water at triumph col

[JoshK]

Does anybody know if there is likely to be running water at the triumph col? I have only been there earlier in the year when it is mostly all snow there so I can't picture where I might find some. Seems like there should be tho...

[klenke]

What we did in late September a few years back:

Descend off the backside of the col (glacier side) a few hundred feet down a snowfield (crampons may be handy) to water running out of base of said snowfield. There is a rock outcrop at the base of the snowfield. Water was to the right of it...toward Newhalem. Advice: take a deflatable water bag and fill it up with enough so you don't have to make more than one trip. You could also stop by the source on the way back from the NE Ridge or South Ridge.

[JoshK]

Perfect. Thank you klenke!

[goatboy]

Are you planning on camping at the col?

 

I camped at the nunatak a few hundred feet down on the glacier -- nice little perch, very scenic views of the Pickets, and more water available I would expect this time of year . . .

[TeleRoss]

Josh, there is a kick-ass bivy site a couple hundred feet below on the far side of the col...super obvious. No need for crampons, if the snow is hard just cruise down the scree to the E...no worries. There is also a ton of running water on the way to the NE Ridge on the slabs below the glacier, at one point there was a fairly good sized river even. That was last week I think?

[klenke]

I remember that scree slope to skier's right of the snowfield being steep and chossy and not worth the sketch-fest to downclimb, much less stumble up with water in tote. I tried a few feet of that choss and went back to the snow, to a sketch-fest of a different kind. I remember calling up to a partner to say, "hey, bring my crampons down, would you." But that was in September.