Cpt.Caveman Posted January 19, 2003 Posted January 19, 2003 (edited) I saw that Perkins and Geoff were up on Sperry Peak today doing some technical climbing. I heard them yelling as I was hiking with my dog below the east face and up to Morning star. The snow is incredibly firm there. Skis or snowshoes = pointless for and no real snow walking until a little past 3,000 feet. Anyway not sure where they started their climb but I am sure it wasnt easy and seemed like it was pretty long of a route no matter which way it was. On the Northeast side of Sperry cutting the buttress to a col looks like an over 1000 foot long couloir dogleggin left and then to the ridge\buttress. Wish I would have known the snow was in that good and brought some climbing gear as well as left my dog at home considering it totally looked good to go. Kinda reminiscent of the NE Buttress couloir of Colchuck Peak. I speculate the walk to the base of the couloir at 2 hours from the car since I walked into the basin below the couloir in about 1.5 hours with a 4 month old puppy. If someone has time and weather does not blow in tomorrow I'd go there. My schedule will not permit. 2wd will likely get one to the trailhead. PS if you do it let me know how it went. Edited January 19, 2003 by Cpt.Caveman Quote
klenke Posted January 19, 2003 Posted January 19, 2003 Cap'n, did you make the summit of Morning Star or not? If you did go all the way, how would you grade the climb--especially the last bit which is apparently class 3. A few of us are debating doing it next weekend from the East, but we may do neighboring Lewis Peak via its NW Ridge instead. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 19, 2003 Author Posted January 19, 2003 I suspect by next weekend it will be dangerous. However if not by tuesday it may be bomber. Wait for perkins casey report By the way I went- But before the snow falls I rate it dog4 human 3. Meaning at dog 4 (lots of trouble for haired creatures and sometimes impossible without drool) and human 3- (Walking with snowshoes if you brought them) if not major death by hearsay. Quote
mattp Posted January 20, 2003 Posted January 20, 2003 Ray - That was not us on the E. Face. I wonder who it was? Geoff and I circumnavigated Sperry and stomped to the top of Vesper, and the snow conditions were not good for climbing anywhere we went, though it was relatively firm in the basins below the E and N faces of Sperry (in places it was firm enough to walk with some semblence of confidence until the inevitable plunge step, that is). At higher elevations, there was 4-16" soft snow, crusty in places and damn near powder-like in others. We found some rotten ice in one gully, and looked at some steeper terrain that looked climbable and even had some ice, though thin. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 20, 2003 Author Posted January 20, 2003 Whomever it was I thought they were on the NRidge or NWest Ridge not on the east side.... ... E side looks like crap to me except for 2 lines (the one I mentioned appeared the best)... Spindrift sandwich with new snow coming now. Quote
COL._Von_Spanker Posted January 20, 2003 Posted January 20, 2003 That was us then. Slushy snow poorly bonded to rock on the route. Any "Ice" that has formed up was quickly unforming and making it's way off the mt. Good views from the top of vepser. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 20, 2003 Author Posted January 20, 2003 Bummer. Cant see why you didnt climb the couloir I mentioned. Looked like a nice line...... Quote
Bronco Posted January 20, 2003 Posted January 20, 2003 So Ray and his mutt were up on the Mtn. Loop HWY hmm..... Man and his dog stuck atop ice caves Herald staff VERLOT -- A Snohomish County search and rescue team was called out Sunday to rescue a man and dog trapped on a ledge atop the ice caves near Verlot. The 20-year-old man had been hiking in the area with a friend when he became trapped at about 2:30 p.m., Snohomish County sheriff's Capt. Kevin Prentiss said. The friend then walked to the Verlot ranger station to report the problem. The ice caves are just off Mountain Loop Highway near Verlot. More than 15 people were looking for the man late Sunday afternoon. Prentiss did not know by press time how the man became trapped, but he said there is a search-and-rescue mission in the area at least once a year. "The ice caves are neat, but a lot of the time, people do things there that are not too smart," Prentiss said. This story can be found at: http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/03/1/20/16390068.cfm Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 20, 2003 Author Posted January 20, 2003 this guy was there and trundled some snow boulders on me Quote
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