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Twilight Highlights: Couloirs in the West Needle Mountains
Couloirs? Yes, couloirs! Love 'em, can't get enough of 'em! This trip report serves to highlight West Needle Mountain's northwest couloir which is a striking feature that nobody's done a report on yet (correction: Mike "Chicago Transplant" wrote a report on it) - it deserves a callout as another fine snow climb, with guest appearance by North Twilight's north couloir. I'd attempted West Needle Mountain twice before and turned back both times. Given how far it is from the nearest trailhead that was a lot of wasted effort. I'd already done the Twilight traverse on my first attempt of West Needle but Heather and Amy needed the Twilights, so all four peaks were on today's agenda. I won't cover the traverse much except for a few photos, as it's well documented in other trip reports.
North Twilight on approach. North couloir is obvious up center and left.
From Andrews Lake it's about 5.75 miles to Crater Lake. From the lake we cut directly west towards North Twilight's north couloir, but if West Needle is the objective it's an easy forest hike to reach the access gully south of South Twilight. North Twilight's north couloir is a chill, Moderate Snow climb, mostly with angles in the 30 degree range up to mid-40s. A few skiers descended past us as we climbed.
Gawjus.Looking down the couloir.
From North Twilight it looks difficult getting to Twilight. It's deceptively easy though, at sporadic Class 3 up gullies and ledges. With snow I actually found it easier since it covered up loose rock. The scramble felt no different north to south than it did south to north previously.
South Twilight and Twilight from North Twilight.Heather contemplating our next move.A little snow, a little Class 3.More Class 3 near the summit.Last difficult bit.
We traversed to South Twilight (Class 2), where West Needle's northwest couloir smacks you in the face, and down climbed its steeper-than-expected south face.
POW! Right in the kisser!Steep Snow on South Twilight's south face.
From the little saddle south of South Twilight it's a crappy 700 or so foot descent on Class 2+ scree and hardpan. The reward, of course, is dreamy snow climbing, about 1,100 feet of 40 degree joy.
West Needle from the saddle. I have a print of this hanging on my wall at home.Down the gully. Yup, it sucks.Apron.Middle and top of the couloir.Gully from the summit. It's crummy but not as serious as it looks.
From West Needle's summit it was about 7.75 miles to Andrews Lake and well after dark when we got back. Another couple of awesome snow climbs in the book! West Needle's couloir is a lot of effort but if all-day adventures are your thing go get it!
Statistics
Climbers: Ben Feinstein (myself), Amy G-S., Heather R. Trailhead: Andrews Lake
Total distance: 18.76 miles Total elevation gain: 6,724 feet Total time: 14:37:52 Peaks: Three ranked thirteeners, one unranked thirteener
North Twilight Peak, 13,084'
Twilight Peak, 13,162'
South Twilight Peak, 13,105' (unranked)
West Needle Mountain, 13,060
Splits:
Starting Location
Ending Location
Via Time (h:mm:ss)
Cumulative Time (h:mm:ss)
Rest Time (m:ss)
Andrews Lake Trailhead
North Twilight Peak
4:52:45
4:52:45
13:06
North Twilight Peak
Twilight Peak
1:03:23
6:09:13
0:00
Twilight Peak
South Twilight Peak
0:41:21
6:50:34
0:00
South Twilight Peak
West Needle Mountain
1:57:07
8:47:41
0:00
West Needle Mountain
Andrews Lake Trailhead
5:50:11
14:37:52
Trip End
My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):
Nice work Ben! Scot and I did these couloirs in 2011, and I did do a TR ;) We called the one on West Needle the "Haystack Couloir" as a play on Needle in a Haystack and agree that it was a really fun little hidden gem.
Apparently less-than-or-equals blows up the comment form.
Anyway there are 5 distinct good-looking couloirs on W Needle (NW, N, E, SE, W). The pencil N couloir looks really sweet. And on N Twilight the offshoot of the N couloir that goes directly up to the ridge W of the summit looks nice too.
It's only 5800' for all 5 from way up on the mountain!
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