[TR] The Forbidden Tour plus Primus peak - 5/22/2009

[waterboy]

Trip: The Forbidden Tour plus Primus peak -

 

Date: 5/22/2009

 

Trip Report:

On Friday, May 22 Oyvind, Joe, Tobae and I (Richard) did the Forbidden Tour. We arrived Thursday night at the gate on the Cascade River Road at the Eldorado TH. We woke up the next morning, departing at 4:30 am to hike the 2.7 miles up to the Midas Creek Trailhead. Here is why the road was gated:

 

After Joe and Oyvind kicking great steps, we soon found ourselves on the Quien Sabe Glacier:

 

Views of Johanneserg with Tobae skinning:

 

We soon arrived at the Sharkin col, which Oyvind led (AI2):

 

Then we rapped down to the Boston Glacier. Joe rapping:

 

Skiing down the Boston Glacier was fun:

 

Oyvind working on the canvas of the great Boston Glacier:

 

We traversed the Boston up to the Col on the North Ridge of Forbidden. At the top of the col, Joe and Oyvind put in the route again:

 

Once on the Forbidden Glacier, the corn was outstanding:

 

We skiied 3300' down to Moraine Lake:

 

Once at Moraine Lake, we took a little break, then crossed the lake, and worked our way up past the inspiration icefall and onto the Inspiration Glacier. This made for a first day of almost 16hrs and almost 9,000' vertical gain:

 

Camp was great:

 

The next morning we slept in. When we awoke, Joe and Oyvind decided to go tag Primus peak, while Tobae and I went for Eldorado Peak. Richard at camp with Eldorado peak in the background:

 

Skinning up to Eldorado peak was quick. We stashed our camping gear at the base of the east ridge, where we were to meet Oyvind and Joe on their return from Primus. We stashed our skis at the knife ridge, and tagged the summit. Richard on the Summit:

 

Richard descending:

 

Joe and Oyvind are animals. They not only tagged Primus, but Tepeh towers as well. We monitored their progress from the summit of Eldorado. They arrived back at the base of the West Ridge of Eldorado about 2pm:

 

We skiied down the Eldorado Glacier, the snow was getting softer, with many wet slides. (We cut the slides on the ridge above Roush basin that Hayley shows in her TR). There were countless people coming up Roush basin on Saturday.

 

We were able to ski down to about 4,500', then not-so-fun ambling down the Boulder field with ski boots, and then 2,000' of thigh-burning goodness down to the Eldorado TH. We were back at the cars at 5pm.

 

It was a great tour with great snow on a perfect weekend with perfect partners. Joe and Oyvind are animals - they hit 8 glaciers in 2 days.

 

Gear Notes:

Skis, Rope for rappell, Crampons for climb up Sharkfin Col, Axe.

 

Approach Notes:

Road is gated at Eldorado TH.

[davidk]

Sweet! That's a huge effort on your first day - quite impressive.

 

Your last photo sums up the weekend up there: beautiful conditions and shit-eating grins everywhere. Glad to see everyone had good trips.

[goatboy]

Any more pix showing conditions at sharkfin col (like an overview for example)?

[waterboy]

Sorry Goatboy,

 

this is the only other photo of Sharkfin Col that I have, it is looking down the south side from the top.

 

 

I can tell you that it is super cruiser. We all soloed it. There was a little but of rockfall, but we just moved through it pretty quick.

 

Sincerely,

 

Waterboy