Home > Trip Reports > May 23-25, Eldorado environs

May 23-25, Eldorado environs

5/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
5248
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Posted by telemack on 5/26/09 12:52pm
Snowbell and I camped 2 nights at 7800' below the standard route of Eldo.  Lots of posts on the killer weather and corn-to-slush turns, so I'll keep it terse-onal.  See JimD's TR for my dopey poem.
Joe, photos?

Day One:  slugged the Eldo Creek, stashed the sneakers, warm skinning to camp.  After setting up and half a dinner Joe wanted to tour, so we crossed under Eldo's NE? face and climbed Dean's Spire.  The last 30' were a wide crack and a few mantles, then 1.3 seconds on the  1 x 2 summit.  Some good turns just as the snow was seizing up for the night.
Q:  What is the definition of a Cascade alpine climb?
A:  Six miles and a 6200 v.f. approach for 30' of rotten rock.   ::)

Day Two:  Up earlyish on the long traverse of the Inspiration, then the McCallister---ski crampons useful---and up Austera.  The first summit is a cakewalk, but then the bug bit for the high point.
I scrambled a steep cornice and loose downclimb, and sent a bit of a mixed chimney/stem/stepkicking to the top.
Q:  How do you when you are having an adventure?
A:  When you are soloing and find a rappel anchor on the summit.   8)
We were rippin' down the Austera Ridge toward Primus when Joe spotted a STEEP shot down to the N Klawatti that another party had told him about.  Looked like a cliff!  He was one turn down when he skidded on some frozen; it looked a narrow gap between the sluffs and the freezer so I called caution and he climbed back out. Thanks for listening Bro!  Down the ridge to 6800' and a hot skin up the S face of Primus. 
Q:  What the heck are you doing lying down on the summit, Telemack?
A:  Trying to prime us for Primus.   :D
1300' of cake-icing turns.  We started to climb Joe's chute but it was way too sunny to be safe, so we had to go back around the corner of the Austera ridge (200 meters of shade-whoo hoo)! to a hot, tedious and scary skin back across Austera.  Joe charged back to the tent for dinner while I nursed a blister and mucho sweat home. 

Day Three:  Chilled with fellow alpine-campers Casey and Morgan, then set out for Eldo. Snowby skinned to the summit, while I hugged the knife-edge with an axe.  For some reason the NE face of Eldo was unsullied by planks, so we ripped it and traversed easily back to the tent.  Beauty!
While packing Jumpin' Joe said, "Let's do another lap on Eldorado!"  I couldn't figure out why not, so it was at it again with just T-shirts and some Gu.  At the last shoulder I hogtied my boards with my undershirt and we stomped back to the summit.   I think I carry 5 times as much gear up Silver King!  Then it was the NE face again, a brutal packing epic, and sharing the descent with JimD, Jeff, John and Kevin.  We finallly found our approach sneakers....
Q:  Why did the fool go ski mountaineering?
A:  Because it felt so good when he stopped.    :'(
Knowing how much both of you love doing TRs, Brad & I were betting we'd never see this TR.  I correct my comments - great report!

I love posting TRs but had to unpack my stinky sleeping bag after work.  The first try floated off into cyberspace, so I restarted, posted, then modified.  Emoticons added to assist editing ecstasy.

I love this trip report. I love eldorado. I love pain.

Sounds like a great trip. Sorry I couldn't make it. Dealing with the objective hazards of a family gathering wasn't as cool as Eldorado but still had its terrifying moments.

Here's a shot Jeff got of you ripping Eldo Mac. Thanks for the funny poem on my TR (OMG that trail down did a number on my quads!). Nice meeting you guys.


Very Nice Boys.
Great trip, great TR.

Great pic Jim.  I'll bet Mack put on his best dropping off the top of Eldo when he saw your fancy camera come out.  At least there will be one good picture on this TR  ;)  I'll try to ferret out a decent photo or two to post later.
Good to meet you guys as well.  Glad that we were able to share the summit with you on such a beautiful day.  I felt bad for those of you who descended that trail in ski boots.  No thanks.

author=Rusty Knees link=topic=13454.msg56015#msg56015 date=1243399044]
Knowing how much both of you love doing TRs, Brad & I were betting we'd never see this TR.

I'm sure I don't know what you mean Don. ;D

Nice work guys.  That's some sweet looking terrain. 

Day 2: Up earlyish...is that Snow Bell talk for "didn't sleep"?  ;)

Nice to see some climbing mixed in with the skiing.  I second Scotty, very nice boys.


author=JimD link=topic=13454.msg56041#msg56041 date=1243439993">
Here's a shot Jeff got of you ripping Eldo Mac. Thanks for the funny poem on my TR (OMG that trail down did a number on my quads!). Nice meeting you guys.



thanks for tilting your camera in the cool direction! 
Like that wandering uphill pole?  It's a bad habit that remains from the long-pole days of NH tree sking.  ::)

sweet trip report, good job! ;D

author=telemack link=topic=13454.msg56085#msg56085 date=1243464527]
thanks for tilting your camera in the cool direction! 

Hey Mack I can assure you that I did not tilt the camera. You just ripped the Pi%* out of it! Not bad for a school teacher ;)

So here are a few photos from our trip.  Sorry not to put them up sooner but it seems that the longer the trip the bigger domestic deficit I encounter once at home.

A peak at Primus from the E ridge of Austera


Mack skinning Primus with Austera behind him


Looking North from atop Eldo including the Tepeh Towers, Klawatti, Austera, and Primus


Mack ripping the pi%* out of the N slope of Eldorado


author=Stugie link=topic=13454.msg56076#msg56076 date=1243462800">
Day 2: Up earlyish...is that Snow Bell talk for "didn't sleep"? ;)


Nothing of the sort Scott.  More like earlyish compared to how easy it would have been to languish in the sun absorbing the views from our campsite until ten or eleven (like we did on day three).

Dude, Joe, those pics are AWESOME!  I love the one of Mack on Primus with Austera setting the backdrop.  I like lounging too.  ;)

....earlyish compared to how easy it would have been to languish in the sun absorbing the views from our campsite until ten or eleven (like we did on day three).



Thanks for the snaps Snowby.
As I used the word, "earlyish" meant "not as early as we had hoped".

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may-23-25-eldorado-environs
telemack
2009-05-26 19:52:23