North Summit, Mount Olympus - July 3, 2021

[scatman]

This weekend's hike took Katie and I to the north summit of Mount Olympus. We began at the Neff's Canyon Trailhead at around 6:45 in the morning. We made our way up the Neff's Canyon road until we reached Norths Fork, and at this point followed a trail along the west side of the fork, to reach the bottom of the coulior that would take us up the mountain. This time of year, the bottom half of the ascent has a lot of bushwhacking while the upper half is stair-stepping up rocks for the most part. At the top of the coulior, you have to work your way west until you reach a steep gully that leads to the western ridge of the north summit. Once on the ridge, we worked our way back east to the north summit, which includes some scrambling, downclimbing and rattlesnake alley. We ended up seeing six rattlesnakes on this hike. When all was said and done, I was pretty scratched up from the bushwhacking sections, but somehow Katie managed to avoid any scrapes and bruises.

Here is our hike:

Hiking up Neff's Canyon Road with Olympus above

Crossing the Mount Olympus Wilderness Boundary, near the entrance to Norths Fork

Norths Fork

Here are some shots from the bottom to the top of the coulior

Near the entrance of the coulior

Rocky going amidst all the shrubs

Stonecrop

Buckwheat

Butterfly

Back to the coulior

Bushwhacking heaven.

More rocks

More bushwhacking

Out of the bushwhacking portion

Just rock stepping to the top

Working my way up

Getting close to the top of the coulior

Still some scrambling to be done to reach the top

Katie, on a scramble section

Fleabane

Once at the top of the coulior, we made our way west towards the steep gulley - the way ahead

Arriving at the gully

Looking up the gully

Working our way up the gully

Views to the south from the ridge at the top of the gulley. (L-R) Broads Fork Twin Peaks, Pfeifferhorn, North and South Thunder
Mountains, and Lone Peak

Snack time!

You better think (think)
Think about what you're trying to do to me
Think (think, think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free

Working our way east along the ridge

Rattlesnake #1

Rattlesnake #2

Some obstacles you just have to go under.

Rattlesnake #3

Scat blood - a little bit out of focus, but the valley looks nice.

Making our way up the chute that leads directly to the north summit

Giving me some photography lessons - an orange-legged drone fly

Views from the summit - Wildcat Ridge to the east

Views from the summit - Grandeur Peak, Church Fork Peak, and Mount Aire to the north along the Millcreek Ridgeline

South Summit of Mount Olympus - the popular one

Summit shot

Zoomed in and looking down on the Jeep in the parking lot

Beginning the scramble back up to rattlesnake alley

Wasatch Beardtongue

Sego Lilly in rattlesnake alley

Rattlesnake #4

And #5 - I didn't get a chance to take a shot of #6, by the time I got my camera out, it had slithered under a rock.

Scrambling back up to the ridge

Mount Olympus spring water

Jeep and Olympus - like a hand in glove. Back at the Neff's Canyon Trailhead


The End

 

[The Trout Whisperer]

Is that th new fall kilt in rattlesnake khaki? Nice hike less th snakes

 

[regehr]

that is a large amount of rattlesnakes for one hike, scat

 

[scatman]

that is a large amount of rattlesnakes for one hike, scat

Indeed it is. After seeing the second one, we were pretty carefully where we stepped and placed our hand holds on the scrambling sections.

I just got back from hiking along the north ridge of City Creek, and unfortunately my rattlesnake streak has ended. I didn't see a single one, even though I did see this sign.

 

[fossana]

I've always wanted to do the W Slabs route, but maybe I will wait until snake season is over.

 

[scatman]

I've always wanted to do the W Slabs route, but maybe I will wait until snake season is over.

With ropes or free soloing? I'll meet you at the top and toast your accomplishment.

I didn't include this shot in my trip report, but there were three climbers tackling Geurt's Ridge which leads to the south summit, when we were heading down.

Kind of hard to see them, but one person is heading up just left of the fin. The other is above, to the right of the trees. I'm not sure where the third climber is in this shot.

 

[fossana]

With ropes or free soloing? I'll meet you at the top and toast your accomplishment.

No ropes.

 

[Titans]

@scatman - you continue to impress me. That's some serious bushwhacking and scrambling. So.... do tell us how you manage to convince Katie to join you on these trips? What are you bribing her with?

Also on a more serious note- what exactly should somebody do, if one is bit by a rattlesnake? I should know, but haven't had any encounters until the very first one last fall. Hoping to keep the count to 1 (like forever), not 6 on 1 trip

 

[TheMountainRabbit]

Also on a more serious note- what exactly should somebody do, if one is bit by a rattlesnake? I should know, but haven't had any encounters until the very first one last fall. Hoping to keep the count to 1 (like forever), not 6 on 1 trip

Go straight to the hospital as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep the bitten area below the heart, keep the heart rate as low as possible, and let the wound bleed before irrigating and applying a clean bandage. Your condition will deteriorate pretty quickly after about a half hour, but you generally have a day or two before long-term/permanent damage so if you're way into the backcountry slow and steady is better than panicking.

 

[scatman]

@scatman - you continue to impress me. That's some serious bushwhacking and scrambling. So.... do tell us how you manage to convince Katie to join you on these trips? What are you bribing her with?

Also on a more serious note- what exactly should somebody do, if one is bit by a rattlesnake? I should know, but haven't had any encounters until the very first one last fall. Hoping to keep the count to 1 (like forever), not 6 on 1 trip

Convincing Katie to go is simple, her college education. No, she enjoys hiking, and she enjoys the scrambling, but she isn't so keen on the bushwhacking parts, though I must say, she didn't get nearly as torn up on this one as I did. Maybe she has thicker skin than her pops.

She did this hike with me back in November of 2016, and by then all the leaves had fallen off of the shrubs and small trees so the bushwhacking wasn't as bad as it was last Saturday. And of course, you don't have any snakes to contend with at that time of year.

2016 at Olympus Spring on our way up

2016 - Mountain goats at the summit

2016 - Katie is an avid reader and she took a book with her to read while on the summit for this one.

As far as treatment for rattlesnake bites go, what @TheMountainRabbit said. I knew you were supposed to get medical treatment as soon as possible, but I had to Google the rest.

Knowing this, if you took the location of the last rattlesnake that we saw, I'd say that we were three hours from getting back to the trailhead. How would that affect you going down steep terrain, especially the gully, where you don't want to fall? I assume that I could drive my stick-shift Jeep to the hospital once I got back to the trailhead? Or could I? Interesting questions to ponder.

That being said, I really don't mind the rattlesnakes. Except for the one on Mount Raymond a few weeks back, they have always given me plenty of warning that they were in the area. And they are kind of fun to watch once you locate them.

As for my scrambling ability, I'm strictly bush league. There are a lot of people who I would classify as mountain goats, who are a lot more impressive than I am. When @fossana completes her route up the west slabs, that's the time to be impressed. There was a gentleman who fell to his death climbing the slabs this past spring.

 

[Titans]

Go straight to the hospital as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep the bitten area below the heart, keep the heart rate as low as possible, and let the wound bleed before irrigating and applying a clean bandage. Your condition will deteriorate pretty quickly after about a half hour, but you generally have a day or two before long-term/permanent damage so if you're way into the backcountry slow and steady is better than panicking.

Thanks @TheMountainRabbit - appreciate the info!

 

[Titans]

Convincing Katie to go is simple, her college education. No, she enjoys hiking, and she enjoys the scrambling, but she isn't so keen on the bushwhacking parts, though I must say, she didn't get nearly as torn up on this one as I did. Maybe she has thicker skin than her pops.

She did this hike with me back in November of 2016, and by then all the leaves had fallen off of the shrubs and small trees so the bushwhacking wasn't as bad as it was last Saturday. And of course, you don't have any snakes to contend with at that time of year.

View attachment 99798
2016 at Olympus Spring on our way up

View attachment 99799
2016 - Mountain goats at the summit

View attachment 99800
2016 - Katie is an avid reader and she took a book with her to read while on the summit for this one.

As far as treatment for rattlesnake bites go, what @TheMountainRabbit said. I knew you were supposed to get medical treatment as soon as possible, but I had to Google the rest.

Knowing this, if you took the location of the last rattlesnake that we saw, I'd say that we were three hours from getting back to the trailhead. How would that affect you going down steep terrain, especially the gully, where you don't want to fall? I assume that I could drive my stick-shift Jeep to the hospital once I got back to the trailhead? Or could I? Interesting questions to ponder.

That being said, I really don't mind the rattlesnakes. Except for the one on Mount Raymond a few weeks back, they have always given me plenty of warning that they were in the area. And they are kind of fun to watch once you locate them.

As for my scrambling ability, I'm strictly bush league. There are a lot of people who I would classify as mountain goats, who are a lot more impressive than I am. When @fossana completes her route up the west slabs, that's the time to be impressed. There was a gentleman who fell to his death climbing the slabs this past spring.

It's awesome Katie enjoys this so much! An activity to do together. Love the photo of her reading on the summit. The rock kind of looks like a giant piece of petrified wood. And you had a cold beer on the summit?
A November hike is maybe less exciting without rattlesnakes, but the goats are fun to watch too. Hope we never get to experience a bite, because 1/2 hour isn't much time really.

As far as competing with @fossana - just give it up! We all missed out on that opportunity during the very first week of the hip recovery.

 

[fossana]

You get out to some enviable places, @scatman and @Titans.