Hiking from Snow Creek wall to Prusik (how long?)

[eldiente]

Can anyone give me a sense of how long it takes to hike from Snow Creek Wall to Prusik? We'll be carrying climbing kit and bivy gear. Trying to decide if it possible to climb Snow Creek Wall on the hike-in and make it up to base of Prusik before dark. I haven't been up to Prusik so I don't have a good feeling for a long the hike is.

 

Thanks!

-Nate

 

[counterfeitfake]

I climbed the south face of Prusik the weekend before last. The hike in is about 10 miles (aaaand 5300 feet vertical gain...). We were loaded similarly to how you will be. The entire hike in took us under 8 hours. You could certainly do it faster than us.

 

We hit consistent snow at Snow Lake, though it was melting quick. The lake is low, hike on the sand around the lake instead of trying to follow the meandering bootpack through the trees. There should be a solid bootpack from the lake inlet up Trauma Ridge, but when in doubt stay near the creek instead of heading uphill.

 

How long do you think it'll take you to climb and descend SCW? I think your plan is totally reasonable, and a cool idea.

 

 

Does anyone know if the bivy site at the base of SCW is legit?

[Sol]

a few years back my wife climbed hyperspace with a friend and then headed up the trail making it to upper snow lake before collapsing, they climbed the south face the next day and then headed down. pretty rad way to spend 36 hours!

[counterfeitfake]

Damn Sol, I think your wife is tough.

 

Nate, I thought I'd mention it is now permit season. You probably are already aware.

 

Also, if you get back to the car late on Sunday, there is nothing open in town, we drove to Gold Bar before finding a gas station. I really wished I'd stashed a red bull in the car for the drive home.