Forum Index > Trip Reports > Abernathy Peak, July20-21
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Bright River
goslowgofar



Joined: 21 Aug 2007
Posts: 223 | TRs | Pics
Location: above the pogonip
Bright River
goslowgofar
PostWed Jul 22, 2009 10:42 am 
Well still trying to deal with some injuries, I thought I would see if I could make it up and down 5,000 feet without further damage. I choose Abernathy peak to bracket by problems and still challenge my mountaineering interests. A planned late start at 5 pm was made later when I was immediately confronted with the trail splitting ( signed south Creek and twisp river trail, no scatter creek. Hum!). When the trail split again and still no sign for scatter creek, I decided to go back to the scattter creek trailhead and look at the bulletin board for a map. No Map - Lots of declaring of territory by FS. Lots of regs. Went back and started up an unsigned trail. There was a very old sign for Scatter Creek about 100 yds up the trail and out of site of the turn off. After another 5 minutes, I realized that I had left my two water bottles in the car. This was a SLOW start. The trail switchback slowly up a dry and hot hillside. The trail so well graded that it was flat in parts, but then became less and less graded to the point that it was just a steep trail. Must have been some kind of schizo stuff going on in the FS trail design office. I crosssed the creek as it was getting dusk and dashed uphill for a flat campsite while I could still see. I was up and off at 6:30 next morning, crossing the basin just below the lake and enjoying the larch and wildflowers- snow patches here as well as scattered avalanche debris ( probably early winter avalanches- light snow, short distances, smaller trees, broken at knee level, or uprooted ). Scatter Lake was pretty, full of fish, surrounded by snow on two sides. At this point, I realized that I had not taken my description from B and S. It was just up the basin from the lake, right? IT may have just been up the basin, but to which of the lumps on the skyline? I had two maps and the shaded one , gave a fake impression with the shading that it might be on the east. I decided to go up the major gulley between the two peaks and see if I could see which was the higher. At the saddle, The east summit still looked higher; there were a number of gendarmes between me and the possible west summit, so it was hard to tell. I finally got out my second map, and it became clear that the summit was on the west, out of sight and only one contour higher. I started traversing across ledges and up and down gulleys and then on the 3rd gendarme, ran into a notch. Guess I just needed a little 3rd class practice, and a few 4th class stuff to tune up my climbing skills. I tried downclimbing a number of gullys but finally ended up going back to the major gully and descending to get arond a buttress. The rest was easy if high in scree frustration. The peak seen from the lake was the "low" red grunge pile on the left. Found the Register, but almost did not get it opened. Grunting and 5 minutes of effort payed off. And then I found a single page stating that the register had been taken 2 days before to be deposited at the Mountaineers. I really wish that full registers would be left on summits , at least for a while, until another register is gotten. "Full" registers have a lot of open spaces for signing. I am Tired of do-gooders. Many registers have more than one register on them. They represent the climbing history of the peak and belong there as long as possible, not at the Mountaineers where they will rarely be seen. I descended and descended, and enjoyed coffee at my camp and descended more, and then drove off from the trailhead less than 24 hours after leaving. No other cars at trailhead, no people on trail, at lake or peak. I don't mind a few people now and then, unless they obscond with the register.

..-and rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving. Rise free from care before the dawn and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. HDT
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Malamonster1
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Joined: 25 Jun 2009
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Malamonster1
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PostWed Jul 22, 2009 12:52 pm 
We climbed Abernathy Peak over the 4th and the register was full. We had a lot of fun reading who had been there before us. I agree that it is very frustrating when the registers disappear!!!

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RichP
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Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics
Location: here
RichP
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PostWed Jul 22, 2009 6:26 pm 
Nice to see that you got it done up.gif

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