Enchantment Area / Stuart Range Conditions

[gyselinck]

Whats the snow situation around 8,000 feet? Any other random input is welcomed.

[slaphappy]

It's cold, wet, and miserable, just stay home.

[Freeman]

We did a day hike thru the Enchantments last sunday. One or two inches in the upper lakes, patches in the lower. North faces plastered with new snow, south faces clear and dry. Some veriglas going up Aasgard. A party reported bailing on the W Ridge of Prusik.

 

There was a little squall coming thru the east side last evening (brief rain at the Pinnacles) which should have added a little more snow in the Enchantments. Looking out my office window at 9:00 on thursday there are clouds over Mission Ridge (6700) no new snow. Can't see the Enchantments from where I sit. Hope this helps.

[gyselinck]

Awsome. It's been a while since I've been wet and cold, I'm now looking foward to it!

[TyClimber]

I was one of the guys who bailed on the W ridge of Prusik. Basically anything that doesn't get direct sun was covered in verglas as of last weekend. We decided we didn't really want to be going for the friction move under those conditions. However I got over to Ingalls peak on Tuesday and the south ridge/face was awesome and bone dry. So there is still the potential to get out there.

[kurthicks]

From this weekend's through hike of the Enchantments (aasgard to snow creek):

 

Stuart

 

Dragontail

 

Temple Ridge

 

I've got more pics of most everything else if anyone is interested. PM me.

[chrisr]

Patches of snow just after last log crossing from colchuck trailhead, approx 1-2 inches at colchuck lake as of yesterday. No ice in sight.

[gyselinck]

Thanks for the update, we should keep this going all winter. Anytime someone heads out there, they should report back here!

Edited October 31, 2005 by gyselinck

[John Frieh]

Is Teanaway road still open?

 

Anybody get pics of stiue or dtail this weekend?

[bigwalling]

I was up at Ingalls Peak, lots of snow comin down. The road was fully open.

[Bug]

I went over Prussick pass Sunday. There was about 2 or 3 inches of powder over the Enchantments from about 6500 up.

[John Frieh]

Mtneers creek road gate is closed.

 

Any word on Teanaway TH access?

 

Inversion Inversion Inversion

[kurthicks]

The gate was open yesterday.

We drove to the crest of the first hill (not too far past the rockslide prone spot), then turned around in about 6" of snow. It was probably dumping up there last night though, since it was cold and raining in Leavenworth.

[gyselinck]

I called the ranger station, but they didn't know shit. She said she would find out then call me back. The lady then called me back and left a message saying it was closed. I'm taking there word on it, but consider the source. She didn't even know what mountaineers creek was. Weather looks perfect all week.

[John Frieh]

Inversion Inversion Inversion

 

Any pics of n side of stuie?

 

Any word on Teanaway TH access?

[gyselinck]

Point Forcast - Stuart Range

 

Weather don't get no better then this.

[John Frieh]

Nov 24th/25th Update:

 

Access: Mtneers Creek TH road was not gated: very little packed snow/ice encountered on Thursday on the way in... Gate was still not closed as of Friday though snow was accumulating at a health rate.

 

Approach: Snowshoe pack from the TH all the way to ½ way around Stuart Lake. Snowshoe pack made for easy travel with minimal post holing. As packed trail stopped at Stuart Lake we post holed from Stuart Lake up to Stuart Glacier and down the Ice Cliff. Post holed out Mtneers Creek. No boot/snowshoe pack currently exists up Mtneers Creek… just the post holes we left Friday on the way out which are likely covered by now. And as we did it in the dark they likely zig zag and double back all over the place so it would be a waste of time to follow them . Snow shoes highly recommended until gyselinck gets off his lazy butt and reinstalls the boot pack like he did so well last year

 

Routes:

 

Stuart:

 

- Ice Cliff Glacier is very much still in late fall conditions and releasing at inopportune moments. East side was still experiencing temp inversion on Friday morning which didn’t help things either.

 

- NW Face: sweet ice lines on upper face! Never seen this much continuous ice on the NW face… usually it is the opposite in spring... the upper face is almost all snow/snice and the lower face gets all the ice. Lower face was bare so one would have to drytool/rock climb to reach ice lines.

 

- SGC: looks thin and spicy! Thin snow/ice line the whole way! Looks sweet but likely gone with the amount of snow that has recently fallen.

 

- North face in general: snow covering much of the rock.

 

Argonaut:

 

- Jason’s esophagus: snow just starting to fill couloir.

 

Sorry... no pics! My camera didn't make the trip to San Diego

[layton]

Thanks for the update John!

[John Frieh]

No prob dude! I hope other people start similar threads for winter areas of interest... WA pass, Leavenworth, Ross Lake, Index, I Rock/Hood, etc etc...

 

Perhaps this conditions concept could be improved and implemented as a new feature on the new site!

[kurthicks]

Ice update:

saw ice on Hubba Hubba, Drury, and the Pencil yesterday. Hubba could be *climbable* within the week if it stays cold.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Any pics?

[kurthicks]

Yep. one of hubba hubba, but it's at home. maybe tomorrow. oh, and by climbable, I mean thin, runout, and scary...

[Chad_A]

I'd been watching conditions, but fell off the wagon with staying on top of things this past week. Anyone know if they got any of the brunt of these storms that just went through? I'd like to make a trip up there this winter (sooner, or later). Thanks for any info

[Justin_RR]

I was up at Hubba Hubba on Saturday...

 

Wazzu's right, the flow there is indeed "thin, runout, and scary..."

 

We didn't feel comfortable leading it, so we spent most of the day looking for a toprope anchor. To no avail...I'd say it's climable- the first 15 ft had ok, solid water ice (screws were causing some unreassuring fracturing, though). Higher up, it's a crap shoot whether the ice is very thick.

 

vw4ever- The area certainly hasn't been dumped on (then again, we were just under 3k'). Down by the trailhead we're talking a foot of snow at most, and around 3,000' maybe two feet, with the base of the climbs, being under a cliff, receiving more wind loading and getting to thigh-level. Definitely bring snowshoes if venturing higher. Things were pretty warm and clear, actually. Probably upper 20's.

 

I'm looking at heading back up there when we get another weather break, so anybody go ahead and give me a holler if you're headed out.

 

-Ciao, Justin

[gyselinck]

Someone should go bust a snowshoe track into stuart and report back on conditions. I did it last year, now its someone else's turn...