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Leading the knife-edge ridge traverse section during our descent of Northeast Ridge of Triumph (July 2004).
Sometime in the summer of 2003, Shirley & I drove out to the Thornton Lakes trailhead and despite the drizzly and generally sucky conditions made the approach hike to Thornton Lakes. The forecast was calling for marginal conditions on Saturday with gradual clearing. Things were not looking up at Thornton Lakes and so we hiked back and left.
A year or so later (late July 2004) we were back. We hiked in on Saturday, camped at the col (not on the ridge itself as some do) and climbed the Northeast Ridge (III 5.7) route on Sunday. Nice cilmbing (technically mostly 4th to low 5th class) with some amazing alpine views! We descended back down the route and were in camp by the afternoon. We hiked out and met darkness somewhere below Thornton Lakes. A very fun way of spending a weekend.
Photos
Shirley packing up for Triumph at the trailhead on Saturday morning (July 2004).
Shirley arriving at Thornton Lakes on our approach to Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Shirley hiking just above the outlet from the second (or middle) Thornton Lake. The goal (standard bivy sites for Triumph climbs) lies atop the gully just right of photo's center. There's actually a faint boot path that begins high up on the right hand side above the lake and follows the grassy patches on the right side of the gully (July 24, 2004).
Shirley hiking up the gully towards the col with lower and middle Thornton Lakes down below (July 24, 2004).
Mount Triumph from the col as seen on the afternoon of July 24, 2004. Northeast Ridge route begins in the low point notch on the right and follows the ridge to the top.
Shirley in camp the afternoon before our climb day (July 2004).
Shirley relaxing in our scenic camp at the col. First (or lowest) Thornton Lake can be seen below (July 24, 2004).
Shirley scoping out the col through which you get nice views of Triumph and its Northeast Ridge (July 2004).
Shirley relaxing in our camp just below the col the day before our climb (July 2004).
Shirley somewhere on the lower part of the Northeast Ridge route (July 2004).
Shirley on the approach hike to the Northeast Ridge (right hand ridge) of Mount Triumph....weren't sure where the glacier ends & the snowfield begins, hence the rope (July 2004).
Daddy somewhere on the lower parts of the Northeast Ridge (July 2004).
Shirley a pitch or so up the Northeast Ridge of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
A party of two ahead of us. The follower is about to start the crux 5.7 section of the route (July 2004).
Shirley somewhere on the lower half of the Northeast Ridge of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Shirley somehwere on the Northeast Ridge of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Shirley at a belay below the 5.7 crack on the Northeast Ridge (July 2004).
Leading the technical crux of the Northeast Ridge...a short 5.7 fisting crack (July 2004).
Shirley in the notch below the summit of Triumph on Northeast Ridge route. We reached this belay via a pitch stretch of the crux pitch (the 5.7 OW pitch, July 25, 2004).
Shirley following the heather ledges pitch. It doesn't look like much but it was I think the mental crux of the route (July 25, 2004).
Shirley arriving on the summit of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Looking towards Baker (left, background) and Shuksan (rightmost) from summit of Triumph. Also visible is Mt. Blum (foreground, just left of Shuksan). Thanks to rfbolton and Klenke for improving this caption (July 25, 2004).
Daddy on the summit of Triumph (July 2004).
Shirley on the summit of Triumph following our climb of Northeast Ridge. Mount Despair in the background (July 25, 2004).
Summit shot of Shirley and yours truly on Triumph following our triumphant ascent of its Northeast Ridge. Mount Shuksan (I think) is in the background as is a small bit (left) of Mount Baker.
Shirley rapping down the Northeast Ridge of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Shirley on one of the raps down the Northeast Ridge of Mount Triumph (July 2004).
Mount Despair (7,292 ft) from near the summit of Triumph (July 25, 2004).
Leading the knife-edge ridge traverse section during our descent of Northeast Ridge of Triumph (III 5.6). It doesn't appear THAT knife-edged in the photo but it is in fact quite exposed on both sides (easy climbing, class 4-5.0, July 25, 2004).
Shirley nearing the bottom of the ridge during our descent from Mount Triumph (July 2004).
The glacier/snow field slog back to the col after our climb of Northeast Ridge of Triumph. The col is the U-notch just left of photo's center (July 2004).
Shirley climbing steep snow back up to the col following our climb of Northeast Ridge of Triumph (July 25, 2004).
Shirley almost back to the car after our climb of Mt. Triump (July 2004).
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