danger02ward
Love the Mountains!
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2016
- Messages
- 401
I have wanted to do a spring Beatout traverse for a few years now and was happy to finally get the chance on a beautiful spring Saturday in April with a fine group of hiking friends. The Beatout is a wasatch classic that starts at the white pine trailhead, hits 4 peaks (Pfiefferhorn, Upwop, chipman, and south thunder) goes across the lightning ridge, and out bells canyon to the granite trailhead.
My favorite spring climb is to climb Pfiefferhorn up the maybird headwall so it was especially nice to do a route that included that as its starting point. We had to put on snowshoes after the maybird bridge. Then crampons at the base of the maybird headwall.
Pfiefferhorn always looks lovely covered in snow when approached from maybird gulch. Upwop our second peak of the day can be seen on the right of Pfiefferhorn.
Nearing the maybird headwall.
looking down maybird gulch at the cottonwood ridge
climbing the maybird headwall
Looking down into maybird gulch from the top of the maybird headwall and the beautiful snow covered cottonwood ridge in the background.
Pfiefferhorn from the top of the maybird headwall.
Going up the steep Pfiefferhorn summit block
Always love this view looking East to the red and white baldys from part way up the Pfiefferhorn summit block.
this would mark my 4th spring Pfiefferhorn summit. I have only climbed it twice in the summer and find it much more enjoyable and prettier in the snow.
I was excited to go down the rocky west ridge of Pfiefferhorn for the first time. Climbing down rocks with crampons on makes it even more exciting
looking ahead to our next peak for the day upwop. South thunder our 4th peak of the day can be seen just to the right of Upwop.
Looking back at Pfiefferhorn which was quite popular with backcountry skiers the day we were there.
getting closer has an acronym for its nickname which stands for unnamed peak west of Pfiefferhorn.
upwop has beautiful views of box elder and timpanogos
however the best part of upwop is its spectacular view of Pfiefferhorn
Looking to the west we see lone peak as the
White hump in the center. To the right of that is south thunder our last peak of the day
Leaving upwop we experienced some postholing on the descent. This is the view looking back at Pfiefferhorn.
Chipman our third peak of the day can be seen on the left. Our biggest challenge of the day is the climb up the ridge to the chipman saddle
The view of box elder peak kept getting better the upwop descent.
A view of the lightning ridge which goes from chipman peak to south thunder gives us a look ahead of things to come
the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle was the funnest and most difficult part of the day
a closer look at the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle. It had a good combination of snow and rocks to climb which added to the excitement
looking back down on an exciting rocky section of the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle. Climbing rocks with crampons on with ice axe in hand adds to the excitement
Looking up the exciting ridgeline at more snow and rock climbing to come
looking down from near the chipman saddle at the ridgeline we just climbed
the beautiful view looking back at upwop on the left and Pfiefferhorn in the right
upon reaching the chipman saddle our next goal for the day was an out and back to chipman peak. Chipman provided a most excellent view of box elder and timpanogos. Chipman was our only 10,000 foot peak for the day. The other three are eleveners. Chipman marks the start of the lightning ridge.
Looking back at chipman peak after starting up the lightning ridge.
looking ahead at the beautiful lightning ridge.
On
One of the joys of the day was the dreaded postholing. Cutting across the lightning ridge you would be walking like this
and then all of the sudden with no warning would end up like this
there she is south thunder our last peak of the day.
the end of the beautiful lightning ridge before heading up south thunder
one more look at south thunder our last peak of the day before the ascent.
on south thunder it was time for an obligatory summit selfie with my celebratory Walmart pecan pie in front of the official south thunder summit mailbox
Beautiful view looking back at Pfiefferhorn to the East from south thunder
Looking to the west we see lone peak. We headed off of south thunder in this direction to head down the long bells canyon.
we enjoyed about 4 good glissades coming off of south thunder.
then above the upper bells reservoir in the flats we had to put snowshoes back on. As we got lower into bells canyon there were throngs of people headed to the waterfall. The gps clocked us at 14.65 miles. It took me 13 and a half hours. We went over 5,000 in elevation gain and just under 7,000 in elevation loss. It was a most grand day spent enjoying the beautiful wasatch mountains. I was happy to finally hit this wasatch classic. I was blessed to be joined with great people. We were blessed with great weather. Love to enjoy God’s beautiful mountain creations especially when they are covered in beautiful snow. We were blessed to have a most excellent safe adventure.
My favorite spring climb is to climb Pfiefferhorn up the maybird headwall so it was especially nice to do a route that included that as its starting point. We had to put on snowshoes after the maybird bridge. Then crampons at the base of the maybird headwall.
Pfiefferhorn always looks lovely covered in snow when approached from maybird gulch. Upwop our second peak of the day can be seen on the right of Pfiefferhorn.
Nearing the maybird headwall.
looking down maybird gulch at the cottonwood ridge
climbing the maybird headwall
Looking down into maybird gulch from the top of the maybird headwall and the beautiful snow covered cottonwood ridge in the background.
Pfiefferhorn from the top of the maybird headwall.
Going up the steep Pfiefferhorn summit block
Always love this view looking East to the red and white baldys from part way up the Pfiefferhorn summit block.
this would mark my 4th spring Pfiefferhorn summit. I have only climbed it twice in the summer and find it much more enjoyable and prettier in the snow.
I was excited to go down the rocky west ridge of Pfiefferhorn for the first time. Climbing down rocks with crampons on makes it even more exciting
looking ahead to our next peak for the day upwop. South thunder our 4th peak of the day can be seen just to the right of Upwop.
Looking back at Pfiefferhorn which was quite popular with backcountry skiers the day we were there.
getting closer has an acronym for its nickname which stands for unnamed peak west of Pfiefferhorn.
upwop has beautiful views of box elder and timpanogos
however the best part of upwop is its spectacular view of Pfiefferhorn
Looking to the west we see lone peak as the
White hump in the center. To the right of that is south thunder our last peak of the day
Leaving upwop we experienced some postholing on the descent. This is the view looking back at Pfiefferhorn.
Chipman our third peak of the day can be seen on the left. Our biggest challenge of the day is the climb up the ridge to the chipman saddle
The view of box elder peak kept getting better the upwop descent.
A view of the lightning ridge which goes from chipman peak to south thunder gives us a look ahead of things to come
the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle was the funnest and most difficult part of the day
a closer look at the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle. It had a good combination of snow and rocks to climb which added to the excitement
looking back down on an exciting rocky section of the exciting ridge below the chipman saddle. Climbing rocks with crampons on with ice axe in hand adds to the excitement
Looking up the exciting ridgeline at more snow and rock climbing to come
looking down from near the chipman saddle at the ridgeline we just climbed
the beautiful view looking back at upwop on the left and Pfiefferhorn in the right
upon reaching the chipman saddle our next goal for the day was an out and back to chipman peak. Chipman provided a most excellent view of box elder and timpanogos. Chipman was our only 10,000 foot peak for the day. The other three are eleveners. Chipman marks the start of the lightning ridge.
Looking back at chipman peak after starting up the lightning ridge.
looking ahead at the beautiful lightning ridge.
OnOne of the joys of the day was the dreaded postholing. Cutting across the lightning ridge you would be walking like this
and then all of the sudden with no warning would end up like this
there she is south thunder our last peak of the day.
the end of the beautiful lightning ridge before heading up south thunder
one more look at south thunder our last peak of the day before the ascent.
on south thunder it was time for an obligatory summit selfie with my celebratory Walmart pecan pie in front of the official south thunder summit mailbox
Beautiful view looking back at Pfiefferhorn to the East from south thunder
Looking to the west we see lone peak. We headed off of south thunder in this direction to head down the long bells canyon.
we enjoyed about 4 good glissades coming off of south thunder.
then above the upper bells reservoir in the flats we had to put snowshoes back on. As we got lower into bells canyon there were throngs of people headed to the waterfall. The gps clocked us at 14.65 miles. It took me 13 and a half hours. We went over 5,000 in elevation gain and just under 7,000 in elevation loss. It was a most grand day spent enjoying the beautiful wasatch mountains. I was happy to finally hit this wasatch classic. I was blessed to be joined with great people. We were blessed with great weather. Love to enjoy God’s beautiful mountain creations especially when they are covered in beautiful snow. We were blessed to have a most excellent safe adventure.
