[TR] Lennox Mountain - Goat Basin Ice 12/7/2014

[bellows]

Trip: Lennox Mountain - Goat Basin Ice

 

Date: 12/7/2014

 

Trip Report:

J Allen and I suffered up a 4 hour bushwhack and scramble to find some good ice in Goat Basin below Lennox Mountain on Sunday. We were able to climb a fun unnamed two pitch WI3 line to the right of the named lines from the WA State Ice book. Most of the named lines were thin and falling apart, but their potential looked amazing from the bluff across the lake. If it weren’t for the hideous approach this place would be money! For folks that have been up there later in the winter, how much does snow ease the approach? I’m still picking devils club thorns from my shins and palms.

 

In the lower basin after crashing through trees & devils club:

 

Starting up the boulder field:

 

Awesome views from across the lake. I think Sno Sense is second from the left and Jokers & Prophets center right, then Khusia and Spilt Decision far right both starting at the bottom of the big V (???):

 

Further right was the best looking ice in the basin, two pitches of WI3:

 

My iphone mostly went in my pocket when we got down to business but I did manage to get an action pic on the second pitch:

 

Unfortunately a late start and long approach only left us time for the single climb, then a thrash out in the dark. I second the book recommendation to bring a tent and spend some time up in the basin. So much ice potential!

 

Approach Notes:

Wait of more snow? Bring a machete?

[Riley81]

Sweet man! Thanks for the TR!

Didn't think there would be anything like that on Sunday.

You don't want too much snow though because there is a very high avi potential on the slopes above the basin.

[Alex]

Awesome views from across the lake. I think Sno Sense is second from the left and Jokers & Prophets center right, then Khusia and Spilt Decision far right both starting at the bottom of the big V (???):

Nice work getting up there, in normal conditions I would expect about a 2.5 hour approach with some snow filling in the holes and covering a lot of the brush, so without snow -4 hours- seems like low ROI, but all the better that you made the effort!

 

The climbs themselves are relatively sheltered from direct threat by the trees above, but there is definitely hazard on the approach in normal snow years. The climbs are snowmelt fed, so the reason they are thin is because there isn't much feeding them yet.

 

It's a hard place to time right. I think if there was a car-accessible spot to see the basin's condition, it would be visited more often.

 

[hanman]

Had a great trip up there in I believe 2010, fantastic continuous flow up the main drain.Not fun approach though in bony conditions like you experienced, yikes. Thanks for the report

 

M. Hanna