Vesper Peak Access??

[tobytortorelli]

Sunshine Mine Rd. open? Snow quality/depth on route?

[Mike_Collins]

The people who would know the road conditions to Sunrise Mine (I have made the same mistake) are the Verlot Ranger Station 360) 691-7791. I looked at Vesper from the top of Sheep Mt two weeks ago and the granite slab which is taken to the summit was covered entirely with snow.

[nolanr]

The road is open to Headlee Pass trailhead. Vesper looked pretty cool from Gothic Peak today. Go get it.

[slothrop]

Anyone else taken a look at Vesper or Sperry recently? Any info on the approach or route conditions would be great.

[scot'teryx]

7/2/02

The trail is snow free up to Weden Basin, then it is snow all the way to the base of headlee

pass, then dirt 3/4 of the way up to the pass.

 

 

There has been some serious avalanche action up there this year, as the snow you walk on in the basin is covered with tree debris

 

http://www.nwog.org/images/headleepass070202/008.jpg[img/]

 

Good snow all the way up to where the snow ends and the where the samll moat is

 

 

It is just a short scramble up 3rd class dirt and heather with a little bit of exposure, and for some reason I could not find the sign at the top of the pass this time. Our dog would not get off the snow and jump the moat and do the dirt scramble

 

 

So we had to stay at the pass and have lunch and then return down the pass, but got a nice view of Vesper on a perfect day

 

 

The downclimb was alot of fun

 

The traverse after headlee pass was still all snow, but could not tell if it was posthole hell or not on that talus slope or not.

 

Have fun, let me know how it goes

Are you going to do the north face?

[Dru]

Are there any cougars up there?

[JERRY_SANCHEZ]

I have seen a cougar once at Green Mtn near Glacier peak area few years ago. It was about 150 lbs and it ran off when it saw us. So there is cougars in there...

[Cpt.Caveman]

Cougars are sneaky. Watch out!

[mattp]

I met some guys at Little Si once who told me about a friend of theirs who was (illegally) riding his mountain bike in the Hoh river valley and thought he heard a ranger on the trail ahead so he hopped off his bike and jumped into the bushes. As he cowered beneath a fern, a cougar attacked him, jumping on his shoulders from behind. The cougar made a mistake, however, because the guy was on the Western Washington wrestling team. He turned around and pinned the beast, it cried uncle, and he let it go. Maybe you should invite him on your Vesper Peak climb.

[Cpt.Caveman]

In that case invite MikeAdam on all cougar climbs

[Dru]

This could be made into a Movie of the Week special!! "Never Cry Snafflehound" narrated by Fred Beckey. Our hero is hiding from the Tool when he is attacked by a cougar. "You big pussy!" he cries, pinning the thing to the trail. Then we cut to the commercial for Furball brand catnip based bug repellent.