TAC MAC Alpine Climb - The Tooth/South Face

Snow starts shortly after the talus field crossing after leaving the Source Lake Trail. A few sections of rock/trail are melted out. Snow coverage is consistent and still quite deep from the creek crossing all the way up the basin. Snow was solid and we didn't have problems with postholing or punching through.

The snow finger to Pineapple Pass is not terribly difficult, but it is steep and there are moats  close by. Definitely a no fall zone and no room for error. Ice axes and good boots mandatory at this point.

On the descent we chose to do a double rap down the gully at the base of the climb rather than traverse back around Pineapple Pass, as a couple members of our party wore approach shoes and I didn't feel good about them down climbing the snow finger. At this point, a double rope rap works nicely, you can stay to left (climber's left) of the snow finger at the bottom and there's a nice ramp that gets you down to the main snow slope. Not too much of a moat here yet and easy transition from rock to snow. Probably will only last a few more days though. There wasn't as much loose rock in this gully as I remember from the last time I rapped it several years ago.

The bathrooms at the trailhead are not open, be prepared to blue bag it, or stop at the wsdot bathrooms at Summit West.