The Tooth — Thursday, Sep. 13, 2001

The car was left at the Alpental parking lot which is also the start for the Snow Lake Trail. Hop on that trail and turn left at the sign for ""Source Lake Overlook."" This is actually the old route to Snow Lake and if you stay on the trail until it ends it will take you there. But shortly after the trail passes Source Lake it will enter talus. This is where a climbers path emerges on the left which skirts beneath cliff faces to bring you into the basin beneath Bryant, Hemlock, and The Tooth. Near the top of the basin on the right at 5,280' will be Pineapple Pass. It has the least threatening approach to it and should not be confused with the steep sided gully several hundred feet before it. I climbed The Tooth by the North Ridge approach so it involved dropping 100' and traversing NW to that ridge. The route is straightforward to the summit but one should be cautioned about this Class 3 approach. The rock, although sound, is slabby past the 5,400' notch. It should only be attempted when dry as after 15 feet of slab it drops off 200'. The descent was made by rappeling down 4 rope lengths on the South Face. Easy to find belay stations. This was a special peak for me as it is the last of the twenty Snoqualmie Pass summits to climb. I enjoyed reflecting on the sister peaks and the people who have shared those summits with me.