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Enchantments - trail conditions to Snow Lakes


Dustin_B

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Here's all the beta you need-

 

Be prepared for the fuckfest if doing the SF prusik stanley burgner. If not pissrope the top pitch after climbing the west ridge and lowering a rope to check it out. Otherwise send it puss.

 

The beckey route is just as good and similar difficulty but not quite as hard. Be ready for thin hands shit.

 

If you want to bail take pictures because it's nice as hell there. If you dont want to admit bailing on the SF then who cares and take it on like a champ.

 

It's 10 miles in and max 5 hours one way either direction. I recommend the SCW approach.

 

Did I mention you will see snow on the trail?

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3 of us hit Snow Creek trailhead at 8:30 AM Saturday morning with intentions of doing the West Ridge of Prusik Peak on Sunday. Passed one hiker coming down the trail just after Snow Creek wall and then didn't see anyone else until near the parking lot coming back on Sunday afternoon. (that was nice) Encountered patchy snow around 3500 feet. Combination of post holing and dry trail up to Nada Lake. Post hole around Nada Lake and finally put on snowshoes. The slope up from Nada Lake (mostly frozen) to Snow Lakes (completely frozen) was completely unconsolidated, wet, shitty, shitty, shitty snow. Very slow going with snow shoes, would have a nut buster without. It was suck going up and suck going down. Lots of 'snowshoe punch through, face hit snow'; going down.

 

Traverse around to far (west) side of Upper Snow Lake. Stare at pass ~1500 feet above...look at watch (3:30 PM) and map, 7 miles, 7 hours so far...heavy pack...bad snow...first long outing of the year...3 miles to go, 3 hours to go...steepest section yet...3 big gaping pussies...camp on hill over looking frozen Upper Snow Lake. Asleep by 7:30 PM!!

 

Awoke to blue-bird-skies...cussing our selves for not being up there. Left camp at 9:30 AM. Traverse on/around the lake. Saw some tracks going across the center but I'm not that brave. On the unconsolidated slope down to Nada Lake it starts sleeting/hailing. At Nada Lake, hailing like shit. Praising ourselves for not being up there... Snow Creek wall, nice clear skies again. 5 hours back to car, go eat, cheeburga_ron.gif home by bedtime. yellowsleep.gif Didn't accomplish our goal, didn't even get to the base. Not much left to say. cry.gif Good times though.

 

Heard there were a couple guys on Prusik on Saturday though that approached from the other side. Oh well. mad.gif

 

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We headed in the same way you did -- saw your hotel setup in the snow above upper Snow Lake when we came out Sunday. The lake is very solid except for the ends where there is inflow and outflow .. and the edges near these points. It took under 15 min to go end to end at an easy pace; it's nice being able to walk on water wink.gif I wore snowshoes over my tennies through the nasty snow while my partner managed in just running shoes.

 

I was sick when we headed in so we took it easy and were just out goofing around. 3 nights out- twas a nice weekend in a great place devoid of people aside from the two snowshoers we saw on Saturday near Prusik Pass. Uninteresting class 4 terrain, like that found on the W Ridge, has a bit more spice with 4 inches of snow on it. There's no better way to feel better than hangin in the mountains.

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