Mike Garrison Climbing Resume

List by mountain | 2007 climbs | 2006 climbs | 2005 climbs | 2004 climbs | 2003 climbs | 2002 climbs | 2001 climbs | 2000 climbs | 1999 climbs | 1998 climbs | 1997 climbs

Who is this guy?

Before you trust what I have to say about these scrambles, you may want to know what I have been climbing.

My hiking background started when I was just a lad (the first hike my folks tell me I did was Lake Dorothy at age three). I was in the boy scouts in Kirkland, WA. I took the Basic Climbing Class from the Washington Alpine Club in 1994, and have been involved in teaching it ever since.

Which mountains have I climbed?

Mtn Loop Highway
  • Del Campo x1
  • Dickerman x3
  • Forgotten x3
  • Gothic x1
  • Middle Higgins x1
  • Pilchuck x4
  • Pugh x1
  • Sperry x1
  • Stillaguamish x1
  • Three Fingers - South x2
  • Vesper x2
  • West Higgins LO x2
North Cascades (West)
  • Baker x2
  • Baring x1
  • Eldorado x1
  • Hidden Lake Peak x1
  • Persis x1
  • Ruth x1
  • Sahale x1
  • Tomyhoi x1
  • Trappers Peak x1
  • Watson x2
  • Yellow Aster Butte x2
North Cascades (East)
  • South Early Winters x3
I90 Corridor
  • Bandera x1
  • Chair x3
  • Denny x1
  • Granite x5+
  • Kaleetan x1
  • Mailbox x1
  • McClellan's Butte x5+
  • Point 5700 south of Kaleetan x2
  • Pratt x1
  • Si x5+
  • Silver x1
  • Tinkham x1
  • Tooth x4
Commonwealth Creek
  • Guye - North x5+
  • Kendall x4
  • Lundin x5
  • Red x4
  • Snoqualmie x4
Alpine Lakes
  • Alta x1
  • Cathedral Rock x1
  • Daniel x1
  • Granite x1
  • High Box x1
  • Ingalls x4
  • Point 6594 east of Surprise x1
  • Rampart Ridge x2
  • South Ingalls x1
  • Surprise x2
Olympics
  • Angeles x1
  • Ellinor x5
  • Griff x1
  • Hurricane Hill x2
  • Olympus x1
  • Washington x1
Mount Rainier
  • Burroughs x2
  • Castle Peak (Mowich) x1
  • Fay x2
  • First Mother x1
  • Freemont x1
  • Goat Island x1
  • Hessong Rock x2
  • Pinnacle x5+
  • Pleasant x1
  • Plummer x5
  • Skyscraper x1
  • Tamanos x1
  • Tolmie x1
South Cascades
  • Adams x1
  • Hood x1
  • Saint Helens x3

2007 Climbs

Not all of the outings I go on end up on this list. Something has to happen to make it a "climb" in my mind, rather than just a hike. What that something is can be subjective and variable.

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 28 Pilchuck Miki H summit lookout, very icy
Sep 9 Tolmie Miki H lookout, then over to summit

2006 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 22 Kendall Pat R summit, via north ridge
Aug 28 Pinnacle Paulina V summit, also hiked out to Comet Falls
Aug 13 Burroughs Miki H First, Second, and Third Burroughs (summit); also went to Mt. Freemont Lookout and saw a whole herd of goats
Jul 30 Alta Miki H got to a few yards from the summit, but with the weather it wasn't worth actually tagging it; made trip from Lake Lillian
Jun 18 Pilchuck Pat R summit, lots of snow
Apr 30 Ellinor Pat R summit
Jan 22 Si Miki H near top of trail, icy

2005 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 22 Silver Peak Pat R summit, direct route up, trail back
Aug 28 Castle Peak (Mowich) solo summit, ran ridge from Knapsack Pass, interacted with goats on ridge
Aug 5 Pinnacle and Plummer Peaks Dad summit of both peaks, Dad climbed Plummer

2004 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Aug 1 Pinnacle Peak solo summit, watched "slush cup" below

2003 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Sept 6 Cathedral Rock Ira R summit
Aug 17 Griff and Unicorn (Olympics) solo summitted Griff, ran out of daylight for Unicorn
July 27 High Box Connie H summit
July 6 Tamanos solo summit
June 27 McClellan's Butte Dad only to the Watershed
June 7 Baring Connie H, Mara J, Pat R summit
May 26 Persis Connie H summit
May 11 Lundin WAC class summit, snow on slabs
May 3-4 Alpental WAC class camped at base of Denny Peak, taught ice axe arrest, hauled out pack of injured student
March 29 Si WAC class taught class on top
Feb 1 Guye Saddle WAC outing snowshoe trip

2002 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 13 Pugh Mara J, Brian ?, Marco ? summit
Oct 6 Pinnacle and Plummer Nina B summit (both peaks)
Sept 21-22 Tomyhoi Ira R, Mara J summit, also climbed Yellow Aster at sunset
Sept 10 Del Campo Bill H, Lara P summit
Sept 7 Angeles solo summit (from Hurricane Ridge)
Aug 11 Alta Anita P, Roy N summit (via Rachel Lake)
July 27 Sharkfin Tower Pat R too slow, no views, only went to 6400 in Boston Basin
July 13 Trappers Peak Pat R summit, Pat was scouting Mt. Triumph
June 21 Bandera Dad went to lower summit only, new trail activity
May 25 Middle Higgins Mara J tough conditions, only went to West Higgins Lookout site
May 19 Kendall WAC class summit, my first time up Kendall in spring
May 5 Guye Saddle WAC class walked out some students who had to leave early
Apr 28 Ellinor solo got a late start, only went to top of glissade chute
Mar 30 Si WAC class taught class on top
Mar 9-10 Smith Brook WAC class snowshoed to Lichtenwassen Lake, ridge towards Union Peak, avalanche conditions
Mar 2 Mazama Ridge WAC class snowshoe trip
Feb 9 Granite solo never got above treeline, just practice with snowshoes in the steep and deep

2001 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Dec 28 Si solo summit, nice conditions for final snow climb and scramble
Nov 17 Panarama Point Mara J snow hike to Pan Point and down Mazama Ridge past Sluiskin Falls
Nov 3 Tinkham and Abeil solo summit of Tinkham, not enough daylight to try Abeil
Sept 29 Forgotten Mara J summit
Sept 23 Fay to Hessong solo Fay Peak, Mt. Pleasant, Hessong Rock, Spray Falls at sunset
Aug 26 Sunrise Ira R Skyscraper Mountain, Mt. Freemont Lookout, Mt. Freemont
Aug 12 South Early Winters (S Arete) Mara J summit, saw meteors
Aug 4 Kaleetan Connie H summit, descended ridge over Point 5700
July 20 Ingalls Ira R, Benjie R summit
July 4 McClellan's Butte solo summit, mosquitos
June 23 Red Shauna M hiked to Red Pass with WAC outing, continued to summit with Shauna
June 15-17 Baker (Easton) WAC class summit
May 20 Guye and Snoqualmie WAC class both summits, saw mini-tornado
May 12 Lundin WAC class summit
Mar 31 Si WAC class rain, taught class on top
Mar 24 Ellinor Connie H summit, first hiking since car accident
Feb 18 Si Connie H went partway up gully, required ice tools to continue
Jan 27 Panarama Point solo a snowshoe day hike in the sun
Jan 21 Iron Mt Ira R couldn't drive far up road, wet, hiked almost to top of road
Jan 13 Commonwealth Basin Mike M, Doerte M Guye-Snoqualmie saddle

2000 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 28 McClellan's Butte solo summit (direct route up second waterfall)
Oct 7 Burroughs solo First, Second, and Third Burroughs (a hike, saw goats)
Sept 24 Chair Connie H summit
Sept 16-17 Tomyhoi Connie H turned back at false summit due to weather, also climbed Yellow Aster Butte
Sept 13 Gothic solo summit
Sept 12 Pinnacle/Castle solo summited Pinnacle and Plummer, circled Castle but decided not to solo summit spire
Sept 3 Rampart Ridge solo summit (also traversed Lake Lillian)
Aug 12 Sperry/Vesper Connie H, Ira R, Brooks B, Dean T summitted both (Sperry then Vesper)
July 29 Fay Peak area Connie H summitted Fay and First Mother
July 23 Goat Island solo summit (direct route, ran into bear with two cubs)
July 15-16 Three Fingers (South) Connie H, Blake L summit
July 1-4 Olympus Toby Y plus cast of thousands summit
June 25 Middle Higgins Connie H summit, also West Higgins Lookout site, routefinding simplified by following goat tracks
June 17 Bandera solo summit, then Island Lake basin and out past Mason Lake
June 11 Goat Island Connie H pass at head of Fryingpan Creek
May 20 Dickerman Ira R, Benji R, Clare P summit
May 19 Lundin WAC Climbing Class summit
Apr 1 Si WAC Climbing Class taught class on top
Mar 11-12 Smith Brook area WAC Backcountry Class wandered about
Mar 4 Pinnacle Peak area WAC Backcountry Class wandered about
Feb 13 Pratt Mountain Carol R summit
Jan 29 Hurricane Hill Connie H, Kim ?, Terri B, Ira R summit
Jan 22 Commonwealth Basin WAC member outing Ended up at the Guye/Snoqualmie saddle.
Jan 16 Mazama Ridge Dave D, Ruth Ann P, Paul G We went out into a howling blizzard, walked around on snowshoes for a few hours, and came back cold.

1999 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Dec 27-28 St. Helens Maurice P crater rim
Nov 14 Kendall solo summit
Oct 24 Stilliguamish Ira R, Shauna M summit
Oct 2 Sahale Ira R, Fred H, Steve F summit
Oct 1 Si Dad top of trail (had both dogs)
Sept 25 McClellan's Butte Lance S summit
Sept 18 Hidden Lake Peak solo lookout and summit
Sept 14 Pinnacle/Plummer/Castle solo summitted Pinnacle and Plummer
Sept 12 Spray Park Ira R, Judy R, Mychal R climbed Hessong Rock
Aug 29 Ingalls Sim L, Jill B, Chris M, Becky ?, Andrew ? summit
Aug 28 Vesper Alec R summit
Aug 14 S Early Winters Clare P did not climb, bad weather, hiked to Blue Lake
Aug 2-4 Rainier Charles K, Kathy J stayed in camp at Ingraham Flats because of lightning
July 31-1 Adams Charles K, Jill B, Ross G summit
July 14 Pilchuck Ira R, Stefan U, Paul S, Fred H, Tom ?, Val ? summit (after-work hike)
July 5 Snoqualmie solo summit
June 27 Watson Alec R, Milan R, Mary S, Eric S, Maurice P nearly to summit of west peak (in fog)
June 19 Mailbox Peak Pat R summit
May 30 Ellinor Claire P, Ira R, Sim L summit
May 29 Dickerman solo summit
May 14 Tooth WAC class summit
Apr 24 Red Sherry J, Lisa V-S, Claire P, Ira R summit
Mar 27 Si WAC class top of trail, taught class at top, crampons useful
Mar 20 Granite solo summit
Mar 6 Si solo top of trail, crampons useful
Feb 13 Guye (North) Ira R, Fred H summit
Jan 30 Si solo climbed to saddle near summit
Jan 9 Mazama Ridge WAC "members outing" snowshoe trip, blowing snow, I attempted to find Lost Lake but it is still lost

1998 Climbs

Date Climb Party Result
Oct 25 Rampart Ridge Ira R, Stefan U summit (also Rampart Lakes)
Sept 26-27 Daniel solo summit (West Peak [highest], also climbed Middle Peak)
Sept 12 Washington Ira R summit
Sept 1 Pinnacle Peak solo summit, also climbed Plummer Peak
Aug 9 Kendell Dad Inca (Dad's black lab) got too hot, so we did not go to the summit
July 25 Chair Peak Ira R, Paul S, Maurice P Ira and I summitted, Paul and Maurice waited in the left gully
July 18 East Wilman Spire Paul G, Toby Y, Amy B did not feel well, stayed in Glacier Basin; others ascended to base of spire but did not summit
July 11-12 Shuksan (Sulphide) Pat R, Clare P, Ann B, Josh W fog and rain, never left base camp
June 28 Forgotten Pat R, Paul G summit
June 7 Ingalls Mark M led pitch to bolts near summit, retreated from lightning storm, climbed South Ingalls after storm cleared
May 23-24 Ingalls Toby Y blowing rain and snow, turned back at col between North and South Ingalls
May 15 Lundin WAC class turned away from chute due to possible avalanche hazard, climbed north summit of Guye instead
May 9 Lundin WAC class summit
May 3 Si Dan B summit
Apr 5 Ellinor Stefan U, Steve ? summit
Mar 14-15 St. Helens Mike W, Dan ? crater rim
Jan 30 Hurricane Hill Mandy K summit (snowshoes from visitor center)

1997 Climbs (starting May)

Date Climb Party Result
Nov 16 Washington solo turned back at 5000 (snowing, no vis)
Nov 9 Pilchuck solo summit (followed ridge slabs)
Nov 2 McClellan's Butte Dad, Pat R summit
Sept 27-28 Daniel Claire P, Teresa W, Nancy K fog, turned back at foot of Hyas Creek Glacier
Sept 20-21 Shuksan (Sulphide) Steve G, Toby Y, Brooke F, Chuck F turned back at minor summit
Sept 13 Forgotten solo summit
Aug 31 McClellan's Butte solo summit
Aug 16 Three Fingers (South) Ira R summit
Aug 2-3 Eldorado Paul G, Toby Y, Chris H, Mike W, Claire P turned back at triad camp
July 26 Hidden Lake Lookout Jo L lookout
July ? Kaleetan solo turned back at minor summit
July 4-5 Hood (Palmer) Mark M, Marybeth G summit
June 29 Tooth Mark M summit
June 21 Forgotten solo turned back on trail
May 25 Dickerman Ira R summit
May 18 Red solo summit
May 10 Guye (North) solo summit
May 9 Tooth WAC Class avalanche hazard, climbed Denny instead
May 2 Pinnacle Pat R, Paul G turned back at ridgeline (the others made summit)

Author: Mike Garrison / mikegarrison@alum.mit.edu