July 3-5, Goat Rocks, Old Snowy

Wanted to get some good July turns in with out hauling up all the glacier gear. So we headed for Old Snowy in Goat Rocks. After working a few hours on Friday we got a late start and didn't start up the N Fork of the Tieton until 3pm. It was 85 at the TH. The late start help beat some of the heat on the way up as the sun angle made for more shade. No snow at Tieton Pass and only patchy snow in McCall Basin. We climbed up to the the unnamed  flat basin above McCall and set up camp there. (Much better - McCall was buggy!) There was nearly continuous snow starting in the upper basin (around 5200'). Ascended Old Snowy on skins on July 4. A few portages over rock, but nothing very long. Plenty of mountain goats and elk around! Scrambled 20-30 feet of rock to the Old Snowy summit. Great skiing all the way from the summit back to camp! (Even at 3:30pm) As expected, the snowpack is completely consolidated and held up pretty well to the hot weather. There are several descent options... this late all of them appear to require some sort of short rock portage, at least to hit the best fall lines. Runnels and suncups are not too big yet.