tbaranski - Oct 6, 2020 4:09 pm Date Climbed: Oct 6, 2020
Great climb, crap descent
The ascent is described quite well, and involves a lot of wonderful climbing moves. Lost Creek Canyon is quite beautiful. I would just add a few things:
1) Make sure you know where North Peak is (coordinates) on your map. It's not quite in the right place on SP. There are a couple other minor peaks around (El Duderino, or something, and Lost Creek Peak) so it's not necessarily obvious.
2) The final bit of the traverse over the first falls was extremely sketchy as described. However I saw to my dismay after I did it that had I climbed another 10-15 feet up to the right, I could have pretty much walked over it. Or so it appeared.
3) When you reach the ridge overlooking Icebox Canyon, you turn right to climb the face. It pretty much looks unclimbable from a distance, but once you walk up to it you know better.
The descent on the other hand was a total fiasco. You can't see Graffiti Canyon from the peak (or at least I couldn't) because there's a ridge on top of it that is only a few hundred feet lower than North Peak. There was also an entry in the summit register that said "Where's the canyon?", so I felt vindicated. It took me several double-backs to finally find a reasonable way to the head of the north fork.
But Graffiti Canyon is terrible -- I've never seen so much prickley brush, loose rock, and sand. The entire part of the N fork that goes north (when descending) is unsufferable, and things only mildly improve once you turn east. I didn't see a single cairn in the entire canyon, which speaks to its appeal.
On the other hand, descending back via Lost Creek Canyon would be quite dicey. Perhaps traversing to Goodman and descending the NE gully would be the best way.
BranchWhitney - Sep 27, 2009 10:29 am Date Climbed: Apr 7, 1999
North Peak
Too many times to list. God, if I kept record of all the peaks I climbed with the dates, I would have no life! Guess some people don't!
MoapaPk - May 27, 2008 9:26 pm Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2005
twice
Nov 11/2007 also. Dangerous route in years of high water flow. First time, I followed Peter, Doyle and Jim. Next I went with BW.
My first time was almost in 2004. I lunged, hit a ledge with my head, knocked myself out, and fell ~25 feet. I felt OK when I woke up, but BW took no chances and implored me to descend.
tbaranski - Oct 6, 2020 4:09 pm Date Climbed: Oct 6, 2020
Great climb, crap descentThe ascent is described quite well, and involves a lot of wonderful climbing moves. Lost Creek Canyon is quite beautiful. I would just add a few things:
1) Make sure you know where North Peak is (coordinates) on your map. It's not quite in the right place on SP. There are a couple other minor peaks around (El Duderino, or something, and Lost Creek Peak) so it's not necessarily obvious.
2) The final bit of the traverse over the first falls was extremely sketchy as described. However I saw to my dismay after I did it that had I climbed another 10-15 feet up to the right, I could have pretty much walked over it. Or so it appeared.
3) When you reach the ridge overlooking Icebox Canyon, you turn right to climb the face. It pretty much looks unclimbable from a distance, but once you walk up to it you know better.
The descent on the other hand was a total fiasco. You can't see Graffiti Canyon from the peak (or at least I couldn't) because there's a ridge on top of it that is only a few hundred feet lower than North Peak. There was also an entry in the summit register that said "Where's the canyon?", so I felt vindicated. It took me several double-backs to finally find a reasonable way to the head of the north fork.
But Graffiti Canyon is terrible -- I've never seen so much prickley brush, loose rock, and sand. The entire part of the N fork that goes north (when descending) is unsufferable, and things only mildly improve once you turn east. I didn't see a single cairn in the entire canyon, which speaks to its appeal.
On the other hand, descending back via Lost Creek Canyon would be quite dicey. Perhaps traversing to Goodman and descending the NE gully would be the best way.
BranchWhitney - Sep 27, 2009 10:29 am Date Climbed: Apr 7, 1999
North PeakToo many times to list. God, if I kept record of all the peaks I climbed with the dates, I would have no life! Guess some people don't!
MoapaPk - May 27, 2008 9:26 pm Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2005
twiceNov 11/2007 also. Dangerous route in years of high water flow. First time, I followed Peter, Doyle and Jim. Next I went with BW.
My first time was almost in 2004. I lunged, hit a ledge with my head, knocked myself out, and fell ~25 feet. I felt OK when I woke up, but BW took no chances and implored me to descend.