Last Updated: November 28, 2024



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Oh my! Quite the backlog here...

  • Lone Goat & Snow Camp Mountain - hike (September 2023)
  • Isollilock Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Mount Manson - Mount Hatfield Traverse - scramble (October 2023)
  • The Gargoyles & Columnar Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Opal Cone and Lava Glacier - hike (October 2023)
  • Park Butte (WA) - hike (October 2023)
  • Trappers Peak (WA) - scramble (October 2023)
  • Rattlesnake Ledge (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sauk Mountain (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sunshine Coast (Mount Daniel, Pender Hill) - hike (November 2023)
  • Mount Dickerman (WA) - hike (November 2022)
  • Verona Peak AKA Winter's End - snowshoe (November 2023)
  • Dolomites (IT) - snowboard (December 2023)
  • Red Rock Canyon (NV) - scramble (January 2024)
  • Flute Summit & Oboe Summit - snowboard (February 2024)
  • Whistler Miscellaneous (Train Wreck, Loggers Lake, Shadow Lake and more) - hike (February 2024)
  • Mount Underhill - hike (March 2024)
  • Bombtram Mountain - snowshoe (March 2024)
  • Steep Peak - snowboard (March 2024)
  • Ruby Mountain (WA) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Blustry Mountain - hike (April 2024)
  • Sowerby Peak (Barr East) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Picacho Peak (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Kitt Peak Observatory (AZ) - (April 2024)
  • Mount Wrightson (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Saguaro National Park (AZ) - April 2024)
  • Superstition Peak/Benchmark (AZ) - scramble (April 2024)
  • Mount Humphreys (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Petrified Forest National Park (AZ) - (May 2024)
  • Piestewa Peak (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Channeled Scablands (WA | Columbia Gorge, Ancient Lakes, Potholes Lake, Palouse Falls and more) - hike (May 2024)
  • Rhododendron Mountain ("Pk. 2220") - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Flora Peak - hike (June 2024)
  • Gibson Peak - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Mount Urquhart - scramble (June 2024)
  • Rock Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Ladies Pass Quartet (WA | Cape Horn, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass NE Peak, Snowgrass Mountain) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Old Snowy (WA) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Dog Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Mount Ratney & Mount Bardean - scramble (July 2024)
  • Torrent Peak - scramble (July 2024)
  • Steep Peak - Darkside Peak Traverse - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silvertip Mountain - scramble (July 2024)
  • The Old Settler - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silent Hub Peak - scramble (August 2024)
  • Saint Jacobs Mountain - scramble (August 2024)
  • Mount David (WA) - scramble (August 2024)
  • Goat Mountain West Peak & Table Mountain (WA) - hike (August 2024)
  • Griswold Pass (Tuber Hill, Glacier View Peak, Subatomic Peaks: Baryon, Meson, Muon, Lepton) - scramble (September 2024)
  • Yellow Aster Butte (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mazama Dome (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Ptarmigan Ridge - (WA | The Portals East Peak, Coleman Pinnacle) - hike (September 2024)
  • Tetrahedron Peak - scramble (September 2024)
  • Lone Cone & Peak 86 (Tofino) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mount Athelstan ("Pk. 2460") - scramble (September 2024)
  • Excelsior Peak and Cowap Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Hollyburn Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Cheam Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Blanchard Needle - scramble (October 2024)
  • Debeck's Hill & 4 Lakes Loop - hike (October 2024)
  • Mount Hallowell - hike (November 2024)

*As of 11/28/2024


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Monday, August 12, 2021

South Needle - Hydraulic Trail, November 2020



A classic among the North Shore scrambles, the Needles Traverse combines three mostly vegetated summits along the divide separating Lynn Creek and Seymour River. Typically done north-to-south starting from a trailhead far up Seymour Valley, the traverse is a bit of a rite of passage for local baggers. That said, it makes for a big day with a ~9 km bike ride along the Seymour Trailway followed by a steep trail up to just below Coliseum before even embarking on the traverse. Deep, bushy notches separate the three needles followed by steep brushy pitches ascending to and descending from their small rocky summits. For the full value experience, one can continue past South Needle up and over Lynn Peak and the lookout beyond to eventually end up on the gravel road linking the Conservation Reserve and Lynn Headwaters Park. A shorter alternative would be to simply take the Hydraulic Creek Trail after South Needle back down to the trailway. Either way, there's the problem of having to return via the trailway some 4 kms on foot at the very least to retrieve the bike stashed earlier in the day, followed by a 9 km ride back. Um...I'll pass, thanks.

Middle Needle is the highest of the three and all I was really interested in. More importantly, it avoids the above logistical headaches. So, 5 km along the Trailway, then up the Hydraulic Creek Trail to the crest trail coming from Lynn Peak, up'n over South Needle and finally up Middle Needle (and back). Easy peasy, right? Not exactly. The crux of the traverse happens to lie on South's steep north slope, which I would have had to both descend and climb back up upon return. It's a matter of a short cliff with some exposure that in dry summer conditions would go just fine. A fixed handline just out of reach to the left would have facilitated my return nicely as well. The problem was that said cliff was on the shaded aspect with slick, frosted rock and frozen duff and dirt. Getting good purchase was next to impossible. Shoulda brought a scramble rope, but I didn't, and wasn't in the mood for trying my luck. Had a nice long break on top of South instead soaking in the weak November sunshine and remarkably good views!

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