Boston Basin-Sharkfin Tower

ram

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Feb 15, 2013
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The Pacific Northwest did not have a winter this year. That was followed by perhaps the hottest June and July on record. By July, snow was mostly gone. Glaciers were icy or huge crevasses had opened as to make travel perilous or impossible. In this, my 21st, 3 week, July trip to the North Cascades, in the last 24 years, we used our knowledge of the area to find routes that worked, in spite of the challenging conditions.

We hiked up into Boston basin in the afternoon and climbed Sharkfin Tower the next day, via the relatively easy, but massively airy SE Ridge. We approached the peak from a non standard route, suspecting correctly, that the standard approaches were out of condition. The transitions from snow to rock and back required great care. But when we got onto the upper flanks of the tower, the rock quality and position made the effort worthwhile. Multiple rappels got us down to the glacier in the late afternoon and back to camp by 9 PM for a 12 hour day. Great fun
Ram

Jenny out of the brush and cloud, on approach to the Basin
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The infamous Devil's club
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maidenhair?
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The hanging glaciers, of cloud shrouded Johanesberg
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Starting to clear
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dangerous stream crossing were often safe and easy this year
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Forbidden peak from camp

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Sun shining of polished rock, often covered by snow....but not this year. Glacier and peaks above that
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telephoto of Sharkfin Tower from camp
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In and out of the clouds
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Sunbeams. 8:30 PM
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On approach the 2nd day
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Quien Sabe Glacier with Mt. Sahale above
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crampon time
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Giles approaches the glacier
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Dodging a few crevasses
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Steep snow gully
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Julie with the peak in view at last
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Giles
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Julie
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Up to the notch and the Boston Glacier on the other side
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Julie in the notch above the first pitch
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The route goes up the ridge
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Julie
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starting the 2nd pitch
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Exposed
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Jenny
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easy and exposed climbing
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Shadow of the tower on the glacier
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We soloed the final low 5th class pitch. Boston Peak in the background
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Cameo shot of moi
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On the summit
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Starting down
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Rap #3
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#5...last one
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gynastic move over the moat required
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Rap route from the glacier
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sun cups
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Our tower on the right via the right ridge
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long day
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made it down
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into the forest again
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Always look forward to these reports Ram. Hope we'll see more!
 
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Exhilarating views. Thanks for sharing.
 
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