Slippery Slab Tower near Stevens Pass

July 6 was stunning already, even before we headed in to climb Slippery Slab Tower. Six of us (Mindy, Jim, Cindy, Maggie, Katie, and Steve) left the Tunnel Creek trailhead (FS 6095 off the Hwy 2 hairpin turn just west of Stevens Pass) at 8:45 at a moderate pace. We reached Hope Lake and turned south on the Pacific Crest Trail at 9:45, only to hit snow above the lake that confounded routefinding. We also hit snow at the col about a half mile south, just before descending and making the traverse to Trap Pass, which it easy to lose the trail and posthole. We had a few backtracks looking for the PCT in those spots.


(Traverse on PCT after getting through snow-covered sections)

The snow was just melting out of the east-facing meadows, and the avalanche lilies were in full bloom. From Trap Pass (12:30), we looked for the climbers' trail to the east of the ridge but ended up traversing back over to the west side of the ridge at the high point between Trap Pass and Slippery Slab Tower to avoid steep snow slopes with poor runout. (We had left ice axes at home after seeing little snow below 6200 ft the week before on the Emmons Rte-- mistake!)


(Slippery Slab Tower from the PCT traverse-- mitten-shaped fin on the horizon. Trap Pass is just to the right of the photo, and we followed a climbers' trail behind the high point on the ridge, coming out on the snow just below the tower. We followed the highest snow finger right to "the obvious gulley" that reaches the first belay stance.)

The last 100 ft vertical to the base of the climb we contoured over steepening snow to the south end of the east face of the tower to find a good way up the snow finger leading to the "obvious gulley" without axes. We squeezed behind a moat/cave just south of the gulley and passed packs through-- very fun!


(Katie, Steve, Maggie, and Mindy work through the skinny moat to get to the gulley)

We arrived at the base of the climb 1:30 and began rappelling off the top at 3:00. We set a fixed line up the gulley to the trees and everyone used a prusik backup. The first few moves are a little funky, especially in boots. We were careful about some of the loose stuff, all small, and didn't rain down anything on our party. From the clump of trees, we went straight up toward the open book/slippery slab, past the last (dying?) tree right to the anchor on the ridge in one pitch. Most of us went up the arete side of the slab. Rating of 5.3 was appropriate. We unroped above the top anchor and scrambled to the summit, basking in the sun and light wind.


(East face of Slippery Slab Tower. Moat is behind the highest snow finger, and "the obvious gulley" is just to the right leading up to the belay trees on the right skyline. The route heads directly up from there in one pitch to the summit ridge.)


(Mindy belaying Maggie up to the summit ridge, with Steve's shadow looking on)


(Summit shot, front: Mindy, Steve, Maggie; back: Cindy, Katie, Jim)


(Jim doing "the Monty" on top of Slippery Slab Tower)


(Mindy and Jim setting up the short rap off the summit ridge to the (dying?) tree)

We used three single raps-- a short one from the summit anchor to the (dying?) tree, then a longer rap from the tree back to the trees at the top of the gulley, then down the gully. All three stations had good slings and rap rings, but in the coming years we might want to add bolted anchors since there is no way to back these up effectively. Rock was very solid and great for pro. I left a piece of perma-pro (curved nut) just below the open book/slippery slab if anyone wants to add to their rack.


(Mindy trying to extract perma-pro just below the open book/slipper slab, with Cindy giving a backup from the belay at the top of the gulley)

We were the first to sign the register this year-- probably another few weeks before you can (happily) go without ice axes. On the descent, we were suckered into traversing the steep snow slopes on the east side of the ridge-- not recommended without an axe, but you can avoid by going west of the ridge. Only a bit of bushwhacking required.


(Cindy, looking back on the east face of Slippery Slab Tower. The chimney toward the right/north side has given people fits over the years, so continue toward the south to the high point on the snow finger, on the left side of this photo, to pick up the gulley.)

We returned to Trap Pass for a snack, then traversed back to Hope Lake, where we were greeted by a few black flies (but not bad). Of course, we had to stop and watch the marmots and pika play in the rocks below the traverse. Got to the trailhead around 7:45 and headed to Zeke's for a milkshake.

The scenery was outstanding!