[pct-l] Mt. Thielsen

[danandgailsc at aol.com]

I'm also curious about Mt. Thielsen.  The Wilderness Press book says it's a
pretty easy summit and the views are phenomenal, but I am not a climber and
I don't want to get in over my head.

I climbed Mt. Thielsen?on July 4, 2003 on a peakbagging trip?in preparation for?Hood and Rainier a few days?later.? Thielsen is the steepest and probably has as much?scree and loose flat?rock as any?I've?done.? Others that stand out in that dept:? Borah,?Boundary, and McLaughlin.? No discernable trail in the upper 1/3 or so.??Because it is so steep, the summit?was visible for most of the climb.? I'm not a rock climber,?and summited with some difficulty, taking it slowly--testing handholds, toeholds, backtracking and trying something different.? Probably class 4 or 5--similar in difficulty to Granite Peak (Montana highpoint, July 2005), but a much shorter final rock climb of less than 100 feet.? A group from the Manzanita climbing club was on Thielsen that day, practicing with their gear and technique, and they gave us a few tips.? Enormously satisfying to summit.? Stunning views of Diamond Lake, Mt. Bailey to the west, and Crater Lake rim to the south.?We went to the fireworks display at Diamond Lake that evening, and tented not far from the lake.

Mt. McLaughlin, visible to the south from Crater Lake, is also?just off?the PCT and?should not be?passed up.? It is less difficult--4,000 ft. elev. gain in 5.5 miles from the trailhead--but the?scree is a challenge there, too.??

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