[Edd]

Well, this started as a pretty ambitious solo trip. I am not sure what it ended up as. I don't neccesarally post all my trips, but to pick this one as one not to post didn't feel right. The planning, and hence execution pretty much sucked. Time constraints, last minute change of plans a wedding all added to a not to organized begining. Not to say the trip could not of went as planned anyways. I think (IMO), that at the beggining of the trip my resolve was tested and I balked, or I just made a decision and couldn't accept it. Either way it set the tone for the rest of the trip. Pics posted at bottom. The plan was to head out sunday and hike up to Leroy basin, either via the high route or Phelps creek, depending on the weather. Spend sun afternoon checking out the saddle and route down into the basin for the scramble up Fernow. On monday scramble Fernow, head back down to Phelps creek and head up through spider meadows to the head of the Phelps creek basin. Camp, and then on tuesday scramble Dumbell. On Wednsday dayhike over spider gap and check out the Lyman lakes. On thursday I had some plans from the Buck creek trailhead depending on ambition and time. Not As I arrived at the Phelps creek trailhead clouds were rolling in pretty heavy and the Wenatchee station on the radio was calling for increasing clouds sunday. So without views I decided against the high route. Just as I started up Leroy creek to the basin it began to rain. Arriving in the basin a little before noon in drizzle and windy conditions, I set up my tent, crawled inside and tried to take a nap. After about a hour and a half, and waking to an occasional break in the clouds, I couldn't take it any more and decided to scout out the saddle at 7760ft that would hopefully grant me access into the big creek basin below Fernow. The easiest route out of the basin towards the saddle appeared to be to head NE up through a qully and then travese N across talus up to the saddle. As I neared the saddle I began to get excited, the saddle was obvious, there was faint boot tread and my altimeter even corresponded with the beta. When I peered over the edge of the saddle though my heart sank and I got kind of a queasy feeling in my stomach.

looking down saddle

from ridge

I spent probly about an hour or longer trying to figure out how to either get down via that saddle of find a better way. In the meantime It began to snow and clouds kept rolling in obstructing my views. I climbed down to the right of the saddle on some crumbly rock ledges, (very unerving for me), to get a better look, I tried higher, lower, even gave up a couple of times and headed back to the basin, only to turn back around and try again, because I knew it went, I just wasn't figuring it out. Descended 1700ft back to my tent ate and went to sleep early, all the while thinking about whether I wanted to give it another try in the morning. Woke in the morning to beutifull clear skys and Icy raindrops on my tent. I decided that I only had so many days, and I didn't want to take a chance of spending most of the time trying to get into the basin only to be disapointed. Even so as I was heading down out of Leroy creek basin I kept having this nagging feeling of utter defeat (this was supposed to be the highlight of my trip), no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise. Time to move on though. It was a beautifull day and I had other places to go. As long as I scrambed Dumbell today I would still be on schedual for the rest of my trip. Back at the Phelps creek trail I headed towards Spider meadows and Phelps creek basin. As I entered Spider meadows I temporarialy forgot about Fernow. I thought it was a beautifull meadow with awesome surrounding views. As I was leaving the medows I wanted to take a rest and check my maps and notes and make a plan for Dumbell. I couldn't flippin believe it, no maps, no notes, nothing. I don't know how or when but I had lost all my beta. OK, not to panic, I can still do Dumbell and check out the lyman lakes without maps or beta if the weather stays clear. . I usually go over my route and plans so many times I memorize them by the time I go. This trip though was a last minute change of plans. I thought they would be good reading in the tent at night. At about 5300ft the trail juntions either heading up towards spider gap or follows Phelps creek. I followed the creek into the basin where I got my first good views of what I believed to be Dumbell. I had never seen a pic of, or had any idea what Dumbell would look like from that perspective. Fortunately it was a wide open basin with lots of unobstructed views. Still I was confused at times. I had all this information in my head, but it had little relavancy in bits and pieces. I knew I needed to start from about 6000ft at the end of the basin, then I had 7200ft, 7900ft, ENE, ramp, gullly, notch all stuck in my head. Now I had to put it all together. I decided at this point that I would be happy just figuring out which one of the prominences I was looking at was dumbell. I dropped my pack grabbed a litre of water a protien bar and started up a gully and then heather ramp Randy had described in his TR. At 7200ft I entered a talus basin below a prominence that I at first mistook for Dumbell. At closer inspection I saw a gully on its S. sholder that appeared to have a faint path trailing away from it. What if? I figured it would be easier to check it out now and rule it out than to wonder. I turned out to be steep, exposed and nasty. When I got up on the ridge and looked over I saw Bonanza and knew I was not where I wanted to be. Now I knew where I needed to go. Getting off the ridge and back on to the talus was sketchiest part of the whole trip. Back on the talus I made my way over to the south sholder of the false summit of Dumbell, saw the gully mentioned in Peggys book and by Randy. Worked my way up and over the sholder, loosing my nalgene bottle on the way up. I turned around just in time to see it catch a whole lot of air, never to be seen again by me. OK, now what? I remember that in Peggy Goldmans book she talked about crossing a snowfied early season to access the summit. I also remembered about reading about a ledge system leading to the notch between the two summits, and ascending from there. I decided to drop down and travese talus where there were some remnants of a snow field and check out the routes from there. From the talus below the ledges I kept looking back up and thinking that it sure looks like a much easier and better line shooting across the ledges to the notch and accesing the summit from there. Back up I went, across a nice ledge system to the notch, accually saw one small cairne where you leave the ledges and ascend to the notch. And thats where I stopped,(at the notch). I'm not sure exactly why. I was tired, but not exhausted, I had already done what was supposed to be the more difficult part of the scramble, I wasn't in a whiteout. I just quit. The trip was supposed to be challanging but enjoyable also, I was on vacation and by myself. I just needed to stop and enjoy the next couple of days. I think it all began attempting Fernow and culminated here. In hindsight I now wish I would of went ahead and summited Dumbell, but that is in hindsight, at the time I chose not to. The next day I did a day trip over spider gap down to the lyman lakes. Had the lakes all to myself. I'll let the pictures tell that story.

dumbell summit on right

summit notch

summit

bonanza from notch

fernow,7FJ and maude

left center gully and ledges I tried, right center, probable route

upper lyman from above

upper

upper lakelet

ice floes in upper lake

ice sculpture

chiwawa far right

heather shore

bonanza reflection on lower lyman

lower lyman

close up of bonanza peak

looking back

smokey,bonanza and lower lyman

[Dayhike Mike]

Sorry to hear the trip didn't go so well...looks like you got some nice pics of the area regardless. Better luck next time, buddy...

[Mesahchie Mark]

EDD: Fernow denied me and Malachai last year. I think the secret passage is a gap to the left of the pass up from Leroy (found it on the way back, of course). Still, nice pics - you got to spend QT in one of favorite places! There's always next year...

[Tom]

Nice shots. At least you had good weather for most of the trip.

[Randy]

Great report, one of the better ones I've read in awhile. I've experienced all those difficulties at one time or another, so it was pretty easy to relate as I read along.

[Tazz]

great read EDD! you did get some great shots though and you still got to be out there even if it wasn't exactly as planned.

[Edd]

[Scrooge]

Great report. Ever since I read Randy's report of his first trip to Delta Lake, I've been convinced that the best service we can give to the next generation of hikers and climbers is to write up those trips that don't go well, that are difficult, or that show an obviously experienced outdoorsman dealing with uncertainty, discomfort ....... and even fear. Altogether too many reports make exploration seem easy and explorers seem almost super-human. The reality is quite different, and "telling it like it is" is the best gift you can give to those who will actually become the next generation of explorers. David ps - The pics aren't bad, either.

[wolfs]

You are far from the only one to be humbled by the scale and audacity of the mountains of the Entiat and environs. I had ambitions last year of doing Maude and 7FJ on day one, and Chiwawa on day two. Foolish mortal ... Barely got back to valley camp before dark after only getting onto Maude day one, and the attrition of day before left my feet abused and spirit weak on day two, didn't even bother with seriously investigating Chiwawa from either Red Mt or Lyman side, just made it to Spider Gap and was content to listen to marmots whistle and snooze on the slabs. And o gawd the talus ... nothing sucks the will from your mountaineering soul like 3000 vertical feet of trundlicious granite of perfect ankle crushing size between the nice comfy trail and the dubious summit you've targeted above. Feet: Let's not and say we did. Brain: Ummm ok.

[Kat]

[Backpacker Joe]

More nice pics Edd-man. Good on you.