KaskadskyjKozak Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 Trip: Gardner Slam (North Gardner, Gardner) - South Route Standards Date: 4/17/2015-4/19/2015 Trip Report: A group of friends and I headed east of the crest to take advantage of the low snowpack and get up a couple Bulger summits. The approach had some insignificant snow patches fairly early on but is 95+% dry until about 4200'. From there the patches get longer until you begin to ascend up and right towards Gardner meadows from 4600'. Here the snow is very annoying - easy to punch through and lots of logs, brush and deadfall to contend with. We used snow shoes for the flat icy section from 4200' to 4600' but they were not helpful above there. We camped at about 5600' in Gardner Meadows. Typical snow on trail between 4200' and 4600' Dry on the trail moving towards Gardner Meadows Gardner Meadows in late afternoon We ascended the standard route of N. Gardner via the bowl below point 8487 followed by a 1 mile run of the S ridge. There was one tricky section around the gendarme mid-ridge that required careful movement with OK handholds and bad run out. We had cold temps at night, and firm, excellent cramponing up. Traversing the bowl on a 7500' contour below point 8487 and the W ridge of Gardner Rest break en route to point 8487 Gardner from point 8487 S ridge of Gardner as veiwed from point 8487 High on S ridge of N Gardner Pano p0rn More p0rn For Gardner we backtracked to point 8487. We started to go torwards the W ridge of Gardner but found it too time-consuming with the snow and opted insted to drop to 7500' and retrace our steps to the standard gully on the S face. After following our partner's boot path 500' up (he only climbed Gardner) we met him and continued up class 2 scree and rock bands to the false summit. From here we walked easily up and over to the true summit. Typical terrain on the S face of Gardner IL and RM hiking the upper S face of Gardner KK pose down on the summit of Gardner Partner's summit stoke on the summit Gear Notes: Ice axe, crampons. Snowshoes helped for a short section only. Approach Notes: Snow beginning at ~4200'. Snow intermittent in meadows. Quote
Fairweather Posted April 22, 2015 Posted April 22, 2015 Nice trip! I used to look at Gardner across the Methow Valley from Studhorse Mountain and wonder what it was like up there. Quote
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