[TR] Alaska - Explorer Peak 3440'; North Glacier to West Ridge 4/21/2007

[wfinley]

Trip: Alaska - Explorer Peak 3440'; North Glacier to West Ridge

 

Date: 4/21/2007

 

Trip Report:

In an effort to balance my spray I thought I'd contribute a TR. It is spring here but some of us don't want to put up the skis yet so we opted for a ski ascent of a peak an hour south of town. Explorer Peak is on 3440' but you start at sea level and it offers glacier travel, a fun ridge, some cornice action and a 3000' ski decent.

 

The route begins with moderate glacier travel up to a bench just west of the summit. From the bench you boot up the ridge staying threading the line between the massive cornices that hang over the south face and the deep snow overtop of rock on the north face. From the summit you retrace your ascent path back to the bench and then ski down.

 

The route is a classic early season shake down trip that forces you to do things like dig out the glacier gear that's been buried since July. In good conditions you could do the trip in around 5 hours; we encountered really deep snow on the ridge so it took us 8 hours. It's a good afternoon for anyone headed to Alaska for the big mountains!

 

More pix and a map here.

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Skis, pickets, ice axe and goggles (the weather always sucks there)

 

Approach Notes:

The glacier is less than a mile from the car so there's really no approach.

[Kraken]

Heading there tomorrow if the weather's good! Sweet man!

[pete_a]

just curious...have you done any climbing/skiing on Baird Peak or Shakespeare Shoulder nearby?

 

my girlfriend and I will be up in AK on Saturday for a couple weeks of roadtripping and monkeying around on some of the more accessible ski terrain, and I was thinking it would be fun to try something in the vicinity of Whittier/Portage.

[wfinley]

just curious...have you done any climbing/skiing on Baird Peak or Shakespeare Shoulder nearby?

 

my girlfriend and I will be up in AK on Saturday for a couple weeks of roadtripping and monkeying around on some of the more accessible ski terrain, and I was thinking it would be fun to try something in the vicinity of Whittier/Portage.

 

Pete -- check out these links. Skiing around Baird is a good time but the weather usually sucks there so don't bank on going there. Byron is also an excellent climb and this time of year would be a fun glacier ski up the NW glacier.

 

Ishtmus Icefield Attempt and Bard Peak Circumnavigation

[pete_a]

thanks for the info!