Van Trump Park MRNP 12/03/09
12/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
6039
10
Wanting to hit up some south facing slopes other then the Muir snowfield Joe Bell and myself decided to venture into Van Trump Park. The trail was already packed down until reaching the steep side walls of Van Trump Creek which from there on we had to break trail. It was Icy firm and exposed so we put on our crampons (which I don't recommend without) until reaching the high alpine and switched over to skinning. Travel was easy with only a inch or two on top of the rain crust but the sun was causing our skins to glop up.
We skinned up to around 8800 feet but were forced to turn around with time constraints and not wanting to hike in the dark. The ride down was a mix of windblown pow, Corn, dust on crust and firm Icy conditions. We carefully navigated through the open slopes loosely following our skin track all the way down to comet falls before switching back to crampons for the 2 mile hike back to the car. The snowpack seemed stable with no evidence of recent slides.
I was amazed by the endless options but with huge wide open slopes it would be way too sketch with a foot of powder on the non anchored slopes.
Heres the link
We skinned up to around 8800 feet but were forced to turn around with time constraints and not wanting to hike in the dark. The ride down was a mix of windblown pow, Corn, dust on crust and firm Icy conditions. We carefully navigated through the open slopes loosely following our skin track all the way down to comet falls before switching back to crampons for the 2 mile hike back to the car. The snowpack seemed stable with no evidence of recent slides.
I was amazed by the endless options but with huge wide open slopes it would be way too sketch with a foot of powder on the non anchored slopes.
Heres the link
author=Kyle Miller link=topic=14715.msg61577#msg61577 date=1259967592">
Wanting to hit up some south facing slopes other then the Muir snowfield Joe Bell and myself decided to venture into Van Trump Park. The trail was already packed down until reaching the steep side walls of Van Trump Creek which from there on we had to break trail. It was Icy firm and exposed so we put on our crampons (which I don't recommend without) until reaching the high alpine and switched over to skinning. Travel was easy with only a inch or two on top of the rain crust but the sun was causing our skins to glop up.
We skinned up to around 8800 feet but were forced to turn around with time constraints and not wanting to hike in the dark. The ride down was a mix of windblown pow, Corn, dust on crust and firm Icy conditions. We carefully navigated through the open slopes loosely following our skin track all the way down to comet falls before switching back to crampons for the 2 mile hike back to the car. The snowpack seemed stable with no evidence of recent slides.
I was amazed by the endless options but with huge wide open slopes it would be way too sketch with a foot of powder on the non anchored slopes.
Heres the link
Thanks for the report. How was the Tatoosh looking? Still snow on the trees on the N facing stuff or am I just dreaming?
The Tatoosh looked like they had good coverage. We hit snow around 6'000 feet so its hard to say but I wouldn't expect more then a few inches on ice.
Nice job guys.
Took a friend out to Birthday Bowl this past weekend and pointed at Van Trump on the way home, remarking how I need to get out there one of these days. I bet it is good in pow or corn, thanks for the inspiration to get up there...
Took a friend out to Birthday Bowl this past weekend and pointed at Van Trump on the way home, remarking how I need to get out there one of these days. I bet it is good in pow or corn, thanks for the inspiration to get up there...
Nice write up on the blog Kyle. It was fun chasing you up there. I am drinking lots of beer to carbo load for the next time we get out. ;)
Chris- Like Kyle said; with much fresh snow, there seems to be little chance of a safe route. I may wait for firm conditions again although not quite as firm as we found that day.
Chris- Like Kyle said; with much fresh snow, there seems to be little chance of a safe route. I may wait for firm conditions again although not quite as firm as we found that day.
author=Snow Bell link=topic=14715.msg61809#msg61809 date=1260347469]
Chris- Like Kyle said; with much fresh snow, there seems to be little chance of a safe route...
Burgdorfer shows an alternate route (to the left) around the terrain trap for higher avy conditions.
Thats the way I went when I toured there. Never went near Comet falls and the alternate route seems pretty avy safe.
Hey Kyle,
What crampons are you using with your snowboard boots? BD's?
What crampons are you using with your snowboard boots? BD's?
I've been using the Black Diamond Sabertooths which have taken a beating and are awesome with my Driver X boots.
As for a alternative route to Van trump if you are talking about via Rampart Ridge hats off to you as that looks like quite the slog.
I felt our route was rather safe with no exposure until the last few hundred feet. I was more thinking of it from a downhill aspect on the steep open slopes.
As for a alternative route to Van trump if you are talking about via Rampart Ridge hats off to you as that looks like quite the slog.
I felt our route was rather safe with no exposure until the last few hundred feet. I was more thinking of it from a downhill aspect on the steep open slopes.
Quite an excursion in such loud snow conditions!
The dotted W variation shown in Burgdorfer (p.193) is a shorter, safer approach to Van Trump after a big dump when the snow is good in the old growth at 3500'. Leave the Comet Falls trail before the initial bridge and climb to Mazama Ridge just below Mildred Point.
He also shows a dotted E variation starting from Glacier Bridge. A more skiable route boots up just before Tato Falls, but stays on the Nisqually morraines until one can skin up to 'Dream Bowl'. This is a faster way to the turtle snowfield & Camp Hazard, but is exposed to a lot of fairly steep, normally lee slopes in winter. It also goes shady early in the afternoon in Spring. There's a great photo of this approach on an old thread: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=9543.0
The dotted W variation shown in Burgdorfer (p.193) is a shorter, safer approach to Van Trump after a big dump when the snow is good in the old growth at 3500'. Leave the Comet Falls trail before the initial bridge and climb to Mazama Ridge just below Mildred Point.
He also shows a dotted E variation starting from Glacier Bridge. A more skiable route boots up just before Tato Falls, but stays on the Nisqually morraines until one can skin up to 'Dream Bowl'. This is a faster way to the turtle snowfield & Camp Hazard, but is exposed to a lot of fairly steep, normally lee slopes in winter. It also goes shady early in the afternoon in Spring. There's a great photo of this approach on an old thread: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=9543.0
author=vogtski link=topic=14715.msg61862#msg61862 date=1260407189]
He also shows a dotted E variation starting from Glacier Bridge.
Not sure what's in Burgdorfer, but the direct route from the bridge involves an annoying ~20' low-angled cliff band. It went last Spring on extreme climber's right, above some exposure, but I can't recommend the route. We descended through the center of the cliffband, which also went, but was also annoying. I'd bring a handline to expedite the descent, but I wouldn't recommend any route we found to friends. Routefinding above the cliff band is a little bit fractal, and therefore tricky in fading light.
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