sunday climber's Tim and Robyn Smith. Participants were Steve Dougherty (leader), Kirk Kraschel (assistant), Scott Phillips (assistant), Tom Kline (assistant), Jeff Howell, Mike McHugh, Brian Fukuda, Matthew Phillips, Joanna Picchi, Vita Picchi, and John Coyier. |