[TR] Colchuck Col - Colchuck Lake > Glacier 1/4/2014

[dpforestry]

Trip: Colchuck Col - Colchuck Lake > Glacier

 

Date: 1/4/2014

 

Trip Report:

Below are some bulleted highlights, a full trip report (including more photos) can be found on TAY ( click here ):

 

- Total net elevation gain was about 6,000ft from the car to the col, over about 9 or 10 miles one way.

 

- Forest Service Road 7601 (Eightmile Road) is gated shut and is completely covered in ice all the way to the trailhead. This means we parked on Icicle Road and added 4 miles (8 miles RT) and 1,400ft to the trip.

 

- In fact, the entire route is covered in ice..including the road and trail; we suffered in crampons car to car...microspikes would have been the appropriate choice.

 

- There is no skiable snow until the Colchuck glacier, and here only in wind deposited pockets

 

- Colchuck lake is completely frozen over, and no amount of hacking at the ice will produce water. Water is available from Mountaineer Creek, well before the lake, so plan on melting snow.

 

- The glacier is very mellow grade, and there were no crevasses whatsoever on our route. It was not necessary to rope up.

 

- From the col to the Colchuck peak summit, there is very litte snow and the summit can be achieved with easy scrambling.

 

Photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Microspikes, crampons, mountaineering axe. Leave the skis at home, at least until it dumps lots more snow.

Edited January 7, 2014 by dpforestry