May 29, 2006, Headlee Pass (Vesper Wannabe)
5/29/06
WA Cascades West Slopes Central
2686
2
We were also on plan C by Monday. Decided Vesper Pk would be close and still good after looking at last week's reports.
The creek crossing is doable, stepping on barely submerged rocks about 50 ft upstream. Wirth basin is still full of snow, but the lower part looks like the remnants of a war zone. Left a twisting skin track skirting around what looked like miniature serac fields. I originally tried a direct line but changed my mind after almost falling into a 4 ft deep av debris hole along with an ice block that weighed more than me.
At the turn up Headlee Pass, I thought the left chute was correct but had not been here in several years. We could still see tracks from last week coming down the right chute and I remembered someone posting last week saying they were in the correct chute despite the vertical snow headwall at the top. We followed their line, but nearer the top, I was pretty certain it was not correct. After scambling the short rock step beside the snow, this fear was confirmed.
We had intended on getting the summit of Vesper, but it was clouded in and the barbeque was at our house that afternoon, so we decided to head back. We circled about 100 feet around the back side to the real pass and skied down some pretty dirty and debris strewn snow.
The pictures are: looking up towards Headlee with the correct chute on the left, the final scramble in the wrong chute, and looking down from headlee Pass.
The creek crossing is doable, stepping on barely submerged rocks about 50 ft upstream. Wirth basin is still full of snow, but the lower part looks like the remnants of a war zone. Left a twisting skin track skirting around what looked like miniature serac fields. I originally tried a direct line but changed my mind after almost falling into a 4 ft deep av debris hole along with an ice block that weighed more than me.
At the turn up Headlee Pass, I thought the left chute was correct but had not been here in several years. We could still see tracks from last week coming down the right chute and I remembered someone posting last week saying they were in the correct chute despite the vertical snow headwall at the top. We followed their line, but nearer the top, I was pretty certain it was not correct. After scambling the short rock step beside the snow, this fear was confirmed.
We had intended on getting the summit of Vesper, but it was clouded in and the barbeque was at our house that afternoon, so we decided to head back. We circled about 100 feet around the back side to the real pass and skied down some pretty dirty and debris strewn snow.
The pictures are: looking up towards Headlee with the correct chute on the left, the final scramble in the wrong chute, and looking down from headlee Pass.
whoops, sorry to lead you astray with our old tracks...guess my buddy whose been up there a couple times before had been going up the wrong way every time...now I know betta.
(phil, you were right all along!)
(phil, you were right all along!)
No fault, even though I thought the left was correct, it looked off angle. The right side looked like great fall line and had that nice bowl shape, it was too hard to resist. I also kind of enjoyed the adventure of the final scramble (my wife might have enjoyed it a little less). I don't feel bad about missing out on the downclimb.
When you look down from the top, you can see that the correct chute is pretty good fall line too, with just a little off angle near the bottom.
It was nice of Phil to apologize for correcting you, even though he was right. It must be the generally superior nature of backcountry skiers (and boarders) showing through. ;)
When you look down from the top, you can see that the correct chute is pretty good fall line too, with just a little off angle near the bottom.
It was nice of Phil to apologize for correcting you, even though he was right. It must be the generally superior nature of backcountry skiers (and boarders) showing through. ;)
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