[TR] Ptarmigan Traverse - 9/2/2009

[Fairweather]

Trip: Ptarmigan Traverse -

 

Date: 9/1 thru 9/05 2009

 

Trip Report:

With my climbing partner of 25 years, Greg, and Mtnguy01 (who also happens to be my little brother) we left the Cascade Pass trail head this past Tuesday in unsettled weather to give the Ptarmigan Traverse a try. Despite rumors to the contrary, the road is/was still open through the holiday weekend. Two great things about this trip in September are the total lack of bugs, and an unlimited supply of blue huckleberries. Two bad things about this trip in September are the wind, and the rain. Despite getting pelted at Cache Col with wet slushy hail, we moved on to Koolaid Lake and made camp. That night it dumped hard while lightning bolts hit the surrounding ridge lines. My Beta Lite tent leaked a little but held strong. Steve's Litehouse kept out the elements completely. Thinking our trip had come to a quick end, we were surprised when Wednesday morning broke clear. The Red Ledges were easy and we were soon heading up the Middle Cascade Glacier. The snow bridge shown on an earlier TR here is now completely gone and the 30 foot wide crevasse requires an end run and a steep climb above the gaping hole. We descended all the way to Yang Yang Lakes, and on up to LeConte Col where we made camp in a beautiful little glade--again, in rapidly changing weather. Wenesday night it rained hard again. This time--in addition to the lightning--we were treated to 40 mph winds and 38 degree temps. Conditions didn't improve during the day on Thursday and visibility remained about 200 feet, so we hunkered down and made plans to reverse our route back to Cascade Pass when and if the weather broke. Sure enough, Friday broke clear. But instead of heading out, little brother decided we were to keep going south and race the next weather system by making it to Cub Lake by the end of the day. Good call! The LeConte Glacier was beautiful, albeit heavily crevassed, and the traverse around Sentinel beyond the saddle was bare ice. Across the South Cascade Glacier and down to White Rock Lakes we went. Absolutely stunning--and so ashamed we had to keep moving. The slabs beneath the Dana Glacier look intimidating from across the valley, but are actually fairly easy with only occasional 2nd class. We followed the rock right up to the base of the hog's back, and climbed the glacier with only minor crevasse detours. At Spire Col we watched the next weather system envelop Glacier Peak and by the time we reached Cub Lake it was pouring rain again. Up at 7am on Saturday morning in a driving rainstorm, we headed over the col and down the dreaded Bachelor Creek. I suppose the only thing worse than this bushwhack--is this bushwhack in a hard-driving rain and soaked cold to the bone. Good times. Not. The Downey Creek trail is now getting some maintenance and was easy to follow to the road. 8.5 miles of abandoned gravel is not the greatest way to end an adventure like this, but it passed quickly. The road will be repaired next year according to the Darrington office.

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

MSR's new Hyper Flow filter is worthless. Clogs after every liter and back-flowing it gets you another half liter at best. It's going back to REI today.

 

30 meter glacier rope.

 

Approach Notes:

Be sure you take the east col (climber's left) at the head of the MC Glacier. It's the only one that works.

[ivan]

makes me almost feel guilty for all the blue-bird weather we had on our epic traverse

 

good to see you found a way to make bastard creek even more bastardly!

[pope]

Just yesterday I was drinking beer, watching the Huskies and thinking that if I didn't hear a report pretty soon I was going to have to come looking for your soggy ass. Nice work and excellent report.

[goatboy]

Thanks for the TR and conditions report. The ledge is completely melted out, so different from last time I saw it (July conditions 2008)

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Nice TR, FW. I've got to do this route within the next couple of years...

[Whatcomboy]

Excellent pics and story. Way to hang in there.

[Fairweather]

Nice TR, FW. I've got to do this route within the next couple of years...

 

Greg and I are solid, but Steve is a freaking machine and was the real push to get it done despite the weather. I discovered that I am not of the mindset for hunkering down any more, and the fact that I barely withstood 36 hours in a tent in one place means it is unlikely I could stay put for days on McKinley in this lifetime. Maybe if I brought a book next time...

[jon]

Great picture!

[RedFir]

Just wondering what the road status was for both trailheads when you did this? How much extra mileage is added on the road due to the closures of the Cascade Ruver road and the Suiattle River road?