Daphne H
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Posts posted by Daphne H
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Awesome, thanks for sharing!! So those camp spots are technically outside of the permit zone? Interesting.....
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On 7/8/2018 at 12:18 PM, PorterM said:
Well done! Did that route last fall except we went North twin to south twin with a single 15m rappel on North twin. We got lost in the woods coming off south twin so that is a clear benefit of your route. Either way, fun day in the mountains, not done everyday either which makes it fun!
Sensing a common theme! We also got lost coming off of the south twin in the valley, and then again in the woods. I think getting out of the woods took longer than the rest of the climb... haha
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23 hours ago, JasonG said:
I'm obviously a bad influence with those pretty pictures. There's nothing but choss in my footsteps @Daphne H
I read in Rogers Pass Alpine that the Asulkan traverse was a fine outing on solid rock... at the end of the trip, I was left wondering what the authors definition of "solid rock" was, as I didn't really find much of that!! Guess that is the Rockies and close-to-Rockies for you?
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16 hours ago, OlympicMtnBoy said:
I have some Salewa Mountain Trainers that have worked well for me for some of these situations. They err more towards mountain boot than rock shoe, but climb fairly well for a light boot and better than your average hiking shoe. The current model is a bit changed though so I can't comment on it, (and now there is also an "alp trainer mid" that looks more hiking boot like). You are right though, there aren't really many good options that do both rock and snow well.
And the few that pop up are discontinued extremely quickly
I'll check out Salewa - thanks! I think that sounds just fine, as I wouldn't climb more than 5.5 or 5.6 in them.
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@JasonG I aspire to climb a lot of what you have climbed, curious to see what you wear.
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One of the biggest problems I come across climbing in the Cascades is finding an appropriate shoe to climb in.
For my first year of alpine climbing, I mostly used high top, goretex hiking boots. This worked well on soft snow and glaciers - kept my feet dry, and were for the most part crampon compatible. When it came to the rock climbing portion of climbs though, I found them to be less than stellar, underperforming my climbing approach shoes and climbing shoes. I did end up switching into climbing shoes and carrying the boots in my bag, but ultimately wanted something that climbed snow and rock well.
Following that, I started climbing in boulder x approach shoes. The boulder x mids are goretex and high top, so work well for keeping my feet dry, climb extremely well on rock, can hike for miles in them, and worked reasonably well with strap-on crampons. But now they're discontinued.
I have a pair of mountaineering boots, but they don't walk very well, and I'm hesitant to wear them on a 20km+ hike so that they can perform well in snow / moderately on rock.
So what are you all using for your alpine shoes? We live in such a limited market area of the world... need something that hikes well, is waterproof and mid/high topped, strap-on crampon compatible, and climbs well. Why La Sportiva discontinued the boulder x mid is beyond me, but any awesome replacements?
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Awesome pics, we were on the Asulkan traverse the week after, and didn't see a single soul until we hit the Abbott Hut. Rogers Pass is definitely a well kept secret that everyone knows about but overlooks! I guess when you're that close to the Rockies or the Bugs, you can't be bothered to stop?
How were conditions on the Sir Donald traverse? We took a look over and it seemed like the snow patch was entirely melted out - did you use crampons for that one? Any snow left on Tupper?
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This is so rad, well done!!!! Definitely giving me some ideas for a (shorter) linkup... LOL...
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I'm interested in shaving a bit of weight off my kit and am wondering if anyone has tried the Patagonia Hybrid sleeping bag. Ideally it would replace my current sleeping bag on everything summer alpine climbing related - a spot in my backpack in case of unplanned bivies, planned bivies, weeklong trips in the bugs.
- is it actually warm?
- is it durable - can I use it as my main sleeping bag or is it prone to ripping?
- is it comfortable (does it breathe or will i be waking up in a pile of condensation/sweat?)
Any other reviews / recommendations would be awesome.
Thanks!
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I've done some bouldering there in Jul/Aug and it can definitely be hot, but I've been able to send comfortably - as Hans mentioned try going up Icicle Creek, and there are tons of shady, forested areas.
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Glad everyone in the situation ended up ok, Chilliwack SAR is awesome!!
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can i come with you then? I'll carry your food if I get a spot in the tent
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Thanks! We ended up going crampon-less and I definitely regretted it. Great route though! Made me definitely consider lugging the bigger pieces up and trying Backbone too...
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Woo, thanks for the TR! I'm headed to the area this weekend and couldn't find too much info on DT. Sounds like an awesome (epic) trip!
So based on your picturse it looks like crampons are something i'll definitely want to bring... how about shoes? Do you think the snow is shallow/hard enough for approach shoes or are boots better?
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Excellent TR, thanks for sharing!! Based on what you saw... do you think the BS Col will be in for much longer? I had given up on going up BC this year but maybe there's still a possibility.. (Don't want to take the longer approach)
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Great TR! How did you find the snow slope on Dragontail with just trekking poles / no axe?
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The basin just below (south and west) of Dragontail is a good bivy spot with running water. It's out of the zone and less than 20 minutes from the summit.
Is this before or after you hit the Dragontail summit?
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Seems like you guys went plenty fast to me
Great job! We were looking over at Slesse from Nesakwatch wondering if anyone was climbing... wonder if I zoom in on my pictures enough I can see you? LOL. Good job guys! -
Trip: Nesakwatch Spires - Ensakwatch Enchainment attempt
Date: 8/28/2016
Trip Report:
The Ensakwatch Enchainment has been on my to do list for a long time. A short approach, low key climbing, and gorgeous views the entire way up make for a pretty type 1 kind of day in my books.
With only one free day this past weekend, we decided that this was the time to try it. Sunday's weather forecast was overcast, but according to various sources, we would be able to avoid the rain as long as we got off the mountain before Monday morning. Easy peasy right?
The drive up the FSR took so long, we may as well have walked. Not really, but it was definitely a slow and painful process. The road has not been graded in a while, and we had to continuously get out of the car to make sure we wouldn't bottom out or get stuck. We were actually able to get within 1km of the trailhead, right before a log blocks the road and a major washout a bit further down would prevent any more vehicle travel, even without the log.
We started off on the trail at about 7:30 on Sunday morning. The valley was entirely fogged in, but the sun was trying to shine through, resulting in a gorgeous glowing sky.
Morning sky, hiding views of Mt. Slesse
The hike up to the famous bivy rock took us about 3 hours at a relaxed pace; as the clouds cleared from the valley we started to get views of Slesse and Baker peeking through, and we stopped multiple times to gawk and plan our next trip (Slesse!) There is water available at a creek about halfway up the trail, but it was definitely on the trickling side, so I don't know how much longer it will be there.
Hey there, Slesse!
Alpine Select is unclear about the exact start of the Ensakwatch Enchainment. We knew we had to start on the North Ridge of the North Nesakwatch Spire, but we couldn't quite figure out where that was. In the end, we relied on a trip report that said to aim for a patch of bushes on the very left of the spire, as soon as you emerge from the trail. We poked around there for a while, couldn't really find a clean patch of rock to start up, so just picked our way up the face towards the ridge. We were able to keep the majority of the climbing at class 4 / low 5th, with a couple of ~5.6 moves thrown in. Once we reached the ridge, we followed the ridgeline, staying slightly to the north, to the summit block.
View from the base of the North Spire
The final push to the summit included us going up a chimney between two large blocks. At the top of the chimney, you have an option to go right up a slightly overhanging offwidth, or left, up and through a narrow squeeze that we dubbed the "birthing canal". Neither looked too appealing, but in the absence of gear, we decided to go through the birthing canal. After some struggling, cursing, and general good times, we both managed to free ourselves from the confines of the canal, through a second narrow slot above it, and emerged on the summit, about 1.5 hours from the bivy rock.
Going up the chimney
Going through the passageway
Part 2 of the birthing canal, exiting onto the summit
An artistic rendering of the "birthing canal"
From here, the descent is extremely easy - follow the very clear, well trodden path down from the summit, along the ridge, and up to the summit of the south spire. The rock is white and free of lichen and moss - you really can't miss it. Be really careful of loose rock here - I nearly bailed multiple times, and it was a good reminder that no matter how big the rock is, it can and will still move on you. We were also able to keep the majority of the climbing here at low 5th, with a couple of 5.6/7 moves.
Looking up at South Nesakwatch and Rexford from the North/South notch
When you get to the summit block, the easiest way up is a 5.7 offwidth. There are honestly only about two offwidth moves - then there are tons of features on the outside that you can grab onto or step on to make your way to the top, but unless you bring a big piece up, there's no way to protect it (except a small, sketchy looking chockstone at the bottom of the offwidth). From the top, there's no real feature to use to rappel off of. We've read that the options are to downclimb the offwidth, sling the horn on the offwidth, or counterbalance rappel. We considered slinging the horn, but with the likelihood that it would get stuck, we decided to each rappel off one side of the tower and then just pull the rope from one side. It was pretty quick and easy.
Summit!
Unfortunately, when we reached the summit, we could see storm clouds approaching. Before we were finished getting off the summit block, the rain had come. We briefly considered waiting out the rain, but the clouds looked pretty ominous and didn't seem like it would let up at any time.
Still hopeful, we headed down the southwest ridge of the South Spire. When you look down from the tower to the right, with Rexford right in front of you, you'll see a clear big patch of sandy area on the ridge, with a cairn. Aim for that, and you'll find two rappel stations that will bring you down to the notch between Rexford and South Nesakwatch. This is a full 30M rap, and will leave you having to downclimb the last couple of meters still. From here you can either head up the north face of Rexford, or walk down the sandy scree col to the boulderfield below, which is what we ended up doing.
The fun scree down the Rexford South Nesakwatch col. After Cascadian Couloir, this was a piece of cake.
From here it's a quick walk across a boulderfield (there is still a ton of snow patches left in this boulder field, so if you're bivying here, water is definitely available). The descent took us about 1.5 hours in the pouring rain.
Snow patches in the bowl, with tons of bivy rocks
This was definitely an enjoyable day in the alpine, maybe one of the beset i've had (But I say that every time!) I've never been to this area before, but now I have an excuse to come back. Next time I come i'll definitely plan for a bivy to enjoy the gorgeous views and try out some of the other awesome routes (Dairyland, Fantasies and Fairytales!?)
Additional pictures:
The wall you hit halfway up the approach - you follow this the rest of the way up
The approach
Alpine meadows
Cool clouds
Slesse
Baker
South Spire and Rexford
Looking out to the north
The entire enchainment
Gear Notes:
Light single rack (barely used)
60M half rope (needed for 30M rappel)
A lot of water - nothing is available after the approach unless you melt
Axe/Crampons not needed!
Approach Notes:
Take the Chilliwack Lake Road until you reach Nesakwatch Creek FSR. Take a right. Drive as far as you can and then walk the rest of the way (about 8KM). Take a left where you reach the Rexford Trail. The rest of the approach is very straightforward and well marked with flagged cairns.
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Thanks for the info. After going up there and seeing/experiencing the approach / descent for myself, will definitely be trying this in three days next time...
I'm looking to do this but can't find much beta. Has anyone done this recently or been up in the Chehalis and know what the snow situation is? I'm wondering what snow gear if any is required.Most TRs I read take 3 days. We have 2. All of the bivies I've read about are either below Viennese or after Clarke. Is there a good bivy spot for 2 people between the two?
Thanks!
There' still a fair bit of snow on Clarke and nearby.
Don't underestimate the time required to find your way from Upper Statlu up to the climb and back down. There's a good reason most people do it in 3.
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We left on a clear, beautiful, 25 degree day in Chilliwack.... and then also ended up doing a day trip to upper statlu carrying bivy gear when we were hit by a torrential downpour! Heard the same thing from a party the previous day. Guess that's the Chehalis for you...
After that experience I'll definitely be adding a day to my next attempt.
We got lost in the fog on the way from Lower Statlu to Upper Statly and missed the lake altogether. Then we traversed Recourse, thinking we were climbing Vienesse in nearly zero visibility. It ended up being a day trip carrying bivy gear... I hope you get better weather!I would think that from the alpine bench above upper Statlu, that it would be possible to make the traverse in a day and to leave the bivy gear behind for the actual climb, light packs are always good for morale!
So three days isn't a bad itinerary - one mellow paced day finding your way to a high bivy above upper Statlu, a day to do the traverse and descend to the bivy, hike out the following morning.
But if you only have two days, perhaps cutting the traverse off short after recourse and hiking out the same evening would be an option if that is a suitable pace for your party. I am not usually too concerned if I have to pick my way down off a mountain by headlamp, but in the Chehalis the terrain seemed complex to the degree that I felt such an endevour would quickly become an epic... Something to keep in mind.
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Great shots! This area looks unreal.
Totally agree with your comment that climbing in the Cascades makes all the other approaches seem chill in comparison!
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I'm looking to do this but can't find much beta. Has anyone done this recently or been up in the Chehalis and know what the snow situation is? I'm wondering what snow gear if any is required.
Most TRs I read take 3 days. We have 2. All of the bivies I've read about are either below Viennese or after Clarke. Is there a good bivy spot for 2 people between the two?
Thanks!
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Don't worry, we didn't get it stuck in the OW pitch....
Ahh that's too bad, did you get it back? or is it still floating around there somewhere?
Light alpine shoes?
in The Gear Critic
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I was thinking of picking up the TX4 Mids as the reviews looked good, glad to see others here are using them too.
I like the scarpa crux for cragging / multipitch with short approach/descent, but definitely not for glacier...