[TR] Lane Peak - The Fly 12/22/2010

[JeffreyR]

Trip: Lane Peak - The Fly

 

Date: 12/22/2010

 

Trip Report:

Left the Narada Falls parking lot at around 0900 under light snow/ice but a reasonably high cloud deck which cleared up within two hours. There had been about four inches of new snow overnight, so breaking trail was no problem.

 

 

We reached the base of the climb at around 1000 and switched from slowshoes to crampons.

 

The creek crossing is still open, but there is a log that makes it easier. Once on the avalanche fan the snow conditions were variable. At points there was a strong crust and at others the powder was thigh deep, but seemed pretty stable. There seemed to be a lot of large avalanche debris (ice boulders) under the new snow, probably from the last Pineapple express.

 

 

 

 

All three North face routes appear to be in now. We broke out the ice axes at the coulier entrance. Most of the route was in pretty good shape with around six inches of powder over a well consolidated base. There were several sections that required wallowing up bottomless powder, but it was not too bad.

 

About 3/4 of the way up there was a fairly large boulder blocking half of the coulier which presented the greatest difficulty. We managed to pull over it, but in a couple weeks of more snow it should be a lot nicer. Just above that, there was a small crevasse (bergschrund?)that was interesting to cross. It was only a foot wide and not all that deep but created a short vertical step.

 

 

We reached the top of the coulier at around 1300 wishing we had worked our calf muscles a bit more during the fall. The final climb up the summit block looked too snice covered and unprotectable for my taste, so we opted to traverse Lane's South face and descend by the pass east of The Zipper. We were back at the meadow in the valley by 1500 and managed to haul our sore and tired selves out to the car before dark.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice ax + second tool

Helmet

Crampons

Snowshoes

 

Brought but didn't use:

60m rope

pickets

 

Approach Notes:

Pretty simple and short route finding. Chains or 4x4 were required above longmire.

[chubler]

Good job getting out! Perhaps a couple freeze/thaw cycles and it will firm up to eliminate the wallowing.

 

Did you happen to get a view of the N. ridge of Pinnacle by chance?

[kevino]

Anyone ski this?

[JeffreyR]

I know that people have skied all three routes on the N. face. You would probably want to wait for better snow cover though.

 

I could see a little of the N ridge of Pinnacle and it looked to be in ok shape. If the conditions were anything like on Lane, the snow would not have been overly well consolidated to the rock, but very little was falling off.

[JakeP]

Here we go! Photos of Jeff! Thanks for packing that rope the whole way even though is saw no use. I'll try to remember the snowshoes next time!

I guess we got the one sorta-good day of weather this month!

Good trip! -> short (1.5 hr) approach, nice long climb. Summit block was somewhat sketch, so we bailed. (also because of the time!)

And yes, skis for when I do it again!

Edited December 28, 2010 by JakeP