[TR] South Sister- Prouty glacier 7/3/2005

[Phantom]

Climb: South Sister-Prouty glacier

 

Date of Climb: 7/3/2005

 

Trip Report:

3 of us over 40 aging climbers decided to go up south sister via the prouty glacier in a one day trip.

We went in on the green lakes trail leaving at 1:30 a.m. (5400 ft) this weekend. We arrived at green lakes (6500 ft) at 3:30 a.m. and were heading for the trail to take us around the lake to get to the northwest side but in the moonless darkness we missed the turn in the trail so ended up wasting 3/4 hr. finding it and getting around the lake. From the northwest side of the lake we hiked north about 1,000 yds up a stream bed then stopped to refill our water bottles. And from there continued a bit farther until we spotted an obvious gully still snow covered to the NW. We climbed the moraine on the right side of the gully and then on the snow of the gully until we reached the toe of the prouty glacier at 8100 ft. Here we stopped for a break and to rope up. The glacier is still well snow covered with no open crevasses. Staying in the center right of the glacier to avoid some rockfall from the left we reached the bergschrund at about 9 a.m. The bergschrund is open and about 5 ft wide now except for a small but very solid snowbridge on the right which we crossed without incident. From here instead of taking the standard direct approach up a moderate snow slope and rock bands as indicated in Jeff Thomas' Oregon High south sister route #19, we traversed about 45 deg. left and ascended a mostly 40 deg. snow slope to the far left side of the upper glacier which also required climbing a vertical rock band of about 20 ft of 3rd class crumbling loose rock wearing crampons (what "fun"). There was considerable rockfall on the upper glacier. Then the snow slope lessened to 35 deg. and we then reached flat snow slopes about 600 ft below the crater rim and from there we walked up a 25 deg south facing snow slope to the rim. We spent maybe an hour and a half on the true summit rim then descended leisurely on mostly good plunge stepping snow slopes to the devils lake trail and took the left turn on the plateau to moraine lake and from there the trail from the north end of the lake to the green lakes trail and back to the car. We got back to the car at 7:45 pm.

Other then the rockfall and some softening snow in the later morning the only issue to deal with was the Horrendous and aggressive mosquitoes from Moraine lake to the car. You couldn't stop for even 5 seconds or you'd be surrounded by a hundred of them.

a fun but long day, no other parties on the prouty.

 

 

Gear Notes:

gear used: 3 pickets, crampons, ice axe

recommeded add'l gear: DEET