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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:34 am
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super short (sorry, need sleep and have to pack for ptarmigan traverse)
teamed up with hollywood and jb. followed smoot's route, which i believe is the standard route, up blanca lake trail, to virgin lake, up north-trending ridge, to last saddle before pt 6845, down towards blanca lake, traverse level, find bootpath, go up a little, find more snow, rising traverse, cross over broad, flat ridge, walk snow covered ridge, throw in some 2/3 class scrambling to get to summit.
awesome day. blanca lake is completely melted out. waterfall at inlet is flowing strong and loud. snow just before virgin lake in its usual holding areas that seem to always melt out late. i surmise trail down to blanca is snow-free, but did not verify. snow conditions generally good-to-excellent. no bugs during the day. some came out during evening hours. some biting, not all. they will be soon though. lots of water available on the route, just need to find snowmelt. found water on trail ~200ft before dropping into virgin lake basin.
general route description: if it feels wrong, it probably is. back track and find the right way up.
first site of blanca skirting easier trail columbia glacier and kyes peak (right) always breathtaking almost looks fake seeing a new side of blanca beginning traverse after saddle still green looking at what lies ahead hollywood bein' hollywood glowing rising traverse at this point little class 2/3 downclimb to get to snow more traversing goes from big to small in a hurry little climbers ascending snow ramp to flat ridge good spot to fill up water a beautiful setting streaky rocks, or just wet? stylin' regaining the snow in sight now hollywood's sighting in his axe storm ridge beyond getting cloudy red hanging on tite white chuck, pugh, sloan three fingers, whitehorse summit time coming down from the top flying onto the snow columbia glacier and the never ending question of will the saddle connect to columbia peak heading toward pt 7025 life is trying staring at the monument there's snowhere to go descending hued valleys traversing back wind + sun impressive slide path on storm ridge
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beaudaddy Coast To Cascades
Joined: 25 Feb 2010 Posts: 401 | TRs | Pics Location: Tulalip, WA |
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beaudaddy
Coast To Cascades
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:45 am
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Amazing!!! I want to do this one soon? Great Pics. How long did it take you guys from TH to Summit? Just curious.
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:37 am
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Very nice Iron!
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Rigafari Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Posts: 98 | TRs | Pics
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Rigafari
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:16 am
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Nice...hiked this one the day before. It took a little over 8 hours round trip for us.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Damn concise, great pics !
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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Hulksmash Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:29 am
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Those pics sure make it hard to wait till August to go camp there.
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Man-inna-hillz Member
Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 286 | TRs | Pics Location: Berkeley, CA |
beaudaddy wrote: | Amazing!!! I want to do this one soon? How long did it take you guys from TH to Summit? Just curious. |
Also curious...I hear tell of epics. Can a reasonably fit climber/scrambler do this from trailhad to trailhead in 14 hours or less?
The God of language forgives all crimes.
-W.H. Auden
The God of language forgives all crimes.
-W.H. Auden
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:51 pm
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i assume a reasonably fit person could get it done in <14hrs. we took about 11, but had a leisurely pace and several breaks to enjoy the scenery.
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
Great work as usual. Nice pics too.
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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Randy Cube Rat
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 2910 | TRs | Pics Location: Near the Siamangs |
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Randy
Cube Rat
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:44 pm
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Nice trip. One of my fav mountains.
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cartman Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 2800 | TRs | Pics Location: Fremont |
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cartman
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:28 pm
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Way to rest up for the Ptarmigan. Aren't you supposed to be gone for that already?
Nice pics. We had a great time on Kyes end of August last year on the same route. Now want to do it earlier via the Columbia Glacier.
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
Member
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Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:36 pm
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what's rest? just because i'm on "summer vacation" doesn't mean i should be sitting inside
the bad thing, although probably good, is that my boots failed on me during the trip, snapping off one of the shoelace loops. so, i'll be breaking in new boots on the PT. fun. it's a good thing there'll be a lot of snow to cool my aching, blistered, and battered feet
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seattlehikertoo Member
Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 582 | TRs | Pics Location: Finding an alternative to Mailbox Pk |
Nice job. You guys made it look like it was just a casual walk. Holy sh*t. My brother and I were going to attempt Kyes with a 4p start on Wed and catch the departing sun, but we ended up at Blanca, marveling at the scene. I'll post a report.
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peltoms Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 1760 | TRs | Pics Location: Worcester MA |
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peltoms
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Sat Jul 17, 2010 4:07 am
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Love the stylin shot, usually do not see a shot back along the flattish area of that ridge. Having ascended that Monte Cristo Saddle 25 times yeah it connects to Columbia. Good luck on Ptarmigan, make sure to photographically admire the terminus of the Middle Cascade Glacier.
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Michael Lewis Taking a nap
Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 629 | TRs | Pics Location: Lynnwood, WA (for now) |
How was that bit at the end? Any moats or sno-bergschrunds to watch out for?
Anyways, it looks like there's a lot of alpine scenery to catch your attention up there. Good read and beautiful photos.
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