[Matt]

Dates: July 18-22, 2009 Destination: Chopping Block, Terror, Degenhardt, West Peak Party: Matt, mntmmike, Dicey, ErinB Note: This trip is from 2009. The 2008 report is still incomplete. The 2010 trip will begin Friday. We planned this trip as an 8-day south-to-north traverse of the Pickets over the Ottohorn-Himmelhorn col. It ended up being 5 days climbing some of the summits around the Crescent Creek basin. Day 1: Goodell Creek to Terror Creek to Chopping Block Camp Terror Creek Approach to the Pickets Terror Creek is the shortest but steepest approach into the Pickets. With 6000 feet of gain and 8-day packs, I was afraid I’d be exhausted, but a slow and steady pace got us there. Segments of the route were: Goodell Creek Abandoned Road (600 – 1600 feet): Four miles up the abandoned road, brushed out at the start, then alternating between clinging brush on the flatter parts and good tread on the uphill parts. Goodell Road to Terror Creek Logjam (1600 – 2100): A rough steep track zigzagging sometimes around obstacles, sometimes through them, sometimes just lost. At the Terror Creek log jam, the big cedar log was split, but still solid for now.

Quality Terror Creek travel

Climbing over Dicey’s “crux tree” (taken on the return trip)

Terror Creek log crossing (taken on the return trip)

Terror Creek to Ridge Crest (2100-3500): Crawling almost straight up the hillside with a few diversions around mossy rock bands, almost at the limit of being able to hang on and step uphill steeply enough. I consoled myself with the (false) promise that at least I wouldn’t have to come back this way.

Somewhere on the hillside

On the Ridge Crest (3600 – 5400): Better travel on the ridge crest with occasional rock outcrops, still strenuous, but we could actually walk upright most of the time.

Looking down 4000 feet to Goodell Creek from an open spot on the ridge

Looking across the Terror Creek divide to Roper’s Roost

Final Slopes to Chopping Block Camp (5400 - 6400): Fine slanted hillside of heather meadows and granite slabs, tired at the end of the day, but drawn upward by wide views and the promise of camp on the crest ahead.

Cool veined rocks

Mike coming up the slabs

Taking a break on the slabs

Looking up toward the end of The Barrier

Evening at Chopping Block Camp We set up a camp on the ridge connecting The Barrier to the Chopping Block

Fast women setting up camp while I’m still hiking upward

Chopping Block Camp, with clouds capping Triumph & Despair

The pointy Crescent Creek spires played hide & seek in the clouds.

Light slanting below the clouds above lower Crescent Creek & Jasper Pass

Himmelhorn wrapped in clouds

East Twin Needle barely escaping the clouds

Sunset lit the clouds.

Sunset clouds above Trapezoid & Big Devil

Sunset clouds above Baker

Sunset clouds wreathing West Peak

Day 2: Chopping Block, Crescent Creek Basin Camp, Terror Late Attempt Day 2: Chopping Block, Crescent Creek Basin Camp, Terror False Summit Sunrise At 5:10am, I got up early to watch the sunrise. Then everyone else was still asleep, so I went back to bed. So much for an early start.

Colonial & Roper’s Roost

Sunrise neatly highlighting the summits of Hagan, Mystery Ridge, & Blum

Sunrise at Chopping Block Camp (note Barrier’s shadow on Chopping Block, and then Chopping Block’s shadow on the left flank of Despair.

Chopping Block 6819 (7:30am – noon) Around 8:30am, Mike, Erin & I went to climb The Chopping Block. Carla had already been there, so she went to climb Point 7137 at the base of The Barrier on the other end of the ridge. We took the SE face route, which turned out to be a simple scramble except for a couple spots. We followed the ridge crest to the corner of the Chopping Block, traversed a ledge left to the below its south ridge, scrambled up to the ridge crest, then walked easy terrain to the top. On the scramble between the ledge and the crest, there was one class 4+ move midway, and one class 4 move getting onto the crest, otherwise it was all class 2/3.

Hiking to the base of The Chopping Block

Routes on the right looked unpleasant

A green ledge led left to the corner

Chopping Block ledge & south ridge

The summit had wide spaces & wide views.

Chopping Block summit group

Southern Pickets above Crescent Creek Cirque (also camp marked)

View down the approach route, with Roost, Davis & Ross above

The return trip provided opportunities to admire the alpine flowers, rocks, & wildlife.

Flowers on the green ledge (at least eight kinds)

More flowers

Spotty Rocks

Ptarmigan in front of the Barrier (now the white underbody & gray upper body make sense)

Move to Crescent Creek Camp (1:00pm – 2:30pm) We moved our camp to a small site in Crescent Creek basin below Terror.

Route to camp (traversing just above green patches)

View back at route from Chopping Block Camp to Crescent Creek Basin Camp, viewed from Terror

Terror Attempt (2:45pm – 9:30pm) With the move done quickly, we thought perhaps we could fit in Terror today. Mike had done Terror previously, so he stayed behind and set up camp. The gully west of Terror still had continuous snow, but it was steep, sometimes narrow, and hard enough to require crampons. The notch atop the gully was also still snow-filled, and had dramatic views toward Picket Pass.

Looking up the West Terror Gully

Ascending the West Terror Gully

Pickets Pass & Furies from West Terror Notch

McMillan Creek & Luna from West Terror Notch

We went around the corner on snow, then climbed up onto the crest. We were actually too far around the corner, and this path required several pitches and some 5th class moves, which consumed too much time.

Snow at West Terror Notch

Rocks we went up

With time running out, we hurried directly up the crest as far as we could, which put us at the false summit, where we had to turn back. Late light cut across the western wing of the southern Pickets.

Shadows from False Summit onto Terror Summit (there’s a deep gap hiding in between)

Matt near false summit

Degenhardt & McMillan Glaciers

McMillan Spires & Elephant Butte

We went back down the ridge to a rappel anchor right above the notch. Rosy light lit only the tips of the peaks now.

Hiking back down toward the notch (Twin Needles & Frenzelspitz in background)

Last light on Chopping Block & Triumph

Layers of passes stretching west (Goodell-McMillan & Pickell are the first two)

As we prepared to rappel, the sun threw out a last splendor of burning light as it crashed into the horizon. By the time we descended the gully, it was very dark. No fun cramponing down the colder harder snow with only a few feet at a time visible in our headlamps.

Ready to rappel into the notch

At the notch, not smiling so much now

Descending the gully by headlamp

Day 3: Terror 8151, West Peak, Otto-Himmel-Horn Col Terror (Matt, Dicey, ErinB) (10am – 6:15pm) The night was very windy, so we stayed abed till the winds died down, then tried Terror again. Overnight the gully snow had deteriorated. About 1/3 up, a break had opened but was crossable on rock. About 2/3 up, the snow was narrowing over a steeper deeper section.

Windy morning in camp (note distortion of the tents)

West Terror gully

Overnight break in the snow

Another view of Picket Pass & Fury

We chose a better route from the notch to the ridge crest, going up a protruding outcrop near the corner, then angling back right and ending up at the rappel anchor, which stayed within steep class 4+ range. Circa 7800, we got off the righthand side of the crest into the gully that separates the true and false summits, where a wide ledge led up to the notch separating them.

2 labels

Routes we climbed (yesterday was rocks on left today was up large rock in center, then angling right)

Ledge in gap between false & true Terror

From the false/true summit notch, it was class 3+ (a bit of class 4) slabby scrambling to the top.

Sharp side of Terror False Summit

Not sure I can explain this move

Scrambling to true summit

The summit itself was a small pointy very exposed pinnacle. We hung out for lunch in a more reassuring pile of rocks slightly lower.

Matt on Terror summit

Carla on Terror summit

Erin on Terror summit

Break spot, viewed from summit

The wings of the southern Picket chain stretched out on both sides of us.

East wing of the Southern Pickets (McMillan Creek, Elephant Butte, McMillans, Inspiration, Pyramid, Degenhardt)

View south into Crescent Creek Basin

West wing of the Southern Pickets (Rake, Twin Needles, Himmel & Ottohorn hidden, Frenzelspitz, West Peak)

We also looked onward to Picket Pass, we scoped out possible camps on the Frenzelspitz ridge or atop Point 6900 above the pass.

Picket Pass

For descending, we did one rappel at the top of the summit slabs (optional) and one rappel into the west gully notch (vertical). We also did a several rappels in the west gully, because the snow was becoming very thin. At the constriction, I was torn between wanting to kick the narrow snow harder to make sure I didn’t slip, and being afraid it would collapse completely if I kicked it too hard.

Helmet Hair

Rapelling to the west gully notch

Descending the gully in daylight

Hiking back to camp

Mossy flowers amid slabs near camp

Next day view of our tracks in the gully

West Peak, Otto-Himmel-Horn Col (mtnmike) Mike explored westward. He climbed West Peak, which he reported had some challenging 4th class sections. Then he explored the Ottohorn-Himmelhorn col. The snow was completely gone below the giant chockstone at the top, requiring steep 4th class climbing on the side. Mike found it too sketchy to reach the col without a rope. Changing Our Plans Based on Mike’s reconnaissance, we decided not to try our planned traverse through the Otto-Himmel-Horn col and beyond, where several other sections would also be problematic due to lack of snow. That left us remaining in the Crescent Creek basin with food for six more days. Where else to go while we were here? Mike had already climbed most of the peaks, but was willing to wait in camp. We decided to do Degenhardt & Pyramid tomorrow, and maybe West Twin Needle the next day. Evening in Camp

Evening in camp

Bright clouds over The Chopping Block

Sunset glow over Despair/Hagan/Blum/Baker

That completes 3 of the 5 days. I'm posting this much now so the Terror description can be available for a trip coming up soon.

[Dayhike Mike]

Matt, I always love reading your Picket Range trip reports... Thanks for the detailed write-up and beautiful pictures... Looking forward to the rest when you get back from this year's installment!

[iron]

ahem......

[Matt]

Darn, I thought I had finished this one. I remember working on the last couple days of it. Hmm, the files show 700 words of text already written with 35 photos embedded. Maybe I can finish it sometime soon.

[cartman]

Patiently waiting (mummified, but patient...)

[dicey]