May 26, 2008, Chair Peak Circumnavigation (variation)

Yesterday, two friends (Jeff Bostwick and Ed Schandl) and I took advantage of the Alpy lift and did a quick chair peak circumnavigation.  Jeff and Ed borrowed my old tele gear.  They had never been on Teles before (but they are both good skiers). 

We started at almost noon from the top of nash.  Ed had an inauspicious beginning sliding halfway down upper nash on his back.  It was a pretty good way to get down.  Then we skated out to Pinapple then skinned up to the tooth.  There were about 20 people on the tooth.  We met two guys on the top who went back down to the basin.  We were undecided about our route, but the back side (I believe its called f*ck bowl) beckoned and there was no shrund. 

We dropped in.  Ed was much better by now.  We traversed over to Melakwa pass and then dropped to the lake.  No sluffing, just nice 3" slush.  No skins needed on our unwaxed skis.  We saw two guys that had just done Kaleeten. They were climbing up to the Bryant gap and told us that they had heard Snow Lake was still good to cross (it was). 

At Melakwa, we no-skinned up to just below the pass above Chair Peak lake.  We skinned up to the top and then had a nice drop down to the lake.  I always forget to stay high to the left to avoid the little climb over the hump. 

I checked out the immediate right variation down the steep chute, but there was a 4 foot geyser of water shooting out the middle of it.  It didn't look safe so we continued up and over the hump and took the guide book route down to Snow Lake on sticky slush.  Very fun. 

The lake had some blue on the edges but both the end below chair peak and the end at the snow lake divide and trail were white to the edges.  There was plenty of snow, but no recent tracks on the lake.  We slushed across to the other end and skinned up the divide. 

After a quick recon to confirm that we could not drop down the summer trail, we no-skinned up around to the normal route back down to Source Lake.  Source lake was nonexistant and there was a lot of avy debris. 

We saw the Tooth group at the base of Great Scott Bowl (at the bottom anyway) and then went out to the parking lot.  Very tired.  We got back to the van just as the heavens opened. 

Both Ed and I were busted for being late to our families, but I think it was worth it. 

There is nothing to stop a couple more weeks for this route other than snow lake melting.  The route up onto the shoulder below the Northeast Buttress of Chair looked too sketchy. 

Back to the van by 4:30. 

Pete Steilberg.   

the photos below

#111 This is me climbing doing a recon of the chute below chair peak lake as Ed relaxes and watches fat boy use up all his energy.  This is where I saw the snow melt geyser.
#084 skinning up to the col dividing Melakwa and Chair Peak Lakes -- urgh.  Who's the wus now Ed? 
#058 looking up from above Melakwa Lake up the basin at Kaleeten.  Lots of snow.