Friday, October 06, 2006

Mt St Helens (10/06/2006)

Today, with climbing permits in hand, Dave and I ventured into the barren, magma strewn wasteland, otherwise known as Mt St Helens National Park, to climb Monitor Ridge to Mount St Helens' summit. Our goals were to reach the summit and peer down into the crater below. Well, we reached, and we peered, but there wasn't much to see this time around.

Check the pictures out below.

Note on picture size: Click on picture for a LARGER view.

Due to low visibility and the harsh weather conditions, not many pictures were taken on this trip. Early in the hike, luckily, I snapped two pictures off just as we punched through the first layer of clouds; one picture is of Monitor ridge and one is of the valley below. Visibility was about to change drastically after these shots were taken.

Monitor Ridge on Mt St Helens Posted by Picasa


Above the Clouds View From Mt St Helens Posted by Picasa


At 7000 ft elevation all hell broke loose, winds gusted at 45-50 mph, rain, mist and bone-chilling cold forced Dave and I to don all of our contigency foul weather clothing. Smirking at Mother Nature's attempt to turn us back, we continued on, gaining another 1500 feet to reach the summit and view the spetacular crater lip (literally just the lip).

In the following summit pics, Dave and I were standing about 15 feet apart, taking turns with the camera.

Paul Looking Into Crater On Mt St Helens' Summit Posted by Picasa


Dave Standing on Crater Lip at Summit Posted by Picasa


The day before this climb, we hiked through Lava Canyon and ventured into the lava tube known as "Ape Cave". Here are some clear pictures of Lava Canyon.

Lava Canyon Near Mt St Helens Posted by Picasa


Lava Canyon Near Mt St Helens Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Mount Constance 9/15-9/17/2006

Our team of five hiked to Lake Constance along one of the steepest trails in Washington's Olympic National Park (ONP). We base camped near the lake then, the following morning, attempted to summit Mount Constance via the South Chute in Avalanche Canyon. This three day backpacking trip resulted in a complex mixture of joy, awe, misery, triumph, astonishment, and accomplishment - all necessary ingredients for a truly memorable adventure.

We survived the summit attempt nearly unscathed. Crushed/cut fingers, bruises, scratches, back & PFL strains were overcome without complaint.

Survival was indeed the theme for this adventure - surviving the gnarly, root-grabbing, hands & knees approach to Lake Constance, establishing base camp while assaulted with hail and rain showers, testing our knowledge by administering a survival IQ test (our outdoors skills are "dialed" but we need help driving), hopping between truck-sized boulders while maintaining our balance amongst acres of rock, and dodging more granite than I care to document while ascending talus fields which comprise the South Chute.

The scenery was awesome and wild. As you will see in the pictures below, Avalanche Canyon is truly a special place, as are the South Chute of Mt. Constance, and Lake Constance below. Alpine wilderness such as this can be fully experienced by those willing to endure and appreciate the tests and trials of stamina, while appreciating small triumphs of accomplishment, and the grandness of their surroundings.

The trip pictures below capture a few of the scenic features mentioned above.

Note on picture size: Click on picture for a LARGER view.

Trailside Waterfall Posted by Picasa


Trail To Constance Lake Posted by Picasa


Trailside View Posted by Picasa


Lake Constance Posted by Picasa


Lake Constance Posted by Picasa


View From Lake Posted by Picasa


Gnarly Rock In Canyon Posted by Picasa


Trekking Through Avalanche Canyon Posted by Picasa


Avalanche Canyon & Crystal Pass Posted by Picasa


South Chute Posted by Picasa


South Chute Closeup Posted by Picasa


Climbing the Chute Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Ice Lakes

Today I returned from a 4-day backpack into the Glacier Peak Wilderness area, about 40 miles north of Leavenworth, WA. I joined a party of ten other mountaineers and fisherman, backpacking into Leroy Basin and establishing a base camp.

Our agenda was simple - enjoy the vast, wild, and remote wilderness with gusto, amongst good company. Mission Accomplished.

While some fished Upper Ice Lake (15 fish caught), climbed remote Entiat Mountain passes, and took icy dips in glacially cold alpine resevoirs, I (& others) climbed Mount Maude (9082'), then climbed Seven Fingered Jack (9200'), and speculated upon climbing a future route up Mount Fernow (9249').

The scenery was as breathtaking as the terrain was rugged. The hike from base camp to Ice Lakes alone was certainly no cake walk, requiring the crossing of a deep glacial runoff trench, several Talus fields, and ascension of a high mountain pass. The Seven Fingered Jack climb was rife with steep, shifting Talus fields which we gingerly traversed, attempting to avoid dislodging car-tire sized granite rocks which would imperil climbers below. The terrain for the Mount Maude approach was nearly as rugged, yet different.

The fishing, hunting, and mountaineering stories shared amongst this crew were priceless and, well... you just had to be there to appreciate them.

The trip pictures below capture a few of the scenic features mentioned above.

Note on picture size: Click on picture for a LARGER view.

Camping In Leroy Basin Posted by Picasa


Leroy Basin With 7 Fingered Jack & Mt Maude in Background Posted by Picasa


Upper Ice Lake Posted by Picasa


Mt Maude (West Side) Posted by Picasa


Mt. Maude (Closeup) Posted by Picasa


Mt Maude Summit (9082 ft) Posted by Picasa


Jack's Seventh Finger Posted by Picasa


View From Mt Maude Posted by Picasa


An Entiat Range Glacier Posted by Picasa


Fire Southeast of Entiat Range Posted by Picasa


Seven Fingered Jack (West Side) Posted by Picasa


Seven Fingered Jack (East Side) Posted by Picasa


Seven Finger Jack Summit (9100 ft) Posted by Picasa


The following pictures are of mountain peaks west of our base camp.

Glacier Peak Posted by Picasa


Buck Mtn Posted by Picasa


Red Mtn Posted by Picasa