Guiran

Climb: Glacier Peak Attempt-White Chuck Glacier Date of Climb: 6/19/2005 Trip Report: Failed in an attemp to climb Glacier via the White Chuck Glacier route Sat/Sun due to lousy snow conditions. We planned to skirt Disappointment Peak to the east on the Gerdine Glacier. However, after traversing ~200 ft out onto the glacier (15 degree) we heard multiple loud "whumps" and quickly turned back. Tried going over Disappointment, but encountered steep frozen crust over badly consolidated snow and turned back around 9300'. From the White Chuck Glacier on the way out we believe we saw the crown from a very large slab release on the south side of Glacier. Looks like a little more consolidation is needed up there. We entered White Chuck basin by skirting White Mtn. to the east on a climber's path, then dropping over one of the notches. This was pretty slow going. It looks like an easier, though slightly longer, approach might be to go north on the PCT towards Portal Peak, then ascend the drainage. Anyone have thoughts on this? Gear Notes: Crampons, ice axe Approach Notes: Road open to NF Sauk trailhead. Snow level around 6000 ft. Crossing Red Creek is cold!

Planning to do Glacier Peak via White Chuck Glacier and Disappointment Peak in two weeks. Not sure if I'll have a partner or not. How risky would soloing the White Chuck Glacier be? Is it as benign as the Columbia above Blanca Lake?

Washout on the NF Sauk Rd has been repaired (recently) and I understand it's driveable to the TH with a passenger car. That's probably the fastest/cleanest approach. Alternatively, you could probably get a bike down Suiattle River Rd without too much trouble, but a number of bridges are still missing on the approach to Glacier from Milk Creek.

Friends of mine tried it two weeks ago and it was miserable. No snow in Snow Gulch, just wet, rocky slot canyons.

Klenke, I'm pretty sure the wash-out happened in the past month (either that or the snow was covering it back in December). Info on it is up here. It's not a particularly bad washout, so the FS should be able to fix it - unlike a lot of 2003 flood damage. Though there is now a stream cutting the road in half.

Road 49 - access to N. Fork Sauk Trail is snow free. The entire area is basically snow free up to close to 5000 feet. Looked like you could almost get up to Boulder Basin before you would run into serious snow. Unfortunately, the road is washed out about 4 miles from the trailhead just after Lost Creek Ridge. You might be able to get past it with a *really* high clearance vehicle.

The plows have pushed up a 2-3 ft high wall of snow at the end of the plowed stretch of road. If you could get past that you *might* be able to drive all the way to the trailhead. But if the snow park's still open, you'd probably be pretty heavily fined for driving over the groomed snow.

Was just up that way this weekend. The road is closed about a mile and half below the Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead.