[TR] Broken Top - Oh to be young and dumb - Crater 02/16/1985

[ScaredSilly]

Trip: Broken Top - Oh to be young and dumb - Crater

Trip Date: 02/16/1985

Trip Report:

 

For fun I thought I would post a trip report that happened 35 years ago. A friend recently sent me scanned versions of his slides so I thought I would post them up with the story.

 

We were both in college at OSU, me finishing my undergrad, and Andy finishing his masters. My girlfriend had an invite to spend the weekend skiing at Mt. Bachelor so we decided to go along and climb Broken Top as neither of us had been on it before. So that Friday night we left Corn Valley for Bend, she dumped us off at the end of the road that evening and we skied in a ways and camped.

The next morning we skied in into the Broken Top crater. Andy and I discussed various ways to gain the rim. We finally decided on a route up but not one that I was to my liking as I wanted to take a less direct but I felt safer route. But I deferred to Andy as he was more experienced than me. At this point I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

 

Mt Bachelor in the background.

 

Hmm, 30" crown and well we are still on top.

 

I think walking down is the preferred option.

 

Hmm, nice debris field and damn near wall to wall.

 

WTF were we thinking??? The dot in the middle of the debris field is me putting my skis back on.

Epilogue: As our ski tracks are visible, we had nearly gained the ridge when we set off the avalanche. We were both on the same cut when the ground went out from under us and we dropped a couple of feet to the bed surface. Both of us just stood there and watched as the avalanche ripped down the crater. Had either of us been caught we would have been dead. Not withstanding the fact that back then few people had transceivers or could we afford them as students. 

I saw Andy a few years ago when he gave me these images. He admitted that his decision making that day was not the best. Oh to be young and dumb.

 

Gear Notes:
A functioning brain

Approach Notes:
Go long from Mt. Bachelor

Edited April 2, 2020 by ScaredSilly

[JasonG]

And lucky!  Can't forget that part.  Without it, I wouldn't be typing this. 

Thanks for the great blast from the past, post some more stories please!!

[bedellympian]

I've had major slides happen in the Crook Cirque/Crater of BT as well. That thing is a solar oven and slides easy once the sun is out. Going up that E ridge to the summit would have been interesting, I've come in a little L of where you guys were. It is surprisingly decent rock, but legitimate climbing in that vicinity.

[nonbasketless]

Thanks for posting and for retreating! So glad this wasn't you:
 

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/08/20/experts-believe-frozen-herd-of-elk-were-killed-by-avalanche/

[ScaredSilly]

5 hours ago, nonbasketless said:

Thanks for posting and for retreating! So glad this wasn't you:
 

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/08/20/experts-believe-frozen-herd-of-elk-were-killed-by-avalanche/

That is just sad. Seeing a heard if elk is impressive but that is just sad.