Wa Pass. 12/8 - 12/10

[ketch]

Wa pass is Jammin. I spent a couple Blue Bird days last week. Drove around and was supposed to meet up with partners on Thurs no show but it was a long drive and I have the days off I'm goin anyway. That was all good until my old school twist lock polls failed in a mostly down position. OK it was a gorgeous day and skinning up a sled packed hill with semi matched canes is not that bad.

 

So as to the pass, I set up a camp at the picnic area. I found about 40" of snow on the ground and temps in the single digits to mid 20's. From here I did some looking around. Was up to the notch at Liberty bell and goofed around examineing routes on SEWS and Liberty Bell. I drooled over where I would be if I had a partner on this trip. I'm pretty stoked about a mixed climb on the Becky route right now. Temps are behaving and so the ice is coming real nice.

 

I had to leave saturday mid morning as I had to be back at a job sunday morning. The ski down was good but all the weekend sled heads reminded me that I was approaching civilization. Levanworth reminded me of the value of mellow CD's until starting up the valley. Just outside town I saw a canoe out crossing the water using Ice tools and all was fun in the universe again. I figure that was likley a fellow cc.comer.

 

So I may not try with the same partner again but it was a sweet weekend and I'd be willing to chat with other partners.

[kurthicks]

Just outside town I saw a canoe out crossing the water using Ice tools and all was fun in the universe again. I figure that was likley a fellow cc.comer.

 

That was MCash and his partner. They bailed shortly thereafter.

[John Frieh]

Ketch: did you see any ice? Any of this?

[ketch]

Ice is in or coming quick. On the north side there is a couple routes. On the west side from just above the hairpin following a gulley up to SEWS is a good line. I think that this one is LB2 it's a couple hundred feet of what looks like WI4. I did a little "ice bouldering" but stayed safe as I was out solo. If you hook up with a sled head it is worth the trip. I had a brief talk with a climber who had been headed up Mid week and saw me skinning up. A couple days later he was coming up as I left the pass. He reported a couple lines on the north side just past the pass that he was headed for but I didn't see them.

 

I took a few pics I will try and get them up in a day or so.

[John Frieh]

 

Thanks for the update! Pics would be great!

[olyclimber]

Sounds like a great time Ketch. Wish I could have gone with you, sorry your partner couldn't make it.