Forum Index > Trip Reports > Kyes Peak 7/25/2018
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Pribbs
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Pribbs
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PostThu Jul 26, 2018 9:55 pm 
First of all, here is my GPS track: http://www.movescount.com/moves/move232049176 In regards to the 3 most major splits in our track, From SOUTH to NORTH: Take west track for the first one, take east track for the big second one (partially, at least), and for the last one near the top take either depending if you prefer snow or rock. I will explain in my report below. If you would like a file of the GPS track, PM me your email. The plan was to do Kyes Peak in a single day despite the road closure to the Blanca Lake Trailhead. We started out from the makeshift TH at the road intersection at 5:15am and hiked 2 miles to the actual trailhead, getting there around 6am. From there we hiked up the switchbacks of the trail 3 miles to Virgin Lake, arriving a bit before 8am. Here we refilled water despite the unappealing appearance of the water.
We continued around the lake and just past a no campfire warning sign posted to a tree, we found the faint spur trail leading off to the right. We followed the trail pretty easily up the ridge until about 1 mile up the ridge from the lake where the trail seemed to leave the ridge continue off the right side of the ridge. Instead, we continued on the ridge and slightly left to skirt around to cliffs and we came to a very exposed scramble ledge to get up. The challenge here were the big thick tree branches awaiting us on top of this move. There was no way around the branches and we had to struggle through them. The branches grabbed hold of my ax and poles on my pack and tried to push be backwards off the cliff. They did manage to knock my water bottle loose and claim that as their consolation prize.
After that move we climbed a bit more steep terrain and up toward a tall sharp rock pinnacle and arrived on a much nicer open ridge trail that we were able to follow, with some scrambling in places. Views opened up down to Blanca Lake, out to Columbia Peak, and Glacier Peak, Mt. Daniel and Hinman, Mt. Stuart.
At 6.5 miles/5500 feet, leave the ridge trail and cross over the left side of the ridge to find a path that leads down a big open heather slope descending nearly 200 feet to a talus field. (On the way in we stayed on the ridge trail a bit too long before dropping down)
From about 5300 feet on the talus field it is a choose your own adventure through the first of two big bushwhacks until we got just before the big saddle of the ridge at about 5400 feet.
Now if you look at my GPS track this is the very big 2nd split. Just ignore our lower track completely to avoid another major bushwhack we had to deal with. Instead, take the high road and stay on the ridge. Fight through a bit more brush and go to the saddle where you will regain the ridge trail. Follow the trail up the pretty steep ridge as you leave the approach ridge and climb onto the slopes of Kyes Peak. At 5900 feet leave the ridge and split the difference of our two tracks and go out onto the big vast open glacial slopes of talus, heather, and cascading streams. Here is a great place to refill water.
Traverse up a large snowfield (or maybe it will be more of the same heather/talus later in summer) up to a high saddle on the ridge at 6600 feet. To the south of this saddle is a sharp horned peak that looks fun to scramble up if you have time.
We continued ascending the ridge north and reached another giant snowfield which you can either ascend or follow the dry ground on the ridge to the summit block.
The summit block has some loose rock but is straightforward. We arrived at the summit 10 hours after leaving the cars, 7 hours from Virgin Lake. The views were quite remarkable, especially of the Matterhorn of Sloan Peak.
On the way down once below the high saddle at about 6200 feet on the lower snowfield we tried to stay on the ridge but cliffed out. Wait until 5900 feet until you regain the ridge to descend to the saddle.
We did not return to Virgin Lake until 8:30, over 12 hours after leaving the lake for the summit. We hiked out the last endless 5 miles with our headlamps in the dark, returning to the cars at 11-11:15pm. 18 miles, 18 hours, over 7300 feet of elevation gain.

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mtn.climber
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PostThu Jul 26, 2018 10:33 pm 
Nice job! We climbed Kyes a few years ago. Made it up without much trouble, but got off our track on the return and fought thru thick brush and steep areas to finally regain the ridge. A long day for us, also. Was dark right after reaching Virgin lake. And, we didn't have to add the extra mileage. up.gif

Reach for the sky, cuz tomorrow may never come. Live the life of love. Love the life you live.
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tmatlack
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PostSun Jul 29, 2018 4:53 am 
Pribss, Nice photos for seldom reported outing. You probs. know Kyes named for early Monte Cristo settler and I think monument above townsite still there as far as I know. Several years ago at Granite Falls' alt. high school we had great(2) granddaughter of Kyes graduate. Tom

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gb
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PostSun Jul 29, 2018 4:41 pm 
Kyes, in that area and to a lesser degree Columbia, are the two really good peaks of the Monte Cristo group. Kyes is magnificent from the NE ridge in appearance and a good climb. You would want consolidated snow on most of the ridge which maxes out in the 40-45 degree range. There is an unavoidable rock step of about 5.4 to 5.5 with face holds and about 50' which is not protectable, although the rock is good. On that climb we finished kind of directly up the final ridge at about 5.6-5.7 and the rock, I thought was pretty good with protection. The rock climbing was something like three or four pitches. On the NE ridge you have to descend mostly the way you climbed except at the very top where you can avoid difficulty. When I did Kyes from the south, on the descent with continuous (or nearly so) snow, we descended to Blanca Glacier directly which avoids a lot of side-hilling. However, at the end of Blanca Lake it was necessary to wade through the end of the lake as there was no way to cross Troublesome Creek. Columbia's North Ridge is a spectacular route and mostly easy on quite good rock. I'll bet it has only been done a few times. The crux, though, is a bit looser and has just fair pro at 5.5 face climbing. We approached via the 76 Glacier so that has probably changed a lot. Cadet and Monte Cristo are both best done when there is a fair amount of consolidated snow. On Monte Cristo the snow climbing may approach 50+ degrees. Years ago you could basically just walk onto the summit, but the last time I did it there was 40' of 5.6 rock climbing to gain the summit. It may be quite a bit more now. A climbing partner of mine did the south ridge of Monte Cristo as described in Beckey and liked that route at the time. East Wilman's Spire is a fairly bold climb of rather steep face climbing on decent rock, but with at best fair protection. Pitons protect that rock better. That was one of my first alpine rock climbs. Also the regular route on Foggy isn't bad. That used to be a Mountaineers Basic Climb.

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