Mt. Jefferson
-If climbing from the Shale/Mud Hole Lake area, take the PCT... do not mess with the climber's "trail" out of Hunt's cove. This is a nightmare tallus scramble on shifting dinner plates. It is just as fast and must less draining to take the longer approach via the PCT from the north.
-Doing the traverse without snow cover is pretty tough. The face angle is probably not more than 45 or 50 degrees, but even the largest boulders are only held in with loose dirt. I had a surprisingly large rock simply roll over my foot when I place my hand on it. Not only do you need snow cover for the protection placements (bring pickets), but you need the snow to simply glue together this face!
-After the traverse, the entire summit block can be climbed via 3rd class ramps. Most of these are pretty obvious except the last 20 or so feet from the summit. In the last "pitch", you should be in a small corner system. Look to the right-side edge of this corner and in a few spots you should be able to go out and around to a much easier (but exposed) 3rd class ramp on the west side of the north horn leading right to the summit. If you are in the corner system and the rock becomes nearly verticle, you've gone too far... look right and slightly down for a "pass" in the ridge boulders.
-The extreme north ridge is more technical and fairly committing, but has mostly solid rock when needed.
-rough times: started at 4:30am, Red Saddle by 9:30, summit by 11, headed back down to camp (after a rest at the saddle) by 1, to camp at 3, headed out to trail head at 4, back at the car by 7. Summit times were effected by the rope team of 6 who were moving slower than Jon and I.
-gear: slings, slings, slings! Non-sewn so they can be tied to length, cordelette for equalizing non-existent anchors and maybe the odd screamer if you place pro. There looked to be no bomber placements on the bare traverse... you've been warned!
Here's the detailed version of the story (as written by Jon)
And his cascade climbers trip report
