www.StephAbegg.com



Climbing with Parents 1994-2005: Overhanging Tower, Sawtooths Backpack + Summit, West Coast Trail, Martin Peak, Sahale Mountain, Luna Basin, Spire Point, Mount Baker, Queets Basin & Mt. Pulitzer, Whatcom Peak, Prusik Peak

Climbing With Parents 1994-2005

Routes:

- Overhanging Tower, Northeast Ridge (4th to 5.2)
- Sawtooth Backpack + Some Peak in Sawtooths
- West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island (75km)
- Martin Peak, from Royal Basin (3rd)
- Sahale Mountain, South Slope (3rd)
- Luna Basin Backpack, Pickets
- Spire Point, East Face (4th and low 5th)
- Mount Baker, Coleman-Deming Glacier (snow)
- Queets Basin & Mt. Pulitzer Backpack, Olympics
- Whatcom Peak, South Side (3rd)
- Prusik Peak, West Ridge (5.7, 6-7p)

Region: Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, British Columbia
Elev: various
Rock type: various
Type: 
Date(s): 1994-2005
Partner(s): Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg (and a few others who joined us)

This page features some "short reports" from some alpine climbs I did as a kid with my parents before I started climbing on my own around 2006, and started this website. These reports do not give a wide photo selection like most of my climbing trip reports, but they do provide some route beta and interesting details, and are special to me for nostalgic reasons. Our family adventures have been so much more fun than Disney World.

Trip Reports

CLICK ON TRIP REPORT TO DROP DOWN CONTENT

Summit Elev: 12,164 ft  Rock Type: Granite
Date: July 21, 1994 (Thu)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Matt Teevan

Brief Trip Report

Until we moved to British Columbia in 1995, my family was living in the Midwest. Every summer we came out west to enjoy the mountains my parents had backpacked and climbed in during their early married life. In 1994, my parents, my sister and I (9 and 11 years old), and two friends piled into our van and drove out to Wyoming, where we backpacked in the Wind Rivers for two weeks. This trip brought us through the amazing Cirque of the Towers area. My parents—fondly remembering the climbing days of their past—decided it would be fun to climb one of the moderate routes in the Cirque, and invited me to come along. They chose Overhanging Tower, a low class 5 peak in the heart of the Cirque peaks. This was my first alpine climb (my dad even let me lead a 15-ft pitch), and I loved it. I didn’t get the chance to climb again for several years, but this early climb set the stage for a future of mountain adventuring!
Wyoming Adventure, Matt Teevan, Sheryl Wallace, Steph, Jenny, Marty, July 18-Aug 4, 1994 Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994
We are ready! Mountains, here w come! Trailhead at Big Sandy Openings. Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994.
Day hiking to Summer Ice Lake. Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994
Steph - at our campsite on rest day Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994.
Oh, hiking is such fun! Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994
Junction of Popo Agie Primitive Area and Bridger Wilderness - Texas Pass. Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994.
Steph, Marty, Matt on summit of Overhanging Tower (Class 5.2) Wyoming Backpack Trip, 1994.
This photo was taken just after my first technical alpine climb, of Overhanging Tower (behind us on the left). From left to right: Matt, my mom Sue, my dad Marty, and me (11 yrs old).

Future Trip Reports for the Cirque of the Towers

Elev: 8,000-10,000 ft  Rock Type: Granodiorite, Quartz diorite, Quartz monzonite
Date: July 30 - August 8, 1998 (Thu-Sat)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg, Estee Clifford

Brief Trip Report

Family backpack trip to the Sawtooths. Jenny's and my friend Estee joined us. My dad and I summited a peak but neither one of us can remember the name of the peak.
Minivan life.
My dad and I summited a peak. Neither one of us can remember the name.
How we do our dishes.
Estee got the worst blisters I've ever seen.

Future Trip Reports for the Sawtooths

  • In July 2014, I climbed Elephant's Perch for the first time. We climbed four routes:  Mountaineer's Route (5.8-5.9, 7+p), Direct Beckey (5.11a, 12p), Fine Line (5.11c, 9-11p), Astro Elephant to Sunrise Book (5.10 A1, 9-10p).
  • In July 2019, I returned to Elephant's Perch and climbed two more routes: Myopia (5.11a, 9p), Astro Elephant (5.10, 10p). The Elephant's Perch is some of Idaho's best rock climbing.

Elev: 0 ft  Rock Type: Sand
Date: July 16-22, 1999 (Fri-Thu)  Partners: Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg, Barb Doubet, Amy Doubet

Brief Trip Report

The West Coast trail is a 75-kilometer hike on the coast of Vancouver Island. The trail is known for its ruggedness, hundreds of man-made ladders and bridges, lush rainforests, and beautiful beach campsites. In 1999, when I was 16 and my sister Jenny 14, we did the West Coast Trail along with my mom, aunt, and cousin Amy (who was probably about 10 at the time). It was a blast. I just had one of those cardboard disposable cameras, and I recall rationing my 27 available photos into 4 per day. After the trip, I put together a photobook, perhaps my first official "trip report".
Perhaps my first official trip report.

Summit Elev: 7,638 ft  Rock Type: Obducted oceanic crust
Date: August 2001  Partners: Marty Abegg, Ryan Chase

Brief Trip Report

I climbed this peak with my dad and a family friend on a family backpacking trip to Royal Basin. My parents had climbed dozens of peaks in the Olympics during the first few years of their marriage (late 70's). Then they started climbing in the Cascades and left the Olympics behind. This trip was a walk down memory alley for them.
En route to summit Martin Peak.

Summit Elev: 8,700 ft  Rock Type: Gneiss
Date: July 2002  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg

Brief Trip Report

My parents and I climbed this peak while on a short backpacking trip from Cascade Pass, up Sahale Arm, and over into Boston Basin. If I remember correctly, we were trying to climb Boston Peak, and ended up on top of Sahale. It's a beautiful area back there.
Marty hiking amongst spectacular North Cascades scenery.
Steph on top of Sahale.

Elev: 3,100-8,000 ft  Rock Type: Granodiorite
Date: August 4-10, 2002 (Sun-Sat)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Ryan Chase

Brief Trip Report

We had a fish tank for a few years when I was a kid. I remember that I was fascinated by a couple of fool's gold cubes at the bottom of the tank. My dad said he had picked them up in Luna Basin in the Pickets. He went on to describe outcrops riddled with inch-size cubic fool's gold (aka iron pyrite). Needless to say, I had to go. I kept pestering my dad about Luna Basin. Finally, the summer after my high school graduation, we went. It was my first introduction to the Picket Range. Rugged and beautiful. I was hooked. Oh, and cannot forget, on this trip we were almost swept off a cliff when a serac on the Whatcom Glacier broke lose, but somehow escaped unscathed besides for a crampon point that got stuck in my thigh (I still have the triagular scar to this day).
Negotiating some crevasses on the Whatcom Glacier.
Crossing the Whatcom Glacier.
Taken just a few seconds before the two serac chunks in the photo both broke off. Somehow we managed to escape them and being swept over the cliff below.
Our camp between Whatcom and Challenger. Challenger Glacier in background,
I thought this was a pretty cool camp.
Hanging out at camp between Whatcom and Challenger. Challenger Glacier on right.
Pink Monkey flower.
Descending into Luna Basin.
One of our camps.
One of my first attempts at a night photos. I had just gotten a digital camera (novel in 2002) and it allowed 30 second exposures.
Red columbine.
Tiger lily.
The iron pyrite souvenier rock I hauled out of Luna Basin. It sits on my shelf as a paperweight.

Future Trip Reports for Luna Basin

  • In July 2007, I passed through Luna Basin before an epic bushwack down Luna Creek, where my partner got infamously "picketed" and dumped all of the gear he was carrying in Luna Creek.
  • In August 2008, I did a complete traverse of both the Northern and Southern Picket ranges. On this trip, we camped in Luna Basin before ascending the forboding northern side of Mt. Fury the next day.
  • I've done several other trips in the Picket Range. To see all of my trips in the Picket Range, check out my Picket Range Main Page.

Summit Elev: 8,264 ft  Rock Type: Gneiss
Date: August 2, 2003 (Sat)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Jenny Abegg

Brief Trip Report

My family (dad, mom, sister, and I) backpacked the Ptarmigan Traverse from July 29 to Aug 3, 2003 (this is one of my favorite backpacks I have done, click link for a few photos). On Day 5 of the traverse, we traversed Dana Glacier to Spire Col. My dad, sister, and I decided to scramble up Spire Point rising up to the west of the col. This was a fun Class 4/low Class 5 climb. It was the first climb that my dad, sister, and I had done together, and my third technical rock climb ever (my first was Overhanging Tower in the Wind Rivers of Wyoming in the Summer of 1994, when I was 11 years old, and my second was in the Sawtooths in Idaho in 1998, although I can’t seem to find any photos from that climb). The climb up Spire Point was blocky and took a couple of hours to get to the summit.
Climbing up Spire Point from Spire Col.
Marty belaying Jenny on Spire Point.
Family dynamics at camp.

Summit Elev: 10,781 ft  Rock Type: Andesite
Date: June 14&15, 2004 (Mon&Tue)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg

Brief Trip Report

This was a fun family adventure, climbed by my dad, mom, sister, and myself. In the late-spring conditions, the route was straightforward, especially under the sunny skies we were fortunate to have. It was mainly a long snow-slog. The 360° view from the top of the snow-capped North Cascades was well worth the climb.
A bluebird day on Mount Baker.
Now these guys (another party) look like they know what they are doing....
Jenny on the summit of Baker.
Somehow these two gumbies beat everyone to the summit.
Sue and Marty at our basecamp.

Future Trip Reports for Mount Baker

Elev: ~6,000 ft  Rock Type: Obducted oceanic crust
Date: August 3-9, 2004 (Tue-Mon)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg, Ryan Chase, Liz Campbel

Brief Trip Report

This was another family backpacking trip. We did a lot of family backpacking trips. So many good memories. I include this trip because we summited a peak (Mt. Pulitzer) and because we visited my dad's favorite tree. He has a photo of this tree hanging on the wall. 
Nalgenes became popular in the early 2000's....
Marty's favorite tree.
Marty's favprote tree in 1975.
We woke up in a puddle.
What a great memory.
Warming up after getting wet moving our tents.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Queets Basin excursion day.
Group photo.
Mt. Olympus.
One of my early trip reports. Pre-website.

Future Trip Reports for the Olympics

Summit Elev: 7,574 ft  Rock Type: Granodiorite
Date: July 24, 2005 (Sun)  Partners: solo (Sue Abegg joined me on the rest of the backpack trip)

Brief Trip Report

My mom and I did a backpack trip up Easy Ridge, with tentative plans to climb Mt. Challenger. I had been high on the Challenger Glacier with my dad in July 2002, but we had not had time to climb the final rock pitch to the top. From any direction, the approach into Challenger is quite difficult. The Easy Ridge approach was no exception. The ridge itself was easy, but navigating our way over to Perfect Pass (the saddle between Whatcom Peak and Mt. Challenger from where you can get onto the Challenger Glacier) was not fun. There is a deep gully (called the "Perfect Impass") that is apparently possible to cross with some fixed protection and confident climbing skills, but my mom did not feel comfortable doing this, so we made a 1000+ ft descent to bypass the gully, and then did some horrendous bushwhacking to get up to Perfect Pass. By the time we got to the pass, it was too late to climb Challenger, so we relaxed in the meadows enjoying the view onto the vast Challenger Glacier. While my mom was napping, I decided to run up Whatcom Peak to the north of the pass. It was mainly a snow climb with a bit of rock scrambling at the top. It took 45 minutes to reach the summit from the pass. In July 2007, I successfully climbed Mt. Challenger.
Whatcom Peak (left) and Mt. Challenger (right, 8,207 ft) from Easy Ridge. Perfect Pass – which forms the saddle between – was where I ascended Whatcom from.
Sue and her map.
Sue.
Steph on the summit of Whatcom.
View of Challenger from the ascent of Whatcom.

Future Trip Reports for Whatcom Peak

Summit Elev: 8,000 ft  Rock Type: Granodiorite
Date: August 4, 2005 (Thu)  Partners: Marty Abegg, Sue Abegg, Jenny Abegg

Brief Trip Report

My dad, mom, sister, and I did a 6 day backpack trip through the Enchantments, with one of our goals to climb Prusik Peak. We had only one rack of climbing gear, so I led the route, with my sister following behind me and unclipping from the gear, and my dad leading behind her, clipping his rope back into the gear. I think this is the only technical climb my whole family has done together, and we had quite the adventure: my mom climbed it in her running shoes, my dad got his wedding ring stuck in a crack and broke his finger getting it out, my sister sobbed herself up the chimney variation I accidentally chose at the top, and I had the opportunity to prusik on Prusik when we got our rope stuck on the descent. But all in all, the route was fun and moderate, with solid rock and great views. We descended by rappelling down the north face with a single rope.

My mom in a text in 2025 (20 years after this report): "I get a kick out of the last of our family trips being Prusik Peak since that’s the climb where we passed the baton of climbing to you girls. Marty and I never made it to the top that day and his wedding ring is still up there somewhere. I get a big kick out of that."
Camp at Knome Tarn under Prusik Peak.
Marty, Steph, and Jenny at top of 3rd pitch (the one with the friction slab). On the next pitch my dad (Marty) broke his finger, so only Jenny and I made it to the top.
My dad slipped on the final pitch of Prusik, and his ring got caught in the crack. The result was a broken ring and finger. The ring is still up there.
Jenny coming up final chimney on south face of Prusik Peak (we didn't do the 5.3 chimney around to the west...).
Typical alpine tat nest.
Sue rappelling down the north side of Prusik. To this day I am impressed she climbed the crux friction slab in those boots.
Relaxing at camp after our climb.
This is still my favorite photo of a mountain goat.

Future Trip Reports for Prusik Peak

All Trip Reports Containing My Parents or Sister

Here are all trip reports containing my parents. Or my sister Jenny. The filters are based on "AND" logic, so if you select all three names at once, only trip reports containing both of my parents and sister will be shown.
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      Previous and Next Adventures

      No reports previous to 1994 on my website.
      Various climbs in California 2005

      Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

      Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
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      1. Hey Steph! This is going to be nice!