Forum Index > Trip Reports > Above the Clouds - Kyes Peak (9/14 - 9/15/09)
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Tom
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Tom
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PostSun Sep 20, 2009 10:21 pm 
Mike has been busy bagging peaks this week so I guess I'll be writing this TR. clown.gif Kyes is a long and strenuous day trip so we decided to do it as an overnight. After a late start we hit the Blanca Lake trail a little before noon. Took our time on the way up to Virgin Lake, feasting on ripe berries. After a quick lunch at Virgin Lake we found the obvious boot path up the ridge and followed it all the way to the pass below point 5845'. Here we left the boot path, dropped to the talus below and sidehilled (on steep slopes) to the pass on the other side where we rejoined the boot path and followed it up the steep ridge until it breaks out at around 6100'. After filtering some snowmelt (the first water since Virgin Lake) we ascended on pumice sized scree towards the pass just left of what Mike called "the sharkfin". From here the true summit is visible and the approach is straight forward. From the pass we rose above the low cloud layer to a magical scene just below the summit as the sun set to the west. After getting his fill of pictures Mike continued up to the summit while I snapped away in the fading light, opting to save the summit for the next morning. After Mike returned from the summit we scoped out the slabs below looking for a spot to camp and settled on a nice level slab next to running water. I gathered rocks to anchor tent stakes while iPhone Mike posted some facebook entries and cooked dinner. Headed up to the summit the next morning and took our time on the way out. As always, I took too many pictures...
First Views of Blanca and Columbia from Ridge
First Views of Blanca and Columbia from Ridge
Blanca Inlet and Columbia Peak from Ridge
Blanca Inlet and Columbia Peak from Ridge
Dayhike Mike on Ridge (Kyes in Distance to Left)
Dayhike Mike on Ridge (Kyes in Distance to Left)
Blanca Inlet, Columbia Peak and Glacier, and Kyes from Ridge
Blanca Inlet, Columbia Peak and Glacier, and Kyes from Ridge
Kyes from Ridge (w/ Route Labels)
8 labels
Kyes from Ridge (w/ Route Labels)
Goblin Valley from Ridge
Goblin Valley from Ridge
Mike Much Happier On Level Ground After Sidehilling
Mike Much Happier On Level Ground After Sidehilling
SE Shoulder of Kyes (Route Stays on Ridge to Left)
SE Shoulder of Kyes (Route Stays on Ridge to Left)
Zooming Down To Falls Above Blanca Inlet
Zooming Down To Falls Above Blanca Inlet
Blanca Lake from Ridge
Blanca Lake from Ridge
Approaching South Shoulder of Kyes
Approaching South Shoulder of Kyes
Sharkfin on South Shoulder of Kyes (Pass to Left)
Sharkfin on South Shoulder of Kyes (Pass to Left)
Dayhike Mike on Pumice Sized Scree
Dayhike Mike on Pumice Sized Scree
Dayhike Mike on Kyes (Columbia in Background)
Dayhike Mike on Kyes (Columbia in Background)
Tom on South Ridge of Kyes (Photo by Dayhike Mike)
Tom on South Ridge of Kyes (Photo by Dayhike Mike)
Glacier Peak from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Glacier Peak from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Fog Approaching Sharkfin on Kyes
Fog Approaching Sharkfin on Kyes
Alpenglow Falling on Sharkfin (Goblin Valley to Left) from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Alpenglow Falling on Sharkfin (Goblin Valley to Left) from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Fog and Ice on Kyes
Fog and Ice on Kyes
Columbia from Kyes at Sunset
Columbia from Kyes at Sunset
Rainier from Kyes at Sunset
Rainier from Kyes at Sunset
Sea of Mystery from Kyes
Sea of Mystery from Kyes
Wilmans Peaks and Del Campo from Kyes at Sunset
Wilmans Peaks and Del Campo from Kyes at Sunset
Silvertip to Whitehorse from Kyes (Monte Cristo in Foreground to Right)
Silvertip to Whitehorse from Kyes (Monte Cristo in Foreground to Right)
Columbia to Whitehorse from Kyes at Sunset
Columbia to Whitehorse from Kyes at Sunset
NE Ridge of Columbia from Kyes at Dusk
NE Ridge of Columbia from Kyes at Dusk
Three Fingers from Kyes at Dusk
Three Fingers from Kyes at Dusk
Fog Rolling Over Gothic, Del Campo, Wilmans, and Sperry from Kyes at Dusk
Fog Rolling Over Gothic, Del Campo, Wilmans, and Sperry from Kyes at Dusk
Facebook Mike at Camp
Facebook Mike at Camp
Daniel to Big Snow From Camp
Daniel to Big Snow From Camp
Rockstanding Tent and Summit Block from Kyes Camp
Rockstanding Tent and Summit Block from Kyes Camp
Glacier Peak from Camp
Glacier Peak from Camp
Big Four, Three Fingers and Whitehorse from Kyes (Cadet and Monte Cristo in Foreground to Right)
Big Four, Three Fingers and Whitehorse from Kyes (Cadet and Monte Cristo in Foreground to Right)
Rainier and Spire Mountain From Kyes
Rainier and Spire Mountain From Kyes
Monte Cristo and Cadet from Kyes (Whitehorse and Baker in Distance)
Monte Cristo and Cadet from Kyes (Whitehorse and Baker in Distance)
Del Campo, Silvertip, Vesper and Sperry from Kyes
5 labels
Del Campo, Silvertip, Vesper and Sperry from Kyes
Wispy Clouds and Views to Northwest from Kyes
Wispy Clouds and Views to Northwest from Kyes
Sliver of Goblin Lake from Kyes
Sliver of Goblin Lake from Kyes
Glacier on NE Shoulder of Kyes
Glacier on NE Shoulder of Kyes
Looking Down to Glaciers and Pride Basin from Kyes
Looking Down to Glaciers and Pride Basin from Kyes
Cadet, Sloan, Pugh, White Chuck, and Baker in Distance from Kyes
Cadet, Sloan, Pugh, White Chuck, and Baker in Distance from Kyes
Looking Back to South Ridge from Kyes (Rainier in Distance)
Looking Back to South Ridge from Kyes (Rainier in Distance)
Columbia Peak and Glacier from Kyes
Columbia Peak and Glacier from Kyes
Looking Back to Summit Block of Kyes
Looking Back to Summit Block of Kyes
Goblin Mountain from Kyes
Goblin Mountain from Kyes
Facebook Mike Looking for iPhone Coverage on Kyes (Glacier Peak in Background)
Facebook Mike Looking for iPhone Coverage on Kyes (Glacier Peak in Background)
Remnants of Surveyor's Target on Kyes?
Remnants of Surveyor's Target on Kyes?
Snow Cave on Kyes (Mike at Top Right for Reference)
Snow Cave on Kyes (Mike at Top Right for Reference)
Looking Back to Summit Block and Glacier Peak from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Looking Back to Summit Block and Glacier Peak from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Rainier and Blanca from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Rainier and Blanca from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Looking Down to Goblin Value and Avalanche Destruction from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Looking Down to Goblin Value and Avalanche Destruction from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Mike Switchbacking Scree Enroute To Sharkfin from Pass
Mike Switchbacking Scree Enroute To Sharkfin from Pass
Mike Atop Sharkfiin
Mike Atop Sharkfiin
North Cascades from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
North Cascades from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Zooming Into Rainier from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Zooming Into Rainier from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Downtown Seattle Skyline and Puget Sound from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Downtown Seattle Skyline and Puget Sound from Pass on South Shoulder of Kyes
Sundog Above Sharkfin on Kyes
Sundog Above Sharkfin on Kyes
Greenery on Kyes
Greenery on Kyes
Looking Back to Mislabeled "Monte Cristo" and South Shoulder of Kyes (Pass to Far Right)
Looking Back to Mislabeled "Monte Cristo" and South Shoulder of Kyes (Pass to Far Right)
Blanca Inlet and South Ridge of Columbia from Kyes Descent
Blanca Inlet and South Ridge of Columbia from Kyes Descent
Zooming Into Blanca Lake from Ridge Descent
Zooming Into Blanca Lake from Ridge Descent

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Dayhike Mike
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Dayhike Mike
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PostSun Sep 20, 2009 10:25 pm 
Reserved for DHM.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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iron
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iron
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PostSun Sep 20, 2009 11:20 pm 
great pics tom. ice axe and 'pons for this trip?

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Tom
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Tom
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PostSun Sep 20, 2009 11:34 pm 
No ice axe or crampons. Almost all the snow is gone - just a soft snowfield with a gentle slope to go up after rounding the pass.

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peltoms
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peltoms
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 5:08 am 
Nice shots in amidst the clouds- a view back to your recent summit of Columbia. The seldom viewed Pride Glacier, better snowpack than Columbia Glacier.

North Cascade Glacier Climate Project: http://www.nichols.edu/departments/glacier/
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The Bubbly Hiker
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The Bubbly Hiker
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 6:19 am 
Nice work, dudes. Your trip sounded a lot more reasonable than ours -- more time to savor, fewer bugs, great routefinding choices. But next time can you just take one spectacular photo? Your set is sending me into anaphylactic shock. A person can die of too many stunning images!

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Gil
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Gil
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 7:42 am 
Great TR! I've wanted to do that trip -- maybe some day!

Friends help the miles go easier. Klahini
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Dayhike Mike
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Dayhike Mike
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 9:01 am 
This was a good time indeed. We slept in and got started late, leaving the trailhead a little before noon. The trip up to Virgin was quick and painless, roughly two hours -- any dawdling was entirely due to the massive berries that lined either side of the trail. (There's a reason it's called Virgin Lake. That thing is so ugly, *no one* would sleep with it.) The trail up from Virgin was in decent shape. Traversing around and then up the first rocky outcropping was pretty wild. That's one mean stretch of "trail". The reports of the horrible "trail" over 5845' effectively scared us away from it on the way in, and the sidehilling commenced. I realized quickly just how threadbare and worn my soles on my shoes are, as they really didn't stick too well to the steep heather, grass, and blueberry bushes... I fell and ripped open the stitches in my shin just 3 minutes into the descent / traverse. Needless to say, I did a lot of swearing and sliding as we worked our way across the slope. The rest of the route went pretty well. We exited to the left a little before the top and avoided the scrubby brush on the ridgeline we ended up hitting on the way back. The summit block was a little dirty, but not horrible.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Stefan-K
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 2:40 pm 
love those clouds, glorious conditions! Been wanting to do this one... thanks!

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Sultan Guy
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Sultan Guy
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 8:54 pm 
Great job guys. Looks like you camped very close to where I did last September.
Home sweet home at 7,000 feet
Home sweet home at 7,000 feet
The east veranda
The east veranda

Any worthwhile expedition can be planned on the back of an envelope- H. W. Tilman
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Tom
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Tom
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 8:58 pm 
East veranda, ha great caption! I was cleaning off my card getting ready for another hike and discovered I hadn't downloaded all my pics. Here's another shot of Point 5845' on the return and sidehilling the slopes below it. Gives a pretty good perspective of how steep it and how much Mike was loving it. embarassedlaugh.gif I still think it was better to sidehill below than mess with the ridge.
Looking Toward Point 5845' On The Return
Looking Toward Point 5845' On The Return
Sidehilling Under Point '5845
Sidehilling Under Point '5845
Mike Loves Sidehilling!
Mike Loves Sidehilling!

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Joey
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Joey
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 9:23 pm 
Super pics Tom. I did Keyes as a student in the Mounties scramble class back in the day when few did this and there definitely was no boot path. On the way in I lost a bandana. On the way out the leader (Clint Kelly) exactly retraced our steps and, yup, there was the missing bandana snagged up on some brush.

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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 10:28 pm 
Gorgeous pictures Tom. Dayhike/Iphone/Facebook Mike sure looks fast. eek.gif

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lopper
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lopper
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 10:51 pm 
Your pictures bring back memories and stoke the furnace for a return visit. Thanks for posting. The sharkfin shots are exceptional. Here is how old sharkie looked in the flat light of July 4 1978.
78Sharkfin
78Sharkfin

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EastKing
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EastKing
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PostMon Sep 21, 2009 11:12 pm 
Awesome shots!!!!! Great TR!! up.gif up.gif up.gif

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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