ram
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
- 116
After the 4 AM thunderstorm cells moved through, sun beams shown in the valley below and successive clouds rolled over the peaks above. Gear was dried and the day settled into one of relaxation. I can only take so much of this. I restlessly stared up at the peaks. They were calling me. Jenny to was moved to action, for her own reasons. We decided to attempt Paul Bunyan's Stump, a fine peak in the upper cirque.
As we prepared to go, I got lazy. I did not want to carry the 200 foot, 10.5 MM rope. Then you have to carry a harness, rock shoes and some tech gear and....can't this fine climber and I just wing it? Later I regret my choices.
The climb into the upper valley, up the Colonial Glacier, went well. We spied several options for routes to the upper part of the mountain, as the clouds alternately closed around us and split apart, giving broad views. Our dilemma was this....3 options of steep snow, up to and perhaps beyond 50 degree angles, always with a bad run out below it. A bad run out is when if you fall and don't self arrest right away, you would slide into "Chasms of Death," in these cases deep overhanging gaps in the edge of the snow where one would plummet into unknown recesses under the glacier. We were pretty sure about getting up the steep snow, but the down was more problematic. The storm has "wet" the glacier snow. The colder temperatures and cloud cover of the day has hardened the wetter snow. Oh how I wish we had taken the rope and gear now! We decide other strategies.
Instead of heading up the steep snow, we aim for the lowest rock bands instead. These reach down below the steep snow. We find one and are able to find an easy way from snow to rock, something difficult more times than not. Alas the slabby wet corner above on the rock was pretty tough. Could get up it, but down, if the next corner was harder? We get tentative. Oh but for the rock shoes and rope!. We consider and head over to slightly higher rock bands. The climbing here looks much easier, on the rock.. Oh but the transition from snow to rock at this spot is deadly! Huge undercut and thin snow, doesn't bridge over to the rock.
We wrestle with all this. How badly do we want this peak? The day is beautiful, with a new view every minute. Nearby, an eastern facing side of a cliff band, offers relief from the wind. The sun is showing through periodically. We can see our friends a few thousand feet and a mile or so away, walking the ridge near the glacier and camp. We settle in and discuss this and that, and take pictures of this and that. Occasionally the urge to give the peak another try nags at us. We resist. Down to camp we go
The next AM, we pack up and head down, roping up on steep snow, putting Deet on when the bugs came and massaged aching feet that the steep descent brought forth. Harvey and Jean want to buy Jenny and I dinner for our efforts helping with Pyramid, Snowfield and getting up and down the hill. I am glad that they feel the trip so much a positive and to have had so talented an alpinist like Jenny to make it all work. We thank them and let them buy us dinner. The salt from the burgers and fries burn the cracks in my fingers and lips, but all is well.
Harvey and Jean head to Oregon the next AM. Jenny and I head toward Darrington and more mountains. Warriors all, from the uber seasoned to the newby, all a few years into their 7th decade. May I be so lucky. May you be so lucky, tough and talented too. Wasn't it just yesterday...or was it 40 years ago when folks that age were REALLY old people? We now live so well, so long. Good on us making it so.
Drying out from the storm
My good, nay, great friends
In the clouds
A dancer dancing
Ultimately, a dead end
A brief view opens up
Beams of light
Jack Mt. on a sea of clouds
One of so many falls, unnamed
Leaving our home of 5 days
Back in the land of the living
Slideshow
[picasa]https://picasaweb.google.com/108034287150978265447/PaulBunyanSStump#[/picasa]
Featured image for home page
As we prepared to go, I got lazy. I did not want to carry the 200 foot, 10.5 MM rope. Then you have to carry a harness, rock shoes and some tech gear and....can't this fine climber and I just wing it? Later I regret my choices.
The climb into the upper valley, up the Colonial Glacier, went well. We spied several options for routes to the upper part of the mountain, as the clouds alternately closed around us and split apart, giving broad views. Our dilemma was this....3 options of steep snow, up to and perhaps beyond 50 degree angles, always with a bad run out below it. A bad run out is when if you fall and don't self arrest right away, you would slide into "Chasms of Death," in these cases deep overhanging gaps in the edge of the snow where one would plummet into unknown recesses under the glacier. We were pretty sure about getting up the steep snow, but the down was more problematic. The storm has "wet" the glacier snow. The colder temperatures and cloud cover of the day has hardened the wetter snow. Oh how I wish we had taken the rope and gear now! We decide other strategies.
Instead of heading up the steep snow, we aim for the lowest rock bands instead. These reach down below the steep snow. We find one and are able to find an easy way from snow to rock, something difficult more times than not. Alas the slabby wet corner above on the rock was pretty tough. Could get up it, but down, if the next corner was harder? We get tentative. Oh but for the rock shoes and rope!. We consider and head over to slightly higher rock bands. The climbing here looks much easier, on the rock.. Oh but the transition from snow to rock at this spot is deadly! Huge undercut and thin snow, doesn't bridge over to the rock.
We wrestle with all this. How badly do we want this peak? The day is beautiful, with a new view every minute. Nearby, an eastern facing side of a cliff band, offers relief from the wind. The sun is showing through periodically. We can see our friends a few thousand feet and a mile or so away, walking the ridge near the glacier and camp. We settle in and discuss this and that, and take pictures of this and that. Occasionally the urge to give the peak another try nags at us. We resist. Down to camp we go
The next AM, we pack up and head down, roping up on steep snow, putting Deet on when the bugs came and massaged aching feet that the steep descent brought forth. Harvey and Jean want to buy Jenny and I dinner for our efforts helping with Pyramid, Snowfield and getting up and down the hill. I am glad that they feel the trip so much a positive and to have had so talented an alpinist like Jenny to make it all work. We thank them and let them buy us dinner. The salt from the burgers and fries burn the cracks in my fingers and lips, but all is well.
Harvey and Jean head to Oregon the next AM. Jenny and I head toward Darrington and more mountains. Warriors all, from the uber seasoned to the newby, all a few years into their 7th decade. May I be so lucky. May you be so lucky, tough and talented too. Wasn't it just yesterday...or was it 40 years ago when folks that age were REALLY old people? We now live so well, so long. Good on us making it so.
Drying out from the storm
My good, nay, great friends
In the clouds
A dancer dancing
Ultimately, a dead end
A brief view opens up
Beams of light
Jack Mt. on a sea of clouds
One of so many falls, unnamed
Leaving our home of 5 days
Back in the land of the living
Slideshow
[picasa]https://picasaweb.google.com/108034287150978265447/PaulBunyanSStump#[/picasa]
Featured image for home page
