Mount Stuart Climb Project: Route: Mount Stuart - West Ridge Carryover to Cascadian Couloir (Central Cascades)

Mountain Information:

Peakbagger:

http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=2182

MountainProject:

WTA Link:

Mountaineers Link:

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest:

Driving Directions:

Trailhead:

Esmeralda Trailhead
Co-ordinates: 47.436730,-120.936960

Address: Cle Elum, WA 98922
Elevation: 4,300 ft
Pass: Northwest Forest Pass
Direction: "Drive on I-90 to about 1 mi east Cle Elum, then go northeast on SR 970 about 5 mi to 0.5 mi past the Teanaway River Bridge. Turn left on the Teanaway River Road and continue 23 mi to the road end parking area at 4,243 ft, about 1 mi beyond the DeRoux Campground (Forest Road 9737). Car camping is available at the DeRoux Campground and other campgrounds on the Teanaway River Road"

Food

McDonald's at 702 W 1st St, Cle Elum, WA 98922

Road condition

https://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/snoqualmie/default.aspx

Weather forecast

Avalanche danger forecast:

Route Information: West Ridge & Cascadian Couloir

Gain: 5,250 ft
Round Trip: 15-18 miles
Activity: Rock Climbing
Difficulty: Intermediate Rock Climb
Season: May, June, July, August, September
Mountaineers Route Description
Key data:

Trailhead to Climb 2,500ft
Climb to Long John Tower 1,000ft
Long John Tower to West Rib Notch 350ft
West Rib Notch to Summit 400ft
Summit to Trailhead 1,000ft

Existing tracks:

Peakbagger: online map, gpx file, route info

Caltopo Route: https://caltopo.com/m/NU11

Route Photos from trip reports:

West Ridge Route

Cascadian Couloir

West Ridge Route 2

West Ridge Route Variation

Beginning of the West Ridge Route

The Air Step

Long John Tower

West Ridge Notch


Longs pass to Cascadian Couloir


Long John Tower 2

Route Section 1

Route Section 2


Carryover Route


Cascadian Couloir to False Summit

Cascadian Couloir Route

Mt Stuart Summit

Misc

Videos:

Trip Reports:

Mountaineers trip reports

WTA trip reports

CascadeClimbers trip reports

Nwhikers.net trip reports

08/21/2009

Others

Notes:

This athletic climb is largely scrambling on a huge granite massif. Fast efficient parties who travel light are favored. Routefinding dilemmas tend to occur at Long John Tower, at exposed section of West Ridge Notch, and in descent (not staying right). Snow patches along the route should be utilized for drinking water.
Large rats, also known as, snafflehounds, inhabit the summit bivy area, so be careful about anything (including boots) with salt on it; they will try to eat it. Most of route is traveled unroped. The key to this climb is traveling light. Contact Leavenworth Ranger Station for updated backcountry regulations for the area.
Use caution on the slopes below false summit - steep snow early in the year and loose rock later in the year.
On the way down Cascadian, you could take the Cascadian Cutoff trail which helped bypass some of the final few hundred feet of choss. Look for this trail about a 1000 ft above the creek, on skier's right in the meadows.

Bivy Sites: There are bivy sites at 7680, 8200 before LJT, and just above LJT, then again below WR notch, and at the summit. 8200 bivy had a reachable snow patch as of 8/20/2016 that was about 50 feet below on the north side of the ridge. Depending on the weather, it might become unreachable. The 8200' bivy can fit about 6 people (4 bivy sites - 2, 2, 1, 1). the sites are around the top of the ridge on the left, before the class 4 exit gully on the right that gets one to the notch from where the downclimb for the base of the LJT starts.
Climbing Gears: Mountaineers climbed the route in approach shoes, with a 30m rope, BD cams #0.3 to #2, set of nuts, 6 shoulder slings and 4 double slings.
Water: It was reported that everyone carried 3-4 liters of water and that was sufficient until they reached Ingalls Creek at the bottom of Cascadian C.