Home > Trip Reports > 11-18-10, colchuck bail

11-18-10, colchuck bail

11/18/10
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
4273
5
Posted by alecapone on 11/18/10 11:56pm
After reading Scotsmans report on Washington pass, I became green with envy. With all the new snowing falling everywhere, I hoped it was not to late. I scoured the telemetry, weather reports, first hand and second hand accounts, and seemed like the Stuart range would be  agreat place to take my board for a walk. Would I be rewarded with some slippery down climbing, or cursed with a field of powder?

The gate was still open to the mountaineer creek TH. Optimism was high when we arrived to an inch on the ground at the parking spot, and a dusting on the trail. Hiking up to the lake in boots with board on back too went quickly. The weather was enjoyable with blue skies and cool temps. As soon as we popped over the crest to the lake, al hell broke loose. VERY windy! Maybe 6 to 8 inches of new light and fluffy snow at lake level. Colchuck glacier looked like crap. It was all coverd in what appeared to be a thick blanket of snow! WTF?!? We took solice in what appeared to be a mulitple strips of rock that we could down climb to stay off the snow.

The travers around the lake and through the talus field was the highlite of the trip. Unfortuanly, as this point we decided to cheat and put the skis on our feet. But cheaters never prosper. The mountain immediatly began resisting us with sketchy slabby snow conditions and shooting cracks.. Then hurricane force winds. Tit for tat, I skiboarded the little we had climbed, while in true style, my partener down climbed.

Maybe in the future when I better hone my weather skills I will be able to tag and bag a gnarly down climb.




Sorry you missed out on the wet slab downclimbing -- I heard it was excellent and it may not come back into shape for several months, looking at the forecast...

See you at the OTH?

Well done sir! Maybe next time we can stay down lower in the Icicle, where we will be guaranteed thinly covered slabs and rocks.  Or a posthole Enchantment traverse? Keep me in mind!

I hope the smoked salmon was good.

That sounds enchanting JW! No smoked salmon, just vacum packed tuna. Maybe that had something to do with it. No fresh smoked, but I still have about 10 pounds in the freezer from last year.

I am gonna try and make it Marcus. Kinda bummed, but I couldn't get a free weekend to go to the OEC refresh. the 12th isn't looking good either.

CBR was the place to be yesterday... SERIOUS downclimbing... ;)




Ale is one of the few people I know that wouldn't hesitate with an idea this stupid...sorry. You forgot to mention that the wind and spindrift machine stopped as we dropped away from the lake. I feel like I got kicked in the family jewels...but in a good way.














It'd be so much work to haul skis up CBR, but the descent down the backside in your last picture would be so nice...

Reply to this TR

7917
11-18-10-colchuck-bail
alecapone
2010-11-19 07:56:45