Big Snagtooth/West Ridge

Summited on May 14, 2016. Departed TH at 8am; arrived at decision point whether to climb the rap route or explore the "hidden gulley" at 2pm; up gulley, up summit boulder, down rap and back to decision point at 5pm; returned to TH at 8:30pm.

Found an excellent log crossing of Early Winters Creek, then steady going up relatively open forest and through small creek gulleys on they way to basin below Big Snagtooth, transitioning from forest floor to snow cover along the way. Found cornices on ridgeline low point so headed up center of basin, kick-stepping up snow slopes and then transitioning to loose rock and then to gravely scree.

After lunch on the ridgeline went exploring for the hidden gulley and found it around south side. It had some loose snow and wet rock making class 4 climbing more challenging. Set a fixed line under the big chock stone to protect a couple awkward moves up the gulley, and set another fixed line up a friction slab to class 3 scramble country below the boulder summit. 20/20 hindsight: climbing the rap route would have been simpler/quicker by at least an hour.

Several of us climbed the boulder rock, and several took advantage of a knee-to-shoulder belay to get onto the upper section of the boulder and then to the summit. Quick rap off the boulder, over to the rap route and another quick rap to the ridge.

Easy going on the way down from the ridge into the basin below Big Snagtooth plunge-stepping in loose scree to snow and then fantastic glissades down and down interspersed with more easy plunge-stepping back to the transition from snow to forest floor.

Straight forward retracing our route to Early Winters Creek log crossing and to the TH. Great climb team, great weather, great route, great climb!