Home > Trip Reports > Double Play on Del Campo, June 20, 2008

Double Play on Del Campo, June 20, 2008

6/15/08
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Posted by jd on 6/21/08 2:21am
Jeff, John, and I had to go back up the Sunrise Mine Road one more time this season to ski Del Campo, which had looked so good on Monday. We were happy to find the snow at the road head had melted enough to bust through with my Subaru so we could drive down the first half mile (which is a bummer final uphill on the way out). There were three other skiers gearing up for Vesper when we arrived, and more came just as we were leaving (they followed us up to Del Campo, but went further up valley to ski the NW aspect).

We cruised up the Sunrise Mine trail into the valley between Del Campo and Morning Star, stopping to put on skis in newly cleared forest thanks to a massive avalanche.

John and Jeff look up at Del Campo. We first skied the east face around the left hand skyline, then did the north facing slope that trends right above John.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in this valley during the spring avy cycle. It looks like the huge slabs of Lewis and Morning Star went big, leaving shredded trees littering the slopes, and huge mounds of snow that look like a glacier. It does make the approach easy now though.

Del Campo - Morning Star Valley

We skinned up left onto the ridge of Del Campo, then continued up to the next ridge that leads to Lewis Pk. which put us onto the east face.

John skins up to the Lewis-Del Campo ridge

Good skinning got us another 1,000 ft., until we booted up a final headwall.

John tops out the headwall

John waited at the top of the headwall while Jeff and I climbed a couple hundred feet to look at the final climb to the summit. Leaving my pack I climbed a short rock wall to the final hanging snow field, but 5 inches of slurpy mush over a layer of ice brought me back down, 100 ft. short of the top. The view from here was incredible and I could have stayed much longer.

Jeff looks up the final slopes, Columbia Pk above him - Mt. Pilchuck on the far left (west)

A hanging snow field led back to John, but we traversed out of it before it got too steep.


The headwall was fun, with good snow.

Jeff skis the headwall, Looking back up, Jeff and John with Lewis behind

When we came around under the north facing slope the beautiful line called to me. Since it was the summer solstice we had plenty of time so I talked the boys into another run. John made it half way before his knee told him to stop while Jeff and I continued to the top of the snow.


Jeff was in a hurry to get home to his girl so he skied it non-stop at mach speed. I tried my best to match his feat, but had to stop repeatedly to let my legs recover. Sorry if he was late Regi, it was all my fault.


One more nice slope dropped us back into the valley.


We followed the magic carpet of avy debris down the valley back to the Sunrise Mine trail.

Jeff skis snow and trees, north face slope we skied in the sun on Del Campo.

After a little putzing around we found the trail and cruised out, meeting the three guys who'd skied Vesper on the road. There were enough bare patches that we didn't put skis on to ski down like we did last time, just happily tromped along in the evening glow of the summer sun.
Excellent tr and wonderful photos...another cool place to check out!!  Thanks...

What a great place to ski! Thanks Jim, for talking John and I into skiing another pitch. And for the record: I was able to sooth Regi's nerves...

Jim climbing the final pitch.

John slaying some steep corn.

Jim's proposed final ski

nicely done...definitely looks like the best way to get into Del Campo right now...we gave Del Campo a try on Saturday morning via Weden Creek/Gothic Basin trail.  Deep snow cover in the valley bottom, huge piles of avy debris, and high water levels in creeks made for very slow going...we ran out of time and turned around before even making it to Foggy Lake.  Have to opt for the Sunrise Mine side next time now that the slide alder jungle has been conveniently obliterated by avies.

Thanks for the report Pete, I was thinking of heading up into Gothic Basin soon. I took the trail like you last time and it was a steep side-hilling hump.

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double-play-on-del-campo-june-20-2008
jd
2008-06-21 09:21:46