[TR] Ptarmigan Traverse - 8/1/2011

[Whatcomboy]

Trip: Ptarmigan Traverse -

 

Date: 8/1/2011

 

Trip Report:

I was looking forward to this trip for a long time and with a perfect weather forcast Norman and I left B-ham at 5am on Monday and dumped a car 12 miles up Suiattle River road at the barricade and sped over to start at Cascade Pass trailhead by 10. We hit solid snow shortly after the Pass and got to Kool-Aid lake for our first night where we met another party of 3. There were a few patches of dry ground for tent sites. Drinking coffee next morning we watched a black bear 300 yards below us traversing steep heather and snow at a full run like it was nothing. The next day it was easy crossing over Red Ledges and up the Middle Cascade glacier with the bergschrund starting to open up with a fat bridge to cross. Formidable-Spider Col was a short downclimb after which we traversed over to climb Mt. Formidable. We dumped packs and headed up several hundred feet of very steep snow and got to a notch where we discovered our mistake of not traversing over far enough to begin. We were on a little sub peak of the massive Formidable and couldn't get to the base from where we were. Disappointed, we turned around and headed for the ridge and dropped to Yang-Yang lakes where again we found nice dry camping.

 

Yang-Yang Lakes camp

 

Day 3 we left camp early and missed the trail for the ridge crossing and ascended steep hard snow and met up with Fred's team from Kool-Aid and another group of 3 guys who we would play tag with for the next day. The route was blocked so the other groups went way down to cross over to get to the traverse of La Conte but we took 2 short pitches of 4th class rock and found ourselves on the ridge and a boot path all the way to La Conte mountain.

 

Looking north to Mt. Formidable from La Conte glacier

 

Arriving at the Col at 7200 ft. we dumped packs again and climbed Old Guard Peak. The bottom is loose with an easy scramble to the top. A short rap thru a moat got us down and we raced across the huge and flat South Cascade glacier to get to lovely White Rock Lakes at dusk.

 

 

Old Guard Peak

 

 

Old Guys on Old Guard

 

Sentinel Peak

 

Glacier Peak in distance

 

 

 

Day 4 we watched Fred's group traverse over to the Dana Glacier headed for Dome Peak. Dome had been on our list but time was running out so we headed up the glacier and arrived at the base of Spire Point. The moat was melted out where we wanted to get on the rock so we bailed and headed up and over the Col, racing past Cub Lake and made camp on the other side where the next morning we met Eric and his wife who had just summited Dome. He drew us a map for an easy exit of Bachelor creek that was greatly appreciated. Day 5 made it to Downey creek camp at the road for a riproaring fire and back to the car by 9am after the 9 mile road hike. This was a fantastic area to travel in with tremendous climbing. My hat off to you guys who ski it in a day, run it in a day, or take several days and climb many peaks. I'm going back for more.

 

Dome Peak from White Rock lakes

 

 

Gear Notes:

30m. rope, a few nuts, slings

[TobiasT]

Solid work guys, and thanks for the report. Glad to see there is still so much snow up there. Would you care to share anything you gleaned from the Bachelor Creek descent map?