Mt. Washington (Oregon Cascades; 7,794')

Mt. Washington, like its sibling to the north, Three-Fingered Jack, was a breakthrough in local mountaineering standards when first climbed in 1923. The first ascent route does not exist anymore, though, which is indicative of the rock quality. Nevertheless, it's still a popular climb. The standard route is the North Ridge. The rock on this route is actually okay on those sections where it matters. The West Face routes regularly see spectacular accidents when crag climbers are lured by the moderate ratings. Keep in mind that the ratings are old, and hence stiff, and that protection on the friable volcanic rock is often largely symbolic. On Mt. Washington the old saying from the time of hemp ropes and hip belays is still true: The leader must not fall. Topo Map Routes: North Ridge (I, 5.1) West Face (II, 5.6)

Mt. Washington from Big Lake in mid-July

References: Jeff Thomas, Oregon High Keep Climbing Press (Portland, OR 1991) J. Smoot, Summit Guide to the Cascade Volcanoes Chockstone Press (Evergreen, CO 1992) N.A. Dodge, A Climbing Guide to Oregon , Touchstone Press (Beaverton, OR 1975)

Date: September 8, 2006

Party: DB solo

Route: N Ridge

Equipment: 50m half rope

Time: Big Lake - Notch 2 hrs 12 mins
Big Lake - Summit 2 hrs 35 mins
Summit - Big Lake 2 hrs 45 mins
Roundtrip from Big Lake 5 hrs 50 mins

Comments: Time down includes a break in the meadows, and another one on the black sand beach.

Trip report:

This summer I don't seem to get to climb my objectives. Today I had wanted to climb Jack, but at Santiam Pass I found the entire area between the pass and Mt. Jefferson closed due to fires. So I turned to Mt. Washington instead, illegally so, as I found out on my return to Big Lake.

I hiked from Big Lake to the ridge at a steady pace, and the higher I got the more obvious it became that there were a lot of fires burning; the amounts of smoke in the atmosphere were impressive. Apparently the fires were being fought, as there were helicopters audible. I got to the notch below the North Ridge in a bit over two hours, switched from sneakers to rock shoes, and continued to the summit. There were fires burning to the north, although very far from Three-Fingered Jack, and there also was a fire burning to the south, between Mt. Washington and McKenzie Pass. This was the one two choppers were attending to. Visibility was miserable on account of the smoke.

As always on Washington, I downclimbed extra carefully with due respect to the rotten rock, and rappelled the last step on my 8mm line. Then I plunge-stepped down the scree, took a leisurely break in the meadows, and hiked back to the lake, where I took another break on the black sand beach. When I got back to my car at the west end of Big Lake, a sheriff's deputy demanded to know where I was coming from. I told him I had climbed the mountain, and he informed me that the entire area south of Santiam Pass was closed, too. He acknowledged, though, that they had put up no signs to that effect at the west end of Big Lake, and so we parted amicably.

It was a nice climb, but I hope the fires will run out of fuel at some point so I can do Jack again.