crazy_t Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 Has anyone been up to Washington Pass this week? I'm wondering about the approaches, route conditions, recommendations. My guess is that it's pretty dry? Thanks in advance. Quote
catbirdseat Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 Maybe I'm in a bad mood, but I get tired of lurkers always asking for conditions, but never posting conditions when they go out. That's why people write trip reports. Quote
catbirdseat Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 (edited) Prove me wrong by posting a trip report when you get back. There is a great weather forecast for this weekend. Go for it. Edited May 17, 2005 by catbirdseat Quote
crazy_t Posted May 17, 2005 Author Posted May 17, 2005 Thanks for the encouragement CB. Still hoping to hear from anyone who was up there last weekend or yesterday. Thanks! Quote
Winter Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 CBS my wife is PMSing also this week. Maybe your cycles are both psynched up? Quote
catbirdseat Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 I need to go climbing. That's what I need to do! Quote
TimL Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 Anybody have an idea of what its like in the Liberty Bell Group? Much snow on the approach to the backside and in the gullies? Quote
Maestro Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 (edited) OK, since no one has answered the original question, let me give it a try but this beta is almost two weeks old and may be outdated: Â As of May 7, the Blue Lake trail was intermittent snow and dirt up to where the LB group turnoff is. From there on up it was deep, posthole hell type of snow. That continues all the way up to the ridge where the S. Arete route on SEWS starts. The gully up to the LB-CT col was dry on its lower half and had snow on the upper half, but step-kicking was pretty easy and the postholing not too bad. We were doing the Beckey Route and it was in great shape. Just like summer. The other routes that we could see with southern exposure looked the same. Â Edit for PS: There was significant snow going down to the rap anchor. Quite a ski if you are wearing rock shoes The rap route itself was dry. Edited May 19, 2005 by Maestro Quote
MCash Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 According to the National Weather Service website, the freezing level at the pass has been in the 5,000 to 6,000 foot range this week. They have received a significant amount of precipitation. Bring your big snowshoes. Quote
rr666 Posted May 26, 2005 Posted May 26, 2005 Any new news on conditions? I'm thinking about going this weekend, but don't want to spend the weekend postholing, I just want to climb some rocks... Quote
jordop Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 With this forecast I'd be sure to take Gore Tex tops and bottoms and a BIG down jacket. BBrrrrrr! Quote
MCash Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Lets see, tons of new snow and 90 degree temps and sunny. I wonder if any of the posthole records will be smashed. The old record of 7.2' with snowshoes on is in danger. Quote
layton Posted May 27, 2005 Posted May 27, 2005 Lets see, tons of new snow and 90 degree temps and sunny. I wonder if any of the posthole records will be smashed. The old record of 7.2' with snowshoes on is in danger. Totally!!!!!!! I call it uber alpine hyper-stumble-wallowing Quote
archenemy Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 So, anyone know the conditions for this weekend? Quote
fredrogers Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 JJA ropegunned my sorry ass up the the SW Buttress of S Early Winter Spire last Sunday. No snow to speak of until after you get above the slabs on the climbers boot track, miserable soft snow conditions from there to the foot of the SW Gully. We brought snowshoes because we had been warned of this and thus avoided the miserable postholing. Â Very little snow on route- some at the base of the 5.8 pitch, some on the ledge before the 4th pitch. S Arete has snow in some places, but it's easily avoided. Quote
archenemy Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 He has a TR for this upcoming weekend? Man, THAT is efficient! Quote
mec Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 Most of the postholing on the way up can be avoided by hiking up to Concord tower first, then heading over. It is not the most direct way, but saves the hassle of postholing all the way up. The last 2-300 yards or so is all the snow travel required... Quote
Blake Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 JJA ropegunned my sorry ass up the the SW Buttress of S Early Winter Spire last Sunday. No snow to speak of until after you get above the slabs on the climbers boot track, miserable soft snow conditions from there to the foot of the SW Gully. We brought snowshoes because we had been warned of this and thus avoided the miserable postholing. Â Very little snow on route- some at the base of the 5.8 pitch, some on the ledge before the 4th pitch. S Arete has snow in some places, but it's easily avoided. Â Â Don't even go to the SW gulley. Head directly to a prominent twin-topped larch and go left from there along obvous third class to a belay spot below the two dead snags and the offwidth crack. The first pitch is probably 5.6 or so and protects easily. It's a much more direct and logical start than to go up the gulley to above the giant chockstone and to downclimb left to the base of Pitch 2. Â Billygoat was refering to the TR I posted from last week. It's reasonable to be able to extrapolate future conditions based upon snow levels a week ago, and our current weather. Â I'd advise against snowshoes. IMO they are not worth lugging up the trail merely to avoid a couple hundred yards of knee-deep snow. Quote
archenemy Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 Billygoat was refering to the TR I posted from last week. Uh, ya. It was my very lame attempt at psuedo-humor. I am much more funny looking than funny reading. It's reasonable to be able to extrapolate future conditions based upon snow levels a week ago, and our current weather. I'm no meteorologist, but that does seem to work. Â I do appreciate you posting your TR--it is helpful. I am looking forward to this weekend, and I am greatful that I can avoid the crummy stuff you mentioned. Thanx. Quote
Macson Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 JJA ropegunned my sorry ass up the the SW Buttress of S Early Winter Spire last Sunday. No snow to speak of until after you get above the slabs on the climbers boot track, miserable soft snow conditions from there to the foot of the SW Gully. We brought snowshoes because we had been warned of this and thus avoided the miserable postholing. Â Very little snow on route- some at the base of the 5.8 pitch, some on the ledge before the 4th pitch. S Arete has snow in some places, but it's easily avoided. Â Fred, were you the two guys who passed me by my belay above the chockstone pitch on the South Arete and then rapped down? You guys got out of there just in time. We ended up going down in a nasty thunderstorm probably about the time you hit the woods. Â We didn't have snowshoes, but the postholing didn't seem that bad to me. Not as bad as great scott basin on das toof a couple weeks ago. Quote
Blake Posted June 2, 2005 Posted June 2, 2005 Are any of you guys a part of the the group of three that we ran into on Sat evening? You were going up to bivy, and climb for the day Sunday. Quote
fredrogers Posted June 3, 2005 Posted June 3, 2005 Yeah- I was the second one down- bonking pretty damn hard by the time I got to your belay. Â We did time it right- we got back to our packs as the tumder started and were mostly down in the trees by the time the real fireworks started. I felt really bad for the party I saw on on the SW Buttress right below the bear hug pitch when it started sleeting. Â Of coure, John was smart (and fitter) and made it back to the car before it really started raining. Me, soaking wet 1/2 later. Quote
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