[TR] Mount Stuart- Stuart Glacier Couloir 4/18/2004

[Otto]

Climb: Mount Stuart-Stuart Glacier Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 4/18/2004

 

Trip Report:

Climbed the Stuart Glacier Couloir on Sunday. There was not much water ice in the couloir, being covered by 4 to 6 inches of snow from the past few days. There was plenty of graupel filling all the cracks in the rock section of the climb, making for interesting brushing-off holds and dry tooling.

 

Getting an apine start was easy enough under a clear night sky, and the three of us were right at the base of the couloir at first light. We steadily fell behind any reasonable schedule, for various reasons, and saw any hopes of walking out in daylight vanish like the sun had done. There was no pausing on the summit as it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. We wandered around the 9,000 ft. level for three hours, looking for the top of the Sherpa Glacier in whiteout, snow falling in a steady wind. I just did not want to descend the Ice Cliff, again, so I went down too far past it. We finally got a vision break at 6:45 and figured it out. Down to the tents was a grateful romp

down the knee-deep fresh ski slope, to camp while it was still light. With just enough light to break down camp, we wearily trudged the next five hours out through the night trees.

 

Following the long tradition of dragging in to work with no sleep for 26 hours or so, I made it through the next day. Awake from 3am Sunday until 5pm Monday, I believe I'm holding on to the possibility that I'm not too old for this yet. It's taking all the next week to recover, however! Spring climbing is so fine, though, we can't help but make plans for the next one. Regards,

 

Otto

[Bug]

Let me be the first to say "You are an idiot." and "I wish I was there." Nice TR but lacks pics.

[CascadeClimber]

You folks got an early start! We climbed it on Saturday and were camped up on the moraine. It looked to us like two parties in three tents down there in the trees. Did the other make it?

 

Congrats- fun climb. We had to hunt a bit for the top of the Sherpa, and we'd been down that way once before.

 

-L

[AllYouCanEat]

How deep was the new snow?

[CascadeClimber]

How deep was the new snow?

 

Can you say powderlicious?

 

Seriously, though, the pattern while we were there was nighttime clearing (and hence cold), clouding up in the early afternoon, snow late afternoon and graupel nastiness in the evening, before clearing again. The south facing slopes had 6-12 inches of fresh, wet, isothermic snow on a firm base. A bit more depth on the north facing slopes, but staying dry and relatively light. The Stuart and Sherpa Glaciers seemed stable to me. We some recent spontaneous slides on the south faces.

 

Be safe.

[AllYouCanEat]

Thanks. I may just make a one day push of it rather than two. Later Saturday and sunday looks really warm. I appreciate the info...