[MLHSN]

[wildernessed]

Mark, it was quite the workout and route. I ate everything I had, all my GU, Trail Mix bars, and yes, the gummy bears. I needed fuel. Matt counted the snow ribs between peaks and I am sure he will elaborate on that, other highlights, and post some great pics.

[Matt]

Finally, here are my trip report and photos. At 8:40am. we started at the Smithbrook parking area on US2, 3100 feet. We hiked the Smithbrook Road 2.5 miles to its big westernmost switchback at 4000 feet. Previous travelers had left a packed track on the road. Tracks showed one group of skiers had gone in yesterday, but we never saw them. Must have been Dicey’s group. At the switchback, we headed northwest uphill until we reached the big 4500-foot meadow. From here on, we were kicking our own steps, with about a foot of fresh powder over an old hard crust. At the meadow, we turned slightly east of north and followed the minor ridge that comes down the slope to the east end of the meadow. There were some steep spots on the rib, but I think overall it was less steep than the alternative, which is to go up the face of the slope.

Buried Smithbrook

4500 Meadow, rib we followed is at right

The trees carried multiple forms of snow and ice: fresh snow atop the branches, icicles hanging below, and spiky frost growing from both.

Snow, frost, & icicles

Spiky frosty icicles 1

Spiky frosty icicles 2

Spiky frosty icicles 3

Snowy frosty branch

Circa 5200 feet we hit the crest of Union’s east ridge, where we again found some ski tracks, which gave us a respite from packing down our own steps in the powder. At 12:15pm, we arrived at Union’s summit 5696. The view…wasn’t.

Arriving at Union summit

Union summit view of Jove (not)

Looking ahead, we could not see Jove. We could see clouds, soft snow, lots of ribs and cornices on the ridge, and the probability of a difficult slog down and up the ridge, twice, to get to Jove and back. But I’d already posted “Union & Jove” as the title of the report, so we pushed onward. The ridge between Union & Jove drops 500 feet to a 5200-foot col, then climbs 800 feet to Jove. It’s exactly on the Cascade crest, so it catches all the wind and snow of storms crossing the crest.

Crest boundary

Looking down Union & up Jove

All the way down and up, the crest of the ridge was cut into ribs of snow by the wind. Wherever a tree on the western windward side blocked the wind, the snow built up to a rib stretching toward the bare lee side, with the spaces in between carved into channels by the wind. Some were small ribs only a 1-2 feet high, some were big ribs 6-12 feet high, most were in the 2-6 foot range. Every rib required cutting a zigzag course back and forth to climb up and down their sides at a reasonable angle. Going down Union’s north ridge, we tried to kick in a course that would let us hike back up. Occasionally we slid down the faces of some steeper ribs, wondering how we’d get back up later.

Part of ridge down from Union

Wildernessed sliding off a bigger rib

Snuffleupagus Tree

Then it was up Jove’s south ridge. On the lower part, we could sometimes cut into the trees on the left. Higher up, we could also sometimes cut a path across the slopes below the cornices on the right. But mostly we still had to stay on top of the ribs, because the side slopes were too steep.

Ribs up Jove

Wildernessed & Steve in trees

Wildernessed & Steve ascending Jove

Cutting between cornices & trees

Steve atop cornices on Jove

High up on Jove, the trees were so plastered with snow that their windward sides looked almost like walls of snow. There was so much snow that some trees actually had slide paths running down their sides. Lower down, we had marveled at the giant, widow-maker snow blobs some trees were supporting at their tops, sometimes huge lumps six feet or more across. Now we marvelled at how much snow was plastered across the whole height & breadth of the trees.

Snow plastered

Big snow boughs

Loads of snow

On the windward side of the trees

At 2:50pm, we reached Jove’s summit, 6007 feet. Again it was mostly cloudy, but occasionally the clouds thinned enough to let us see Union, with its summit also in a cloud.

Jove summit group

Jove summit tea & typical view of Union

Then it was back down the ridge. The thinner clouds gave a better view of the trees. The snow-plastered trees were a highlight of the trip for me. Some bent down, some stood up, some spread out, but all were bearing up huge weights of snow. They were a testament to endurance and fortitude.

Plastered

Snowed down

Mother of Snowy Trees

Slide paths on trees

Snow Tree Wall

A few cloud breaks also gave glimpses of the surrounding area.

Lake Valhalla

Union & east ridge

Union from Jove

Predator Tree

When we reached the col and started back up Jove, I decided to count the ribs on the Union side. 132 distinct ribs! Each and every rib required somehow going over, around, or through another crest of snow. It was hard work, but also fascinating to work our way through the midst of all the curves and lines cut by the wind. As the trees channeled the wind across the crest, each rib piled up and met the next in a unique junction of rise and fall, deposition and erosion. The ribs were the other highlight of the trip for me.

Ribs

More Ribs

Layered Cornices

Ribs atop Cornices

Looking down cornices

Looking up ribs

Climbing ribs, Steve

Climbing ribs, Wildernessed

Ribs & fog

At 4:20, we made it back to the summit of Union, where the view was the same as before.

Re-Union

To descend Union, we took a different route. We followed the east ridge farther east, and then dropped straight down the slope, so that we could meet the road further on. It was a good plan, but we left the ridge too soon, before the 4950 col, which put our descent onto the steepest part of the slope midway down. It would have been better to continue over the 5100-foot bump and all the way the 4600 gap where the road crosses the ridge, then drop down wider contours to the road below. Anyway, the steep part gave me an opportunity to practice self-arrest on variable snow. The snow varied between crusty layers, some surface powder, and occasional icy sections. When my snowshoes slipped, I discovered that the crusty snow was too weak for my ice axe’s pick to grip. Eventually, I was able to dig in the shaft of the axe and stop. Like the lessons say, keep trying until you find a way to stop. Then I had to climb back up 100 feet to recover the pole I abandoned along the way. And then we searched downward to find Wildernessed’s camera that had rolled 300 feet down the slope.

Runout at bottom of fall slope

Then it was back down Smithbrook road to the cars at 6:40pm, glad to have longer daylight. A thorough workout, but rewarding. I always like trips best where I discover something interesting to see or travel through. like the snow ribs and snow-plastered trees today. It's one advantage of winter - the snow itself often offers new creations to discover, even when views are limited. The creative synergy of snow, wind, terrain, and trees provides a fascinating diversity of configurations, forming and reforming at each place and time throughout the season. Round trip about 10 miles (maybe more with the zigzags), 4000 cumulative gain, 10 hours.

[Magellan]

Epic. Four hours to round trip between the two summits. I have seen the phenomena of snow ribs, but the size, coupled with the sheer number, boggle the mind. I wonder if you will be pre-writing trip reports in the future?

[John Morrow]

[GaliWalker]

[wildernessed]

The trip became more than one might have imagined . How fortunate we are to have these experiences, they are so absorbing. Great pics and summary Matt. I wish I could have gotten some shots going down Unions East ridge to Smithbrook, but at least I have my camera back . Felt like a kid playing in the snow.

[MLHSN]

Is the camera still functioning properly?

[b00]

[Matt]

b00, no offense taken. Caution about avalanche potential is always good. Your route probably would be safer under more unstable conditions. On the day we went up, conditions were actually quite stable. Slides had happened earlier in the current cycle, but everything below the surface powder was frozen pretty solid when we were there. The road does cross a couple avalanche paths. Our descent route, which I wouldn't recommend anyway, went down the worst one. I wouldn't have tried it if we hadn't found stable conditions up and down everything all day long.

[wildernessed]

[Mark Griffith]

Man those plastered trees are fantastic looking! Well done on huffing through all the snow. Spring is a long ways off I fear, I heard today on the radio it may even snow in Seattle this week. Eeek. I love winter but am looking forward to the great melt out.