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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:36 pm
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An even score of creatures reached the summit of Persis today - 16 hikers and 4 dogs.
People: Matt, Cartman, Don b, Martin S, Loper, Wamountaingal, Todd, Trailpair (2), Opus, Twodogdad, Bad Dog (2), 11th Essential, Mountainsun, Micitz.
Dogs: Banjo, Holly, Boon, Docs
We were able to drive to about 2050 feet on the road, and saved some road-walking distance with a shortcut up a gully near where the trail starts.
We couldn't find the exact TH in the snow, but worked our way up in the scrubby trees for a couple hundred feet and then up the snow-covered clear-cut slopes. Snow on the lower slopes was soft and inclined to posthole, but the snow got better higher up.
The summit had great clear views of the surrounding peaks, especially the ornately corniced ridge leading to Persindex and Index.
We decided to not go any further because the hot weather was weakening the snow rapidly. But some of us longingly studied the ridge in anticipation of future trips.
The group enjoyed about an hour of relaxing in warm sun on the summit, then headed down.
The softened snow was a minefield of people-eating pits on the lower slopes going down. The weak snow cover would break and drop you into pits of brush and clearcut slash. I think everyone fell in at least waist deep, and some went chest or shoulder deep.
Persis Route Map Persis & Index Map Road Walking Shortcut High Reaches of Persis Raptor Cornices Persis Summit Making tracks up Persis Many-ringed Snow Wheel (I count at least 9 rings) 14 of 16, near the Persis Tarns The ridge to Persindex Index Cornices Enjoying the summit Me Persis Tarn Another snow wheel Snow flowers growing from soft snow
A few more photos:
Heading up from Persis Tarns Bellevue & Seattle Index Summit The route to Persindex Gunn, Townsend, Merchant, Baring
Panoramic of Index:
Stats: Parking 2050, Summit 5464, net gain 3400, cumulative gain 3600, 6 miles, 7:30 hours, countless postholes.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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TrailPair Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1699 | TRs | Pics
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First, we would like to thank Matt for organizing this fun trip. It was a large group of very nice people. We were even joined by "Mike", who just discovered the NW Hikers website last night, and decided to join us.
With the warm weather, K got a chance to try her summer single point crampons with heel elevators, which are well ventilated and stylish.
Although the descent was hideous with the traps and soft snow, the glissade down the "short cut" made it all worthwhile! And what views!
Steep climb through the clear-cut Open slope Plastered trees Tom "waiste deep". Mt. Index Snow sculpture Trail Pair Persis-Index ridge Opus on pointing duty with Troy. Bad Dog on left. Heading down All spread out of Persis summit For Silly_Traveler Single Point crampons
This thing called work is interfering with my play
This thing called work is interfering with my play
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silly_traveler ~ roaming ~
Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Posts: 1525 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue |
♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
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drewcoll Member
Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 288 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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drewcoll
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:17 pm
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loper Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 453 | TRs | Pics Location: seeking the sun |
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loper
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:29 pm
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Thanks Matt for organizing. A good day in the mountains. Enjoyed meeting you all.
Oh, almost forgot. Awesome single point crampon sandal shots!
L
Cool Tree on Persis Persis with lots of people Index from Persis April 2008 Traverse to Index April 2008
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Opus Wannabe
Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics Location: The big rock candy mountain |
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Opus
Wannabe
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:38 pm
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What a great trip, thanks for organizing it Matt! Between the Northlake social and this trip I've met a lot of new people this week. Great views from the top, much better than my last trip. I took about a bazillion photos too, many more than I'll post here. The rest are viewable at the link below, as well as the full sized panoramas.
Mt. Persis trip photos
Big group Tree-hole attack! Into the sun Cornices Breaking trail Under the sun Upwards Nearing the top Textured snow Big view Mt. Index Lap dog Dog lift Pondering the traverse Cornices Glissade!
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wamtngal Member
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 2382 | TRs | Pics Location: somewhere |
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wamtngal
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:40 pm
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Awesome pano, Opus!
It was great to meet everyone - and on such a hot day! Much thanks to Matt for organizing the trip and making sure our headcount came to 16 + 4 canines at the end.
Looking forward to getting out with all of you again!
My measly photo contribution...wish I had brought the better camera on a day like today!
Donb and Todd head up 11th Essential showing his pearly whites Donb eyeing th prize and Index Almost there...not quite Line of ants Snow sculpture Index Dance to the Sun God Ze traverse Still a bit more to go... From the steep stuff to the steeper stuff
Opinions expressed here are my own.
Opinions expressed here are my own.
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Hiker Mama Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2006 Posts: 3451 | TRs | Pics Location: Lynnwood |
What a spectacular looking trip! Matt, your photos are wonderful. I especially like the last one with all the snow flowers. TrailPair, I really like the photo of Mt. Index with the scraggly tree in front. I can't imagine postholing up to my shoulders, or even waist! Thanks for sharing your adventure.
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mntsun Wunderer
Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 206 | TRs | Pics Location: Squaresville |
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mntsun
Wunderer
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Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:43 pm
Too Much Fun
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It was a terrific group of people with whom to slog up Persis! A perfect weather day, 56 degrees on the summit with almost no wind; however, descent was challenging. It was very enjoyable both snowshoeing and meeting everyone.
Thanks to Opus for reposting the pano, Trail Pair for the sparkly single point crampon pictures, wamtngal for finding my basket, all the trail breakers for their steps, the whole group for the great experience and especially thanks fo Matt for organizing and being aware enough to help the hiker out and down.
WhulgeSeattleAndClimbers RouteSelectionTime TheRouteNotTaken BaringRoute TroubleAhead MyLeastFavoriteSpot; All those snowshoe tracks are mine RelaxingAndGettingSunburnOnTheRoadOut; finally a flat spot
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11th Essential Member
Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 203 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline, WA |
Big thanks to Matt for putting this together . Perfect Day. Was great to meet so many new folks and put faces to the avitars.
Fortunately I made it out of that hole and was able to take these pics,
Lone Rock Rainier and Cornice Mt Index Unidentified Butt Glassaider - Troy? Nearing the top Loper, one of the few moments she wasn't breaking trail. WA Mtn Gal and Todd Pers-Index Lunch Crowd Thru the trees Heading up Matt sweeping the stragglers, only kidding.... Looking east, Mt Index and the lunch crew
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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:24 am
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I added a few more photos and a pan of Index to my original post.
Glad everyone enjoyed the trip.
A couple other anecdotes:
Where we parked, there were three young guys departing at the same time, but they didn’t have snowshoes and didn’t make it to the summit. On the way down, I met one of them postholing, and was appalled to see that he was wearing soaking wet bluejeans. Somehow he survived, but it was funny just to recognize my own reaction. When I noticed the jeans, I found myself internally exclaiming in horror, “Oh my God, he’s wearing cotton!”
I also forgot to put on sunscreen. This evening my son has been amusing himself by poking my face to watch the red skin turn white and then back to red.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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#19 Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 2197 | TRs | Pics
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#19
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:22 am
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Well golly gee. He was probably as appalled to see a group of 20 on such a small mountain, as you were to see him in jeans. Wouldn't you just love to arrive at a summit to find the lunch crowd.
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7220 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:18 am
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Thanks all for the report and the clear pictures of the Pers-Index ridge. Last fall I scrambled up the back route on Index and looked all over the site for pictures like this to let me know what to expect, but everyone who did it either didn't take the shots or was on Persis in bad weather. Now there's an abundance of Beta shots on the Index route.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Nice look at that ridge. The snow yesterday was like slush, I put on SPF 50 all day and still got a burn on top of last weeks. Sweet views, despite the haze and smog layers.
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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GaliWalker Have camera will use
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 4930 | TRs | Pics Location: Pittsburgh |
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:52 pm
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Looks like a beautiful trip! Lots of eye candy...
Opus, these 2 shots are really good!
Opus wrote: | Under the sun Cornices |
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