Dreamer is the most famous route in Darrington, and with varied climbing at a moderate grade it is deservedly so. The route is located on a remote crag reached via a poorly maintained access route, it is ten pitches long, and the descent via rappel provides plenty of opportunities to get a rope stuck. It includes some interesting and challenging crack climbing in addition to several spectacular pitches of knobby face climbing, in a pristine mountain setting with magnificant views.
To reach Green Giant Buttress, drive five or six miles up the Clear Creek logging road from the Mountain Loop Highway southeast of Darrington, and take the right (main) fork. In less than another mile, pass the parking area for the Eightmile Creek trail, and continue on as the road deteriorates (the rocky roadbed is passable by normal cars, but some drivers will be squeamish about their paint job as the alders constantly sweep the side of your car). In another mile and a half or so, there is barely room to turn around and the road takes a distinct turn for the worse. The road ends entirely a few hundred yards beyond this point.
The route to Green Giant Buttress starts out on an old extension of this logging road, but after a half mile drops to an older mining road. After this ends, continue on to cross a side fork of Copper Creek, bear slightly leftward and follow the main fork to a series of three waterfalls. A tiny gully heads up and right into the maples and opens up to a lager gully that is followed all the way to the base of the rock. Scramble up and right, to the traditional staging area a few hudred feet below steeper rock above. There is no real landmark here; there are a few small cedars standing straight up whereas above this point everthing is more bushy looking.
Protection
The route requires gear to three inches. On one pitch, the "blue crack" pitch, one can save (hoard) their 1" piece lower down, but an extra piece in the 2 1/2 " - 3" range is hepful.
Darrington
RSS Feed
