Trip Date: August 11-13, 2018

Cowlitz Chimneys Climbing Trip

Summer Land aka Summerland
Fryingpan Lakes
Panhandle Gap
Banshee Peak (7400’+)
Middle Cowlitz Chimney (7421′)
Main Cowlitz Chimney (7605′)

Trip Report Summary

Region: Southern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Mt. Rainier Massif

Area: Mt. Rainier National Park

Starting & Ending Point: Fryingpan Creek Trailhead Sunrise Road (Elev. 3800 feet)

Way Points: Fryingpan Creek & Summer Land & Fryingpan Lakes & Panhandle Gap & Panhandle Flats (trail hike & off-trail hike)

Campsite: Panhandle Flats

Summit: Banshee Peak (off-trail hike via West Slope; descent via East Ridge)

Summit: Middle Cowlitz Chimney (off-trail hike & rock scramble via South Face)

Summit: Main Cowlitz Chimney (rock scramble & rock climb via Southwest Face—South Chute)

Approximate Stats: 16 miles traveled; 5800 feet gained & lost.

Related Posts

Main Cowlitz Chimney via Southwest Face—South Chute – August 2003

Middle Cowlitz Chimney via West Slope – October 2001

Full Trip Report

For Eileen’s first post-injury climb, we chose the Cowlitz Chimneys in Mt Rainier National Park.  This turned out to be a good choice; it had lots of side-hilling, plenty of loose scree, and just enough semi-technical climbing to really test out her physical and mental condition.

Day 1: Trailhead to Panhandle Flats

We parked at the Fryingpan Creek TH and hiked up the Wonderland Trail to Summer Land, stopping to admire the old stone shelter there (3.6 hours + 2150 feet from TH).

We then continued up the rocky trail, past Fryingpan Lakes, to 6800-foot Panhandle Gap (5.7 hours + 3000 feet from TH).

From there, a well-defined boot path led us over to Panhandle Flats, where we found a nice campsite on a 6650-foot gravel bench (6.3 hours + 3050 feet from TH).  The weather had been cloudy all day, and it finally started to rain just before dark.

Day 2: Banshee Peak & Cowlitz Chimneys Summit Climbs

After a night of moderately heavy rain, we awoke to a cold, foggy marine layer shrouding all of the local hills.  We delayed our departure until mid-morning, in the hopes the clouds would dissipate—which they eventually did.

The ascent of Banshee Peak involves a long hands-in-pockets stroll up a beautiful arctic tundra.

We reached to summit in late morning (1.1 hours + 730 feet from camp).  Our next two objectives—Middle and Main Cowlitz Chimneys—were clearly visible to the east.

We descended about 400 feet to a saddle, then scrambled up the Middle Chimney via Class 2 ledges.

The Main Chimney towered above the intervening ridge—a dirt hogback that probably represents an eroded volcanic dike.

We traversed across the crest of the hogback, then dropped down loose talus slopes to the right until able to wrap around and under the southern face of the Main Chimney.

When directly below the “solitary spiry fir” (per Beckey), we traversed out to the east on a Class 3 face.  There, we roped up and climbed back to the west, crossing over a black rock rib.  Two short pitches of exposed Class 4 rock ended at the hanging gully, which we ascended to a ridge crest.

Several hundred feet of Class 2-3 scrambling along the crest and up a slot gully got us to the summit in mid-afternoon (6.5 hours + 2000 feet from camp).

The colors and textures of the layered volcanic rock surrounding us were quite intriguing.

A new register in an aluminum geo-cache tube had been placed on the summit only a few weeks earlier.

We descended via our up-route, using running belays at the exposed rock rib.  On our way back to camp, we encountered a very large herd of 40+ mountain goats on the hillside beneath Banshee Peak.   It was the biggest herd either of us had ever seen.

After contouring around Banshee Peak, we made the easy descent to camp, arriving shortly before dark (4.0 hours + 600 feet from Main Chimney summit).

Day 3: Panhandle Flats to Trailhead

Once again, marine fog pervaded our camp in the morning, but it had started to dissipate by the time we were packed up and moving.  Between Panhandle Gap and the trailhead, we passed dozens of day-hikers and Wonderland Trail loop hikers.  Although this was a Monday, it seemed to be high-season in the park.  We reached our car in mid-afternoon heat (5.9 hours + 200 feet from camp).

Photo Gallery

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