[TR] Glacier Peak - Gerdine & Cool Glaciers 7/4/2007

[mikestuckey]

Trip: Glacier Peak - Gerdine & Cool Glaciers

 

Date: 7/4/2007

 

Trip Report:

We went in July 4 from where Forest Road 49 is closed at the Lost Creek bridge, about 2.5 miles northwest of the North Sauk trailhead. Although the road is clearly marked with a big sign that says "Closed to All Vehicles," it is possible to drive around. We saw at least one car parked at the TH (likely climbers) when we came out and had two others pass us on the road driving out (likely car-campers). So it might be worth checking with the rangers about what the sign really means. Looks to me they think the bridge is damaged and don't want unnecessary traffic on it; if they do nothing to enforce that, you could save yourself five extra miles of hiking.

 

Anyway, we were to the trail at 9:45 a.m. and heading for White Pass. The trail is a wreck all the way to the Mackinaw shelter, with many deadfalls that have to be traversed. West of the Mackinaw, Sauk has changed its course and some of it is running through what used to be the trail. None of this makes for any route finding challenges, just a lot of extra time to get around this junk, especially with wands and pickets poking above your pack. Beyond the shelter, trail is mostly in good shape. A few gullies above the switchbacks had snow that was rapidly disappearing in the heat of last week.

 

We camped at White Pass our first night, where the snow began to thicken, but still had plenty of dry ground in established camping areas. It took us about 10 hours to go what's probably less than 13 miles, including the road we walked. On July 5, we followed Becky's route over the northeast ridge of White Mountain in the notch at 6,500 feet and found, as we expected, fairly solid snow cover. It was 10 a.m. and the snow was fine for plunging down and high traverses without crampons.

 

We traversed the series of bowls that Beckey describes, dropping first to about 6,100 and climbing back to 6,500, which is about where we stayed until the final climb to Glacier Gap. This took us past the series of small lakes to the north and the foot of the White Chuck Glacier's south lobe. As many other writers have noted, the north lobe of the White Chuck is gone. Checking our route frequently and enjoying what we had planned as a light travel day, we took about eight hours to reach Glacier Gap at 7,200 feet. We had seen no fresh tracks and were not surprised to be all alone with an awesome campsite that looks down into the bowl of the former White Chuck Glacier.

 

On July 6, with the weather already spectacular and only getting better, we decided to take a full rest day. We scouted the route a bit, taking digital photos from the saddle northwest of camp to review the rockfall and seracs on the glaciers.

 

Here are photos from the saddle of most of the route and the rockfall and seracs on the glaciers.

 

 

 

Our plan was to ascend the ridge below Disappointment Peak, often called Disappointment Cleaver here and elsewhere, perhaps not the best moniker given its Rainier namesake. About 8,500, we'd cross to the Gerdine Glacier, ascending it to the Cool Glacier, which leads up to the saddle between Disappointment and Glacier Peaks. From the saddle, we had read, it's just a scramble to the summit up a ridge of volcanic sand and rock with snow in the final gully until very late season. If the glaciers looked nasty, we could try just climbing the ridge all the way over Disappointment Peak. That was the plan for Paul and Max from Oregon, who pulled into the Gap late Friday afternoon. While we had read conflicting accounts of the ridge's difficulty, they were counting on it being a walkup.

 

On July 7, we started climbing about 1 a.m. and were quickly on the Disappointment ridge, ascending to about 8,600 before roping up for the glaciers. Far below, we could see a headlamp from Paul or Max as they worked up the ridge. We moved quickly below the rockfall on the Gerdine, spotting no openings in the glacier. At what we thought was the junction between the Gerdine and the Cool, we headed sharply west, rising quickly to more than 40 degrees on a very slick surface. That made me too nervous and I told Kelly I needed to bail. Ever the accommodating partner, she encouraged me to back off at my own speed. I was thinking we'd try the ridge, but when we got back down to flatter ice, we spotted a route through the seracs that separate the Gerdine from the Cool. It's not really an icefall as much as an ice crash, where the edge of the Cool runs into a rocky point.

 

Threading quickly through the seracs, we ascended the Cool, crossing a few cracks that were just beginning to open. Here's the final ridge from near the top of the Cool.

 

 

We hit the saddle at 9,600 feet about 5:20 a.m. and unroped. We climbed the ridge and were at 10,000 and the final snow gully about 6 a.m. We took a bit of a break, put our crampons back on and ascended the icy snow, which someone had kindly kicked some good steps into recently, and stood on the summit at 6:50 a.m. We snapped photos with a backdrop of Mount Baker, which we had summited July 1. On the way down, we met Paul and Max at the start of the gully. They said the ridge was certainly Class IV, and tougher with snow. Back at the start of the Gerdine, we met a skier and a snowboarder traveling unroped, thinking about going all the way to the top. Unsure if they summited, but they skied and rode past our camp a few hours later.

 

We arrived back at camp about 10:45 a.m., rested and packed slowly before leaving at 2 p.m. to head back to White Pass, where we camped for the night. Finished our hike out July 8 about 1 p.m.

 

Here's Kelly at the summit:

 

 

Gear Notes:

Axes, crampons, helmets, 30m glacier rope, two 18-inch pickets, minimal hardware for crevasse rescue

 

Approach Notes:

Allow more time than you think for the messy trail.

Edited July 9, 2007 by mikestuckey

[CaleHoopes]

Mike!

 

YOU ROCK FAR TOO MUCH! This is exactly the kind of trip report needed when there's an area that has become so remote from the storms.

 

My friend Richard and I really want to do this and you've convinced me that I'm right.... it will be our toughest climb of the season simply because of the crappy approach. I guessed about 13 miles is right. Well, glad you made it. Will definitely allow more time for the messy trail. I'm thinking that we try to get up to the road a little earlier than you folks did and then allow the 10 hours to stretch out. Maybe on a Friday.

 

Anyway, thanks so much for your awesome report. Great pictures too... you've given us hope!

[mikestuckey]

Cale -- You're welcome. Happy to help. I definitely think it's worth checking with the rangers about any potential consequences (like a fat ticket) of driving past the road closure. Hell, if there are none, do it. We had trouble refraining from self-righteous indignation that we followed the rules and others didn't, but maybe they asked and were told that the signs really mean something more like "travel at your own peril" than "do not enter." Anyway, the trailhead IS posted for trail parking passes. Good luck and lemme know how it goes. We're resting up next weekend after our 16,000-foot week. --mike

[Greta]

Thanks for the TR Id like to get up there this summer and your report will likely motivate me to take a closer look into a route.