[TR] Mount Hinman- Hinman Glacier 8/12/2006

[suge]

Climb: Mount Hinman-Hinman Glacier

 

Date of Climb: 8/12/2006

 

Trip Report:

Along with five others, I went up Mount Hinman this weekend. It seems Hinman doesn't see a lot of traffic, as I wasn't able to get much information on it before the climb. Located next to Mount Daniel, Hinman can be done as a basic alpine climb, following a (sometimes) cairned route, or combined with the Hinman Glacier for those who favor more snow. We did both routes, taking the glacier on the way up and the rock scramble route on the way down.

 

There is a large gully above Opal Lake that is the first obstacle. Unless you elect to go through a narrow, loose sub-gully, you'll be on steep (35-40 degree) snow at some point. In the early morning and in the afternoon, the snow is hard and you'll want crampons. Above the gully the La Bohn lakes are found, and you can pick up the climbers track near the largest (and most southern) lake.

 

Work your way up the wall above the largest lake via ledges and easy gullies. We didn't follow Beckey's route from La Bohn gap. Get onto the southern lobe of the Hinman glacier and descend to a small snow finger that pierces through the ridge separating the lobes. Ascend the glacier on the other side to reach a small gap to the left of a choss pyramid. Traverse on talus and other rubble on the left side of a minor ridge line heading for the main Hinman ridge. The right side will work, but the left is much easier. Aim for the low point to the left of the peak. From the low point, you can scramble up unpleasant rock to get to the top of a false summit. Or, traverse around the backside of the mai ridge on snow, ascending steely at times, heading for a peaklet far down the ridge (actually in the middle, but it seems far). Scramble 30 easy vertical feet to the top, where you'll find a summit register.

 

It took us about 7.5 hours to reach the summit from our camp below the gully leading to La Bohn lakes, but our pace was leisurely and we climbed 2 false summits before finding the correct one. We did this trip over 3 days and that is what I'd do again.

 

A long winded trip report, with many more pictures, can be found at

 

http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett/local/hinman/index.html

 

But, here are some photos.

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The view from the top of the gully leading to La Bohn lakes was impressive early in the morning, with lower valleys filled with fog, but blue skies overhead.

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I'd only seen Bears Breast from the Waptus Lake side and didn't realize how large the massif really was until I saw it from above La Bohn Lakes.

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From the top of Hinman, it seems that almost all of Washington is in sight.

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This gorgeous lake by Mount Daniel doesn't seem to be named, and no trail seems to lead to it. Another trip, however.

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Below Hinman sits another great lake without a trail to it.

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I just couldn't stop smiling.

 

Gear Notes:

Standard glacier gear. Helmet, ice axe, and crampons necessary for a few parts of the scramble route.

 

Approach Notes:

Flat four miles, then steep 3 miles. Gully up to La Bohn lakes still holding snow. Cairned climbers track after the largest of the La Bohn lakes.

Edited August 14, 2006 by suge

[To_The_Top]

Nice get out, good TR on a rarely written up peak.

TTT

[MisterMo]

Great fotos, beautiful area....maybe funner earlier in the summer with more snow and less talus.

 

FYI there is a trail from the willow thicketed flat at the head of Necklace Valley to lowest La Bohn Lake. Ascend talus just right of the waterfall to its high point, thence up and left on trails past the upper cascades...comes out right at the outlet. Pretty much hands-in-pockets except for maybe grabbing a tree now and then. In this fashion you don't have to haul your axe and crampons 9 miles for that one steep snow bit.

 

I'm curious; I've never heard of an ore tram to La Bohn Gap but a mine tram grip at the 5 mile ford, and various wire rope and mechanical detritus at the base of the final slope suggest that someone tried rather seriously to build one.

[olyclimber]

sweet

[suge]

 

FYI there is a trail from the willow thicketed flat at the head of Necklace Valley to lowest La Bohn Lake. Ascend talus just right of the waterfall to its high point, thence up and left on trails past the upper cascades...comes out right at the outlet. Pretty much hands-in-pockets except for maybe grabbing a tree now and then. In this fashion you don't have to haul your axe and crampons 9 miles for that one steep snow bit.

 

Hmm, missed this one. A trail on the descent would have been very helpful indeed! There were a few cairns in a sub gully that we descended on our return, but the gully was very loose and rock fall from people above was a serious concern of ours.

 

I'm curious; I've never heard of an ore tram to La Bohn Gap but a mine tram grip at the 5 mile ford, and various wire rope and mechanical detritus at the base of the final slope suggest that someone tried rather seriously to build one.

 

We found evidence of an old tram at the top of the gully leading to La Bohn lakes, but didn't go all the way to La Bohn Gap. There was plenty of old mining equipment in the basin down near Opal-Emerald-Jade lakes as well.

[MisterMo]

 

We found evidence of an old tram at the top of the gully leading to La Bohn lakes, but didn't go all the way to La Bohn Gap.

 

Cool. I've never seen the higher stuff; I guess it was built & avalanches tore it out. The stuff at the base of the slope doesn't melt out every year. There was a quite serious proposal to mine just south of LB Gap in the 60's but that ore was to go out to the middle fork via a contraption called a "Gyro Cart".

 

In your original post your unnamed lake is, I'm pretty sure, "Pea Soup Lake" in Lynch Draw. Your other lake foto is either Rebecca or Rowena.

 

 

Edited August 17, 2006 by MisterMo

[TeleRoss]

Isn't that Summit Chief, seen from above La Bohn Lakes? Maybe not...hahahha

I usually don't know what I'm talking about.

[chucK]

Yep

Little Big Chief/Summit Chief/Chimney Rock/Overcoat

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Bear's Breast

[suge]

Sorry, got my mountains mixed up. I had thought the big spire like thing was Bears Breast, but apparently my map reading skills were not quite there in the morning.