TR:A Dream Come True, Success on Pacific Peak 13,950! 4/19/08
Well after getting shut down last year I was pretty obsessed with getting up there again as many times as it took to get it done. With a little better planning and a bit of luck I got it done on my second attempt.
For those not familiar with the line:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...rthcouloir.jpg
The condition's last year didn't allow for a descent obviously:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...rthcloseup.jpg
You know I can't exactly explain it but there is some appeal to riding down something that's normaly classified as an alpine ice mountaineering route.
When the only documentation you can find of any other descent is limited to one trip and only 2 ppl.(MBSC, ISKI) it seems to up the ante a bit.
I was lined up to go with mostly the same crew as last year but things didn't work out as they went for it on friday when I was working (Damn back stabbers!). As fate and karma would have it things didn't work out for them as then never dropped in to the north couloir due to confusion and uncertianty so they just ended up riding some lines near the couloir.
This was a god send and made my day so much easier as they broke trail in and a nice boot pack out. We didn't actually take their boot pack up(which acutally never went all the way up to the line anyway).
Any way back to the pics, The trail on the way up early in the morning:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture153.jpg
So once we reached the base of the peak we followed their trail around to the west flank but my partner got antsy and suggested going up before we reached their boot pack. Mostly it worked out well as I was booting strait up good snow and scree for the most part with 2 axes and cruising. Untill I reached the upper tier near the ridge where snow was variable and steep and the scree was chossy which inevitably slowed the pace substantially. Once past that I was on the ridge and hoping that was the hardest part. I was hoping we had avoided some of the rock steps along the ridge but yet we still had 2 somewhat technical (mixed rock and steep snow) sections ahead. once on the ridge we watched 4 snowmobiles ride right to the base of the peak for the most part, we were envious to say the least. Despite the early start we watched a party of 4 who started after us cruise the south face to the summit as we tediously worked the ridge. I should have known better but I was expecting to follow a nice boot pack instead of making my own.:rolleyes2
Anyway we got to the notch of the couloir and apon inspection I deemed it was good to go. it's funny cause I have been in that notch 2 times now and never stood on the summit! I have never been much of a peak bragger (oops I mean bagger):biggrin:. Besides gives me something to come back for.......;)
My partner was a bit suprised about what he got himself into as he had never seen the line before. not to mention there was a 4 foot cornice in the entrance with the rocky steep crux almost immediately after. It was a lot better then when I last saw that choke though. Luckily we brought rope with the anticipation of having to rap through the choke if necessary which made getting over the cornice and into possition to negotiate the crux managable. there is a nice rock mound smack dab in the middle of the notch which was easily looped after chopping a small notch with my axe in the choss pile of rock. I strapped in and lowered myself over the cornice (I might have been able to manage with out the ropes if I had no heavy pack but camera gear, snowshoes food and water all add up).
The Shots:
Just after the cornice eyeing up the crux which was not even as wide as my board was long:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture161.jpg
This required squeezing between the rocks directly below me and the wall on my side and making a turn through the slot, just hoping there were no hidden shark fins!:eek:
Making the first turn:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture162.jpg
taking a look down after the first turn and thinking about the rest of this insanely steep tight turning couloir:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture163.jpg
Due to the nature of the line and the snow I was making tight jump turns being cautious mostly untill I knew it was safe to open it up through a section. The main concerns were variable snow and hidden rocks causing one to tumble and pin ball. Luckily the variable wind blown pow was soft enough to edge into(survival skiing comes to mind though somewhat as it wasn't really good pow by any means).
The rest of my sequence a couple turns lower down:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture164.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture165.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture166.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...Picture167.jpg
My friend david went next and he opted to rap in and put his ski's on at a little mound below the cornice, once strapped in he could not free the rope though. He tried for a long time but no matter what he tried it was in vein. knowing that this is a climbing route and that most likely there will be a few other people going up this couloir this year we hope someone can clean it up, if not I will retrieve it on a later trip back. I told him to atleast throw it up over the top if possible so it won't get burried (next time I will bring some webbing and a leaver biner).
David rapping in:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3852.jpg
Wondering how he was going to get through, the rocks are just below his skis:
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3855.jpg
not sure how he got through, think he went to the other side of the rocks as I could not see him or I wasn't watching cause it was taking a bit. regaurdless he made it :
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3856.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3858.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3859.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3860.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3862.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...x/IMG_3863.jpg
David was having a little trouble and somehow his pack opened up and spit my new $600 camera out into the couloir which proceded to come out of it's bag and go rolling a 1000 feet down totally exposed to the elements. So no more pics after that as I had to go chase it down and dry it off. Luckily it only dinged one rock and stopped right next to a wall inches away and the body is strong metal so all was ok once dry.
The boot pack on the way out was super quick and easy and the only slow part was re kicking steps at the steep convexity at the top of the ridge. I wanted to hit crystals north face on the way out but considering it was getting late and we didn't know the way out we decided to call it good. I want to come back in better snow conditions and get pacific and crystal done next time. Anyway the ride out was uneventfull and involved some nice pow for a while, somehow we managed to ride down some drainages all the way to the creek next to fremont pass and never had to slog at all! All in all an epic day!:yourock::cool:
