Strobach Mountain 3/24

Strobach Mountain (6,397 ft)

Snowy road

Eric and Katie

Our goal over Katie’s spring break was to find some late-season ice climbing to train for upcoming alpine climbs. Hyalite Canyon in Montana was our first choice, but with temperatures forecast to be in the 50s F that week it looked like there might not be any ice left to climb.

Campsite overlooking Rimrock Lake

Stroback mountain is supposed to hold ice about the longest in WA outside of glaciers, and was only a 3-hr drive away instead of 9 hours, so we decided to check it out. We made it to the start of the forest service road approach, but the road was covered in deep snow so we would have to proceed on foot. We lugged our huge

packs with overnight gear and ice climbing gear up the road for a few miles, then along a 4wd jeep track, and finally bushwhacking through the woods for a few more miles following my friend’s GPS track and orange flagging.

Remnants of ice

By evening we reached the base of the climbs and set up camp. Thursday we hiked up to the climbs, but they had all melted away or were on the verge of collapsing. Unfortunately all the work to get in there would not be rewarded by any climbing. As a consolation prize we climbed up Separation Gully, a snow climb, all the way to the summit. Strobach Mountain would be a significant mountain on the East Coast, and was still a fun little climb.

We spent the night in the same camp, then hiked back to the car Friday and drove back to Seattle.