Colchuck trailhead access

[pu]

I've been told recently by a friend that icicle road has the gate across it at eightmile. Is this true? Can you get around it in a 4x4? How far are people able to drive up the road to the colchuck trailhead? Looking to go on thurs, fri.

[JoshK]

Yes, the *icicle* road is gated as eightmile as it always is in the winter, but that doesn't stop you from getting to the colchuck/stuart lake trailhead, as the road from there turns off a few feet before the gate. Last I was there, the colchuck/stuart lake road (called bridge creek road I think?) was *not* gated but you couldn't get that far up it due to a slide. I'd just plan on having to walk the entire 4 miles of the road to get to the trailhead. I wouldn't let it stop you. It's an easy 4 miles that only takes 1 1/2 hours up at a leisurly pace.

[slothrop]

The road to the Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead (Mountaineer Creek Rd.) is not gated, but a fair-sized tree is down across the road about 3 miles in. Beyond that, the road gets snowy, but it's melting quickly. Two more (smaller) trees block the road just shy of the trailhead.

[JoshK]

slothrop, were you just up there this weekend? As of last weekend, they had closed the gate to prevent road damage.

[JayB]

As of yesterday Slothrop's description is right on. We were really looking forward to riding our mountain bikes up the first 2-3 miles of the road with our packs on, but somehow we reconciled ourselves to riding up it in a vehicle instead...

[slothrop]

Yup, I got there Friday night. We saw a white car parked in front of gate... poor bastards probably got there just before they opened it.

 

Hey JayB, what did you climb this weekend?

Edited April 20, 2003 by slothrop

[JayB]

I got short-roped up the Northeast couloir by GregW, Bronco, and genepires.

 

Went climbing at exit38 after work on Friday night, got home about 9:45, packed my stuff and procured food until 11:30, brushed my teeth, went to bed and stared at my clock until 11:45, then drove to Sultan for the 1:00AM rendezvous. Made bold prediction that I would be the winner of the suffersweepstakes. Park at 2:30, futz around with gear until 3:00, and commence said suffering/short roping/offloading gear onto partners. Wonder aloud if I have SARS several times during approach.

 

I think that we made it into the lake at about 6:00 or so, and headed towards our intended destination on a firm, refrozen crust. As we were heading up to get a better look at our intended route, the Northeast Buttress Couloir

we saw a small spontaneous slide let loose just below an exposed portion of the glacier beneath. That, plus the overhanging cornices that came into view about the Couloir, plus the warming temps prompted us to head up the Northeast Couloir instead. Lots up step kicking up the Couloir (or pre-kicked step utilization in my case) got us to the top of the couloir at around 11:00 or so, and doing the same around the backside got us to the summit at around 12:00-12:30. Prolonged coughing fit as the summit convinces me that I do, in fact, have SARS.

 

Slid down from the Colchuck/Dragontail col shortly thereafter, and noted that Schoeller pants put you at quite a disadvantage when attempting to intentionally slide down something. Whined to myself for the entire descent back to the car, fell alseep on the way back to Leavenworth. Awoke briefly to vote for eating at Gustav's en route to passing out again, eat, then pass out again on way home.

 

All in all, a good climb despite the factor on my part.

 

Will now check myself into the ER to self admit for SARS.

[klenke]

Well, that must have your party we saw heading up the NBC yesterday morning. Sergio, Tom, and I did the NBC/Northwest Face Friday afternoon. Did you use those steps kicked all the way up the face or did you go your own way? In the afternoon, kicking steps from the top of the col then right across wicked exposure to the next corner then up the face was brutal work in soft conditions. Perhaps it was hard snow while you were on it. I was so beat that I did not want to do the Triple Couloirs the next day (getting to bed at midnight doesn't help), so we bagged it for better times when we're feeling more spry and less ached.

 

Oh, and slothrop, that white car be us. Friday morning the road was gated. Imagine our Murphy's Law disgust when we're sorely walking back down the road not too far beyond the Eightmile Creek Trailhead and we round a bend and see six or seven cars parked on the side of the road. We eventually dumped our packs and jogged the last mile or so down the road to our car.

 

We even saw Catbirdseat's car parked down at the road junction. He must have been there with the Mutanteers.

[eric8]

JayB said:

Prolonged coughing fit as the summit convinces me that I do, in fact, have SARS.

 

Will now check myself into the ER to self admit for SARS.

 

Shit I better do that too cause I was coughing all day yesterday and blew chunks too.

[slothrop]

Too bad about your car, klenke... and thanks for the steps up to the summit. Most of them were filled in with spindrift, but the last bit up to our lunch spot was perfect buckets.