billbob Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Was walking up Hood SS on Sat morning, met up w/ two guys still dealing with massive adrenaline levels; their Easterly detour at the top of the Palmer glacier for a look down into the White River canyon was abruptly terminated when they fell 20 feet into a crevasse. They were fortunate to have gotten themselves out given that the crevasse was not visible from anywhere near the climber trail. Also pls note there are significant cornices over the WRC and there are significant crevasses opening to the E of the SS climber path up to ca. 10,000'. Early season with fat snow and high temps brings increased avi and crevasse danger. If you don't have current knowledge of a route or portions thereof, if there has been recent snowfall, if the sun is well up in the morning sky - you might want to be a bit extra careful out there and remember well that the dangers less obvious have killed better climbers than you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maine-iac Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I saw your climbing sheet at the climbers hut. I laughed a little to myself. Glad nobody was hurt though. They are hard to see, but i have also heard many reports of them being big. I think the recent snowfall just gave them all a nice covering. I didn't even see the berg on the hogsback today when I came down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I always thought it a good idea to scout out the white river canyon crossing in the fall so that early spring WyEast solo trips would be safer......I don't know as if it ever really helped. Spring looks radically different than fall as it turns out:-) Like....every year. I do think you can get an idea of where a good elevation to cross is, but you cannot always reliably nail a specific line based on faulty memory. GPS should actually have this one totally figured out though. I guess it never hurts to cross your fingers and hold your breath in case you don't have a GPS unit though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frikadeller Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 That's interesting that you brought that up. I was telling my partner on Saturday, how the crevasses on the upper part of the WR where looking like they where opening up. I half joked that some gumby would come along and fall in. I have to stop thinking out loud like that. Billcoe brings up a good point about how a quick jaunt up the south side (to perhaps triangle morraine) in the fall can tell you alot about where the actual crevasse hazards exist. Billbob: where did these guys punch through? was is above the ridge where the rock wall camp is around 8300'? There are quite a few crevasses right in that area as the glacier goes down the ridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbob Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Walk up the snowcat track climber trail on the E side of the Palmer to the end, where it hits the East-West snowcat track at the top of the Palmer. Normally one would then turn left (W) and follow the cat track over toward the Palmer lift. Instead they turned right (E) towards the WRC. I followed their boot track only about 20 yards as it begins to slope downwards to the canyon but then thought it stupid to proceed alone and unroped into a known crevasse area. Couldn't see where their boot track ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I followed their boot track only about 20 yards as it begins to slope downwards to the canyon but then thought it stupid to proceed alone and unroped into a known crevasse area. Couldn't see where their boot track ended. Nice call! I've thought that every time I've gone through there as well. (usually earlier in the season) You probe your memory of last fall and look for slight gentle depressions in the area (in the dark or at daybreak usually so you don't see a lot) and hold your breath and think, damn this is stupid. One time, @ June, I'd hiked up to Barrett spur on the North side and was sitting there for the solitude. I'm thinking, what an awesome day. Shit I could be up on the Elliot or Sunshine right now there's so much snow. Bit warm though. Late too. But I'm fast. ...I have an ice axe with me... ..as I'm musing and lazily reflecting on life, somewhere in that time period about a 200' high (my estimation) ice cliff toppled and swept the lower slope of the Coe glacier there all the way. Blocks the size of houses. I saw the action and later the sound hit. I stood up and swept the slope with my sight to see if any poor souls happen to be there and their and locations. The slope was bare. It would have killed everything in it's path...... I had time to think of all the times I climbed on stuff like that, or walked below it.....so beautiful and so dangerous. So stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frikadeller Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Walk up the snowcat track climber trail on the E side of the Palmer to the end, where it hits the East-West snowcat track at the top of the Palmer. Normally one would then turn left (W) and follow the cat track over toward the Palmer lift. Instead they turned right (E) towards the WRC. That's the area i was thinking they must have gone. Yep, that area is filled with crevasses, some of them are pretty deep too when you go and look down them in the late summer / early fall. Those guys are lucky, it could have been worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanchez Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I have seen crevases very close to the top of the palmer groomed area, I had to abort a WyEast attempt last year because we couldn't see a way through WRC and were too lazy to descend and cross. I had no idea! My partner punched through to his knees, just enough to freak us out... "south side then? Yeah cool...." I'm going to just hit it from Meadows from now on, ski patrollers be damned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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