Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 6, 2005
Camped out near trailhead on Tuesday night after a long drive from Portland; the mosquitoes where buzzing around the tent all night! Woke up early the next day and headed for the summit under dense clouds. Looking down while climbing the summit pinnacle made my sphincter tighten at times but reached the summit without much difficulty. The early morning clouds dispersed allowing a great view of Diamond Lake. Overall, an enjoyable climb.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 16, 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this climb. The scree wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. A use trail cuts through it. Stick to the west ridge use trails for as long as possible.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: May 30, 2005
Had always climbed it late season so snow most of the way was a treat. Peerlessly sunny day. GPSed our way right to the ridge. My climbing partner had plastic boots he'd brought along for Shasta and slick tennis shoes so.......he climbed the pinnacle barefoot. Fourth time up.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: March, 2005
We (wife and dog ascended to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) intersection
for a family picnic) hiked in 4 miles to the PCT. With snow on the ground, you can lose the
trail. But you are basically ascending due east gaining a north-south ridge perpendicular to the
southwest summit ridge. You intersect the PCT at this point. I skinned up in back country
skis until the rock exposed final 1000' (top right). The scree was frozen making for an easy
steep hike at this point until the last 200' which was an exposed scramble that some will require
rope for.
I don't necessary recommend skies. For a faster round trip, with snow conditions I was faced with, I would just take crampons (in case there is ice towards the summit). I had snowshoes, skis, skins, TV, kitchen sink....kind of felt like I was on an expedition, but hey, the Cascades are not my back yard, so I did not know what to expect. On to Shasta!
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: March 13, 2005
With Mr. Kantola. Spindrift on the ridge. 50 mph winds on the summit. I think the summit pinnacle was swaying. Off route and separated on the descent. Other than that, perfect! My fifth Cascade volcano winter attempt and second summit.
Was the summit spire moving back and forth ? On top I got a little woozy with just the 3-5 boulders underneath. Hot Springs at Toktee erased the memory of all the scree on the way down.
Was the summit spire moving back and forth ? On top I got a little woozy with just the 3-5 boulders underneath. Hot Springs at Toktee erased the memory of all the scree on the way down.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: September 27, 2004
Great climb on a beutiful day. Only saw 3 other people and had very little wind at the top. The class 3-4 climb was really fun. It was pretty easy, and that is coming from a guy who has little rock climbing background. We did have a little experience with falling rock, caused by our party. We had one of the larger boulders near the summit go crashing down when we were testing for rappel anchor points. Pretty amazing experince, although not one I would like to relive. Just be careful of those huge rocks that look like they are stationary.
Uneventful climb except for making the mistake of trying to climb the west ridge proper for the last 80ft or so. Lot's of exposure and more like 5.5 or so. After climbing up 30ft I was faced with an exposed move and decided I had better downclimb and accept defeat. Before heading down though I decided to check out the other side of the summit block and was pleased to find the class 3/4 route that is typically mentioned. Climbed this to the summit without incident.
Route Climbed: west ridge Date Climbed: July 20, 2004
I had business in the little town of Glide and finished up at four and headed for my next meeting in Klamath Falls so made a last minute decision to give Thielsen a try. Five or six years ago I hiked up to the PCT junction but was stopped by deep snow (not to mention the formidable appearance of this mountain!). Tuesday, 7/20 was a great day with a large high pressure system moving in and clearing skies so the conditions couldn't have been better. I didn't really think I'd make the summit since I didn't get started 'til quarter past five but the trail is in great shape with a very even grade so the first four miles to the PCT junction took less than an hour. The trail above the PCT is pretty good too until you get to the scree. This mountain looks very formidable from the west side but is really not that bad and I was surprised to find it fairly easy going as I approached the summit pinnacle. That last 80 feet has some exposure but the holds are great. There was little wind and the summit temperature was in the 50's. I lost my GPS at the summit when it fell out of my fanny pack and didn't discover it was gone until I had descended about 500 vertical feet so I got to climb the top twice! Unfortunately, I did not locate the GPS, which had evidently fallen down between some of those big rocks at the summit. No time for a thorough search as I was rapidly losing daylight. Time for a new GPS anyway! Total time up about 2:10 and 1:15 down. Adding the time at the top and the time to re-climb the top made it 4:10 total. I highly recommend this hike/climb. The views are fantastic from the summit and you can even see a bit of the surface of Crater Lake from the top. Oh yeah, if you find my GPS before it gets zapped by lightning I'll give you a reward to get it back to me - please drop me a line! Thanks - dn.
Finally made the chance to summit this awesome looking peak. Another late start (we didn’t start going up Bachelor until almost 11.30) was in order, after Lara & I made the (right!!) decision to hang out with Frostbite at Sparks Lake the night before.
Left the trailhead at 10.26. Pretty trail before hooking up with the PCT right below timberline, but the mosquitoes there were murderous (they don’t seem to have that blessed intolerance to the middle of the day like most of the little f@$!ers do). The form of that mountain is quite intimidating when gaining the ridge (especially with clouds swirling around the summit, which they did for much of the day). We encountered a wide variety of people going up the peak, including a surprising number in T-shirts & shorts seemingly without warm clothes, rain gear, extra water or food (with their families- quite large in some cases- in the same situation)- reminded me a lot of Yosemite. At any rate, despite my misgivings about the swirling clouds around the summit pinnacle, as well as the grey & black ones headed for it, we pressed on.
Before I knew it, we were at the base of the summit pinnacle- it looked really cool! After briefly checking it out to figure out the best way up it, it didn’t take long before we were on the true summit (I arrived 14.06). While there’s certainly exposure there, if you’re comfortable going up (& down) 4th class terrain, you shouldn’t have a problem with it. As soon as we arrived, these trippy fast-moving foggy clouds started to converge on us, & only glimpses of the surroundings could be had (a shame!). The clouds made me nervous, & after signing some paper & putting it in the summit register without a lid & snapping some shots, we made a hasty retreat (leaving 14.14). The weather continued to be spotty around the summit (& all around the surrounding area) on the way down, & we never got any good views of the volcanoes to the north.
After an eternity, got back to the TH @ 18.00. We put our stuff away while enjoying a brew each, before heading over to Crater Lake (a must-see in Oregon!).
Definitely one of the cooler summits I’ve done (sweet summit pinnacle & views!!), in an amazing place, with great company!
The bugs are out in full force and the scree is as good as it gets, but that impressive look of the mountain and the last 80' scramble makes this climb worth. A fun short climb.
West Ridge, July 5, 2002
First alpine rock experience. Impressive looking mountain, but it is much easier than it looks. Lots of good holds up the summit pinnacle. Scree and loose stuff going up, crowded on a hot summer weekend.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: June 20, 1998
A cool climb. When we started it was clear, by the time we summitted it was pelting hail on us. We heard some thunder and got down below the peak as fast as we could. This peak is known as the lightning rod of the Cascades and we now know why!
A great workout climb in a great area (lots of lakes below). The top is very aesthetic: after a few simple rock moves, you are sitting on top of a tiny little pinnacle. There's room for maybe six, maximum up there. Very cool. Route descriptions, as usual, over-rate the exposure/difficulty. Anyone accustomed to mountains will zip right up.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 3, 2002
In my opinion this was my first peak worth counting. What a beautiful area! From about half way up it looks like Grinch mountain. There is great exposure on the top. A must do if you are in Oregon
Route Climbed: west ridge Date Climbed: September 8, 2003
It took me a little less than 4 hours to reach the summit which was covered in a light dusting of snow, possibly the first of the season. It was a pretty fun solo climb, however the views were nonexistant. i could barely see the bottom of the summit pinnacle from the top. it was also cold and windy. winter is almost here!!! I saw two other people heading up as i was on my way back. I was a little nervous about the last section but it was nowhere near as hard as i was expecting.
artg - Aug 3, 2005 11:14 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 6, 2005Camped out near trailhead on Tuesday night after a long drive from Portland; the mosquitoes where buzzing around the tent all night! Woke up early the next day and headed for the summit under dense clouds. Looking down while climbing the summit pinnacle made my sphincter tighten at times but reached the summit without much difficulty. The early morning clouds dispersed allowing a great view of Diamond Lake. Overall, an enjoyable climb.
Dave K - Jul 17, 2005 11:53 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 16, 2005I thoroughly enjoyed this climb. The scree wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. A use trail cuts through it. Stick to the west ridge use trails for as long as possible.
The summit block was a lot of fun!
leftfield - Jun 11, 2005 6:55 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: May 30, 2005Had always climbed it late season so snow most of the way was a treat. Peerlessly sunny day. GPSed our way right to the ridge. My climbing partner had plastic boots he'd brought along for Shasta and slick tennis shoes so.......he climbed the pinnacle barefoot. Fourth time up.
Dow Williams - May 10, 2005 12:04 am
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: March, 2005We (wife and dog ascended to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) intersection
for a family picnic) hiked in 4 miles to the PCT. With snow on the ground, you can lose the
trail. But you are basically ascending due east gaining a north-south ridge perpendicular to the
southwest summit ridge. You intersect the PCT at this point. I skinned up in back country
skis until the rock exposed final 1000' (top right). The scree was frozen making for an easy
steep hike at this point until the last 200' which was an exposed scramble that some will require
rope for.
I don't necessary recommend skies. For a faster round trip, with snow conditions I was faced with, I would just take crampons (in case there is ice towards the summit). I had snowshoes, skis, skins, TV, kitchen sink....kind of felt like I was on an expedition, but hey, the Cascades are not my back yard, so I did not know what to expect. On to Shasta!
jdavies212 - Apr 23, 2005 7:52 am
Route Climbed: Four-mile trail to summit Date Climbed: 20 April 1972Month and year correct, but actual day is approx. Myself and five other college senior guys. More full account in "trip reports."
Brian Jenkins - Mar 14, 2005 1:15 am
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: March 13, 2005With Mr. Kantola. Spindrift on the ridge. 50 mph winds on the summit. I think the summit pinnacle was swaying. Off route and separated on the descent. Other than that, perfect! My fifth Cascade volcano winter attempt and second summit.
dkantola - Mar 14, 2005 12:10 am
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: March 13, 2005Heinous.
onandupwards - Jan 22, 2005 11:25 pm
Route Climbed: West ridge Date Climbed: 7/21/03Nice climb - 4.5 hrs up, 3.5 hours down.
Was the summit spire moving back and forth ? On top I got a little woozy with just the 3-5 boulders underneath. Hot Springs at Toktee erased the memory of all the scree on the way down.
onandupwards - Jan 22, 2005 11:24 pm
Route Climbed: West ridge Date Climbed: 7/21/03Nice climb - 4.5 hrs up, 3.5 hours down.
Was the summit spire moving back and forth ? On top I got a little woozy with just the 3-5 boulders underneath. Hot Springs at Toktee erased the memory of all the scree on the way down.
Pawkala - Sep 29, 2004 4:21 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: September 27, 2004Great climb on a beutiful day. Only saw 3 other people and had very little wind at the top. The class 3-4 climb was really fun. It was pretty easy, and that is coming from a guy who has little rock climbing background. We did have a little experience with falling rock, caused by our party. We had one of the larger boulders near the summit go crashing down when we were testing for rappel anchor points. Pretty amazing experince, although not one I would like to relive. Just be careful of those huge rocks that look like they are stationary.
birdhead - Aug 26, 2004 1:04 am
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: 08/15/04Uneventful climb except for making the mistake of trying to climb the west ridge proper for the last 80ft or so. Lot's of exposure and more like 5.5 or so. After climbing up 30ft I was faced with an exposed move and decided I had better downclimb and accept defeat. Before heading down though I decided to check out the other side of the summit block and was pleased to find the class 3/4 route that is typically mentioned. Climbed this to the summit without incident.
Don Nelsen - Jul 26, 2004 11:42 pm
Route Climbed: west ridge Date Climbed: July 20, 2004I had business in the little town of Glide and finished up at four and headed for my next meeting in Klamath Falls so made a last minute decision to give Thielsen a try. Five or six years ago I hiked up to the PCT junction but was stopped by deep snow (not to mention the formidable appearance of this mountain!). Tuesday, 7/20 was a great day with a large high pressure system moving in and clearing skies so the conditions couldn't have been better. I didn't really think I'd make the summit since I didn't get started 'til quarter past five but the trail is in great shape with a very even grade so the first four miles to the PCT junction took less than an hour. The trail above the PCT is pretty good too until you get to the scree. This mountain looks very formidable from the west side but is really not that bad and I was surprised to find it fairly easy going as I approached the summit pinnacle. That last 80 feet has some exposure but the holds are great. There was little wind and the summit temperature was in the 50's. I lost my GPS at the summit when it fell out of my fanny pack and didn't discover it was gone until I had descended about 500 vertical feet so I got to climb the top twice! Unfortunately, I did not locate the GPS, which had evidently fallen down between some of those big rocks at the summit. No time for a thorough search as I was rapidly losing daylight. Time for a new GPS anyway! Total time up about 2:10 and 1:15 down. Adding the time at the top and the time to re-climb the top made it 4:10 total. I highly recommend this hike/climb. The views are fantastic from the summit and you can even see a bit of the surface of Crater Lake from the top. Oh yeah, if you find my GPS before it gets zapped by lightning I'll give you a reward to get it back to me - please drop me a line! Thanks - dn.
Diggler - Jul 6, 2004 8:32 pm
Route Climbed: W Ridge Date Climbed: 3 July, 2004Finally made the chance to summit this awesome looking peak. Another late start (we didn’t start going up Bachelor until almost 11.30) was in order, after Lara & I made the (right!!) decision to hang out with Frostbite at Sparks Lake the night before.
Left the trailhead at 10.26. Pretty trail before hooking up with the PCT right below timberline, but the mosquitoes there were murderous (they don’t seem to have that blessed intolerance to the middle of the day like most of the little f@$!ers do). The form of that mountain is quite intimidating when gaining the ridge (especially with clouds swirling around the summit, which they did for much of the day). We encountered a wide variety of people going up the peak, including a surprising number in T-shirts & shorts seemingly without warm clothes, rain gear, extra water or food (with their families- quite large in some cases- in the same situation)- reminded me a lot of Yosemite. At any rate, despite my misgivings about the swirling clouds around the summit pinnacle, as well as the grey & black ones headed for it, we pressed on.
Before I knew it, we were at the base of the summit pinnacle- it looked really cool! After briefly checking it out to figure out the best way up it, it didn’t take long before we were on the true summit (I arrived 14.06). While there’s certainly exposure there, if you’re comfortable going up (& down) 4th class terrain, you shouldn’t have a problem with it. As soon as we arrived, these trippy fast-moving foggy clouds started to converge on us, & only glimpses of the surroundings could be had (a shame!). The clouds made me nervous, & after signing some paper & putting it in the summit register without a lid & snapping some shots, we made a hasty retreat (leaving 14.14). The weather continued to be spotty around the summit (& all around the surrounding area) on the way down, & we never got any good views of the volcanoes to the north.
After an eternity, got back to the TH @ 18.00. We put our stuff away while enjoying a brew each, before heading over to Crater Lake (a must-see in Oregon!).
Definitely one of the cooler summits I’ve done (sweet summit pinnacle & views!!), in an amazing place, with great company!
hkutuk - Jun 28, 2004 11:33 am
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: MultipleWest Ridge, June 26, 2004
The bugs are out in full force and the scree is as good as it gets, but that impressive look of the mountain and the last 80' scramble makes this climb worth. A fun short climb.
West Ridge, July 5, 2002
First alpine rock experience. Impressive looking mountain, but it is much easier than it looks. Lots of good holds up the summit pinnacle. Scree and loose stuff going up, crowded on a hot summer weekend.
skook - Jun 18, 2004 8:55 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: June 18, 2004A good climb to have done, the scree made this climb a one time deal.
wildstar - Jun 18, 2004 8:37 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: June 18th, 2004I am glad for the experience but probably won't climb it again.
rmuir - Apr 13, 2004 3:47 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: June 20, 1998A cool climb. When we started it was clear, by the time we summitted it was pelting hail on us. We heard some thunder and got down below the peak as fast as we could. This peak is known as the lightning rod of the Cascades and we now know why!
eckdoerry - Nov 28, 2003 1:08 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 1999A great workout climb in a great area (lots of lakes below). The top is very aesthetic: after a few simple rock moves, you are sitting on top of a tiny little pinnacle. There's room for maybe six, maximum up there. Very cool. Route descriptions, as usual, over-rate the exposure/difficulty. Anyone accustomed to mountains will zip right up.
oregonjuice - Sep 10, 2003 3:36 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: July 3, 2002In my opinion this was my first peak worth counting. What a beautiful area! From about half way up it looks like Grinch mountain. There is great exposure on the top. A must do if you are in Oregon
cmc56789 - Sep 9, 2003 12:26 am
Route Climbed: west ridge Date Climbed: September 8, 2003It took me a little less than 4 hours to reach the summit which was covered in a light dusting of snow, possibly the first of the season. It was a pretty fun solo climb, however the views were nonexistant. i could barely see the bottom of the summit pinnacle from the top. it was also cold and windy. winter is almost here!!! I saw two other people heading up as i was on my way back. I was a little nervous about the last section but it was nowhere near as hard as i was expecting.