Waiting at the baggage claim after my trip from Colorado, Michael, who, along with Kris, was doing me the big favor of picking me up at the airport, asked right away if I was interested in going to Mount Triumph for the weekend. Never mind the sleep deprivation and the various household tasks left unfinished from the week before and the new ones that had undoubtedly arrived. So, I emphatically said, "Yeah!" Triumph was the first peak that really struck me in the North Cascades. When I first moved to the Seattle area, I remember wandering around a bookstore and picking up a "Selected Climbs in the Cascades" book. I opened by mere chance to the photo of the northeast ridge of Triumph in winter. "Whoa! That's here!!?!" (I was pretty ignorant of the Cascades)  And since then I've really wanted to do Triumph. Sleep or no sleep, chores or no chores, responsibilities or not, I was going!

So, I drove out to Michael's place at 6am and we were on the road by 6:20. Then, I realized that I'd misread his email and was assuming he'd bring his little betamid tent. Not the case so we went back to my house and picked up my bivy sack and caught the 520 to 405 and beyond. We only lost about 35 minutes or so. It turned out we would have plenty of time so that was good. The road to the Thornton Lakes trailhead was rough for Washington but no problems for passenger cars. After talking with jovial Jose, we hit the trail, making good time along the flat trail. It looked like someone had driven through with a tractor and cut down the brush on either side of the trail in about a 6 foot swath. No complaints here. Abruptly, the trail turned northwards and began switchbacking up. Now came the grueling forest ascent. The ascent was quite long and we were tempted by blue skies through the trees more than once, thinking that we were near the crest. But then the trail would turn away and continue climbing higher and higher. Eventually, we emerged with views of Thornton Lakes and Mount Triumph through the trees. Past the trees, we had great views into this compact little basin. Triumph's summit was clearly visible up the steep notch that we had to climb to. Ahead of us lay a steep descent of 500 feet or more to the first Thornton Lake which was a deep blue color, most inviting. We arrived on it's banks after two and a half hours from the car.

A trail continued around the west side of the lake and we followed it. We neglected to study the details of the route and continued following a trail between the first and second lakes. It turns out the we should have crossed the creek and followed the creek immediately up to the second lake on it's right side, but since we couldn't find a trail, we assumed we were wrong. So we retraced our steps and continued up the trail to the second lake. Well, this trail dead ends at a cliff that's hard to see around above the second lake. We committed to this route and followed it over easy but lake-exposed terrain until descending to the talus around the lake. Then we took a break, ate, and replenished water. I was tempted for a swim but didn't want to take that much time. I figured I'd have a swim on the way out assuming that it would be as sunny and hot as it was today. We began heading up the tedious and steep slopes to the notch before the glacier on the east side of Triumph. Doggedly we continued on until we were greeted with a great view of the Pickets and Mount Triumph! It felt great to be done with all of that previous toil. At least now we were in the fun area.  I zipped around very excited to get such good views of the Pickets and Triumph.  The glacier looked like a reasonable crossing as well and it added to the alpine mystique of the area.

We donned crampons and readied our ice axes.  Part of the snowfield was melted out and we'd be forced to cross a section of talus.  Before that though, we came to a steep drift that formed near the notch.  I belayed Michael over and down the near vertical step to easier terrain and then followed.  It was easy enough but was a little wet and slick.  Beyond this I led us lower onto the glacier where the snow easily avoided anything resembling a crevasse.  We then began the short ascent up to the base of the northeast ridge.  We switchbacked up and jumped over to a level rock area where we could take off our crampons and climb up to the notch in the ridge.  We went straight up the sloping ledges which was a little off route.  Some exposed low 5th class put us on the scree ramp that led up to the notch.  We passed a party here who was just descending the northeast ridge.  They'd been on it all day.

The top of the notch wasn't wide at all and a large snow bank made it even smaller.  From here, we decided to put on rock shoes and climb the solid ridge up a pitch and a half or so to where our bivy location was reported to be.  We simul-climbed the entire way up.  Part of the pitch was a fun 5.5 lieback, easy in rock shoes but distinctly alpine in character with our full packs and the outrageous views in all directions.  At the top of this steep section of the ridge, we emerged onto the bivy spot.  This is a perfect spot, the first sleeping location is dirt and is protected by the higher ridge above and small shrubs all around.  I could barely contain my excitement just to be in such a spectacular spot.  We had completely unobstructed views at the Pickets.  To the north, we could pick out Mount Blum and a nice angle on Mount Shuksan.  After an enjoyable meal (it took Michael a while to soften and heat up his freeze dried meal), I bounded around looking for great photo ops.  I didn't have to look hard.  In the meantime, we used the dripping from a small snow bank to collect water.  Michael turned in a little before dark but I stayed up taking sunset pictures.

Without a bivy sack, I used my balaclava to keep my head warm.  I remember falling asleep really quickly.  Then I remember something like raindrops on my sleeping back, and Michael was yelling something like, "Oh no!  It's raining!"  He had a bivy sack but had the wits to collect the shell jackets and drape them over my bag.  I don't remember if I helped out but I was back asleep pretty quickly.  Then Michael woke me up and I realized the sun had risen, although it was behind a layer of maritime clouds.  The dark rock of Mt. Triumph loomed above and I was ready to start the climb.  We began at around 6:15-6:30. 

I took the first lead of simul-climbing heading to the left side of the ridge up an easy small gully back to the top of the ridge proper where the fun climbing again.  For most of the climb we were on the ridge crest.  The climbing was easy but definitely 5th class and exposed.  I placed very few pieces of protection.  Soon enough I arrived at a hugely exposed section of ridge.  I had to climb up about 15 feet on a little tower that allowed us to continue the ridge on a thin and massively exposed knife edge.  The climbing was easy again but standing up and moving on the ridge took a lot of nerve.  I crouched on most of it!  Not far ahead, I saw what appeared to be the crux of the climb - a steep right-trending crack up on the face.  I went a little beyond the exposed ridge, found a good, but small, place to stop and let Michael take over the lead.  We'd easily climbed nearly half of the ridge already and we hadn't been going much longer than 30 or 45 minutes.  The next section was a fun friction climb up to the crux.  Continuing to simul-climb, Michael headed up.  He set a belay for me to follow.  Pictures I'd seen of people on the crux showed them in the crack but I found it much simpler and thrilling to use the crack only for my left hand and stayed out on the exposed face.  A couple of distinctly 5.6-5.7 moves had me back on easier ground. 

I then took over the lead.  We continued simul-climbing the ridge and I eventually came to the Great Notch.  Looking around, I could see that the left side of the ridge was much to steep, practically vertical.  But the right side looked great - it was steep but nice and blocky.  I let Michael catch up and he belayed me up the first section of the steep ridge.  Steep ledges eventually put us back on the ridge.  At this point, the terrain became easier and easier.  We walked 3rd class terrain and made a couple of easy 4th class moves near the top and were there.  We had the whole mountain to ourselves.  What a view it was.  The clouds were really cool though they obstructed the tops of the higher peaks now.  I couldn't complain, especially after the superb sunset and weather from the day before.  So long as it didn't rain.

We had arrived on the summit under and hour and a half after setting out.  So, we took our time up here snapping pictures and surmising about different mountains and valleys.  We simul-climbed down where we could and rappelled the rest.  I was more comfortable with rappelling since you really didn't have to think about where your feet needed to go.  It was less stressful.  We did have a few dicey moments when it started raining and we were down-climbing 5th class sections to get to easier terrain and a rappel station.  Taking care saw us down safely.  Eventually, we were back at the camp.

The climb down the rest of the route and back to the car was pretty uneventful but most enjoyable.  We took a more direct path across the glacier.  We were also able to take advantage of an excellent boot glissade down the snowfield in the notch that led to the second Thornton Lake.  As we traversed it's shore, the sun came out and really cooked us.  It was very humid and the bright sun really rubbed it in.  Clouds gave us a reprieve the majority of the time.  This time we stayed on the east side of the lake.  Crossing the talus was tedious but much easier than the false trail leading us to the cliffs.  We then followed the creek down to the spot where we had crossed the day before, only to turn around, and we were back on the main trail.  The rest of the hike out was a bit of trail pounding.  It was all enjoyable though.  In the back of my head I thought back to how awesome of a climb this was.  Truly one of the best.

Michael's account