[TR] Glacier Peak - Gerdine Ridge/Cool Glacier 7/11/2010

[dinomyte]

Trip: Glacier Peak - Gerdine Ridge/Cool Glacier

 

Date: 7/11/2010

 

Trip Report:

So, Glacier Peak has been getting quite a bit of attention lately, so I'll keep this brief, and focus on route info. If you want the verbose version with more photos, see http://lebre.net/glacierpeaklog.html.

 

Hiked into Glacier Gap on July 10th. Almost snow-free to White Pass, bare spots to camp there. Traversed through constant snow from there and cut over the ridge relatively close to White Mountain.

 

Traversed on the other side of the ridge at 6400 feet for miles. Passed 2 two-man teams, one solo, and a Mountaineers group of six on the way to the Gap.

 

Ran into a couple guys at the Gap - Bryan and Ryan, and had dinner with them. Trevor, a guy I had chatted with on CC showed up at about 7pm. (I had left the NF Sauk TH at 6:30 and arrived at 4pm). Bare ground and running water there.

 

Hit the hay at 9pm, up at 5:15am, on the trail at 5:45am. We went up the hump in front of us, down the other side, up the ridge, traversed and up the glacier to the saddle and on up the last pitch to the summit. Took us 3 hours to the top.

 

Trevor skinned up on his split board, and took a sick route off the summit.

 

We postholed to our waists on the descent (just the last pitch), passed two roped teams of 6 on the glacier and were back at camp at 10:30.

 

I packed up my crap and tromped back to the TH, which was one of the longest hardest slogs I've ever experienced. The cold beer in my cooler may have been the best I've ever tasted!

 

Now some photos. See if you can spot Trevor in the last one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Bryan and Ryan had a rope

We all had crampons

 

We used none of it.

 

Approach Notes:

Long and hot - plenty of water on the traverse to White Pass.

 

Snow was sloppy and melting fast, but you only sunk a couple inches for the most part.