Snowfield Pk and Pyramid Pk

[marek]

Oct 27-28

Kuba and myself, climbed Pyramid Peak and Snowfield Peak this past weekend.

We left Seattle at 5 am and hit the trail at 8am or so.

While we were yakking the trail to Pyramid Lake went fast and uneventful; so much so,

we lost a “clue” No, it wasn’t Blues Clues! (But that’s later)

The real “trail” hit us past the lake, and after each bulge we were comparing it with other

Nasty tails! Kuba’s first choice was Eldorado, mine Mt Constance, and then on we went to Mailbox Peak, Mt Challenger and trail right next to waterfall on approach to Redoubt.

Simply put it; we hated it.

The first snow was at 4K feet, and permafrost at 5K feet; all major obstacles were passed on the right side (west side), it was easy to loose the trail, but since my friend Jake and me got rained on SF about a year ago, I still remembered most of the way.

To get to the Colonial glacier, one has to do almost horizontal traverse from the top of Pyramid Ridge; it was a steep slope with unconsolidated snow (not enough to avalanche)

I remember doing it in zero visibility about a year ago, and it felt as spooky this time.

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288797292067282[/img]

A word of caution for everyone here; the ENTIRE NE Face of Pyramid goes this way, and as we discovered crossing final snow slopes near the summit of Pyramid, the slopes are at perfect angle to load with snow and avalanche. (3K feet down!)

We reached our high camp at 3pm (7hrs), set up camp, ate some brew and up again; this time with one light pack. At the last moment we decided not to gear up or bring rope, which proved to be right decision. The going was easier than anticipated, and we summited Pyramid Peak at sunset. (1 1/2hrs)

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288801587034594[/img]

Our original intention on that first day, was to go for Colonial, but we were missing an hour of daylite and thus decided to go for Pyramid.

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288805882001906'>http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288805882001906[/img]

 

During the night, the weather stayed ok, with occasional gusts, full moon and on and off rolling clouds. Luckily for us the weather held and we got up at 5am and started plowing Colonial Glacier towards high pass (6,900ft) at 6:30am and 45min later we started descending 260ft to Neve Glacier.

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288814471936514[/img]

This thing was big, bigger than one could imagine; a perfect ski run! And to our surprise, there was no one around! The going on Neve Gl was easy with minimal crevasses somewhere midpoint or so. We got to 7,700feet ridge line just past 9am and started hiking easy slopes to 8,200 feet level.

From then on our “several” descriptions led us to the South West side, to direct W Ridge or in to a gully and the North side. After few minutes of scouting, we opted to the last option.

Into a gully, going, straight up to a first Col, and exiting mid point left (3rd class step) to a rib, then we went up the rib for 50ft (still 3rd class)

To an obvious point where one can get left and down and off the rib, onto a snowy ramp (4 class step) next I followed this ramp (narrow and exposed) to the second Col (end of pitch one)

From the second Col, we traversed more snow and ice fields/steps to a final snow gulley to the top.(end of pith two) One can also go straight up the rocky ridge from the end of pith one (class 3-4)

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288784407165378[/img]

[img http://picasaweb.google.com/frozenimage/UntitledAlbum02/photo#5128288969090759186[/img]

It was very windy on top and we did not linger too long, the wind was so strong, that it took me 3 times to toss the rope, before it wasn’t blown towards north face. We then rappelled the above ridge and belayed the lower section, getting to 7,700 level at 2pm

Then on it took us only 1hr and 15min to get back to our camp. At this point, if we were able to pack up and eat in 45min, then we were back on track and on our pre-set schedule-reed, DO NOT GET SCREWED IN THE FORREST!

This time, it took us only 30min for terrible traverse and off we were, following our tracks and pushing tempo. Our goal was, to get a hell out of there and down to the lake before dark. FULES! As the snow disappeared, so did our tracks and we have more difficulties of following our trail? At one point we ended up 50 feet above the trail and decided (well? I decided, and Kuba foolishly followed) to go over a brushy cliff with mossy slab. 25 seconds later and with bunch of moss on my ass I was on the “right” trail.

Kuba decided to ditch his pack first, so he tossed it so skillfully that it bounced of the slab, over the trail, right through the bushes and making funny noises, there it stopped 100feet below. He watched in disbelieve, as I stood there, and did nothing! We then continued into the deep forest, loosing the trail more and more frequently, with all of the detours and searches for trail costing us more time.

So, there we were, about an hour above the lake, pitch black and headlamps on. Somehow again, we got off of “our” trail onto the one with boulder field, but at this point we knew we were SAFE above the lake; so we thought!!!

Anyway, few minutes later we were working our way around the lake, more less cross country, until we found the trail again. And this is where OUR trouble started.

In one hour of searching for pyramid lake trail, we crossed the stream outlet 6 times, climbed few hundred feet up some peak, reversed tracks 3 times, and searched all side trails. Looked at our maps 4-5 times, arguing with each other if we ever crossed the stream. After all I was wrong saying, we didn’t, because we did!

So, everyone! The trail from the lake down, starts about 40-50 feet from the stream crossing (lake outlet) on the Eastern side of the lake!!

After we found our way out, it was only an hour or so to the car.

Marek

www.frozenimage.net

Did I mantion, I still have some Mountaineering Calendars left!

http://www.frozenimage.net/calendar.html

 

 

Edited November 2, 2007 by marek