[TR] Eldorado Peak - Cascade River Road and Eldorado Creek 2/20/2010

[DaveLeo]

Trip: Eldorado Peak - Cascade River Road and Eldorado Creek

 

Date: 2/20/2010

 

Trip Report:

Driving the car without coffee before 4 AM always seems like a bad idea; however, leaving Seattle around 4 and heading north put us in the parking lot at milepost 20 on Cascade River Road around 7:30. With a coffee in our system and packs on our backs me and Steph Abegg began the approach hike up the west side of Eldorado Creek.

 

And though it was early, and though it was February, we tromped up the trail like it was the spring, little to no snow was to be seen until hitting the talus field. This is where a 4 AM start paid off, as the talus field was still pretty frozen allowing the use of crampons through most of the talus. It didn't take long for the sun to peak out and begin melting the snow and ice, causing us to shift to snow shoes. This is where the first day's fun really began. We gained around 5000 feet that first day, much of it in snow shoes. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/IMG_0973.JPG

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/IMG_09751.jpg

After getting up to our Camp at 7500 feet and establishing camp we were treated to one of the best panoramas a camp can offer. The sunset was perfect and allowed for some pretty fantastic images (for these I recommend Steph's website!). The night was frigid and with all clothes on I slept warm enough. The following morning provided an equally awesome sunrise and the opportunity to vent any work week frustration on a frozen pair of boots. I took this opportunity and went about beating my frozen boots like they personally did me wrong.

 

After sunrise; a hot chocolate and some oatmeal put the bounce back in my step and me and Steph headed up Eldorado Peak. The typical knife edge summit was replaced with a big flat summit comfortable enough for people to pass on. No cornices were seen and camp to summit was traveled in crampons.

 

At this point we backed up camp, donned snow shoes, and started slogging back to the car. The only impediment along the way was the talus field. Getting to it around noon allowed it to melt enough that neither snow shoes nor boots did much good. Thin, soft snow on boulders was not fun, but no bones were broken so it was all good.

 

Hopefully these photos post alright (albeit all together and in no specific order). For more photos and a well written report please check out Steph Abegg's website.

 

This is the first TR I have written up. If it's ugly then you know I wrote it!

 

Gear Notes:

Snowshoes, crampons, warm clothes, a warm sleeping bag, and more dry socks!

 

Approach Notes:

Start early, beat the sun to the Talus field. The Eldorado Peak summit did not require roping up, how long this will last is anybody's guess. Whether or not this was a product of the weird winter is also anybody's guess. Bring snowshoes!

[LostCamKenny]

nice dave! gettin out, i see! sweeeeet movin up in the world!

 

here's a blast from the past for ya!

[DaveLeo]

Thanks Kenny!

 

It was fun up there. Conditions this winter have been pretty nice. After Eldorado I spent a weekend in the Alpine Lakes and another in the North Cascades. Fun stuff!