Approaching Gunsite notch.
So, Mixup it was to be. We left Pugetopolis at 4:30 AM, air condition running because it was still so warm. This last week has been astonishingly hot for this area, and we don't deal with it so well.
The Cascade River Road was in fine shape, aside from a few potholes. After stopping to ooh and ah over Johannesberg, we hit the trail right around 8:00. The Cascade Pass trail is long, smooth, and uninteresting, aside from the views of mountains through the trees, and we were constantly assaulted by bugs. It's a bumper crop this year.
At the pass we stopped for breakfast, enjoying the breeze which kept the bugs down, and picking out mountains in the fabulous panorama. We misidentified Magic as Mixup (which is actually hidden from the pass.) There was a couple there who were climbing Sahalie, and they had a map of the park, which was a great help in identifying the peaks we saw.
I'd worried about identifying the trail to Mixup, but it was immediately obvious, up to the right, past the toilets. The trail is surprisingly easy to follow and well established. Partly because stuff grows slowly up there, partly because mountain goats use it, and partly because it's part of the Ptarmigan ptraverse (later in the day, we saw a party of four heading up and over Cache Col.) We saw mountain goat tracks on the trail, and at one point, Alex spotted a young mountain goat above us, and I filmed him with the digital camera.
The approach went smoothly, right up until we got to Gunsite Notch where the right side approach was blocked by a fearsome moat, and the left side was almost as difficult to pass, on a steep snowbridge that we needed to traverse over. Without crampons this would have been impossible, and we belayed this, which added a good half hour to the climb (both up and back.) It may have been the crux of the climb, getting over that and getting up the sloppy rock-and-dirt slope above it.
The other side (south) of the ridge is a gorgeous 'Sound of Music' view of grass, wildflowers and the splendid Central Cascade glacier. We traversed over the back side of the gendarme, following a bit of a trail part of the way (this peak is apparently on the Mountaineers syllabus) before arriving at the gap.
The route description recommends descending about 100 feet to the left and climbing from there, but Alex wanted to climb the face here at the gap. It's probably 5.5 or so, and he got up it with no problem. I came after, made a stupid move, and fell on my ass from 8' into the dirt, uninjured, and scrambled up after him.
After this pitch, you go up 3rd-class ground for a ways. We contrived more challenging variations, but the blackish gneiss is pretty crappy and crumbly, and you have to assume every hold and stance is iffy. At this point, I was wondering if Smoot and Beckey had been smoking the same bowl.
But then, suddenly, the rock changed from the crappy , crumbly black stuff to remarkable white, granite-looking stuff, much more firm and a lot of fun to ascend. It's like stairsteps, really (in fact, on the descent, Alex pointed out a concave area that looked like an ancient greek theater, the steps were so regular and neat.)
Alex on the steps, Sahali Peak in the background.
Instead of following the route description, which sends you up to the right skyline (the n ridge?) we decided to go straight up the east face. It got progressively steeper, but the rock was just as good as ever. Finally we felt the need to rope back up, and half a rope-length (again, maybe 5.5-ish climbing) got us to the summit (after a kind of fearsome step-across, which I felt compelled to protect) Got to the summit about 2:10, for 6 hours.
It was a gorgeous summit, splendid views every direction. As usual, no cell service.
The summit book was put up there in 1992, and was only about half filled. According to it, we were the third party of the year. It was fun to see so many names I recognized -- Dallas Kloke, Jim Nelson, and the climb before us included some guy named FW Beckey.
Sahalie Peak and Mt. Buckner, connected by the perfectly named Ripsaw Ridge.
Looking south to the Central Cascade Glacier.
The descent was a matter of 3 rapels, some more downclimbing, 3 more rapels to the notch (since it's a Mountie destination, every rap station had half a dozen slings.) After the first rap, Alex pulled the rope down, and it dislodged a breadloaf-sized rock which just missed him, and came so close to me, I'm sure it brushed the hair on my forearm. It could have been unfortunate.
Last month there was a tragic death in Leavenworth where someone rapelled off the end of a rope. Since then, I've become a rigid adherent in tying knots on the rope ends. Alex has always done it, but I used to think of it as excessively cautious and inconvenient, since it can cause an imperfectly thrown rope to catch in the odd crack. But it's a small inconvenience.
A different view of Boston Basin. Forbidden on the right, Torment on the left.
Another half hour or so negotiating the snow bridge on the descent, then down the snow, back to the trail, to the pass, and out.
Very much a recommended ascent, except for the obnoxious ascent to the gap. It may be that once things melt out a bit more, more manageable alternatives will become evident. And we did scope out several possible lines to climb from below the notch, up chimneys, cracks, or plausible-looking ribs. They looked good, but we didn't get close enough to evaluate the pro potential.
Equipment notes: Bug repellant is essential!