[TR] Sahale Peak - Boston Basin - Quien Sabe Glacier 5/19/2012

[jspitzer]

Trip: Sahale Peak - Boston Basin - Quien Sabe Glacier

 

Date: 5/19/2012

 

Trip Report:

Did a 6 day mountaineering course for Alpine Ascents in Boston Basin

May 13-18th with Lee Lazarra. Here are some of the observations from

our trip.

 

Cascade River Road blocked a few hundred feet before the Eldorado

parking lot.

 

Boston Basin Trail: The trail Is slowly melting out with mixed snow

and dirt for the first 1/2 mile. The steep tree tunnel section can be

avoided by climbing a snow slope on the climbers right. Midas Creek is

starting to melt out below 4200ft and could be come difficult to cross

in the short future. Can be easily avoided by just going further up

hill. We traversed into Morning Star Creek and ascended moderate

angle snow slopes to Boston Basin. We camped on the lateral moraine

just south of the Boston Basin low summer camp.

 

Sahale: On 5/16 we had excellent cramponing conditions up the Quien

Sabe Glacier to Sahale. The summit ridge is heavily corniced on the

East side. Only a couple small crevasses are opening up on the Quien

Sabe. Several large moats and glide cracks are forming on the slabs

below the Quien Sabe glacier. By early afternoon snow became deep and

punchy.

 

Avalanche Activity: Witnessed several large D2-D3 avalanches off

north side of Johannesburg. Boston Peak and Sahale Peak had many

loose wet avalanches on steep terrain but did not entrain much snow.

On the lower East ridge of Forbidden Peak the hanging Slab bowl

avalanched producing a R4 D3 coming within 500ft of Boston Basin high

camp.

 

Flotation: Surprisingly we did not need to use our snowshoes at all.

 

Happy climbing,

 

Jonathon Spitzer

IFMGA Guide

snowrockandiceadventures

 

 

 

 

 

[JasonG]

Thanks for the conditions update! You probably didn't get a look at moraine lake? Wondering if the forbidden tour would still be in OK shape....