Daniel, Hinman, Bears Breast.

[Dave_Schuldt]

We are taking 5 days to do this trip. We are looking for beta.

!) Getting from Daniel to Hinman, looks easy, is it?

2) Hinman to north side of Bears Breast by way of Shovel Creek basin.

We will be ready for glacier travel and easy rock climbing.

Anyone done all or part of this trip?

Thanks

[Alpinfox]

 

I've been up Daniel. It's easy. However, I remember some confusion about the trails appoaching the peak.

 

Nice views. Bear's Breast looks pretty cool.

[JayB]

Has there ever been an ascent of the long slabs up Bear's Breast that rise out of Shovel Creek Basin? I didn't see any mention of one in the Becky Guide.

[klenke]

Dave: There are cliffs lower down on the west ridge of Daniel (Topo) that could pose a problem but if you're going toward Hinman and will have ropes you can simply rappel anything you can't downclimb. From the 6,200-ft saddle it will then be nothing more than a 1,300-ft slog up to Hinman's benign summit (photo of Hinman from Daniel)

 

I don't really know anything about Bears Breast other than it being an interesting looking peak on my big huge tick list.

A photo of Bears Breast from Daniel.

[Crux]

Favorite route up Daniel is South Spur. Have attained South Spur by three approaches, all starting from Salmon La Sac.

 

Approach #1: From Venus Lake, ascend talus on west side of lake, pass through gap above lake, and then downclimb or rappel a short way to gain traverse north to the west flank of the South Spur. Climb the flank of the spur, and eventually cross through a notch to reach the slog field to summit.

 

Approach #2: Follow Spade Lake trail only until reaches approximately 5400 feet. Instead of turning west or northwest with the trail as it goes to Spade Lake, continue ascending north to follow the ridge between Lake Vincente and Spade Lake. Attain series of benches on the east flank of the ridge, above Vincente Lake; crux was a short, steep pitch up the face of fallen cornice to cross over the ridge near The Citadel. After that, an easy traversing descent contours north and then west to Venus Lake.

 

Approach #3: By way of the Shovel Creek drainage; way trail to Shovel Lake is found off the Waptus River trail near "the big rock."

 

To hike from Daniel Summit to Hinman, I've avoided direct approach to the West because of chossy steps not apparent on the map. Downclimb and rappel would be an adventure. Else descend into Lynch Draw over the glacier. I camped at Pea Soup Lake, then descended a bit into Foss drainage to gain traverse to permanent snowfield that leads up to gap between Daniel and Hinman. Slog from there. Continue to La Bohn Gap and figure it out from there. Either direction, can make exit back to Salmon La Sac.

 

mcrux

[Dru]

Has there ever been an ascent of the long slabs up Bear's Breast that rise out of Shovel Creek Basin? I didn't see any mention of one in the Becky Guide.

 

once upon a time erik and i were planning a shirtless "bare breasts on bear's breast" ascent of these slabs but some unnamed wise Cascades legend PM'ed me with a horrifying tale of loose rock on the slabs and we modified our plans

[JayB]

Cool. It'd be interesting to hear more information from the unnamed NW legend such about the rock. In the Beckey guide the average grade of the slabs looks moderate enough to be sub-5th, but it's hard to tell much from a single photo.

 

Here's another look at the slabs that I'm linking from some dude's site:

 

 

The ridgeline on the right looks like it would make for a decent route if the rock wasn't crap.

[Mark_L]

Has anyone out there ever approached the summit tower from the Shovel Creek side?

 

-Mark

[Stefan]

I do not know anybody who has climbed Bears Breast from the Shovel Lake side. I only know of two parties in the past 2 years who have climbed it from Dutch Miller Gap.

 

here's another angle of Bears Breast as you would approach for Shovel Lake. I can't remember where I got this photo from, but it is not mine.

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=6193

[Mark_L]

Thanks for all of these pictures. I've never seen Bear's Breast up close. They are very informative.

 

-Mark