[TR] Hibox Peak- SE Ridge 11/28/2004

[Toast]

Climb: Hibox Peak-SE Ridge

 

Date of Climb: 11/28/2004

 

Trip Report:

 

Last week the stars aligned with good weather and a day off. I was itching to get out and Klenke had a "plan." Normally, that means he had an anthill full of brush in mind to climb, but Hibox turned out to be one of the best climbs of the year. We made it to the trailhead with barely a dusting of snow. About a mile and a half on well groomed trail took us to a clearing with a good view of the peak. It's a frequented scramble in the summer, so there's a climber's path... we managed to miss it. The route up dodges left and threads through cliff bands. There were a few traverses over rock glazed in ice, at least in the morning. As we made our way to the summit block we ran into snow deep enough to wade through. The pictures on Summitpost don't show it, but there's good quality rock hidden at the top. We traversed counter clockwise passing two apparent gulleys to get to a 3rd class path up to the summit.

 

Gear Notes:

Ixe Axe

 

Approach Notes:

Take the Rachel Lake trail about 2 miles in. Look for a brushy clearing. A climbers path up the SW ridge will take you up to the summit base. Traverse right to the SE side and head up 3rd class terrain.

[klenke]

Definitely one of my better outings this year. Fun mixed scrambling at the end punctuated a fine day.

A story in pictures...

 

The summit area from the Rachel Lake Trail:

Tony above the first cliffs:

Passing under rotten fangs:

Tony pounding out a steep slope (nice ski terrain):

The final gully to the summit. It's a lot easier in summer. We took to the arête on the right:

Tony down on the lower arête (45-degree angle):

Tony doing the Hawaii 5.0:

Gratuitous ass shot for the ladies at the crux (that would be an incipient butt-crack in an off-width crack):

 

The final bit to the summit (the rocks at left):

Summit gaper-fest:

On the way back down the arête:

7 hours round-trip car-to-car. We saw no one all day (though did hear people approaching on the trail).

[Alpinfox]

Hey isn't Hibox right next to "Three Queens"? I see two queens, where's the other one.

 

Just kidding. Nice pictures guys.

 

[klenke]

This must be the other queen (after all, it was at The Canterbury).

 

Here's the real Three Queens:

[Alpinfox]

I think I can out-gun you Klenker, you take that pic down and I'll take this one down:

[klenke]

God that night produced way too many candid lunacy shots.

What was in that beer that night?

Two weaklings trying to out-weak each other.

 

So, the trivia would be who's shoe was that?