June 14, 2009, Seven-Fingered Jack, Stupid Fun?
6/14/09
5317
11
Water: First you ski on it, then you paddle in it. Its Friday, June 12, and Paul is enticing me to paddle the Chiwawa River. The river has a short season and that season is upon us. But my current vision of Chiwawa whitewater is to ski a few peaks whose snows ultimately feed the whitewater Paul wants to paddle. I tell Paul Im grabbing one more weekend of backcountry skiing.
Early Sunday morning I head up Phelps Creek, a major tributary to the Chiwawa, with Tom Janisch, someone who would keep the Cascades in winter all year if he could control of the global thermostat. We start out carrying our boards and boots, but we fully expect to be skiing at the 6,000-foot level. Then it will be fun times for two days as we ski Seven-Fingered Jack, visit Mt. Maude, and complete a high traverse over Carne Mountain.
The approach goes quickly and we enjoy the blue-sky morning, long views, springtime fragrances, and even an ice-cream headache of the feet as we wade Leroy Creek. We make quick work of the no-nonsense climbers trail on the north side of Leroy Creek and climb into the basin below Seven-Fingered Jack. Here, at the 6100-foot level, we ponder the avalanches that roared through over the winter and bowled down the pins of thousands of trees the unexpected destruction is a jaw-dropper.
Also unexpected is the absence of snow. Seven-Fingered Jack and Maude are both nearly snow-free on this mid-June date. In years past Ive been in this same basin in July an encountered a meter of snow.
We dump our camping gear and head for a couloir thats refrigerated enough to preserve a finger of snow leading to the 8,000-foot level. Then we traverse a short distance to a small snowfield leading to the 8,500-foot level. From here, theres simply no alternative but to walk unpleasant fields of talus.
We have barely touched the summit when afternoon sprinkles dampen the experience. These sprinkles are the front end of dragon clouds spitting fire. Theres no lounging on the top today, we need to make ourselves inconspicuous down lower.
Were back to the skis when the fireworks start. The fire show is less than spectacular -- perhaps because acres of airborne ice are extinguishing the flames. Pea-sized hail slingshots out of the sky to pelt us. We stand like sinners, hoods pulled over our heads and eyes cast down, enduring the punishment of our obsession.
As we stand in huddled misery, water dripping off our noses, we take in the snowfree south ridge of Maude and the equally barren high route we intended to 'ski. Tomorrow, skis will be our deadweights, not our tools. Tom is suddenly struck with inspiration, Would it be OK if we threw in the towel and just headed down this evening? Id rather bank the day off work for something better?
The suggestion buoys my spirits. Definitely!
This outing has been the death knell to our backcountry ski season here on the east slopes of the Cascades. A vertical mile below us, however, the Chiwawa River is running strong. Tomorrow, maybe Paul and I will be paddling this snow that has gone to seed.
+++
More Details: For more info, pictures, and/or a topo map of this area, see this trip report at www.WenatcheeOutdoors.org, a website I manage.
Early Sunday morning I head up Phelps Creek, a major tributary to the Chiwawa, with Tom Janisch, someone who would keep the Cascades in winter all year if he could control of the global thermostat. We start out carrying our boards and boots, but we fully expect to be skiing at the 6,000-foot level. Then it will be fun times for two days as we ski Seven-Fingered Jack, visit Mt. Maude, and complete a high traverse over Carne Mountain.
The approach goes quickly and we enjoy the blue-sky morning, long views, springtime fragrances, and even an ice-cream headache of the feet as we wade Leroy Creek. We make quick work of the no-nonsense climbers trail on the north side of Leroy Creek and climb into the basin below Seven-Fingered Jack. Here, at the 6100-foot level, we ponder the avalanches that roared through over the winter and bowled down the pins of thousands of trees the unexpected destruction is a jaw-dropper.
Also unexpected is the absence of snow. Seven-Fingered Jack and Maude are both nearly snow-free on this mid-June date. In years past Ive been in this same basin in July an encountered a meter of snow.
We dump our camping gear and head for a couloir thats refrigerated enough to preserve a finger of snow leading to the 8,000-foot level. Then we traverse a short distance to a small snowfield leading to the 8,500-foot level. From here, theres simply no alternative but to walk unpleasant fields of talus.
We have barely touched the summit when afternoon sprinkles dampen the experience. These sprinkles are the front end of dragon clouds spitting fire. Theres no lounging on the top today, we need to make ourselves inconspicuous down lower.
Were back to the skis when the fireworks start. The fire show is less than spectacular -- perhaps because acres of airborne ice are extinguishing the flames. Pea-sized hail slingshots out of the sky to pelt us. We stand like sinners, hoods pulled over our heads and eyes cast down, enduring the punishment of our obsession.
As we stand in huddled misery, water dripping off our noses, we take in the snowfree south ridge of Maude and the equally barren high route we intended to 'ski. Tomorrow, skis will be our deadweights, not our tools. Tom is suddenly struck with inspiration, Would it be OK if we threw in the towel and just headed down this evening? Id rather bank the day off work for something better?
The suggestion buoys my spirits. Definitely!
This outing has been the death knell to our backcountry ski season here on the east slopes of the Cascades. A vertical mile below us, however, the Chiwawa River is running strong. Tomorrow, maybe Paul and I will be paddling this snow that has gone to seed.
+++
More Details: For more info, pictures, and/or a topo map of this area, see this trip report at www.WenatcheeOutdoors.org, a website I manage.
Nice report, Andy.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting.
Great report -- I love the "snow that has gone to seed"...
Great writing style! We/I was looking t your site TR on cannon Mt last week prior to getting over there. Didn't feel like bushwhacking to the extent that appeared necessary, so we did Colchuck Glacier, but great website nevertheless!
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/885287/TR_MF7FJ_5_30_2009#Post885287
I bet the NF of Maude had to still be looking good though right? I barely squeezed my trip in as far as snow pack goes, was able to link up snowfields from about 50 ft below the summit all the way down into the trees. timing is everything ;) Good on ya for getting up there, maybe next spring!
I bet the NF of Maude had to still be looking good though right? I barely squeezed my trip in as far as snow pack goes, was able to link up snowfields from about 50 ft below the summit all the way down into the trees. timing is everything ;) Good on ya for getting up there, maybe next spring!
Regarding the North Face of Maude, your pictures taken in the area two weeks earlier look radically different than what we encountered. From Seven Finger, the NF of Maude looked shot. That being said, rock ribs might be hiding the real line.
I should have posted last week, as it would have saved you the trouble, or at least tempered your expectations.
After reading AJScott's glowing report on CC from the week prior, I went up to Leroy Basin with 2 friends on 6/6 and 6/7, hoping to do the big loop including nf maude/fernow/ 7fj.
Unfortunately, it rained all night on me in the bivy sack, and we woke up to poor visibility and intermittent light rain turning to snow at our 6300 ft camp. We skinned to the saddle in rain/fog/snog/snow mix, and settled for a cruiser run down rather than traverse out to maude in the blowing precip.
What we did see on saturday was that the low elevation snowpack was wrecked by the 90degree temps. No skinning to a mile from the car for us. What a difference a week made! Carried skis from just below camp all the way out in mixed mud/postholy snow patches.
Love that little couloir on 7fj. Boarded it last year on july 4th in similar conditions.
After reading AJScott's glowing report on CC from the week prior, I went up to Leroy Basin with 2 friends on 6/6 and 6/7, hoping to do the big loop including nf maude/fernow/ 7fj.
Unfortunately, it rained all night on me in the bivy sack, and we woke up to poor visibility and intermittent light rain turning to snow at our 6300 ft camp. We skinned to the saddle in rain/fog/snog/snow mix, and settled for a cruiser run down rather than traverse out to maude in the blowing precip.
What we did see on saturday was that the low elevation snowpack was wrecked by the 90degree temps. No skinning to a mile from the car for us. What a difference a week made! Carried skis from just below camp all the way out in mixed mud/postholy snow patches.
Love that little couloir on 7fj. Boarded it last year on july 4th in similar conditions.
Solid poetry.
It makes one weary (and wary) of text messaging as suitable English/comp form.
It makes one weary (and wary) of text messaging as suitable English/comp form.
wow...didnt realize my tr was getting graded! I would have spent more time writing it but i enjoy being outside more than sitting in front of a computer. who gives a shit. LOL TTYL! Im done writing TR's on the interweb.
Hey, AJ. Not totally sure what you're getting at, but I was just throwing AD an attaboy for a great read. I believe I'm not the only one who did.
I would agree with you that much of the time and on many topics, a brief post or comment is informative and timely, for both reader and poster. But I also appreciate a well crafted read that entertains as well as informs. Many, here have put up good reads, and I am happy to say so. Sometimes, just the great enthusiasm of the writer comes through and that is plenty to have me looking forward to their next post.
I didn't mean for my appreciation of AD to be construed as 'grading'. Sorry 'bout that, all.. david
I would agree with you that much of the time and on many topics, a brief post or comment is informative and timely, for both reader and poster. But I also appreciate a well crafted read that entertains as well as informs. Many, here have put up good reads, and I am happy to say so. Sometimes, just the great enthusiasm of the writer comes through and that is plenty to have me looking forward to their next post.
I didn't mean for my appreciation of AD to be construed as 'grading'. Sorry 'bout that, all.. david
Not sure where you took that from, AJ -- I enjoyed the TR and lots-o-writing and lots-o-pictures TRs are both good, in my book. I love the first pic of that slab on Maude... wonga.
author=AJScott link=topic=13643.msg57073#msg57073 date=1245417216]
wow...didnt realize my tr was getting graded! I would have spent more time writing it but i enjoy being outside more than sitting in front of a computer. who gives a shit. LOL TTYL! Im done writing TR's on the interweb.
Wow, it's someone's time of the month!
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