[TR] Mt Challenger- Hannegan Pass / Easy Ridge / Challenger Glacier 5/25/2005

[Suz]

Climb: Mt Challenger-Hannegan Pass / Easy Ridge / Challenger Glacier

 

Date of Climb: 5/25/2005

 

Trip Report:

After getting weathered off this mountain in Sept two years ago, Mary and I made another go at it in the early season. There are 3 approaches to Challenger: over Whatcom Peak, up Beaver Creek from Ross Lake and bushwhack along Wiley Ridge, or over Hannegan Pass up Easy Ridge and over Perfect Pass. We chose the 5-day non-bushwhack route, though this is a longer approach with much more elevation gain and loss.

 

Day one made it to the TH, over Hannegan Pass (some snow still on the far side, not much left), and to the Chilliwack River ford, where we camped. Met three single hikers on the way in - no one else the entire time!!! A little stove misbehavior despite testing nearly sent us back, but a little poking and fuel-flushing fixed whatever was causing it to clog. Obstacle #1 solved.

 

Day 2 hiked up the trail to Easy Ridge, where it promptly disappeared under the snow that was still deeper than we expected. Set a wand and continued to the top where things opened up and the ridge becomes the "trail". When we got to the toe of Easy Peak itself, we stopped for a break and nearly turned back. The snow looked like it rose to about 80 degrees in the afternoon sun with a bad runout. On closer inspection, however, it was steep but only to about 60 degrees, and we just moved carefully, sidestepping onto sandy rock with snow patches after a big surface sluff took off from our tracks. Obstacle #2! Easy Peak indeed. Debated whether we'd have time to summit and come out in five days and decided to ration food for a 6th if necessary, prior commitments be darned. Continued along the ridge, down the talus fields covered with snow (finally helping instead of slowing progress), then boulderhopping down to the bottom of the chasm of Perfect Impasse. A nice but windy camp spot by the stream.

 

Day three climbed up the other side on rock, heather, snow, rock, steep snow, and crumbly rockdirt to Perfect Pass. The route discription says to drop down 200' to the glacier (rap may be required), but monstrous cornices barred the way. Obstacle #3! We went up instead, traversing across broad Challenger Glacier pretty much even with where we would camp. The glacier is still very closed - just a few monstrous gaps and a few lines beginning to show. Go soon if you're going! The snow again actually helped after slowing our progress before. Realizing we were about 500' above intended camps on the rocky saddle below, we decided to camp on the glacier and dropped packs to scope out the very-vaguely-described summit route. It looked crevassy and steep, but a look around the corner told us we should at least go check it out in the morning.

 

Day four got going at 4:30 - already light! - and curved around the half-covered bergschrund onto a delightfully frozen snow ridge up to the summit rock ridge. Good snow traversed its shoulder, a little running pro protecting our short rope from some nice exposure. Almost missed the fixed pro, then some wettish booted rock climbing to the blocky summit. Beautiful!! Hit the summit at 8:15 and spent an hour taking pictures and the view. (Pictures posted soon, with story) Ah, yes, now the decent - 3 1/2 days in, 1 1/2 days out. Descended to camp, packed up and hoofed it back across the glacier, down from Perfect Pass to the chasm-crossing. So far we could still see our footprints despite the incredible sunny weather. Decided to continue the 2800' back up to Easy Ridge to camp so there would be a chance of making it out the next day. Hit camp at 10:30, 18 hours of climbing.

 

Day five got enough sleep, then walking by 8, along Easy Ridge and down the front of Easy Peak before the snow softened. The rock underneath had melted quite a bit, to the point that I downclimbed rock while Mary frontpointed the snow. It will be pretty melted out soon as well. When we reached the end of the ridge, a little more trail had appeared, but not enough for us to find the beginning of the way down, and our footprints were gone, so we spent an hour or so wandering around finding bits of trail. Never did find the wand we left. Finally headed down to the river, crossed, and headed back up toward Hannegan Pass. No people despite Mem Day weekend, but a few footprints to steer us across the snow at the pass. Hit the pass just at sundown as the first clouds of the whole trip moved in to obscure any visibility. Marched the last four miles down by headlamp and tried not to die driving back to town in the wee hours. First summit of the season??

 

Gear Notes:

Tiny rack (5 nuts, one #3 tricam), glacier gear, 30m rope, one glacier axe. Brought wands, didn't use them where they would have been most useful (to find the trail down at the beginning of Easy Ridge) because we were saving them for later in case of weather.

 

Approach Notes:

Road is snowfree. Trail is almost clear to the river, a few down trees, then snow on top of easy ridge, probably

mostly clear in 2 weeks or so. Snow on the talus was very helpful.

[Billygoat]

I was wondering what conditions were like up there. Great report Suz nice trip

 

[iain]

Wow, summer is here, apparently. This is perhaps the best trip I've had in the North Cascades. A must-do for anyone who enjoys that area. The hike along Easy Ridge is spectacular. I wonder if you were one of the first in there for the year.

[off_the_hook]

Sweet! Sounds awesome. I am looking forward to the pictures/story.

[ryanl]

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for the TR- I'm not familiar with that area so your descriptions are great.

[sweatinoutliquor]

Any chance you got some pics? I haven't been to that area and really want to explore... Sounds beautiful and remote! Good job getting up there!

[Toast]

Nice TR! We got stumped two years ago due to rain at perfect pass. I wish we'd given ourselves a fifth day.

 

Here's to you

[Dustin_B]

Nice TR. Thanks. I remember we had the same problems a couple years ago trying to find the trail off of easy ridge. We swacked around for a while (~1.5 hours) down and left and finally found the trail. We had taken a gps waypoint (only one unfortunately) and couldn't locate it. sounds pretty similar to what you just did

[Suz]

Yeah - you never know where you're going to need those pesky wands/GPS points. Oh, well.

 

Here's some pictures and the promised story:

 

Getting onto Easy Peak

 

Easy Ridge and Perfect Impasse from Perfect Pass. You have to drop way below the toe of the ridge to get across, then back up.

 

Challenger Glacier

 

Women on the summit

 

We attempted Challenger two years ago in September, and spent our summit day huddled in the rain (though we really weren't close enough anyway). Lesson learned: go earlier in the season, or when the forecast is perfect. On the way to the TH, we had stopped at an ultra-redneck gas station, the kind that sells glitter knickknacks and singing beer cans. Mary decided she needed a bandana-with-strings-style halter top for $10, in flames. I naturally wanted in on the action and snagged one in leopard print - our new summit attire. Of course, we didn't summit, and we'd been saving them for our next attempt. This time they made it to the top (so to speak)...

 

The end of the trail (you know how it feels)

[forrest_m]

nice tr. that's one of my favorite trips in the north cascades.

 

just one detail: in fact, it is not necessary to drop all the way below the impasse - there are at least 2 routes through just below the shoulder of whatcom peak. however, they are both exposed class 4/low class 5, so dropping down is a good choice for some parties.

[Billygoat]

 

Love the Redneck wear. I think you may have started something. I'll wear my concert tee with the sleeves cut off on my next trip.

 

I have to do this route, there seems nothing more confusing than the Perfect Pass/ Easy pass/ imperfect impasse conundrum. I cannot sort it out verbally. I am too visual/tactile.

 

I am thinking Whatcom is the way to go for that reason...

[sweatinoutliquor]

Nice photos! What a cool area! I will have to add this to my list of things to do at some point... What's up with these friggan cool west coast states? The longer I spend out here, the more cool stuff I keep hearing about! Thanks for the photos, and I'm glad you had a good time!

[wayne]

GREAT Summit gear Ladies !

 

We need more of that in the Northern Piks!

 

I swear , The very next high pressure system and I am in there!

[Divot]

Awesome TR, sweet info, Just wished I was up there with you guys!