YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Trip: Hood - Misterium Tremendum Sandy Glacier Headwall solo Date: 6/3/2011 Trip Report: In the best traditions of multi-act marlezonique ballets, Sandy HW on Hood just does not let it go. In the act #1 a month or so ago, Ivan and I ended up getting our asses up the Leutholds as a reasonable at the time sub for Sandy. Two weeks ago, with another partner in the act #2, we made our rimey way up to the third gendarme of Yocum ridge via the north aspect thereof and downclimbed it in the nearing whiteout the same way we came up. The scariest thing I have ever done in my life. It turns out, Yocum has crevasses too (that I mistakenly took for the one connecting down to Sandy at 8600’) and crawling over 80 deg skinny snow bridges took some motivation. Go figure. Our line (yellow) on the north side of Yocum ridge which felt harder than the bona fide Sandy/Yocum gully “12d”: This Friday was act #3 and by myself. I had a weird late start and only made it to the T-lot at 5 a.m. Yes, I was wasted after work, not fully awoken and still with blurry vision after my Yocum fiasco, but come on peoples, not to the point that I would send my rig into a spin on the T-line road! In June. With studs on! Yeah right, the T-lot turned out to be one solid sheet of ice with no possibility of walking without falling. If the trend prevails, the North face will sprout some sweet water ice in the gullies shortly. Just about time to get on it. Pretty stoked. So, finally I start on the slog with a 2 day pack, slowly breaking my own trail and only reach the I-gap at 8.30 a.m. Steel Cliffs at sunrise from the south approach: A superb day but winds are picking up and blowing fresh powder in mini-tornadoes. Not a good sign. Yocum Ridge, Leutholds and Reid headwall are as good as it gets in full-on winter conditions. In June. I descend down on Reid and traverse towards Yocum. Although Yocum crossing at 8600’ which I have partially done before is the quickest way of getting on Sandy, it is far from being the best. Perhaps one day I will acquire Ivan’s sketch factor to solo steep rime ice and fly over the shrunds, but in the meantime I choose the low crossing at 8200’. Heading down the Yocum and loosing precious elevation: Passing more crevasses to the south: Traversing some slopes and trying to find the low crossing. Not sure, it feels kind of steeper than I expected. I might have done the upper crossing just as well and rap the shrund – thank God I brought the “Oh shit” rope. Movable rocks placed in wet snow and volcanic sand underneath. The best thing ever - well recommended I know life is going to be all right after that and sure enough once I top out, the going gets more mellow, I quickly make my way towards the Sandy and downclimb on the other side of Yocum next to a cornice: West side: Cathedral Ridge, Sandy HW, Upper Buttress and Yocum Ridge. Avy paths off the 12 d and south Sandy HW are not looking impressive: I cross the Sandy gl in the center, pass three shrunds on the left and head up the standard HW variation (red line). Pretty much a dog route (as compared to the Yocum’s crossing) with some icy sections at the Queens Chair: One third up the HW, I feel I am running out of steam and in need of a break before continuing up. Besides I better find a bivy spot cuz I have plans for the next day – may be to get on the “Early season variation” to the Cathedral Ridge or traverse the 12 c below the Upper Buttress to Yocum and check out some rime ice. So, I settle at the base of one of the towers and dig out sweet balcony with a view. “Cathedral” room next door: The last I checked the NOAA promised 32F at night and low winds - so the open bivy was in order with a 35F bag and bivy sack. I melted one gallon of snow and consumed a dehydrated meal - things are looking good again. What was not looking good was the density of the clouds gathering from nowhere and “low” winds showering me more and more with snow and ice powder. I guess it was when OlegV from his couch in west Portland observed a “white tail” crossing Hood at 10K+ and e-mailed me his concern over my well-being. As known to mankind, “white tails” or any other color “tails” can ruin otherwise perfect day in an instant as was already brought up to your attention here http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1000812 It gets colder too – I have all layers on me and the only way to bear the misery is to keep moving. Visibility goes to shit, so I waypointed the bivy location and start getting my ass up the HW. Slow, very slow, waiting for those rare moments of intermittent clearings, it goes like that: 100 feet up, stop, and wait, and wait, and wait. Repeat. It took me freaking forever to reach west summit ridge at 10 pm with a headlamp! I skipped the 20’ vertical step to get to the summit and painfully headed back to the bivy retracing my steps. And here comes the best part. By the time I got down there, the bivy sack and food for the next day were ripped right out of my hands. GONE with the wind. And are probably now buried in the midst of Sandy for future generations. But I was happy to have sleeping bag and the stove. 60 mph wind gusts and more rime hammering me from above: Now officially things are not looking good anymore. I dig a primitive snow cave – whatever I can fashion with the two tools – and wedge myself into THAT. The ceiling is one inch from my face and I am barely able to move being stuck in fetal position. My brain is numb as is the rest of my body. I do manage to get some delirium-like sleep with weird dreams where I am turning into a snowman. OMG. The snowman is trying to get up, but cannot – the sleeping bag is encased in ice. A couple of hours later I notice two headlamps crossing the Sandy and stopping below the shrunds. I was convinced these must be OlegV and Ivan’s who came to check on me, brought some adult beverages and food so that we all can go and climb Yocum ridge when the winds will finally subside. But no, after 10 min, I see them leaving. I cant believe my eyes. THEY ARE LEAVING! And I am still stuck in the snow cave on that freaking headwall freezing my ass to death. I do get up when the sun hits the glacier and it becomes slightly warmer. A tremendous effort on my behalf. My apathetic mind does not care about melting water or putting the pons on. So, I walk down just like that, starving and eating snow on my way back. Too bad because I start falling and that becomes a theme of the day. Like in a slow motion movie: Yocum traverse, up on the Reid, reaching the I-rock, dragging myself over to the south side. I must have been looking very pathetic - someone helped carry my pack to the Palmers, put me in the lift chair, then another free ride in the Magic mile. The T-lodge. Alles. Approach Notes: Yocum ridge Quote
ivan Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 fawk'n'russkis! lesse - saturday night i was stoking a roaring, wind-fed fire on the oregon beach w/ the fam - sounds like you might need to branch out, devushka? Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Sounds more like Miserium Tremendum... there is warm rock out there, ne znayesh' li? Quote
Water Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 nice pics. the word audacity comes to mind. sounds like you have unfinished business on the west side? with it being the hottest day of the year and near-solstice sun angle, my mojo for routes that shed rime and rock drops quicker than any chunks off of hood. glad you made it back in one piece! Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 Thanks Water. Logically speaking you are right, but with the massive abnormal glacier expansion we have been seeing for the last couple of years, there is no logical prediction on shedding or serac calving for that matter. Totally random. This last Friday was warm and windy but suspiciously quiet everywhere on west side. One exception was Sandy HW at sunset and after - spitting sizable chunks. Sat was colder and windy, and Yocum was the worst bitch producing waves of volcanic powder and rime below 8500' but nothing above. Quote
spionin Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 holy jeebus, woman. glad you survived the grand adventure! Quote
The Ospray Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Seems like a majority of your TR posts are semi-epics. Stay safe out there! Glad to hear your okay, yet again! Quote
Water Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 What's the story with the paw? 60 mph wind gusts and more rime hammering me from above: Quote
shapp Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Clear evidence that if Red Dawn ever played out in real life you know the other side would win, we would all be drinking a lot more, speaking a differnet language, and rolling our "R"s. Edited June 7, 2011 by shapp Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 fawk'n'russkis! Mountaineering is about suffering. Russians are used to suffering. It's a perfect match! Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 What's the story with the paw? 60 mph wind gusts and more rime hammering me from above: Yeah, one of the projectiles off the headwall. Could be worse. No bones are broken Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 Clear evidence that if Red Dawn ever played out in real life you know the other side would win, we would all be drinking a lot more, speaking a differnet language, and rolling our "R"s. It is all about the technique Quote
111 Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 you need more facial expression photos on your solo adventures so we can really see how badly you are suffering That bruise on your hand could just be smeared eyeliner. Your face will show your true pain. Quote
ivan Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Yeah, one of the projectiles off the headwall. Could be worse. No bones are broken most impressive bruise i ever had in my life was from getting hit by a cannonball sized chunk on the exact same solo-creep up the sandy - crotch to knee, my whole left thigh was bright purple w/ a white bullseye in the center - took a sweet pic of it, just clad in my drawers, while holding my infant daughter and posted it here, only to immediately get read the riot act for putting up kiddie-porn - 7 years later, maybe i should try again? Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 you need more facial expression photos on your solo adventures so we can really see how badly you are suffering Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 7 years later, maybe i should try again? No, Eric. We would rather see what will happen to you on the top of Yocum gendarmes . Quote
prussik1 Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 Nicely handled, Mitochondira! And to top it off, you climbed like a beast ballerina last night at the gym!! Quote
Off_White Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 There are Hood TR's, and then there are Hood TR's. Is this as close as we're going to get to a TR on that Yocum trip? Great tale, but it makes me want to go cragging. Quote
cbcbd Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 Sheesh! But is it really a successful climbing trip if it's not concluded with a post trip to the ER? Pretty cool bivy spot! minus the wall of shedding ice above Quote
YocumRidge Posted June 8, 2011 Author Posted June 8, 2011 Off White. People stop talking to me once I say the word "Yocum ridge". Apparently, my marketing skills suck or something Come here and climb it with me instead of your warm cragging. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 Off White. People stop talking to me once I say the word "Yocum ridge". Apparently, my marketing skills suck or something Come here and climb it with me instead of your warm cragging. That's a great idea! As moderator and prime cc.com contributor, OW should climb with top-posters and help bring up the TR count through direct participation! Quote
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