Broads Twin Peaks via Stairs Gulch

 I've always noticed Stairs gulch as I've climbed around Storm Mountain, but never took it seriously as any type of actual hike or scramble. My hero Jared Campbell mentioned it in his blog, so I thought it's rare when I can actually try something this guy does, so I headed up after work. Rising 5500' in 3 miles to the summit of Broads Twins, I was able to run approx. 0% of this gulch. It is freaking steep. Pretty cool canyon slot type thing up there though. I had to do some upper 5th class moves up a slippery waterfall a few times, as the other option was traversing ridiculously high above on loose talus. Lots of 5th class slabbage at the top. I naively thought I could bust it out to the ridge in an hour. Not so. It took 2 just to gain the ridge, then I was still 40 minutes away to the summit of the twins. It was already 8 pm, so I bailed. Ran straight down the opposite side of stairs into broads proper via some talus skiing which caused me to fall more than 3 times into some prickly plants. Still pulling needles from my hands. Ended up back at the Broads trailhead about 8:40, then ran back to the car down the road. 3:02 CTC. If you are looking to blitz the twins, this is not the recommended approach.

Comparatively, Andy Andersen(current record holder on both mtns) ran:
Grand: 15 miles 7000' vert 2:53 CTC
Longs: 13 miles 4855' vert 1:56 CTC

My point is I suck.

Slabby 5th upper section

The twins from the ridge