Mt Challenger ass whoopin'

[Fairweather]

Tried Mt Challenger as a 3-day ascent last Sat, Sun, and Mon with CC.Comer's Norman Clyde, MountainGuy01, and Terry Mclane ....It sure looked "do-able" in three days on paper!

 

Day one: As planned; Hannegan Pass TH to Camp on Easy Ridge (Chilliwack crossing was no problem!) at 5200 feet. 12+ mi., 4500' gain.

 

Day two: We set out at about 9am thinking it would be an "easy day" to Perfect Pass. After a somewhat exposed steep snow traverse of Easy Peak we descended toward the base of the gray buttress and then sharply downward with the intention of bypassing the "imperfect impass" altogether by dropping to 4500 feet, and then climbing the wooded ridge that offers access to the east side of the big basin beneath Perfect Pass. We did this with much time wasted routefinding and much time wasted on talus and steep heather.

With our original intent being a climb of Challenger the morning of the third day, and then a "hike out" on the same, we began to realize that we had "misallocated" our time such that our final day would surely become and all night death-march with headlamps back to the trailhead at Hannegan....not to mention the 4500 feet (net) we would have to climb back up to get out! We turned around about 1200 feet short of Perfect Pass (at the top of the wooded ridge), descended back to 4500 feet, reclimbed to 6700 feet on Easy Ridge, and returned to our camp at 5200 feet.

Day three: Descended back to Chilliwack River, climbed the 2500 feet back up to Hannegan Pass in the hot sun, then out.

 

At 41 years old I'm no "hard man", but I'm not a slacker either. I'm sure three days is do-able, but four would be gravy.

 

Nice weather, nice views, great company! I think we'll try the Whatcom Peak traverse approach next time. Any thoughts?

 

Also, the Easy Pk-Mineral Mtn-Ruth Mtn traverse looked great for a skiier! Anyone done it?

[iain]

Hey we may have crossed paths, we were coming out of Challenger on Sat via Hannegan. I'd go for a summit of Whatcom and traverse to the pass next time. The impasse was relatively painless but a bit tenuous getting down from the ledges through some touchy choss to the snow. Any moisture on the sloping stuff in there would make it quite hazardous. We came out by skirting the impasse way on skier's left in the trees to avoid the cliffed-out areas and grunted back up to the base of the impasse. After trying both, the impasse seems like the better of two evils. It seems like the difficulty of crossing it would fluctuate wildly depending on how much snow is in the gulley. The Whatcom approach is tempting just to avoid this decision.

[Fairweather]

Were you the group of four that I talked to just above "Copper Camp"on Sat? We ran into another group (of five) coming down easy ridge on Sunday that were unsuccessful.

[iain]

Yeah, near Copper Creek. I think the other group you met was probably Toast's crew. Apparently they had some bad luck with weather at perfect pass.

[Fairweather]

Did you guys take three days, or four?

 

...I remember saying to the others, "I'll bet those guys were CC.Comer's!

[iain]

I was the only cc.com'r in the group but the others are lurking here from time to time. We took four days:

1) TH to US Cabin Camp (we went past the turn to the river, came back in the morning)

2) US Cabin to Perfect Pass (via the impasse at the shoulder of Whatcom)

3) Perfect Pass to summit, bushwack back down around impasse to a ways above the impasse in the last heather before snow on easy ridge.

4) Out to TH

[Fairweather]

Four Days. If you'd have said three, I would be feeling quite "un-manly' right now.

 

Glad you guys had a nice trip! Isn't this the second time I've unknowingly run into you in the past year?

[iain]

Well we were put in our place when we ran into a guy in the impasse doing it solo 24 hr car-to-car. Makes me sick thinking about it.

[Toast]

Yep, we ran into him too at the head of Easy Ridge about 3:00 PM. He had a most satisfied grin on his face. I don't blame him, though. By that point it was pretty much a coast home from there (at least for him... it took us a full day.)

 

We skirted the impasse as well, but we took the slabs up rather than bushwhacking it. We did have to burrow through thick trees at the top. That so sucked. Perfect Pass was nice, though. It was certainly my best night of sleep. Rain through the night and into morning kept us in bed till 9:00. We decided to bail on a summit bid given we didn't have enough time to wait it out. The slabs were slicker'n snot coming down, so we did a low angle rap down. Needless to say, our double rope rap snagged. Again, so suck.

 

Heading out on the trail, we came across a big ass garbage pile that we encountered coming in. It was some abandoned squatter's camp full of shit: two stinky army down sleeping bags, clothing, batteries, a duffle bag and miscellaneous garbage. We left the sleeping bags as they were damp and heavy, but we managed to scoop up a good chunk of what was left and packed it out. I don't mean to rank too hard on the park service, but that shit had to have been sitting there for months. Anyway, we dumped it on the front door of the ranger station in Glacier.

 

Speaking of Glacier, what's the name of the new pub in town? It doesn't look like much from the outside, but that place It's the first thing you hit on your LEFT as you come into town from the Glacier Ranger Station. And no, it's not that over hyped Italian restaurant that's across the street.

 

Edited July 9, 2003 by Toast

[Billygoat]

That's Chris Collin's restaurant, a newer version of the old Grahams that has been there forever. He'll be glad to hear of your 'n review! Glacier is starting to look better, with the new ski shop and all.

 

I'm interested in the Whatcom peak traverse option. Any beta out there from some one who has actually done it?

[DonnV]

Billygoat said:

I'm interested in the Whatcom peak traverse option. Any beta out there from some one who has actually done it?

Depends on what you mean by "traverse." Whatcom is typically either dealt with via a traverse around its east side, or via its summit. We went in last year in late July. The traverse down low looked well broken and subject to sliding blocks of melting snow, so we opted for over the summit. It's all 3rd class. Not great rock, but no problem if you're careful. Route is straightforward and not as steep as it looks from a distance. There were some steeper snowfields on the ridge but all were easily circumvented. The route sorta winds up around to the west as you approach the summit. Not only is Whatcom a great viewpoint, but you can immediately see that your day is pretty much done if Perfect Pass is your destination. A few minutes of easy 3rd downclimbing, then you can plunge and boot glissade to the pass in another 5-10 minutes.

 

We came out Easy Ridge and found the Impasse to be very easy to deal with in late July. There was no snow at all where we went through. Easy to find the rap anchors, and an easy (though exposed and unprotected) upward 4th class traverse to get back up out of the gully. My impression was that going the other way through the Impasse would have been slightly trickier since you'd be downclimbing more, but still very doable. And it sounds from previous discussions as if folks have found a few different ways through.

[Tod]

I've done the traverse around Whatcom and it's not too bad. There aren't really any hazards from rockfall or anything else, but it's a long ways around Whatcom.

 

My thinking is if your trying to do Challenger in three days day one should be to Whatcom Pass, day two would be over or around Whatcom Peak (probably over) and back to Whatcom Pass, and day three would be back out.

[AllYouCanEat]

Fairweather said,

Also, the Easy Pk-Mineral Mtn-Ruth Mtn traverse looked great for a skiier! Anyone done it?

 

Yea, Ben and I did it a month ago. We will have a TR on it in a week or so. As for easy. Like you said, "It looked good on paper?" Mineral Mtn is more of an obstacle than it looks.

 

Too bad you didn't make it. That place is beautiful especially camping on perfect pass. Next week you will have to take two sick days I guess.

 

Jason....

[Redoubt]

Tod said:

I've done the traverse around Whatcom and it's not too bad. There aren't really any hazards from rockfall or anything else,

Probably all dependent on conditions. I've never done the traverse, but did check it out once from just above Whatcom Pass at a time when it would clearly have required walking below huge blocks of ice that were sitting on wet slabs. Reminded me a lot of traversing the pocket glacier approaching NE Buttress of Slesse. I also just checked Nelson Vol I, where he says "danger from falling and sliding ice." Like so many other places, probably pretty risky at some times and pretty safe at other times.

 

[cj001f]

Redoubt said:

Tod said:

I've done the traverse around Whatcom and it's not too bad. There aren't really any hazards from rockfall or anything else,

Probably all dependent on conditions. I've never done the traverse, but did check it out once from just above Whatcom Pass at a time when it would clearly have required walking below huge blocks of ice that were sitting on wet slabs. Reminded me a lot of traversing the pocket glacier approaching NE Buttress of Slesse. I also just checked Nelson Vol I, where he says "danger from falling and sliding ice." Like so many other places, probably pretty risky at some times and pretty safe at other times.

Condition dependant is an understatement! When I was there in August of '99 the blocks of snow/ice were beetle (new VW, not old) sized, and coming through about every 10 minutes. Needless to say, we didn't go for the traverse....

[Dustin_B]

iain said:

Yeah, near Copper Creek. I think the other group you met was probably Toast's crew. Apparently they had some bad luck with weather at perfect pass.

 

Iain, we (Toast and my group) passed you at the low point as you skirted around the impasse. I was in the front; were you the one who asked where we were camping and if we had permits to camp at Perfect Pass?

[Alpinfox]

 

Toast said:

Heading out on the trail, we came across a big ass garbage pile that we encountered coming in. It was some abandoned squatter's camp full of shit: two stinky army down sleeping bags, clothing, batteries, a duffle bag and miscellaneous garbage. We left the sleeping bags as they were damp and heavy, but we managed to scoop up a good chunk of what was left and packed it out. I don't mean to rank too hard on the park service, but that shit had to have been sitting there for months. Anyway, we dumped it on the front door of the ranger station in Glacier.

____________________________________

 

Hey Toast,

Thanks for cleaning that stuff up. That is a thing to do. However, I don't blame the FS for not cleaning that stuff up. Did you leave them a note telling them the story or just leave them with some mysterious garbage?

 

Anyway, great job on Challenger (on my list) and thanks again for making an extraordinary effort to keep the backcountry beautiful.

 

[iain]

Dustin_B said:

Iain, we (Toast and my group) passed you at the low point as you skirted around the impasse. I was in the front; were you the one who asked where we were camping and if we had permits to camp at Perfect Pass?

Nope, I was the guy in the other white helmet, the first guy you met. My friend was just kidding around cause the ranger was all serious about permits and stuff and was on the phone for about 1/2 hour sorting out who was at Perfect Pass. And then we find out they double-booked that stuff anyway! As if there was going to be a bunch of people stacked up in one spot in that entire area. Funny.

[iain]

so that was the scoop on that trash on the way out? We assumed it was some weed smuggling operation across the border or something.

[Dustin_B]

iain said:

so that was the scoop on that trash on the way out? We assumed it was some weed smuggling operation across the border or something.

 

As Toast mentioned we packed out a lot of that trash. I'd venture a guess of 15 - 20 lbs between the 5 of us. (not to mention that one of our party members sprained their ankle near Hannagan Pass so we had to divide that 50 lb pack between the other 4 of us for the last 4 miles out). We still didn't drop the trash although very tempted too. We bagged up what trash was left in a big black trash bag so hopefully more people over time will pack the rest out. There are couple of sleeping bags and some other random shit but we took a lot out (~ half). We left a note with the garbage at the Glacier Ranger station saying our party was the ones to bring it out, where we found it, and what was left. Maybe the mountain will appreciate that and give us some good weather next time...

[AllYouCanEat]

Good job. Ben and I were too shot to take any out. It was a little freaky to come upon that on the way back to Hannagan. Did you see the flashlight and stove...cordory pants, shoe!? Crazy. How about the matches? There must've been a hundred. Again, way to be men of the mountains.

[iain]

It looked almost like someone with mental problems had been camping there or was running away from someone. Really weird stuff. I was wondering how it got there. Nice work packing that crap out.

[erik]

DUDE THAT WAS LAYTON'S PLACE.

 

[iain]

tell him his 1,000,000 candlepower flashlight is broken

[Bronco]

iain said:

It looked almost like someone with mental problems had been camping there or was running away from someone. Really weird stuff. I was wondering how it got there. Nice work packing that crap out.

 

I see that stuff all over the place in the sub alpine areas, especially near old mining claims. I always like to tell my companions "hells bells, it looks like someone just stripped themself nekid and run off into the woods screamin" they usually roll their eyes. After it get's dark they succumb to my coments like "hey, didja hear that?...Yeah, maybe it was nuthin, just sounded like a grown man screamin is all, HEY WHATS THAT IN THE BUSHES!!?" heh heh, it's fun. Especially with GregW, he just starts blasting into the brush whith his gack.