Manatee Range access

[Eli3]

I was wondering if anyone had walked in this year and if they have any beta on the devastator creek crossing?

[jmace]

Before I forget, here is how I got out of there when the Meager bridge was out.

 

From camp below Wahoo's North face we contoured around Oluk and Dolphin. We, like the articling blues buttress FA team elected to drop off the glacier and cross the many "creeks" feeding into Manatee creek. We had poor weather and were earlier in the year,the streams were flowing fairly high in the afternoon. We camped at the first creek with hopes of lower volumes in the morning. The 85 FA team just walked across with no problems and out to Meager in one day, we weren't as lucky.

 

Rain continued through the night and in the morning the creeks were still problematic forcing us to search for suitable crossings, one was waist deep. Finally at the end of day two in very bad weather we made polychrome ridge. I would suggest staying on the glacier around Dolphin and aim for the ridge between Job creek and Mosaic creek.

 

We followed Polychrome ridge until forced to cross over to the aformentioned ridge, followed this down always heading right to meet Job creek in the flats and cross it easily. I managed to twist my knee and we had to camp in Valley bottom on day 3. Finally Day 4 the sun came out and of course it went the opposite and was very hot, we moved along valley bottom easily enough but very aware of being in bear territory. Lots of bears and bugs and we made it to an old road below pumice mine, then it was one punishing veritcal sand slope to the truck at the pumice mine road end 3.5 days later. More like two days with good weather and good health. Fine and remote travel with many amazing meadows and mountains.

 

Wahoo

 

Mantatee creek head waters, we crossed the three creeks, travelling above would be better.

 

Looking back from Polychrome ridge at the high route we should have taken

 

 

Descending the Job creek ridge towards the Lillooet River

 

 

Have Fun

Jesse

 

Valley bottom creeks are very silty making drinking water challenging and required careful sipping from water bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stinkyclimber]

I just saw an update on Bivouac on the Meager area logging roads to access the Manatee. You'll have to check over there - I can't remember the details (and there were quite a few in the update!).