JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 hey, can anybody think of a good scenic showshoe or ski tour to do when the avy danger isn't so great? I need something to take the girlfriend on. I'd just rather not be stuck down in the woods or the rainy lowlands. Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Depends really on what skill level your girlfriend (and you) have. This Saturday a few of us will be hopefully heading up the NW Ridge of Lewis Peak (north of Del Campo Peak). This should be straight forward with little problems. If all goes well, I can see that ridge becoming a standard suggestion by me to others as a low avy danger winter climb. I'll let you know after Saturday. Ah, I love exploratory climbing. Quote
obsydian Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Above Hyak. You can even get a ski lift ticket to the top. Lots of groomed trails or fresh snow Quote
mattp Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 If the weather is halflway settled, I'd take JJA's recommendation. Quote
fredrogers Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Another, short fun (maybe 5 miles rountrip?) snowshoe is into Commomwealth Basin (from Alpental Road). If you stick to the left side of the basin, you can go a couple of miles into the basin before getting into avalanche terrain on Red Mountain or from Lundin. The right side of the basin is somewhat threatened by open slopes on Kendall peak. Â You do have to park at "Summit West", however, as the parking Nazis will tow your car if you park along Alpental Road. Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 Liberty Ridge   LOL...I'll propose this to her and see what she thinks!  Thanks for all the suggestions. Mazama ridge is a nice one. Klenke, I'm interested in your lewis peak suggestion. I love the monte cristo area but I haven't climed lewis peak specifically. do you have any more details? I'm assuming you'd park at barlow pass, which you can probably drive all the way to in this shitty snow year. What does the climb look like after that? I assume it's almost all forested and along the ridge, and thus that is why you think it's pretty avy safe?  thanks! Quote
mattp Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 You didn't ask me, but I'll point out that Lewis Peak involves a 3300 foot elevation gain. I would not take a girlfriend there if she was not fairly hardcore or if I was hoping for a low-stress day in the splendor's of nature. Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 You didn't ask me, but I'll point out that Lewis Peak involves a 3300 foot elevation gain. I would not take a girlfriend there if she was not fairly hardcore or if I was hoping for a low-stress day in the splendor's of nature. Â c'mon matt, you know unsolicited replys are the norm around here. Good point, I should have clarified, but I'm more interesed in lewis peak in general, not for taking her up it. As I'm sure you know, the monte cristo peaks are mighty pretty...t'would be a mighty nice view to look upon them from up high and up close in the winter. It sounds like a good candidate to take one of my non-technical but physically fit friends on. Quote
catbirdseat Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 You didn't ask me, but I'll point out that Lewis Peak involves a 3300 foot elevation gain. I would not take a girlfriend there if she was not fairly hardcore or if I was hoping for a low-stress day in the splendor's of nature. Â No, it is definitely not a walk in the park. It is also known to be quite brushy. I would be concerned whether the sparse snows of this year have covered all the devils club and slide alder. It sucks to punch through with snowshoes and get stuck in branches. Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 "No, it is definitely not a walk in the park. It is also known to be quite brushy. I would be concerned whether the sparse snows of this year have covered all the devils club and slide alder. It sucks to punch through with snowshoes and get stuck in branches. " Â Come on, where's your sense of adventure. A little devil's club tickling the sphincter doesn't hurt that long. Besides, I'm perpetually ensnared in a boscage of devil's club anyway. It'll be like a walk to my kitchen for me. Â Attached to this post (see top) is the cropped topo of the climb of Lewis Peak. I expect there may be a 1/4 mile of bushwhacking near the trailhead, but eventually we should be getting into snow. Mattp, your 3,300 elevation point is well taken, but since this is a relatively straight forward emprise (thus mitigating route finding issues), I don't expect the elevation gain will be a problem. Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Josh, Lewis Peak via its Northwest Ridge is accessed via the Headlee Pass/Vesper Peak trailhead, not Barlow Pass. Consult a mapbook. The turn-off to the Headlee Pass trailhead is about 2-3 miles west of Barlow Pass on MLH. Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 klenke, who all is going? If I can get out, would you opposed to another in your adventure-seeking crew? Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 Yup, I noticed that after I posted. I was looking on topozone to get an idea and headlee pass was off the screen so I didn't realize that it was quite a bit closer. Quote
Paul_K Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 If you are looking for an easy tour, the road up to Rat Trap Pass off the White Chuck River road is fun. Not alot to see on the way up, but the pass area is very open with nice views of White Chuck. I took my daughter on this tour last year Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Don't know if the climb is a go yet. I need to call my buddy Jim tonight since he and I are the main two to be in on this climb idea. Send me a PM with contact phone number and residence location. Others are interested in going too, so it seems this climb is generating more interest than I had anticipated. Logistics will be worked out probably around 7:00PM tonight. Â Looks like NOAA is predicting a nice weather window: > SATURDAY...CLOUDY WITH A RAIN AND SNOW TAPERING OFF IN THE MORNING AN > INCREASING CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW AGAIN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVEL > RISING TO 6000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES 35 TO 40. WIND IN THE > PASSES EAST 5 TO 15 MPH. This may be laughable. We'll see. If so, who cares? 'Tis always fun to plow around in the snow. Quote
mattp Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Klenke- I suspect that for the hardman who has devil's club in their kitchen, the elevation gain will not be a problem. But this thread started out asking about what I presumed was to be an easy destination for a hike with a partner I presumed not to be a hardwoman. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most girlfriends do not want to crawl through the jungle to make 3,000' of elevation gain in soggy snow. Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 No, Matt, you are definitely correct. This is not a hike I'll be taking my girlfriend on. On the other hand, it sounds interesting, so the thread has deviated Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Yeah, take a girlfriend on something she wouldn't want to do but did so because she loves you so much might get you a stalk of devil's club permanently lodged in your . Quote
mattp Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Or, as another Matt pointed out a year ago, it might be a good move if what you really want to do is to break up with her. Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 FYI: Catbirdseat called the Darrington R.S.. They said the MLH is still open to Barlow Pass Quote
JoshK Posted January 24, 2003 Author Posted January 24, 2003 Yup, I confirmed this with the darrington RS earlier today...doh...forgot to post that. Not surprising considering the (lack of) snow pack. Quote
chelle Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 Klenke- ...But this thread started out asking about what I presumed was to be an easy destination for a hike with a partner I presumed not to be a hardwoman. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most girlfriends do not want to crawl through the jungle to make 3,000' of elevation gain in soggy snow. Â LOL Don't forget that some chicks think it would be a dream date... Quote
klenke Posted January 24, 2003 Posted January 24, 2003 "Don't forget that some chicks think it would be a dream date..." Â I'd like to add that to find or have a girlfriend that would willingly engage in such laborious and possibly painful exercise would be a dream girlfriend for many of us wannabe hardcore male (or female if that's your persuasion) climbers. Quote
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