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Schroder Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 6722 | TRs | Pics Location: on the beach |
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Schroder
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Fri Aug 20, 2010 11:07 am
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Hanzsek & I headed up the Gold Run Pass trail on Wednesday morning with the intention of going up Tomyhoi & wandering around the area as far as we could in a couple of days. We got a liesurely start at about 10:30 in 83 degree heat with no wind. In the first 100 feet from the car I got bit by half a dozen flys - not a good sign.
For those who haven't done this trail, most of the elevation gain is in the first mile and a half, but the views come quickly.
parking on twin lakes road view of Winchester Mountain lots of flowers
We ran into quite a few people on the trail but only one planning to spend the night at the tarns.
descending to tarns
After exploring the entire basin for our preferred site, we chose a spot just above the lowest tarn on the old trail where we had the best views of Shuksan. We set up camp & decided to head up the ridge to the Southwest to Point 5933 to get some views to the south. It was pretty hazy.
Baker from Point 5933 Tomyhoi from 5933 Shuksan from 5933 Border Peaks, Larrabee, Yellow Aster Butte Tomyhoi & Border Peaks Looking to Canada hazy Mt Baker Descending from 5933 Yellow Aster Butte reflection
After taking lots of photos, we headed down for dinner & the swarms of mosquitos that were building.
Heading to camp for dinner Mt Sefrit
After dinner we wandered around & took a few sunset photos.
American Border Peak Point 5933 Shuksan Shuksan Mt Baker
The morning greeted us with heavy fog moving in from the south. We were optimistic that it would burn off as we headed up Tomyhoi.
morning fog rolling in whiteout mining equipment near tarns Tomyhoi ridge Tomyhoi ridge summit ridge
We got up to the first rocks on the summit ridge & had the choice of climbing to the false summit or dropping underneath it on the glacier & ascend to the notch. We chose the latter. After descending about a hundred feet and turning the corner, the visibility got worse at about the time I had a crevasse below me & could see a schrund above me. After a few seconds of contemplation, we decided to back off & descend to a high point to the east off the glacier, have lunch & wait for the visibility to improve. It didn't. We had a few brief openings and then it would get worse. After waiting an hour, we decided to head down.
dropping down Tomyhoi glacier Tomyhoi from the east
We saw a few interesting things on the way down
goat ? flower in talus starting down snow runnel ptarmigan
and did I mention there are ups & downs on the ridge
up & down looking west
about half way down we got some cloud openings for photo ops
American Border Peak American Border Peak shoulder of Larrabee American Border Peak face on Yellow Aster Butte American Border Peak Border Peaks last bit of trail to tarns tarns
finally back at the lakes, we decided to check out the cabin site
cabin cabin tarn marmot marmot
then we headed back down to our campsite, packed up and went up Yellow Aster Butte on our way out.
tarns from Yellow Aster Butte tarns from Yellow Aster Butte heading out
There were lots of bugs but it was immensely enjoyable.
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Schroder Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 6722 | TRs | Pics Location: on the beach |
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Schroder
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Fri Aug 20, 2010 10:15 pm
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
Great pics Schrod. I bet this place is nice in October.....
"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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Zukismom Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2010 Posts: 122 | TRs | Pics
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Zukismom
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Sat Aug 21, 2010 10:17 am
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Photo ops is an UNDERSTATEMENT! JumpinJeHosafat...awesome pictures...esp. the cloud pics. PHEW!! Thanks for sharing.
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Flora Enjoying the Sun!
Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 1035 | TRs | Pics Location: Land of many waters |
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Flora
Enjoying the Sun!
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Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:47 pm
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Schroder Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 6722 | TRs | Pics Location: on the beach |
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Schroder
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Sat Aug 21, 2010 1:35 pm
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Flora wrote: | The blue-flowered plant is Silky Phacelia |
Thanks for the plant id.
No berries ripe yet but there will be lots of them up there this year.
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aywolfpac Member
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 1286 | TRs | Pics Location: Burlington, WA |
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jenjen Moderatrix
Joined: 30 Jun 2003 Posts: 7617 | TRs | Pics Location: Sierra stylin |
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jenjen
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Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:02 pm
Re: Tomyhoi, Yellow Aster, Pt 5933 8/18-19/10 (photos added)
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Schroder wrote: | we chose a spot just above the lowest tarn on the old trail where we had the best views of Shuksan. |
I know that site well. It's one of my favorite camp sites ever - the view of Shuksan changing colors at dawn and dusk just cannot be beat.
If life gives you melons - you might be dyslexic
If life gives you melons - you might be dyslexic
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6311 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:35 pm
Re: Tomyhoi, Yellow Aster, Pt 5933 8/18-19/10 (photos added)
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Schroder wrote: | We got up to the first rocks on the summit ridge & had the choice of climbing to the false summit or dropping underneath it on the glacier & ascend to the notch. We chose the latter. After descending about a hundred feet and turning the corner, the visibility got worse at about the time I had a crevasse below me & could see a schrund above me. After a few seconds of contemplation, we decided to back off & descend to a high point to the east off the glacier, have lunch & wait for the visibility to improve. It didn't. We had a few brief openings and then it would get worse. After waiting an hour, we decided to head down. |
You made a good choice on doing the glacier route. The route over the false summit necessarily works onto the west side and involves some (I don't recall how much) traversing on 5.6 loose rock.
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