Climb: Glacier Peak-Disappointment Peak Cleaver

Date of Climb: 8/13/2006

Trip Report:
Snapshot:
Colin Abercrombie and I climbed Glacier Peak as a day trip via the White Chuck Basin/Disappointment Peak Cleaver route in 16 hours, 45 minutes round trip (9 hours up, 1.25 hour on top, 6.5 hours down). We came in through the now standard NF Sauk River Trail. It was a great climb with good route conditions and weather. Our route entailed 35+ miles (21 miles on trail) and 11,000 feet of total elevation gain (8,500 net elevation gain) - a really good endurance climb.



Picture Story:

After getting a few hours rest, we set off at 2:45 am from the North Fork Sauk trailhead and pushed through the 9 miles to White Pass as twilight was commencing. We saw two black bears along the way resting in the lush alpine meadows. Continuing on an informal path to a saddle and then up to a knob provided a great viewpoint of Sloan just as the sun was rising.







We descended into the barren, flat basin and hiked up to the moraines and rubble below White Chuck Glacier. Anybody who doesn’t believe in global warming should visit this area. I knew the glacier had receded, but was surprised to see that the entire West lobe is basically gone. Aside from a remnant ice patch near the glacial lake, there wasn’t even any snow left in the climb up to glacier gap. This area needs a mini ice age to reverse the shocking trend.







Once at Glacier Gap, we gained a hump and descended to a spectacular tundra-like ridge crest with grand views of the DaKobed range, Suiattle Glacier, and Sloan/Monte Cristo area.





We ascended to the foot of Disappointment Cleaver and then contoured around the steeper pumice pile via snow slopes of the Gerdine Glacier and then the Cool Glacier, which had a patch of glacial ice on its entrance that is easily navigable.



We continued up to the saddle and then the pumice and boulder slopes to the summit. We arrived 9 hours after beginning at 11:45.

We spent 1.25 hours taking photos and relaxing on the calm and warm summit (my first ever calm summit on a volcano) and left at 1 pm. Views of the North Cascades, Kololo Peaks, and Dakobed were particularly nice.











We left at 1 pm and began the descent, stopping for many more photographs, especially of the wildflowers growing in the glacial gravel.









Once on trail, we jogged most of the way back to the car, arriving at 7:30 pm.





While our time estimates proved to be accurate for ourselves, the route is longer and more convoluted (in a non-technical sense) than originally thought. This route makes for a long day in the mountains, but I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Despite day-tripping, we were able to capture the views in all different light angles. I saw a special part of the cascades I had yet to explore and I will definitely return for some more climbs.





Gear Notes:
Crampons, axe

Approach Notes:
Trail in great shape to White Pass

You should go do Challenger in a day and Maude+SFJ+Fernow in a day.

That's quite an effort, good for you. We are going to that area this weekend, any bugs?

There is a Disappointment Cleaver on Glacier Peak?

There is a Disappointment Peak cleaver route on Glacier peak. Nice photos
TTT

So are access issues to Glacier resolved now? I was thinking of hitting the Sitkum Glacier route next weekend. Can I get to White Chuck River TH and head up through the Kennedy Hot springs area to Boulder Basin without any difficulty? Anybody been up there lately?

Whitechuck is still closed.

The easiest way to do Glacier Peak now is the Disappoint Peak Cleaver route via NF Sauk TH.

Skeletor, I was up there earlier this spring. The white chuck road is washed out big time in two places and once more to a lesser extent starting about 10 miles from the trailhead. The trail is washed out in 9 places from the trailhead to whats left of the hotsprings. Bring a mountain bike and drag it through the washouts. Once you are on the trail it is not too bad to bushwack down in to the river and bypass the washouts then climb back out once you are past. Long day, But it was a really rewarding climb to do Kennady ridge after the battle to get there.

When I went up it was about 9 hours From the first road washout to Kennady Hot springs. You time would vary as there was still quite a bit of snow low when I was up.

Sounds like you had a nice jog. Good job and great photos.

Did you use a rope at all? Would trail tennies suffice?

That is a really nice area - and I agree about the glaciers - very sad. The White Chuck is pretty much depressing to look at.