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[TR] Glacier Peak - Cool-Gerdine Glacier 7/8/2010


AlpineK

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Trip: Glacier Peak - Cool-Gerdine Glacier

 

Date: 7/8/2010

 

Trip Report:

Glacier Peak has been on my mind for awhile. It's one thing to be picky about which aspect or route you ski on a mountain, but when you've never skied any route on a mountain that's worse. Glacier was my only unskied volcano.

 

Around Memorial Day friends and I talked about Glacier Peak, but the weather gods didn't want to play along. Since then I've been watching conditions. Eventually I saw a solid forecast of good weather, so I figured now was the time.

 

On the afternoon of July 6th I took off for the North Sauk parking lot. I got to the trailhead with daylight to spare, so I hiked to a camping site up the river. The next morning I got up early and started the long slog up the trail towards White Mountain.

 

It sure was hot on Wednesday. Eventually I made it to a notch on the north ridge of White Mountain. Siestas sure add to your hiking time ;) I'd heard that there were good camp sites further towards White Chuck mountain, but I figured I'd just make a long summit day, so I set up my camp and took another nap.

 

Thursday was another nice day I awoke at first light and started skiing.

 

 

Glacier in the morning

[img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjBeXTKnI/AAAAAAAAAlc/ZcAkGPtQkJ4/20-Glacier-morning-IMG_3000.gif[/img]

 

The White Chuck, "glacier," is a slog, but eventually you get to Glacier Gap

[img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjBTq3xdI/AAAAAAAAAlg/JVo5dSQDeS4/s912/9-Glacier-glacier_gap_Panor.gif[/img]

 

Gerdine Glacier under Disappointment Peak

[img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjBezzvSI/AAAAAAAAAlk/gFzYVBMGSu4/15-Tracks-Under-Disapointme.gif[/img]

 

I ran into a group of four climbers descending from the top. We exchanged greetings and moved on. Eventually I skied on to the Cool Glacier then up the summit tower. Conditions were good and ski crampons were sufficient for the last steep bit.

 

Summit camp

[img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjBpT1rWI/AAAAAAAAAlo/xnFdNspVUqA/12-summit2--IMG_2979.gif[/img]

 

After a brief rest I was downward bound.

[img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjBw53vII/AAAAAAAAAls/Fycn9b9TfEw/13-Top-Down-IMG_2980.gif[/img]

 

Here's a video I took

[video:youtube]

(The video is doubled, so actually 4 minutes)

 

I made it back to camp at 2 PM and hid from the heat. While I was out one of the local marmots decided the salt on one of my pack shoulder and waist strap was yummy. I spent the rest of the day figuring out how to jury rig my pack for my trip out.

 

Nice evening view

[img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjUl1EaRI/AAAAAAAAAl0/tAzzKpMdreU/s912/18-Glacier-Evening_Panorama.gif[/img]

 

The next day the snow was hard enough that the traverse to White pass went smoothly.

[img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjUtLhqEI/AAAAAAAAAl4/_wG1OHncv9Q/21-Traverse-IMG_3002.gif[/img]

(I put a red dot at the camp/ridge crossing)

 

From there it was back to walking

 

View of Sloan Peak

[img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/TDjjU4tI_II/AAAAAAAAAl8/tZy_xC6m6XQ/23-Sloan-IMG_3005.gif[/img]

 

After a long trek with gear I sure was happy to see the parking lot.

 

Fun times!

 

Gear Notes:

Watch out for marmots!

 

Approach Notes:

Right now there is patchy snow up to White pass and solid snow beyond.

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nice one, Kurt. love that trip. lots of skiing for miles around, great place to go with skis in the summer. Steve Barnett & I tooled up Glacier and down that route there a few years ago, still have a roll of slide film from that trip.

 

 

 

Edited by Beck
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Nice job, long tour.

We are headed in to Glacier the 25th and I'm confused about road & TH access. Is the White Chuck River access closed/damaged?

We were thinking of the Boulder Basin-Sitkum Glacier route. How do we get to that? And what aspect of the peak did you ski?

Cheers

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