plexus Posted January 6, 2003 Posted January 6, 2003 Ok, I'm a gaper, I'll admit it. Tried this route two years ago with some friends and we never could find the right way up. Followed the Beckey guide and hiked up the road and it deadended. We saw some flagging and wound up doing some thawing out vertical forest traversing before getting cliffed out. We retreated back and down the road some more to a right angle bend and a small waterfall. Went going through that area for a while until some second-growth forest made things slow and tedious. So where the bloody hell do you get off the road and start heading uphill ?? Thinking about trying it this weekend if the forecast stays true. Thanks for helping a distressed gaper Quote
mattp Posted January 6, 2003 Posted January 6, 2003 Are you talking about the W. Ridge? Last time I was there, you drove as far as you could, and then just walked up the road extension heading up and left toward the ridgeline (I think there may have been a switchback in the road, but it was fairly obvious which way to go). The flagged trail took off straight uphill something like 100 yards short of the timber, and perhaps 100 yards right of the crest of the ridge. The route goes more or less straight up that ridge the entire way, with only some slight deviation to the right fairly high up. Quote
Bronco Posted January 6, 2003 Posted January 6, 2003 I think matt's description is right on, except the flagging is pretty sparse. right now you'll probably only be able to drive to about 2500' on the loggin road, leaving 3 miles and 1000' to walk to the "trailhead" (wide spot in the road with a small cairn) follow your nose up through the clear cut, then stick to the south side of the ridge, don't be fooled by the false summit and watchout for walking on cornices near the ridge (or what you think is the ridge). Never done it in the winter, but, probably be pretty fun. check out www.mountainwerks.org for a full trip report. don't ever try to climb out of the proctor creek drainage, that is some of the thickest brush anywhere. Quote
Bronco Posted January 6, 2003 Posted January 6, 2003 that water fall you mention is about 1/4 - 1/2 mile south of the trailhead. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 6, 2003 Posted January 6, 2003 Yeah let us all know when that ribbon is in. Quote
plexus Posted January 6, 2003 Author Posted January 6, 2003 Thanks guys. I talked to MVS a couple of years about Persis. Bronco, your comment about the waterfall is very encouraging. It let me know that I was on the right road spur and that the trail is not far from it. Just one more question, is the trailhead before the end of the road? Because we followed flagging (logging flagging looking back on it) at the end of the road to the right and it wasn't a ridgeline. It was horrendous side-hilling, that unfortunately, I have encountered worst on (see anything in the Kindy-Buckindy-Granite Lakes area). Hopefully I'll have kicked this bloody flu by next weekend and the forecast will be favorable. What is it a cold, starve a fever? Quote
klenke Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 I agree with Bronco about the Proctor Creek drainage. A few years back I tried to get to Mt. Index from the head of that creek (in the SE corner of Section 34). BW4 and BW5 bushwhacking level. First of all, if the road is not gated at Hwy 12, then follow the logging road to the wye at the NW corner of Section 27 then continue on to the spur that goes up to the normal West Ridge trailhead. If you stay straight and don't go up the leftward spur, you can go another mile to where the road used to cross the head of Proctor Creek. Severe washout there. At just before this washout, there is an open area to park at. The USGS map shows a dashed road leading east then north for about 4/10th of a mile. This road is not drivable. It is severely overgrown. It eventually turns into what would seem like a streambed. This could be the old road. From there, I followed this streambed up, negotiated some cataracts, and eventually got up to the ridge line (BW3 & BW4 since I stayed mostly in the open but log-strewn and cliffy stream course). I got cliffed out on the ridge at the corner between Persis and Index so gave up on Index and went back to tag Persis. To get to Persis, I had to scramble below the ridge crest due to gendarmes until eventually getting to the 5,000-ft notch immediately SE of Persis' summit. A steep gully around the corner led up to the summit. This gully will no doubt be snow-filled and potentially dangerous at this time of year. Since the starting point where you leave the road is ~2,600 ft, you may not have to ascend very far to get into snow-covered brush. In actuality, this could be an easy alternative route if the brush is snow-covered. Going back, I had BW5 for 60% of the way down. Some of the worst bushwhacking I've ever experienced (and I could see my car waiting for me for practically the whole descent). See attached topo map for a view of the area and my ascent/descent routes. I undertook this climb in mid-September 1999. Other note: it is usually not possible to drive to the south side of Mt. Index due to a gate near Lake Cavanaugh in Section 33. I was able to go back there once in the early 90's, but not since. Quote
Bronco Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Plexus - the trail starts between the waterfall and the end of the road probably about half way. As you head north from the waterfall you crest the hill and start down toward the end, the "trail" is across from the wide spot in the road, don't go to the end, although it's probably slightly closer to the end of the road than the waterfall. The begining of the trail looks nothing like a trail, just a steep dirt slope through some trees, the cairn may now be covered with snow. good luck and may God be with you. Quote
klar404 Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Hey! All theese guys are giving great directions.Except for the fact that last winter there was a BIG drainage blowout on the road. I was up there last August for an afternoon hangover hike. You take the turn off and start heading uphill toward Procter creek.Then, WHAM! huge road blowout that takes out about a hundred foot swath down to bedrock. It, of course, goes straight down the mountain while the road switchbacks. I think we crossed it about six? times going up the added 1 1/2 to 2 miles on the road. On the way down we went right down the blowout. It would be good if snowcovered. I doubt this new blowout will ever get repaired 'cause I believe it is on private land.The best way to tell you are close to the trail is that the road lelvels off, there is a cairn, you are in a youngish clearcut and there is a obvious pullout to the left with views to lowlands. Any more beta and I'd have to be paid. Quote
mattp Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Now we're getting somewhere. This appears to be reasonably current info. If so, it might be a good idea to wait for the snow to pile up at low elevations and then try the climb via Anderson Creek. Quote
klar404 Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Not to dissagree MattP, But don't you think the Anderson creek drainage would be much more avalanche prone? I almost posted the west ridge route in the thread about looking for a easy non-avalanche prone climb. Not that I wouldn't like to climb it (or index) via Anderson creek.Or, take two days and climb Index via the long ridge including camping by Stone lake or therabouts. There is some good tower climbing on that ridge.And mostly minimall avalanche danger. Quote
mattp Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 No disagreement there, Klar. But there are plenty of relatively stable periods where I would have no qualms about heading up Anderson Creek. I am more afraid of the legendary brush that is said to make this route a poor choice most of the time. Quote
klenke Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Hey, MattP, if you go up the Anderson Creek way, be sure to give us a TR. That's about the only way I have never been. I have always wondered what it's all about. Tried to find the "start" of the Anderson Creek route once by driving into an old mobile home park. Couldn't find the start. Did something else instead. Can't remember what. Quote
Bronco Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Dear man who believes he may already have knowledge of everything: I drove to the trailhead in October as did many puny cars. trailhead as in walk across the road and hop on the trail. The road is fixed to better condition than it was in prior to the huge ass washout, which I didn't think would ever get fixed either, it was a monster. Trailhead park pass fee's at work I guess. Quote
klar404 Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 I do have knowledge of everythig. Dammit!Thats crazy that that washout got fixed!!!And,shit, how? How is it gonna stand the winter? Quote
mvs Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Plexus, too bad it didn't work out. I haven't been up there in a long while -- now I'm apprehensive all over again about finding the trail. Gates locking and unlocking, land sliding, that place changes too much! --Michael Quote
plexus Posted January 7, 2003 Author Posted January 7, 2003 True Michael, While the area seems to be changing, we also change. I can look at myself - beer collecting around the belly, hairline receeding, getting soreness the next day after a beefy climb.... Quote
klenke Posted January 7, 2003 Posted January 7, 2003 Too many logs come rollin' out on that road destined to be reduced to pulp or sawed into siding. Aint no way that road would not get fixed! The last time I drove down to Lake Cavanaugh there were two loaded logging trucks parked on the side of the road. The drivers were having lunch, I guess. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 17, 2003 Posted January 17, 2003 I don't give a fuck about the walk up routes. That nice ribbon of ice that forms on it almost every year is the plumb. And it goes to the summit. I'll be waiting in february...... Quote
freeclimb9 Posted January 17, 2003 Posted January 17, 2003 Wasn't Mt. Persis just discovered a couple years back? read all about how this guy "discovered Mt. Persis the week before [February 5, 2000] on a solo hike." Who said exploring is dead? Quote
Dru Posted January 17, 2003 Posted January 17, 2003 I wonder if anyone has discovered that pointy mountain in the background yet. Quote
TimL Posted January 17, 2003 Posted January 17, 2003 Is the ice runnel above the guys shoulder/pack the top of the Eve Dearborn Mem route? Quote
mvs Posted January 17, 2003 Posted January 17, 2003 Yeah, that trail must have been made by aboriginal peoples... Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 18, 2003 Posted January 18, 2003 Yeah, that trail must have been made by aboriginal peoples... You guys are hardcore. What a fucking twit. Quote
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