[TR] Bugaboos - A few Classics 7/30/2011

[JZickler]

Trip: Bugaboos - A few Classics

 

Date: 7/30/2011

 

Trip Report:

Brice Portwood (GoingUp?) and I spent a week in the Bugs from 7/23 to 7/29 climbing classic lines up perfect granite! We experienced precipitation in some form every day and many of the larger objectives like Snowpatch and the Howser Group were wet and still holding significant amounts of snow. Our main objective was the Becky-Chouinard route up S. Howser but conditions forced us to climb shorter routes on south facing aspects.

 

Day 1: Snowing. Hiked the approach to S. Howser. Visibility was zero at the Pigeon/Howser Col.

 

Day 2: Sunshine. Attempted "The Beach" on Snowpatch. The second pitch was wet and running so we bailed. Went back to camp and sipped on Pendelton.

 

Day 3: Sunshine. Climbed the NE Ridge of Bugaboo Spire. Significant snow in the upper chimney pitches and on the summit ridge.

 

Day 4: Blowing Snow. All the walls were rimed up and wet so we went to Golden for Beer and Food.

 

Day 5: AM Drizzle. Simul-climbed "Lyons Way" then climbed "McTech Arete" on Crescent Spire.

 

Day 6: Sunshine. Climbed "Paddle Flake Direct" and simul-soloed "Lyons Way" for good measure.

 

Day 7: Overcast. Climbed "Edwards-Neufeld" on Crescent Towers. Hiked out that afternoon.

 

I was telling Brice about my recent trip up the north face of the Lion's Head and since his flight back to WY wasn't until Sunday, we stopped in and climbed the "Lion Tamer" Saturday.

 

The Kain Hut custodian told us that the snow load is about 3 weeks behind in the Bug group. I suspect that by mid August everything with the exception of Howser will be in.

 

A link to photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/Zickler1981/Bugaboos

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Rack, Rope, axe, reading material, whiskey. We brought but didn't use crampons.

 

Approach Notes:

Follow the trail up.