April 26, 2014, Vesper
4/26/14
WA Cascades West Slopes Central
5293
5
(Quick report in case anyone is wondering about conditions)
We drove to about 1.5 miles from the trailhead and skinned mostly continuously from there. Had to remove one blowdown from the road lower down, who knew an old ice axe could be used to chop through a log?
Trail was bare from TH until the clearing after the creek. Easy crossing on logs. Booted up the clearing but went a little too high and left and missed the shoulder over to the hanging valley that leads to Headlee (name?). Quick retreat and we then skinned up toward Headlee through piles and piles of debris from earlier that week. Took the climber's right of the two couloirs up, scrambling against the rock at the very top to get around the intact cornice (big PIA). Turned at the pass since it was getting late and very warm on south exposures. Ski out was challenging crustmush. Views beautiful all day, great just being out there.
We drove to about 1.5 miles from the trailhead and skinned mostly continuously from there. Had to remove one blowdown from the road lower down, who knew an old ice axe could be used to chop through a log?
Trail was bare from TH until the clearing after the creek. Easy crossing on logs. Booted up the clearing but went a little too high and left and missed the shoulder over to the hanging valley that leads to Headlee (name?). Quick retreat and we then skinned up toward Headlee through piles and piles of debris from earlier that week. Took the climber's right of the two couloirs up, scrambling against the rock at the very top to get around the intact cornice (big PIA). Turned at the pass since it was getting late and very warm on south exposures. Ski out was challenging crustmush. Views beautiful all day, great just being out there.
author=Jonas link=topic=31609.msg132678#msg132678 date=1398959744]
Booted up the clearing but went a little too high and left and missed the shoulder over to the hanging valley that leads to Headlee.
That's real easy to do; following your intuition is so tempting there :). I've missed it even when I knew about where to roll over the ridge.
http://freeheelvegan.com/2012/06/29/vesper-peak/
Vesper has been pretty good to me in early July. We've gone as far as the entry to Wurtz basin in May but were scared off by conditions. I think the cooler to headlee is climber's left. There might be a photo in my link for you to verify.
One of my favorite places for sure.
Vesper has been pretty good to me in early July. We've gone as far as the entry to Wurtz basin in May but were scared off by conditions. I think the cooler to headlee is climber's left. There might be a photo in my link for you to verify.
One of my favorite places for sure.
Headlee is on climbers left and is about the same steepness. I've only been there once and I would think snowpack, wind, cornices would be extremely variable from year to year. Good to be prepared for steep snow climbing and even rock steps if not totally prepared to climb the snow or blocking cornices.
Headlee Pass skiing in June
https://vimeo.com/68019658
https://vimeo.com/68019658
author=avajane link=topic=31609.msg132987#msg132987 date=1399745784]
Headlee Pass skiing in June
https://vimeo.com/68019658
Freeheelvegan and I just watched that together. That is fricking awesome! Loved it!
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