Mt Stone and possibly Mt Skokomish (training trip for Ptarmigan Traverse)

Unfortunately, I decided to cancel the Eldorado Climb due to adverse weather conditions. Luckily, it appears that the eastern side of the Olympic Mountains (rain shadow area, is forecasted to avoid a lot of the adverse weather on Sunday). There is still a slight chance of precipitation, and expect vegetation to be wet on the hike in. Although this will be a shorter trip, with no glacier travel, I will ask that you BRING ALL THE SAME GEAR YOU WOULD FOR THE PTARMIGAN TRAVERSE. The point of this is to be a training outing for that trip. Bring your harness, and glacier travel gear, as we will look for an opportunity to practice rope travel along the way. Although this can be done as a day hike we plan to car camp. Although you are welcome to meet us at the trailhead Sunday morning, I encourage participants to join us car camping the night before. This way, we have an opportunity to use our overnight camping gear that we would for the Ptarmigan Traverse. I encourage participants to bring their stoves and a meal to prepare Saturday as well.

The climb itself involves hiking into the Lake of the Angels. This may involve some routefinding. From there we will likely be traveling on snow, where we can hopefully find an opportunity to practice rope travel. The route up the mountain itself involves going up a steep class 3+ scrambling on often loose rock. We will want to stay in tight formation through any loose gulleys. If we have time, we can attempt Mt Skokomish. The main thing though is that we train for the upcoming Ptarmigan Traverse Trip, while assessing our own skill, ability, and gear to handle such a trip.

Stats:
High Point: 6,618 feet
Elevation Gain: 5,000+ feet
Distance: 9+ miles

Resources:
https://www.summitpost.org/mount-stone/151845
https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/trip-reports/alpine-scramble-mount-stone-south-couloir-1
https://www.summitpost.org/mount-skokomish/152044#google_vignette
https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/mount-skokomish
Trip Report GPS Link
https://mountainflamingo.com/2015-05-03-mount-stone/
GPS link with Mt Skokomish as well
https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=2268879

The Plan:

Saturday, June 21
3:30 PM Meet at the Park and Ride. We will arrange carpools and drive to the trailhead.
6 PM We should arrive at the trailhead. We should arrive at camp by 6 or 6:30 PM. We will either camp Lena Creek Campground (trailhead for
The Brothers / Lena Lakes) if there is space. Otherwise, we will camp at the trailhead. We will set up camp for the night.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO CAMP, YOU ARE WELCOME TO DRIVE AND HIKE IN TO MEET US AT THE TRAILHEAD ON SUNDAY. WE WILL NEED TO COMMUNICATE AN AGREED UPON TIME IN ADVANCE TO MEET.

Sunday, June 22

Time T.B.D We will start our hike We will plan to practice rope travel if we have adequate snow conditions along the way. We should climb Mt Stone by early afternoon. Plan to spend 15 to 30 minutes at the summit, depending on conditions. From there, we will decide what we want to do next. If we have time, we can attempt Mt Skokomish, which would be a longer approach. Although it would be unlikely that we would have time for both peaks, I wanted to allow the option in case we do.

We should plan to arrive back at the trailhead by 5-6 PM at the latest.

We can stop for food along the way if people want.

What to bring:
Pack, warm clothing layers (expect rain, snow, and wind), hiking or mountaineering boots, crampons and helmet, hiking poles, ice ax, (climbing harness, ATC Belay device, carabiners, and prussiks), navigation: map, compass, and GPS if you have it, emergency bivy, food and water for the day (2-3 liters minimum), sun protection, headlamp, sit pad, 10 essentials not already mentioned, and overnight camping gear. Ursacks, bear canisters, or secure food storage. EACH ROPE TEAM SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 1 30-40 METER ROPE, 2 PICKETS, 2 PULLEYS, 1 SHOVEL, ALTHOUGH THESE ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL, FEEL FREE TO BRING THEM IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE. I PLAN TO BRING MY ROPE, A PICKET AND SHOVEL. ANOTHER PERSON SHOULD BRING A ROPE, AND COMMUNICATE IF YOU DO.

Drivers should have a NW Forest Pass or Equivalent. Passengers should bring money for fuel.
Everyone bring good cheer!

From google maps:
Trailhead (Putvin Trail) https://maps.app.goo.gl/h8ppDDuRmzgs1xZPA