Mount Cruiser/Southwest Corner

August 23-24. TH to camp: 5 hrs. Camp departure: 6:30 am. Base of route: 10:30 am. All off summit 3:15 pm. Return to camp: 8:00 pm. Return to TH: 2:15 am. Weather: mostly sunny. Light winds.

Trail to near Gladys Divide. Traversed into gully and climbed around hard snow on the right. Scrambled up face toward route. Around left side of first gendarme; either way around second gendarme. Scrambled down gully to base of route. Class 4 lead to just below "cannon hole" that leads to summit platform. Following climbers climbed on the lead rope with prusik after secured below the "cannon hole". Mother and young goat arrived behind us. Ended up pulling a rope bag and three sets of crampons left at base away. All were recovered 50 to 200 feet below after our return.

4 Mazamas on route ahead which delayed our ascent by 1/2 hour. Led first rope to 2-bolt belay station. First climber followed pulling second rope. 2nd climber belayed leader to summit to set up top belay, and returned to belay station. As one climber was being belayed to the summit, another was being top rope belayed from base. Traded places at the belay. The descending climber was lowered to the base. Retrieved gear placed on the summit pitch. Leader rappelled after final student.

Descent was plagued with the goats mentioned. They had spotted us before we reached Gladys Divide and stayed within sight for the whole day; as well as messing with our gear left at the bottom of the gully.