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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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Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:30 pm
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Pickets 2013: Easy Ridge, Some Challengers, & Wiley Ridge
I see that Stefan posted a report for this trip earlier today. I already had this report almost done, so I'm posting it also. Stefan's report is much more concise. This report has many more photos of sunrises and sunsets, plus some brocken.
Dates: July 20-25
Party: Stefan Feller, Greg Koenig, Matt Burton
Intended Plan: We wanted to duplicate a trip that mtnmike, Mitch Blanton, & the Goodmans made about 15 years ago. Take Easy Ridge to Perfect Pass, go through the middle Challenger Col, work around to the west shoulder of Crowder, transition to Pioneer Ridge, and run the crest of Pioneer Ridge to Baker River. Along the way try to climb Whatcom, Challenger, Crooked Thumb, (possibly Phantom), Crowder, & the two summits of Pioneer Ridge.
The Actual Result: Not enough snow! We made it to Perfect Pass. Stefan & Greg climbed Whatcom & Challenger, which I had already done. Middle Challenger col had a big moat, but we found a different way around. Attempted Crooked Thumb but the approach gully was bare. Decided the traverse around Crowder wouldn't go because there was no snow on the steep sidehill slopes. We exited via Eiley Wiley instead.
Day 1: Hannegan Pass to Easy Ridge Camp 5295
We met at Sedro Wooley, dropped off a car at the Baker River trailhead, and drove to the Hannegan Pass trailhead.
Then we hiked the trail up to Hannegan Pass and back down to the Chilliwack River ford at 2720 feet. The turn-off for the ford is marked by a cairn, and it occurs where the river is very close, just about 100 feet down and a few hundred feet away, running wide and shallow in that area.
Directly across the river, we found the way trail for Easy Ridge. It threaded through slide alder for about 15 minutes to get past he river flats, and then became a very clear trail switch-backing steeply uphill through the forest to the col on Easy Ridge at 5140 feet.
Cairn at the turnoff for Chilliwack River ford Fording the river
We dropped the packs at the col and briefly visited the 5700-foot (560P) high point at the north end of the ridge.
Then we moved south and uphill to put our camp where there was a nicer spot with running water. Stefan put his tent on a flat grassy spot, but it was very buggy. I put mine higher up, but the ground was tilted. I ended up moving during the night, after I tired of sliding down into the toe of my tent. My new one-person tent isn't entirely free-standing, but it held together well enough to pick it up with gear inside and carry it a few hundred feet away to better ground.
Easy Ridge Camp & Easy Point Sunset clouds by Shuksan & Ruth
Day 1 stats: 14 miles, 5470 cumulative gain, 10 hours
Day 2: Easy Ridge to Perfect Pass, Whatcom Peak
I got up at 5:15am to watch the sunrise, then went back to bed till the camp woke up at 7:00am.
Sunrise on Mineral Mountain, Shuksan, & Ruth
The remainder of Easy Ridge was a joy to travel, a high heathery crest with every widening views. There was just one steep section circa 6400 feet, just before Easy Peak 6615.
Going up Easy Ridge to "Easy Peak" Looking off the northeast side to Brush Creek, Redface Mtn, & Whatcom Pass Looking off the northwest side to Easy Creek Looking south to Pioneer Ridge Looking southeast into the Pickets Yes, those are Pickets
Now we had to drop down to cross the "Perfect Impasse" and go back up to Perfect Pass.
We left Easy Ridge just before Point 6555 and dropped to 4650 feet to cross the Impasse. The descent was relatively easy on snow and rubble.
The ascent was not joyful or easy. It was a mix slabs, wet moss, and brush. We worked our way up the righthand side of the first slab hanging onto shrubbery, then forced our way through brush and rock steps. At one point I became stuck and had to take my pack off to get through, which was exhausting work, trying to get the pack free and haul it up to a place I could put it back on, while climbing on a tangle of tree limbs sticking out of a rock face. Somewhere along the way, my water bottle and holster tore off and were lost.
Descending to get below Perfect Pass Looking up the Impasse from where we crossed it We went up along the edges of the shrubbery on the righthand edge of these slabs On easier terrain continuing to Perfect Pass (at upper right)
At Perfect Pass, Stefan & Greg went off to climb Whatcom. I had climbed it previously, so I rested and enjoyed the view of Mt. Challenger and the snow walls ringing Perfect Pass.
Stefan & Greg head up Whatcom
Day 2 stats:
Easy Ridge to Perfect Pass: 5.03mi, 3400 gain, 2400 loss, 8 hours
Whatcom Peak (Stefan & Greg): 1.5 miles, 1250 gain, 1:45 hours round trip
A Digression on Pickets Approaches
With completion of the Easy Ridge approach, I had now done all seven standard approaches into the Pickets: Easy Ridge, Whatcom Pass, Eiley Wiley, Access Creek, Stetattle Ridge, Goodell Creek, and Terror Creek. You can see all of them diagrammed and described on Steph Abegg's Pickets Page on summitpost.org.
Overnight at Perfect Pass
A ptarmigan at the pass worked very hard at protecting its chicks, which were scattered across the heather and snow. First it tried to decoy me, walking slowly and clucking loudly. Then it actually did a threat display, spreading its wings and hissing at me. Apparently it had already encountered Stefan, which was a disturbing experience for it.
Ptarmigan chick in heather Ptarmigan chick on snow Ptarmigan mother
We set up our tents on a bare area by a large boulder. This time my tent was on level ground, but the only way to fit it in was to tuck the foot of the tent in under a bush, with the vestibule practically touching Stefan's tent. When I got up in the night, I had to be careful that I didn't step directly into the other tent and fall on Greg.
It was a fine night. Some evening clouds, but then warm and clear, and no bugs!
Sunset at Perfect Pass camp
I ran around at sunset to take photos, then had dinner and went to bed. In the morning , I got up at 5:15am again for the sunrise, then went back to bed till 7am.
I especially liked how some of the morning and evening views complemented each other from this campsite.
Challenger at sunset & sunrise:
Challenger sunset, Sunday 8:48pm Challenger sunrise, Monday, 5:38am
The line of ridges down the headwaters of the Baker River below us was especially fine, looking almost like something out of Middle Earth:
Shoulders of the Baker River, Sunday, 4:02pm Shoulders of the Baker River, Sunday, 8:54pm Shoulders of the Baker River, Sunday, 9:20pm Shoulders of the Baker River, Monday, 5:31am Shoulders of the Baker River, Monday, 8:02am
In the morning, I also like how the light flowed down across Baker, Shuksan, and Mineral where they were all stacked together.
8:48pm the night before 5:23am, the sunrise reaches Baker 5:29am, the sunrise reaches Shuksan 5:36am, the sunrise reaches Jagged Ridge 5:43am, the sunrise reaches Mineral Mtn
Day 3: Perfect Pass to Middle Challenger Col, Mt. Challenger, Middle Challenger
Challenger
We hiked up the edge of the snow to about 6900 feet, then roped up and traversed across the Challenger Glacier to 7300 feet. Stefan and Greg dropped their packs at a (probably) stable area below a rock outcrop and went to climb Mt. Challenger. I had already done it, so I stayed behind to rest. (Have you noticed a recurring theme here?) Stefan & Greg completed their climb and were back in three hours. They reported no snow bridge on the giant bergschrund crevasse that tends to cut off the summit, but they were able to step across it.
Crossing the Challenger Glacier The Challenger summit area (viewed from later in the trip)
The Quiet Glacier
This was the quietest period I have ever spent on a high place in the mountains. Usually there's some kind of sound up in the mountains – wind, trees, critters, rocks, ice, but this time everything was perfectly calm. If nothing else, normally you can hear water flowing form up high. After all this is the Cascades, and there's always a waterfall somewhere across the valley. But this time, even the waterfalls were hidden below the steep rims of the valleys, so nothing was audible but a very faint hum of distant falling water.
My only visitors were two rosy finches, who appeared not on wing, but on foot, hopping nonchalantly past me as they pecked at insects on the snow. Similar finches appeared everywhere that we camped near the glacier, apparently feeding on the ice worms.
Rosy finch on the Challenger Glacier
Crossing the Challenger Cols (not)
We moved up to the Middle-West Challenger Col at 7600 feet.
Approaching the Middle Challenger Col Crowder from the col Crooked Thumb from the col
Now two problems combined.
First, it looked extremely unlikely that our route across the shoulder of Crowder would succeed. The report we'd received indicated they'd gone up the central snowfield, then climbed to the high shoulder in a snow-filled gully. But the snowfield itself was broken up, and there was no snow whatsoever in any high gully. We decided not to try it in these conditions. (There was also snow-filled gully way over on a lower shoulder, but the traverse there looked horrid without snow cover.)
Second, the col we were at had a big moat at the bottom, which meant we probably wouldn't be able to reverse course and climb back up if we rappelled into it. Stefan valiantly explored the options. First we belayed him down the easier slot on the east edge of the col. He decided that the rock was climbable, but the moat at the bottom was too wide to get back up. Then I lowered him down the steeper slot on the west edge of the col. This one didn't have a moat, but was too steep for any of us to climb. So, no go on this col.
Stefan and Greg roped up and went to check the col that's west of West Challenger. They found that it was easily passable, but weren't sure where we'd be able to cross the cliffs that separate it from the glacier by Crooked Thumb. It looked passable on the map, but might require descending way down to about 6300 feet.
So we came up with a new plan. We would abandon the traverse to Pioneer Ridge. We could camp here overnight, in the big swale above the Middle Challenger Col. Tomorrow, without the heavy packs, we would dedicate a day to finding a way down from the col and make an attempt on Crooked Thumb.
Brocken on Middle Challenger
With time to spare at camp, Greg & I scrambled up Middle Challenger. It was simple third class scrambling, with just a couple steeper moves.
The view of West Challenger from partway up Middle Challenger Some more flowers on the way up Greg on Middle Challenger, with Pioneer Ridge & Blum behind Me on Middle Challenger Looking back down on Stefan & our camp
With the sun lowering in the sky and some clouds right below us, Middle Challenger provided some of the best Brocken Spectres that I've seen.
Spectre of Middle Challenger on Main Challenger Long Legs Photographer
Some other views from the summit:
American Border & Slesse above Whatcom Looking west to Wiley Ridge Crooked Thumb & Phantom Greg among the flowers on the way down
Day 3 Stats: Perfect Pass to Challenger Col: 2 miles, 1500 gain
Mt Challenger (Stefan & Greg): 2 miles, 920 gain, 3 hours round trip
Middle Challenger (Matt & Greg): 0.25 miles, 310 gain
Overnight at Challenger Col Camp
Pretty much the same routine as other nights.
Stefan put his tent on flat snow. I wanted dry ground, so I pitched my tent on a rock ledge, which only tilted somewhat sideways.
Our camp at Challenger Col My tent on its rock
I cooked my dinner, but then had to run up to the top of the swale for photos of the sunset, so I ate dinner later. Went to bed. Got up at 5:15am for the sunrise. Walked around the swale in my crocs without falling down the glacier. Back to bed briefly for a 6:00am wake-up, since we needed time for climbing.
Sunset shadow on Middle Challenger (scramble route goes up to the snowfield, over to the right edge, back to the left edge, then back to the middle and up) Sunrise shadow on West Challenger
Last light through the col First light through the col
Sunset burning a hole between Tomyhoi & Larrabee Sunrise burning a hole through Hozomeen
Day 4: Crooked Thumb Attempt, West Challenger Attempt, Move to Challenger Arm Camp
Crooked Thumb Attempt
Traversing to the col west of West Challenger 11 labels The route down from the west col (take rock down between the two snowfields on the cliff, then follow rock along the base of the righthand snowfield till it reaches the main snow basin) Crooked Thumb – we went up the loose rock on the right to avoid steep snow, then followed the higher snowfield back to the base of the gully that's left of the summit Summit area of Crooked Thumb Coming up to the base of the Crooked Thumb gully Returning back to West Challenger (the Middle Challenger Col is directly above us)
Phantom?
It was only 11am, so I suggested dropping down to Phantom Arm then climbing back up Phantom on the other side, assuming it was in condition for climbing. There was no party enthusiasm for adding this extra run down and up to Phantom and then down and up again back to camp.
West Challenger Attempt
But the map showed a col on this side of West Challenger that led almost to the summit, so we decided to try that. Easy terrain led right up to the col. But the col was actually a steep dike of totally rotten rock that divided the summits of West Challenger. The bottom was a scree pile, but above was a thin layer of scree and dirt over slabs of crusty breakable rock.
Stefan went up first, but by the time he got on top, he didn't want to go any further. I decided to try it and brought the rope up, but barely made it up the loose junk at all. Even the attached parts just came loose and fell apart if you tried to pull on them. Just to sit on top of the junk dike, we had to throw off piles of loosely jumbled rocks so we wouldn't slide off. I hated to even traverse across the crest of it to check out the summit block on the far side. So we found a couple solid pieces, and made two rappels to get back down.
Backing off here was the one mistake that I regret from this trip. On other peaks, the routes just weren't in condition. But here, we had actually already done the hard part. Checking reports later, I found that everyone reported that the solid rock above the dike was good simple climbing. If I'd gone over and checked it out, I expect we'd have finished without much problem. I should have followed mtnmike's dictum: "You have to touch the rock." If I'd gone over and actually touched the base of the summit route, I'd probably have seen that it was okay.
Stefan going up the crappy dike Summit block at the far end of the crappy dike Stefan rappelling back down the crappy dike
So we packed up, went back to the easy col (which was actually a much smaller crappy dike) and returned to camp.
Walking by a hidden crevasse on the way to camp. Note our tracks at upper left. The rock in the foreground is just part of piles of stuff that had spontaneously fallen off the crappy dike.
Challenger Col Camp to Challenger Arm Camp
We packed our camp and moved down to Challenger Arm (the col between Challenger and Wiley Ridge). Everyone agreed that this is one of the finest camps anywhere – plenty of tent space, big flat rocks to put things on, and great views. Stefan roamed around and found an open pool of running water nestled improbably against the edge of the rocks.
There were enough tent sites that I even had a level square area for my tent.
Heading down to Challenger Arm Camp Our shadows on the rocks at camp Ptarmigan at camp
Day 4 Stats:
Crooked Thumb & West Challenger Attempts: 4.5 miles, 2000 gain and loss
Challenger Col Camp to Challenger Arm Camp: 1.5 miles, 200 gain, 1100 loss
Overnight at Challenger Arm Camp
Usual routine for sunset and sunrise:
Cook my dinner. Run uphill for a better view of sunset and eat my dinner later.
Go to bed. Get up for sunrise. Go back to bed.
Except this night also including getting up several times in the middle of the night to marvel at the moonlight and stars.
The sunset:
My sunset shadow stretching to Luna Challenger sunset Afterglow behind the Luna-Fury Crest
Then after sunset, the moon put on a show, rising directly behind it's namesake Luna Peak:
Luna Rising, 9:26pm Silhouette of Greg & Whatcom, 9:33pm
Getting up at night to admire the moonlight on the peaks:
Moonlit Whatcom, 10:33pm Whatcom & Big Dipper, 11:16pm Moonlit Challenger
Sunrise:
Challenger Sunrise Moon, 5:28am Whatcom, 5:21am Whatcom, 5:28am Whatcom, 5:35am
A quick cup of sunrise tea, then back to bed:
Whatcom Sunrise Tea Challenger Sunrise Tea
Day 5: Challenger Arm Camp to Beaver Pass Camp via Eiley Wiley Traverse
By the way, since our cars were in the opposite direction, why were we exiting via Eiley Wiley?
We didn't want to return to Easy Ridge because of the nasty terrain below Perfect Pass. We didn't want to traverse to Whatcom Pass, because Mario's group had reported that the Whatcom Glacier was down to bare ice and rock. And Eiley-Wiley had two 400P prominence points that none of us had visited.
Stefan & Greg on Wiley Point 7374 Stefan's summit register container on Wiley Point Stefan's map of how to get to the Big Beaver (apparently drawn after consuming the contents of the summit register container) Greg & Stefan on Eiley Point 6984 Matt on Eiley Point Matt's shadow looking off the Little Beaver side of Wiley Ridge Matt's shadow looking off the Big Beaver side of Wiley Ridge
Day 5 Stats:
Challenger Arm Camp to Beaver Pass Camp (including Wiley Peak): 8 miles, 1620 gain, 4750 loss
Side trip to Eiley Peak: 1.2 miles, 780 gain and loss, round trip
I Iz Serious Stefan, read my report for the rest of the Eiley-Wiley traverse details
Day 6: Beaver Pass Camp to Ross Lake or Hannegan Pass
Stefan and I took some of Greg's gear and hiked the easy 15-mile trail to the Big Beaver dock, where Stefan persuaded a nice family to give us a boat ride to the Ross Dam trailhead dock.
Meanwhile Greg hiked the very long way around down to Little Beaver, up to Whatcom Pass, down to the Chillwack, up to Hannegan Pass, and out to the Hannegan trailhead, about 27 miles and 5800 feet of gain, I think.
Stefan and I had arrived at the Ross Dam trailhead about 5:30pm. Greg arrived at midnight. His trip had including various adventurous meetings, including washed out streams, lots of brush, two bears, a nest of bees, and Fay Pullen.
Thank you very much to Stefan for all of his route-finding work, and to Greg for his long trip to recover the car.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Jim Dockery Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 3092 | TRs | Pics Location: Lake Stevens |
I'm glad to be the first to give for another great TR and fantastic pics!
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Jetlag Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2010 Posts: 1410 | TRs | Pics
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Jetlag
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Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:10 am
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Reading both reports really gives a fuller view of this area. I've never come into the Pickets via the Perfect Pass/Impasse route, so now I have one more contradicting TR to weigh. Quite a few areas of the state seem to have much less dependable snow above 7000 feet than the fairly normal pack around 5500 feet on some slopes.
Loved the Brocken pics!
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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5084 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:11 am
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Thank you for a different perspective Matt! I really appreciate it!
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cascadetraverser Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 1407 | TRs | Pics
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Great trip; what an awesome place! I had to chuckle reading the section going up the perfect impasse. My memories were similiar! The 2nd col does go (I am pretty sure we are speaking of the same one) and you can negotiate the cliffs with some difficulty over to the basin below Crooked Thumb depending on the snow conditions. It is the way described by T and C in their description of the Picket traverse.
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Tom_Sjolseth Born Yesterday
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 2652 | TRs | Pics Location: Right here. |
Great TR and photos as usual, Matt. Looks like you guys had a great trip despite not achieving all of your goals. Was this Stefan's first time in the N Pickets??
I still need W Challenger. Maybe next week...
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wolffie Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2693 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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wolffie
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Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:09 pm
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Wow, a beautiful adventure, thanks.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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Prosit Member
Joined: 08 May 2011 Posts: 128 | TRs | Pics
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Prosit
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Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:05 pm
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Nice post Matt, and some great pictures. Good meeting you at the dock. I really did expect you to dash into the lake as Stefan and I had been doing, but I guess maybe the water was too warm, right?
Despite not getting to your destinations, it looks like it was a fine trip.
Just a quick note that the snow gully at the right of your picture of Crowder is the gully of the route normally taken. I haven't done the traverse, but have looked down at it and it looks as difficult from close up as it does from far away.
Matt wrote: | Crowder from the col |
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:27 pm
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beautiful report matt. thanks for the effort and energy to wake up on cold mornings to take great sunrise shots for us all.
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Tom_Sjolseth Born Yesterday
Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 2652 | TRs | Pics Location: Right here. |
Prosit wrote: | Just a quick note that the snow gully at the right of your picture of Crowder is the gully of the route normally taken. I haven't done the traverse, but have looked down at it and it looks as difficult from close up as it does from far away. |
That gully (and the traverse over to it) is less than fun. BUT, the ridge leading to Crowder's summit from Pickell Pass is decidedly less so. I think there could be an easier way to the E than either of those options. I'll try that next time.
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cascadetraverser Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 1407 | TRs | Pics
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Looking at that picture, I can`t see another obvious route other than the long steep gully on the right hand side. I have been eyeing that thing for years and our plan last year was to go up same. Didn`t work out though. I will leave it to Tom to figure out another feasible route....
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
good photos matt! looks like you guys had a great trip
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:31 pm
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Love the brocken pictures, Matt. Great details in your report.
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:19 am
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That is a really scary picture when you look at it for a while.
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BarbE Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics
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BarbE
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Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:33 am
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Stellar trip and pictures.
Would love to see the Brocken Gespenst (named after the ghost of Brocken Mountain in Germany) in next year's calendar.
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