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Author
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Topic: 8-23-08, Sahale Peak, Quien Sabe Glacier (Read 1870 times)
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danhelmstadter
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I was amazed to find the Cascade River Road open all the way to its end - a chink in the otherwise impenetrable burliness of North Cascade armour.
I awoke to the sounds of waterfalls, pines swaying in the wind, and ice fall exploding on rocks from the hanging glaciers of J-berg. Got started on the trail around 9am and found the extent of the switchbacks up to Cascade Pass kind of annoying - it seemed more like a trail built for mountain bikers who seek a gentle ride, rather than for climbers trying to get things done, although I can't complain about the maintenance and up keep of the trail itself...
I made excellent time - passing hordes of hikers - all the way up to the Sahale Glacier. There was about a foot of fresh snow blanketing the glacier - which was at times icy under the fresh mash potatoes. I kicked steps up and around to the climbers left side of the summit rock pinnacle, straying from the established boot pack which went to the right and behind/around to easier scrambling gain the summit. I scrambled up perhaps ~70 feet of steep, exposed - but good rock, with the crux being at the top, always feeling just on the safe side of dangerous.
I found a crowd of about 8 people on the tiny/exposed summit, I believe they said they were the Everett mountaineers. I could not get by them to the north side because they blocked the way, so I waited half an hour for each of them to rappel before I could get up and over, waiting on such a summit in fine weather was not a very grueling hardship.
From the very scenic summit, I was disappointed with the appearance of my ski objective. The Quien Sabe looked like a beautiful ski - from Eldorado last weekend, but from close up - it appeared heavily crevassed, and perhaps a touch lower angle than I had hoped for. I decided to ski it regardless; as it did appear to at least yield several thousand feet of fresh snow.
I had to walk my skis down a little ways to reach the top of the Quien Sabe Glacier. Clicking into my skis on deep fresh snow felt great - even if it was a little wet. The turns also felt great, so nice to be skiing on fresh snow once again. I was able to weave around the crevasse field I had scoped from the summit, and found a moderatly pichted descent fall line to the base of the glacier. One little carry and I was able to ski on old corn well below the end of the glacier. A total of about 2000 feet of skiing.
I was a little worried about not being able to find the trail in Boston Basin, but I spotted it from afar without too much anxious gazing. The upper half of the trail was in great condition - wide - no branches or deadfall - but the lower half was overgrown in areas with alder and bushes, minor deadfall, nothing too difficult, but it was a little burdensome with my skis often sticking on the low overhead branches. Once back on the road it was a short walk to my camper. My skis were a magnet for weird , quizzical looks from the hordes of hikers and parking lot loiterers.
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danhelmstadter
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Posts: 283
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I may thorw in a couple more pics if I can get the thumbnail posting deal worked out -- this pic is kinda lame cause it does'nt show how steep the rock was.
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TonyM
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Posts: 145
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Dan- climbed Shark Fin and saw this from our camp at 7900 feet ... must have been a tough walk down the trail with skis! Nice one.
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mountains will add years to your life, and life to your years
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skierguitarist
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Posts: 292
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And thankyou for another great tr!!!
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Scotsman
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That photo scares me, especially near those holes at mid photo!!
Good job Dan!
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" All men dream:but not equally.Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in day to find that it was vanity:but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible"... T.E.Lawrence
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skimtner
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Posts: 100
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Dan, that first shot is very impressive. Are you gonna go back into Canada and ski some of those lines. I went to Norway and you can ride a t-bar for some 'intermediate terrain', over there. Keep on rackin' 'em up, Rob
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Big Steve
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Posts: 118
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Whoa, solo on the Quien Sabe in August? Yeah baby
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Stugie
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Nice work Dan! Holy crappola, way to nab some gnarly tracks in August! Major kudos!
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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