[TR] Nooksack Shower - Bcky/Sch. 6/19/2009

[tvashtarkatena]

Trip: Nooksack Shower - Bcky/Sch.

 

Date: 6/19/2009

 

Trip Report:

TR Nooksack Shower

 

June 18, 19

 

17:00: “It doesn’t look that bad”

19:00: “If it’s raining when we get up at 3:00, we bail”

02:45: “Shit (sound of scrambling back into the tent and zipping up of bivvy sack”)

06:00: “Maybe we could wander over to the base and check it out”

06:01: “Fuck that noise”

 

The UW climate model foretold of 2 mostly sunny days, but we all know what happened. Still, I had been on the couch far too long to forsake a wet flailing in the Green Gauntlet. One email from Don B One and I was in. Tom S and Don B II, 2 excessive compulsives who’ve tagged more summits than the flying ant population rounded out our happy roster.

 

Animal notes: One fresh bear tracks/scat sighting.

 

 

 

Don rides the cellulose bronc over Ruth Creek

 

 

 

The objective framed in fleeting hope

 

 

 

Reality closes in

 

 

 

Three Hombres, duded up for a fiesta nongrata

 

 

 

Price Lake. The further away you are, the better it looks.

 

 

I just thought I’d throw this one in because that is what I do:

 

 

Steer’s Head Dicentra Uniflora (Chinook Pass)

 

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

Approach Notes:

 

The road (both Hannegan Pass and Ruth Creek) is closed at mile 0.5 until as late as Aug 22 for repairs. That adds 2.2 miles of mountain biking to the TH, + 2.8 miles of trail to the turn off.

 

At 2.8 miles in from the TH, look right for an obvious trail down to Ruth Creek (easily visible). You’ll be in the tall timber at that point. Follow the trail down and trend left to find the crossing logs (2 of them), or ford the creek downstream of the logs.

 

The faint game trail up is less than 50 yards left of Price Creek. It tops out on the crest of the moraine to the left and above Price Lake, then contours the talus. Look for a logical ascent to the ridge crest and saunter on up to a bivvy at around 5800’. From there, it’s an easy scramble down to the glacier, which is in very good shape right now. Snow conditions are excellent for climbing. Be advised: there are snow patches on the rock section, so choose your weather accordingly or wear appropriate body armour.

 

Edited June 20, 2009 by tvashtarkatena

[JoshK]

Yeah, you gotta love the "mostly sunny" forecast. Expecting some clearing Thursday night I camped on an exposed open ridge on the side of White Mountain, around 6600 ft. Around midnight I heard the sound of sleet hitting the side of the tent. It took me until 10am to motivate to trudge my way back to the car in rain all day.

 

Nice to see I wasn't the only one that got to take advantage of the nice forecast.

[ivan]

hey, at least you got the approach part nailed - a badass object fie fo'shizzle - go back and get it! but do yourself a favor and climb the n face bertolius route instead and just descend the beckey

[LostCamKenny]

hey, at least you got the approach part nailed

 

...and got some kickass pics, too!

[shannonpahl]

thanks for the great pix. Do you have any more showing more of Price glacier? (that would be a sweet climb, from one of your pix, the conditions look good)

[Tom_Sjolseth]

As good of a time as can be had on a failed attempt. What an amazing place.

 

Shannon, we were all remarking about what a silly route Price Glacier would be in the current conditions. Stuff was rumbling off the Price all day and night. I'm sure it would be a hoot in freezing conditions.

 

Here's a pic in case you're still interested.

 

 

 

 

 

[tvashtarkatena]

Yeah, we heard/saw about 5 major avalanches blow down the Price...probably not your best option right now (or ever, in my view), unless you're doing it for the life insurance payout.

[Cobra_Commander]

It seems the 50 classic climbs book put Price on the list when it was a more reliable climb. These days it seems less classic after a little global warming.

 

Painful to be so far in and turn around! But what a beautiful cirque. Worth the trip alone, in my opinion.

[shannonpahl]

thanks for the pic and info. looks good but sounds dangerous.

[layton]

I feel your pain. I approached it 6 times until Ivan and I finally did the N.Ridge (which only has one pitch of 5.9 and one pitch of 5.8 the rest is 4th-low 5th)

[layton]

I fixed a tri-cam on the wall next to the glacier for rap'in - look for it to avoid some steeper snow downclimbing

[Cobra_Commander]

I remember the snow/ice downclimbing to be a little intense with aluminum crampons and a dinky axe.

[ivan]

the last day of our nutsack climb yielded one of my vaunted Ten Worst Hangovers Of All Time !

[JoshK]

Ouch, that poor Price Glacier looks worse and worse every year.

[tvashtarkatena]

I'd be more inclined to do the N ridge next attempt. Those gulleys make me gittery...especially when they still have big snow patches in them. Maybe next year with a repaired road and a mountain bike for the first 2 miles of easy trail.