First day the road was open! Trail clear then snow abruptly in Spray Park. Peerless calm and sunny weather. Both Echo and Observation. Nobody up there but us and a couple of skiers. Watched climbers just completing Liberty Ridge. A great day!
breauxtrahn - Dec 8, 2010 9:22 pm Date Climbed: Sep 25, 2006
late getting out
An awesome ascent. First time on Crampons. Sun was setting coming off the glacier. Ran quickly through Spray Park and made it to the entrance to the forest by dark. Followed the last 3 miles with headlamps.
Great day. Watch out for rockfall on the left side of the ice. Otherwise, use pickets low, long screws high.
jtostenr - Sep 25, 2006 5:08 am Date Climbed: Sep 23, 2006
Route Climbed: Ice Route
Conditions were pretty good. Screws held ok, but pickets were better. There was a bit of water ice near the top. Good for a first ice climb, but I don't think I would climb it again.
Route Climbed: Standard via saddle Date Climbed: October 3, 2004
Great weather, vulcano erupting - let's climb Observation Rock! So our adventure begins. We reached the Lake Mowich trailhead by 7:45, but had to adjust the Goodwill crampons before embarking. At 8:30, we were off. The trail is in great shape to Spray Park as expected for the Wonderland Trail, and the climbers trail from there is not bad either. We stayed on the WT until it's highest point in the park, around 6400', and then took a right on an obvious ridge trail toward the saddle between Echo and Observation. Sometimes plain as day, other times hard to see, the direction is always apparent.
At the end of the ridge and the beginning of the glaciers, there is a great rock shelter with running water. Camping would be easy. We followed the glaciers over the saddle and around the East side of the Rock, leading to an easy scramble to the summit. Nice rocks to sit on, and a USGS benchmark to prove you were there! 4'45" to the summit and 9 hours RT. The stats don't do this hike justice. Mt St Helens never erupted, but we were treated to a large avalanche on Rainier.
gimpilator - Sep 8, 2014 10:19 pm Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2014
Observation, Echo, Hessong, Pleasant, First Mother, Fay6 peaklets, 10 hours 20 minutes car to car.
CzechMark - Nov 12, 2013 5:01 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2013
Awesome climbGreat climb. Felt like a way bigger climb. Fun travelling on the Flett Glacier.
leftfield - Jul 8, 2012 11:59 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2012
Spray ParkFirst day the road was open! Trail clear then snow abruptly in Spray Park. Peerless calm and sunny weather. Both Echo and Observation. Nobody up there but us and a couple of skiers. Watched climbers just completing Liberty Ridge. A great day!
breauxtrahn - Dec 8, 2010 9:22 pm Date Climbed: Sep 25, 2006
late getting outAn awesome ascent. First time on Crampons. Sun was setting coming off the glacier. Ran quickly through Spray Park and made it to the entrance to the forest by dark. Followed the last 3 miles with headlamps.
juneauhiker - Nov 9, 2010 8:52 pm
Ice RouteFun ice climb and gorgeous sunset. Mostly screws and a couple tough to remove pickets that would have held a train.
linxweiler - Sep 22, 2007 5:12 pm Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2007
Route Climbied - Standard Ice RouteGreat day. Watch out for rockfall on the left side of the ice. Otherwise, use pickets low, long screws high.
jtostenr - Sep 25, 2006 5:08 am Date Climbed: Sep 23, 2006
Route Climbed: Ice RouteConditions were pretty good. Screws held ok, but pickets were better. There was a bit of water ice near the top. Good for a first ice climb, but I don't think I would climb it again.
Dan Winter - Mar 20, 2005 1:13 pm
Route Climbed: ice route Date Climbed: 9/20/02This was my first experience on an ice route and I almost wet myself!
sixsigmafool - Oct 5, 2004 12:24 am
Route Climbed: Standard via saddle Date Climbed: October 3, 2004Great weather, vulcano erupting - let's climb Observation Rock! So our adventure begins. We reached the Lake Mowich trailhead by 7:45, but had to adjust the Goodwill crampons before embarking. At 8:30, we were off. The trail is in great shape to Spray Park as expected for the Wonderland Trail, and the climbers trail from there is not bad either. We stayed on the WT until it's highest point in the park, around 6400', and then took a right on an obvious ridge trail toward the saddle between Echo and Observation. Sometimes plain as day, other times hard to see, the direction is always apparent.
At the end of the ridge and the beginning of the glaciers, there is a great rock shelter with running water. Camping would be easy. We followed the glaciers over the saddle and around the East side of the Rock, leading to an easy scramble to the summit. Nice rocks to sit on, and a USGS benchmark to prove you were there! 4'45" to the summit and 9 hours RT. The stats don't do this hike justice. Mt St Helens never erupted, but we were treated to a large avalanche on Rainier.