Forum Index > Trip Reports > Bacon to Blum traverse -- July 12 - 18, 2008
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge



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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostSun Jul 20, 2008 5:26 pm 
The Alpencorps (avg. age >50) -- minus Brad (injured), Kevin (accompanying his HS track star daughter at national meets this summer), Dan (works too much) and Paul (he'd rather ski this year) -- traversed from Mt. Watson to Mt. Blum via Bacon Peak and Mt. Hagan, exiting via the Beckey std approach from Blum Lakes to Baker River. This year's trip was the 8th annual week(or so)-long Alpencorps traverse. To allow time for the car shuttle, we planned a short Day 1 (7/12) beginning from Watson Lakes TH. From the pass above the lakes, we traversed (per Beckey) XC to the N flank of Watson, where we set up Camp 1 on a melted-out perch high above Watson Lakes.
Watson N traverse
Watson N traverse
Day 2 began with an easy and lovely traverse of the balance of the N flank of Watson, followed by a descent to Diobsud Lakes, where we turned N towards Bacon Peak. We got a bit off route on the ascent (wasting a couple hours and having some tough times in very steep timber) but managed to get back on route via a descent of a snow finger, and found access to higher snow slopes via a dirty, scrub-cedar laden and well-traveled chimney, establishing Camp 2 near a heather island surrounded by snow. Day 3: Started with nice travel on firm morning snow
Bacon ascent
Bacon ascent
that led us to a divide, where we switched to E aspect slopes softened by the morning sun.
Bacon ascent 2
Bacon ascent 2
bacon ascent 3
bacon ascent 3
We had LOS to a cell tower from the Bacon summit
bacon summit
bacon summit
so we telephoned our injured comrade Brad and left a VM. (Brad loves bacon). On our soft, but swift, descent to the N
shuksan from high on bacon
shuksan from high on bacon
we spotted fresh bear tracks descending the fall line on the glacier directly towards steep slabs, and we hoped that the bear took a left turn before sliding 1000+ feet to Green Lake! Camp 3 atop Pt. 5432. Day 4: We descended Pt. 5432 to an unnamed lake, dropped packs and ascended to a knob to view the spectacular Lower Berdeen Falls, and then grunted around the E flank of a mesa
shawn ascending mesa on day 4
shawn ascending mesa on day 4
and down to the S margin of Hagan. We ascended a mine field of post-holy terrain roughly halfway up Hagan to spectacular heather/rock bench Camp 4, with little evidence of prior camping (and views of Green Lake Falls -- wow wow wow!).
green lake and bacon from camp 4
green lake and bacon from camp 4
Day 5: A relatively early start on firm snow led us to a col (per Beckey) on the SW of the Hagan summit
ascent to Hagan col
ascent to Hagan col
which offered views of the traverse to the S
bacon & green lake from hagan
bacon & green lake from hagan
and to the N.
blum & descent from Hagan
blum & descent from Hagan
While Mark and I hung out at a col on the Hagan N glacier/Berdeen divide, Shawn, Ted and Andy climbed Hagan summit via some nasty loose 4th class rock, descending via a daring rap down and across a snow bridge suspended high above a bottomless moat.
shawn ted andy return from hagan summit
shawn ted andy return from hagan summit
We then descended en masse on glacier and snow-covered slabs to a sublime camp on heather benches approx. 0.5 miles S of Blum Lakes. We summited Blum on Day 6, returning to camp. We accessed Blum via the "obvious notch" described in Beckey's South Route to a tarn, where we ramped up snow covered slabs and heather to a steep class 3 rock step. Once above the step, we traversed Blum's S ridge via sunny and serene non-technical ground to the summit benchmark.
blum benchmark
blum benchmark
The descent down the rock step was thrilling
descending ramp on Blum 2
descending ramp on Blum 2
but soon yielded to easier ground
mark shawn descending blum
mark shawn descending blum
and snow benches back to the obvious notch and camp. On Day 7, we contoured easily to lower Blum Lake, then traversed snow and talus to the cliffy timbered key rib NE of Blum Creek. We found then lost then found then lost then found a tread, and eventually located the decades-old trail (thanks in part to DayHikeMike's post last fall) which led us down to lower angle boggy terrain and, eventually, to the Baker River. From left to right: Shawn, Ted, Andy, Mark.
weary team at Baker River Trail
weary team at Baker River Trail
When we returned to the car, we found a note from buddy Brian, who had ascended a 2000+ feet up the Lake Blum approach, aborting due to a nagging back injury. This is a fabulous high route, one that, with an early start, w/o bagging Hagan summits and w/o side trips, would go in 4 eager days (maybe 3 for youngsters) but we were happy to have spent some extra time in such lonely and lovely environs. Wildlife was scarce: no marmots, no pikas and a few blue grouse. It's like early June up there!

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antigravitypaint
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PostSun Jul 20, 2008 6:10 pm 
Great trip, Steve. Mark looks like he's ailing at the exit? Looks like seven days under his pack bent his spine over like a prevailing wind bends krumholtz.

Youth is wasted on the young, as was mine
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Tazz
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PostSun Jul 20, 2008 7:26 pm 
Hey that was us you saw up there at the tree clump above the watson lakes. You passed us and we exchanged a few words and you camped at that great spot! up.gif great tr!!! Glad you had a great trip!!! up.gif Great images!

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DIYSteve
seeking hygge



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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostMon Jul 21, 2008 11:00 am 
Tazz wrote:
Hey that was us you saw up there at the tree clump above the watson lakes. You passed us and we exchanged a few words and you camped at that great spot! up.gif great tr!!! Glad you had a great trip!!! up.gif Great images!
Thanks. Yes, we found a great camp after a short first day. You had a nice cozy looking camp spot too. That's the first time I had visited Watson in 15+ years. I need to return soon with my skis!

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Bad Dog
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PostMon Jul 21, 2008 11:48 am 
Awesome trip!

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Bright River
goslowgofar



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PostTue Jul 22, 2008 6:20 pm 
Green and Berdeen Lakes
You did not actually get down to Green and Berdeen Lakes??? Cough !! Choke!!! OHHHH. Lots of snow. I guess the emphasis is on snow not greenery. These are two very remarkable lakes, and if they are frozen , not much attraction there. I wouldn,t mind doing this traverse again, and I would do it more for the Lakes and meadows than the Peaks and snow. For those of you thinking about a little later , less snowy traverse: Green is beautiful but offers very few places for camping. The big rooster tail waterfall on the SE corner of the lake comes down off a cliff and in order to get to the east side of the lake, you have to negoiate a similar steep area. We camped just south and above the lake. On Berdeen we camped on the south end, on rock at the outlet, and above the waterfall - would recommend that you try someplace else. It was a closed in place, and not a really pleasant campspot -few options, good view. JUst kind of spooky. I use a handline wrapped around a Al. pudding can (less than an oz.). My cast distance depends on the weight of the lure. Got fish in both lakes.

..-and rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving. Rise free from care before the dawn and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. HDT
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peltoms
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PostWed Jul 23, 2008 3:54 am 
Great shots of Blum. Crossing Hidden Creek Glacier on Hagan is one of my favorite places. I am still waiting for the first straightforward traverse without problems from watson to bacon, including the times I have done it and trail reports, it is traverse 20 climbers 0 biggrin.gif

North Cascade Glacier Climate Project: http://www.nichols.edu/departments/glacier/
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Scrooge
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PostWed Jul 23, 2008 5:33 am 
Quote:
Day 4: We descended Pt. 5432 to an unnamed lake, dropped packs and ascended to a knob to view the spectacular Lower Berdeen Falls,
and
Quote:
halfway up Hagan to spectacular heather/rock bench Camp 4, with little evidence of prior camping (and views of Green Lake Falls -- wow wow wow!).
But no pictures? frown.gif C'mon guys. Get with the program. wink.gif

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostWed Jul 23, 2008 10:05 am 
I do a week-long traverse with long-time climbing partners every summer and this sounds like a great project for the future. Thanks for writing it up!

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DIYSteve
seeking hygge



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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostWed Jul 23, 2008 10:10 am 
Goforth, there were only small islands of greenery due to the big snow year. Berdeen was covered in snow. Green Lake was about half impounded by snow. It was a very scenic route with spectacular high camps. I'm sure it's a very different traverse late season. We had pondered the notion of visiting Mystery Ridge via N Berdeen, but we opted to stay and camp high, traversing over the two mesas W of GL. I hope to someday visit Berdeen, perhaps via the Berdeen HR grunt and exit either Blum or Bacon -- or maybe via a glacier ski via the col on the NE flank of Hagan. Looks like great skiing terrain up there, although schlepping skis up there via any route would be a no fun. Scrooge, nobody had a good long lens, so my pics of both falls don't do justice to their magnificence. Peltoms, the traverse was easy going once up on the Bacon massif (you probably already know this). Getting up to the high S flank of Bacon and down from Blum Lakes are not fun. Unless somebody does some heavy gardening, the traverse will never be "straightforward" by my definition.

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DIYSteve
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostWed Jul 23, 2008 10:16 am 
puzzlr wrote:
I do a week-long traverse with long-time climbing partners every summer and this sounds like a great project for the future. Thanks for writing it up!
PM sent

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andyd
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PostWed Jul 23, 2008 10:14 pm 
Here is my best picture of the lower Berdeen Falls. I carry a pretty nice but very heavy pair of binoculars and compensate by carrying a light and not very capable camera. Steve should have mentioned that it was the binocular view that was so spectacular. We were too far from the Green lake falls for a decent photo.
DSCN1770.JPG
DSCN1770.JPG
here is another of the Bacon falls which descend from Bacon Laken to green lake.
DSCN1759.JPG
DSCN1759.JPG

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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostWed Jul 23, 2008 11:14 pm 
Great TR BigSteve. I like how you show up on this site in the summer, write a fabulous trip report, and then head out for another trip. I am looking foward to your next big adventure. biggrin.gif up.gif

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Yana
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PostThu Jul 24, 2008 6:48 am 
Thanks for the TR, BigSteve. We too saw you when you were traversing from Diobsud Lakes (three of us were lower down in the basin and you ran into the fourth member of our party (cartman) higher up). Getting up to the snow below Bacon can be a bit of a chore, no? lol.gif Glad to hear you had a successful and spectacular trip!

PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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then
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then
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PostSat Aug 16, 2008 5:56 am 
Great trip report Steve. Judging by how much snow you encountered on your trip how much do you think we will see on the Berdeen HR and around the lake next weekend? Thinking to leave home iceaxe, crampons and maybe even gaitors to save a bit of weight. Thanks, Sean-

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