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[TR] Mauled on Dorado Needle - 8/24/2008


tvashtarkatena

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Trip: Mauled on Dorado Needle -

 

Date: 8/24/2008

 

Trip Report:

TR: Dorado Needle and Eldorado

 

Aug 23-24 2008

 

 

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A Rock Star on Dorado Needle’s summit

 

 

Some partners are more photogenic than others, but few achieve true Super Stardome in front of the lens. Glacier glasses and a continually averted gaze prevented my being blinded by the brilliance of Kevin’s apotheosis during our ascents of Eldorado and Dorado Needle.

 

This trip seemed to coincide with some kind of wildlife harmonic convergence. First, we spotted a spotted owl alongside the Cascade River Road. Once on the approach, we then witnessed this shameless display:

 

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Whorey Marmots (Marmota caligata)

 

 

On the way up the Eldo Creek talus field, we picked, or pika’ed, up a third:

 

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A pika (Ochotona princeps) peekin’ out

 

 

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Steppin’ out

 

 

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Stakin’ a claim

 

 

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The final attack

 

 

 

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Forbidden Peak

 

 

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Approaching Eldorado

 

 

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“Do these gaitors make me look fat?” Eldorado summit

 

 

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Eldorado summit

 

 

After scampering up Eldorado, we continued on to Inspiration Col.

 

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Inspiration Glacier

 

 

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Tepeh Towers

 

 

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Inspiration Col

 

 

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Sundog from Inspiration Col

 

 

A visitor came in the night:

 

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The taste: a bushy tailed wood rat (Neotoma cinerea) samples one of my brand new Fred Meyer poles

 

 

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The grab

 

 

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Praying to it

 

 

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Night Visit

 

 

An impressive dump of new snow and a sky full of lenticulars convinced us to shorten the Dorado Needle ascent to the dog route.

 

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Dorado Needle summit

 

 

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Dorado Needle summit

 

 

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Coming off of Dorado Needle

 

 

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Climbers on Eldorado

 

 

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Horntail Wood Wasp (uroceros spp.) Inspiration Glacier

 

 

Gear Notes:

Hanta virus vaccine, someone else's ski poles

 

Approach Notes:

quietly; romance in progress

Edited by tvashtarkatena
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