[TR] Colonial - standard 08/03/2021

[JonParker]

Trip: Colonial - standard

Trip Date: 08/03/2021

Trip Report:

 

After various plans fell through over the last 2 weeks for various reasons, including life, rain, and smoke, I was itching to do something, anything. On Monday I checked the next day forecast on windy and saw a pocket of good air predicted over the area including Snowfield, etc.

 

On a trip to Snowfield a few years ago we skipped Colonial. A pika had obliterated my partners backpack straps at night. We improvised something out of our glacier gear, which my partner deemed suitable for getting back to the trailhead, but not inspiring enough to add another climb on our way out. Given the favorable smoke forecast I thought this must be my chance to go back for Colonial.

Popping out above the trees I could see the forecast was spot on. Haze all around in the distance, but plenty clear locally. I could also see that the face below Colonial was mostly bare ice. It looked intimidating, maybe impossible to do solo with my one axe, approach shoes, and kahtoolas. But I thought I’d proceed for a closer look, and just go as far as I thought I safely could.

Upon reaching the face I assessed. The ice was probably unavoidable, unless you down climb steep exposed snow, where it might be possible to skirt around the ice to some choss and back onto snow. The ice was steep at the bottom, below the point where the approach intercepts it. But higher up, from where the approach meets it to the notch looked about 40 degrees. And the runout wasn’t too bad at the beginning of the ice (gets bad 1/3 way across) so I grabbed a sharp rock for my 2nd tool and tried it out. The going was ok and I soon reached a crack in the ice that I used as a kind of ledge to traverse to the notch. I’ve never seen a route described as AI1 or WI1. Maybe this was it. There was a little snice here and there. The cracks in ice had a little snow on the border. When this snow is gone, which won’t take long, the route will require a real ice pitch. I couldn’t have got away with my single axe and light crampons if not for the ‘ledge’ system bordered with snow at the margin.

There was a chance of thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon, and I wanted to avoid headlamp time anyway, so didn’t overstay my welcome on the summit. Military jet or two came by to desecrate the area for a little while. Too bad the wilderness act doesn’t cover air space.

Traversing the face back the way I came was about the same difficulty as the way up. Definitely required some concentration for the no fall zone.

Checked out a small glacial spring on my hike back. The water was quite warm, and the floor was extremely slick, glad I didn’t get stuck in there.

The slabs on the way down the ridge made travel enjoyable, as did the knobbier granite from 5800’ down to 5400’. But I felt old on the hike down as knee pain started to kick in (maybe too much fun on the slabs earlier).

The winds aloft started picking up and thunder began to rumble in the last mile to the car. 

Gear Notes:
Crampons, two tools would have been good

Approach Notes:
Be prepared for ice if going now/ late season

Edited August 4, 2021 by JonParker

[JonParker]

Oh yeah I should add this photo from the area in July 2018, because look at it

[Kuato]

That is a beautiful area to climb in.  Another way up, if you want to avoid the glacier ice, is to climb to the top of the ridge and follow that to the summit.  I did the ridge route a few years ago and I remember it being pretty nice.  Class 3-4 for the most part, some loose rock.  The trick is getting off the ridge to the summit block.   

[bargainhunter]

Great TR Jon. Thanks for posting with such alluring pics. I've been wanting some colonialism even since I heard about Watusi Rodeo. Kuato, can you please tell me what ridge specifically are you referring to?

[Kuato]

Bargainhunter - The ridge I am talking about is the one directly above the main glacier on Colonial.  The picture with the waterfall and Colonial in the background gives you the best view of the route.  I'm pretty sure I climbed up the rocky island ridge, straight behind the lake camp, to the ridge above the glacier then over to the summit.  I don't know if it has a route name, but it works & it adds some extra spice.

[JonParker]

On 8/4/2021 at 11:32 PM, Kuato said:

That is a beautiful area to climb in.  Another way up, if you want to avoid the glacier ice, is to climb to the top of the ridge and follow that to the summit.  I did the ridge route a few years ago and I remember it being pretty nice.  Class 3-4 for the most part, some loose rock.  The trick is getting off the ridge to the summit block.   

I considered exploring that, but from where I was I couldn’t see the down climb on the other side. I also vaguely recalled a description of some scary shit in Abegg’s old TR. So I went with the devil I knew.

View from the summit (see the pic facing Snowfield) seems to confirm it’s non-trivial. Glad that you found it was ok passage.