Jump to content

[TR] Dome Peak - Dome Glacier 6/13/2015


Bronco

Recommended Posts

Trip: Dome Peak - Dome Glacier

 

Date: 6/13/2015

 

Trip Report:

Juan and I climbed the regular route on Dome Peak over two 12-hour days. Kind of strenuous for two middle-aged desk jockeys but beautiful scenery and pretty good weather. Totally worth it and we hope to be back soon for other peaks. Some noteworthy points:

 

• The Starbucks in the Arlington Safeway doesn’t open until 6:00 am;

• The coffee at the Darrington Shell station is drinkable, barely;

• WTA has cleared the Downey Creek Trail all the way to Bachelor Creek and some of the way up the Bachelor Creek drainage;

• The Bachelor Creek crossing is closer to 4,100’ than 4,000’;

• If you lose the “trail” through here, the Potterfield/Nelson advice is good: stop and retrace your steps until you find it. (we don’t recommend dropping your pack, however, because you may never find it again);

• Stay to the right of the avalanche debris until it gets steep, then make a rising traverse leftward on a decent trail (this will save a lot of time and effort);

• Trails all the way up to Itswoot Ridge are snow free and both lakes are long melted out;

• Running water at Itswoot Ridge allowed us to load up and arrive at the Dome/Chickamin Col (elev. roughly 8,560) with plenty for the night;

• Dome Glacier had some very small cracks but blue ice showing down low. You’d have to try very hard to fall into a crack at this point;

• With the great forecast, we each packed pretty light bivy sacks that we somewhat regretted as we ate dinner in a graupel and snow flurry. It was a rather chilly night for both of us;

• Frozen boots in the morning suck but helped to mitigate foot inflammation;

• The snaffle hound at the Col bivy preferred Juan’s Lowe Alpine pack as mine was untouched. His pack was chewed up and he (the attorney/abogado) will discuss his extended warranty rights with Big Jim Nelson;

• The “climb” to the summit was anticlimactic but views were fantastic;

• The ‘schrund crossing to access the Chickamin Glacier looks manageable right now but the glacier itself is getting pretty broken up. If you’re planning a climb of Sinister or Gunsight, this summer, you’d better get on it;

• The hike out was going well until we became complacent at about 4,100’ and overshot the creek crossing. The grade quickly goes from BW III+ to full on BW V if you lose the trail here. This cost us some time and blood but at least we found several bear beds (complete with fresh bear scat) deep in the head-high brush;

• The Downey Creek trail is long but not as soul-crushing as the hike out from Goode via Bridge Creek/PCT;

• In summary, this is a nice but strenuous outing that should become more enjoyable as people take advantage of the newly repaired road and resulting improved access.

 

Photo Onslaught:

John enjoying the brush in Bachelor Creek

IMG_1533.JPG

Cub Lake

IMG_09542.JPG

Dome from somewhere around Itswoot Ridge

IMG_15283.JPG

Enjoying some hot food and working on my modeling career for Mountain House (can I get a sponsor now?)

IMG_0926.JPG

Me really wishing we'd brought a tent instead. Note the snow accumulating on the bags.

IMG_09283.JPG

Sunset from the Bivy

IMG_09301.JPG

Juan approaching the summit arete

IMG_15214.JPG

North Face of Glacier also looking good

IMG_15193.JPG

Glad to be on the Summit

IMG_09411.JPG

North Face of Sinister looking to be in prime condition

IMG_0947.JPG

Friends in the register who came through here a few years ago

IMG_0934.JPG

Juan taking a last look at Dome and looking forward to the hike out.

IMG_09231.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 11
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

You guys are nuts! That is a crazy long weekend trip, impressive!!

 

Glad to hear that the Bachelor creek trail is getting some love, I was worried that it would slide into oblivion. It's been a dozen years, probably time to do the Ptarmigan again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was John's idea. In fact, he thought we should get up super early on Sunday and attempt to climb Sinister before hiking out. I can't imagine trying to navigate Bachelor Creek in the dark and was able to convince him that may be a little too ambitious for me. He probably could've done it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice work on climbing Dome, it certainly is a haul in there!

 

Here's what the schrund looks like to get on the Chickamin Glacier as of June 6th. To the left and right sides were wide open and required a big jump to cross. I heard a team went in the weekend after to climb Sinister as well and went the same way across the schrund.

Sinister Peak - Flickr Set

[img:left]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/18293459263_33dccc067d_b.jpg[/img]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it was a long day. After going in last year(only go Dome), we knew the best way up Downey Creek, made good time there. After dropping camping gear at Cub Lake we headed to the col and Sinister summit. 16 hr from TH, Sinister summit, and Cub Lake camp round trip.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...