[TR] Snowfield Peak - West Ridge 8/10/2012

[iluka]

Trip: Snowfield Peak - West Ridge

 

Date: 8/10/2012

 

Trip Report:

Steph Abegg posted a nice recent report of a more extensive trip into the area just a few weeks back so I'll just keep this at a conditions update on the Snowfield Peak climb as of 8/9/12 for anyone planning to go up there in the next few weeks.

 

Approach Trail to Toe of Colonial Glacier: Snow free until the last bump that gets you to the base of Pyramid Peak. On the traverse over to the toe of the glacier, it's a mixture of rock/loose talus/scree and snow .

 

Colonial Glacier: No crevasses on the route to the Colonial Neve Col. Getting around the lake requires going over the rocky ridge on the east side of the lake and descending a ramp to the snow beyond the lake, as there are a lot of cracks opening up on the edge of the lake.

 

Neve Glacier: The crevasses are starting to open up but it's still very easy to navigate around everything. Several cracks starting to open where you drop onto the Neve Glacier from the Colonial-Neve Col at ~6,500 feet. More substantial crevasses at about 7,000 feet including one or two deep and long ones. Lots of space to get around them, however. Above that, there are a lot of cracks opening but no suspect bridges and you can still take a straight shot for the west ridge of Snowfield just stepping over all of them.

 

The Neve Glacier from the Colonial-Neve Col:

 

Crevasses at 7K on the Neve Glacier

 

Water: Running water is easily accessible from the bivy site at the toe of the Colonial Glacier and there's still plenty of running water up at the bivy site on the Colonial-Neve Col. A few unappealing stagnant ponds on the way from Pyramid Lake to the bivy site. Some running water could be found off the north side of the ridge approaching the base of Pyramid Peak at about 5,400 feet.