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IBEXtrax.com - Cascade Mountains of Washington StateGlacier Peak Wilderness |
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After the problems with the schedule I made for the Mount Rainier attempt the week earlier, Chris decided to try his hand at scheduling. I borrowed my brother Paul's heavy mountaineering boots and matching ten point crampons. Chris and I talked Shawn C into coming along on the climb. Shawn didn't have any experience climbing Cascade Volcanoes. However, more importantly, he had a van.
We left Juanita as the sun was coming up. While passing through Everett, I tried to spot Glacier Peak through the early morning haze. Some people say that Glacier Peak is the only Cascade Mountains major volcano that can not be seen from any interstate highway. However, if you study the eastern horizon from I-5 near Everett, you can pick out the top three or four hundred feet of the summit. Glacier Peak is most evident in late summer when it sticks out as the only snow covered peak. However, in June of seventy four, all of the Cascade peaks were still blanketed in a winter white camouflage. I was not able to spot the top of Glacier Peak through the haze.
Just outside of Arlington we stopped to pick up a hitch hiker. He said He was looking for farm work. So, we dropped him in the farming community of Oso.
As you drive into the logging town of Darrington, the excitement of the Cascades seems to crescendo. Whitehorse Mountain explodes up, out of the Stillaguamish River Valley with over six thousand feet of vertical relief. The So-Bahli-Ahli Glacier that hangs high on the north slope of Whitehorse Mountain heightens the grandeur of the scene. Looking east up the Sauk River Drainage, and framed between the evermore rugged but obviously less lofty peaks that line the valley, is the first good view of Glacier Peak. It is this view from the Sauk Prairie near Darrington that you begin to understand why the native Indians call the mountain DaKobed; meaning Great Parent.
The So-Bahli-Ahli Glacier on Whitehorse Mountain looked interesting. The morning sun sparkled on the glacier. The inviting views made me want to climb up and explore the upper reaches of Whitehorse Mountain. I mentally added it to my things to do list.
With all the time that Chris put in on making the climbing schedule, it seemed only fitting that he be named the team leader. Chris signed in at the Darrington Ranger Station as the leader. When we acquired the wilderness permit, the ranger explained the purpose of the reservation system they were just trying out. The data from the system would be used to gain facts on how many people could stay in different areas without damaging the wilderness. Because we would be making camp above timberline, the ranger reminded us to camp on snow and build no fires. I thought the rugged area we were going to could take a lot of abuse. We thanked the ranger and headed east.
Soon after crossing the bridge over the Sauk River, we turned right off the pavement and entered the northern portal of the Mountain Loop Scenic Highway. Before we reached the left turn up the Whitechuck River road, we had eaten all our sack lunches. The old road was being repaired, but we passed without stopping. We crossed the ford at Dead Duck Creek without incident, and continued on to Owl Creek Picnic Area. I used the out house at the trailhead, and did not notice the bees nest above the door until after I sat down. I carefully made my exit when I was finished.
We loaded up our packs that were heavy with glacier climbing gear and four days provisions, and then headed out the well groomed trail. At about one half mile out, a short rest by a small stream provided freshwater. At Fire Creek (I usually call it Boundary Creek) I was refreshed by a cool breeze that flowed down the creek bed. The stiff boots I had borrowed from Paul were not made for the trail, so I had to stop and put "bull pads" on my heals. Some people call the pads Mole Skin, but I use the adhesive pads when my feet give me a lot of bull.
We made good time up the trail, except for Shawn changing back and forth from tennis shoes to heavy boots. I was alone and in the lead when I reached the crossing at Glacier Creek. The trail was completely covered with snow, but the well traveled path made route finding easy. We came to Kennedy Flat. The area looked unchanged from the year before. We had a short discussion about were to stay for the night. The outcome was to continue up Kennedy Ridge until the sunset.
I led out looking for the trail. We found a single blaze on a tree that marked the trail and then separated to look for other blazes. Shawn and I ended up climbing up to near the top of Kennedy Ridge. At the top we stopped and wondered about Chris. We heard a yell and thought Chris was in trouble. So, I grabbed my ice axe and headed back down. When I found Chris he seemed to be alright. We climbed up together, back to Shawn and the packs.
Chris was experimenting with his equipment on this climb. He didn't bring a sleeping bag and he was carrying his small Millet Sac. The small pack was not designed for the excessive load he was carrying. Chris traded packs with Shawn to give his aching shoulders a break.
We followed the wide crest of Kennedy Ridge in echelon formation, looking for evidence of the trail. Were the ridge narrowed and turned northwest I took compass bearings, studied the map, and viewed my surrounding. Once we knew our exact position we found the trail. Soon we came across the Pacific Crest Trail. Chris led up the trail, carefully kicking uniform steps in the snow. Shawn came second breaking out each of Chris's skillfully sculpted steps. I was annoyed and passed Shawn.
When the sun started to set, I hurried ahead, searching for a picturesque view of the Mountain. I found a break in the tree line and then captured Glacier Peak in a soft pink evening gown. When Chris and Shawn caught up, we headed north in search of water and two tent sites.
Camp was set on the snow, just north of Glacier Creek at forty eight hundred feet. The snow was so deep that to get water, I used my ice axe to cut steps down to Glacier Creek. To conserve weight I had left my tent poles and stakes at home. I used a handy tree branch from a nearby pile of avalanche debris to hold up the back of my tent. The front pole on Chris's Crestline tent was used to support the front of my tent.
I crawled halfway into my sleeping bag and cooked a meal of Tuna Helper in the sheltered space between the tents. After dinner, I snuggled into my sleeping bag, and used my extinguished cook stove like a hand warmer. Before I fell asleep I had to insulate myself from the snow with all my gear.
Sometime during the night, I was jolted awake by the terrifying sound of rock fall. I franticly stuck my head out of the tent, and gazed into the moon light. All was quiet, except for the muffled splash of a distant water fall. I drank a full quart of water, and popped a few salt tablets.
Shawn was up early. He had already climbed the slope to the north of camp in order to warm up in the morning sunshine. Chris prepared breakfast while Shawn and I packed up the tents. After breakfast I climbed the snow slope above the camp, and viewed the once explosive volcano. I glissaded down past Chris, who was climbing up for a look.
For the second time I heard the dreaded sound of rock fall. Directly above Chris, large chunks of snow and big dirty boulders appeared. I yelled, "Rock", and then told Chris to move to his right. He looked up the slope, searching for the danger above him. When finally he saw the slide, he whirled around and ran straight down the slope. I was still yelling, "Move right, Right", and Chris zigged to his left. It was good that he moved when he did because a large sharp rock came flying past him. He zagged back right just as a huge block of ice or snow hurled by him. When he reached the bottom, he was unscathed. We all laughed about how lucky Chris was.
Once we loaded up and got under way, Chris took the lead and followed Glacier Creek up stream. I suggested that we soon start a rising traverse to gain the ridge to the north. Chris stayed with the low route. Going up the draw that held Glacier Creek, the hot bright sunshine was devastating. Even though Chris was making good tracks up the creek, I stopped following them and went for the tree line left. I was going out of our way to hike in the shade. The terrain steepened and shortly the planned lunch stop was taken.
The lunch break lasted well beyond the scheduled time to leave, mainly due to snow melting. I covered unprotected skin with Clown White grease paint before I left the shaded lunch spot amongst the trees. The snow was starting to get softer, but it gave only slightly in the beginning of the traverse. I took the lead to relieve Chris from the step kicking. When traveling on snow, I noticed that size is deceiving. The open treeless slope looked to be a quick route to the ridge top. But it turned into a long boring traverse.
Finally I gained Glacier Ridge. Looking back down my track I saw only Shawn in the middle of the traverse. Chris was way down at the bottom. I labored on. At one thirty I stopped and waited for them. Shawn and Chris arrived about the same time, and I was astounds at the speed at which Chris caught up. The schedule allowed us to go fifteen minutes higher.
At about seventy two hundred feet we made camp. In the barren sea of snow and rock we found a small oasis. A pumice patch held a small freshet. On the patch beside the little trickle of water, Chris staked out his tent. I set my tent on the ridge crest; above the patch on the snow.
After eating Chris's delicious and filling dinner, I crawled into my tent. It was four PM. The tent was hot, but my foot would quickly numb if it lay off the Blue Foam insolating pad. I couldn't sleep. I wasn't tired. After packing my summit sac, I mixed up some lemonade and drank. A bee buzzed my tent, trying to get some of my lemonade, but I was being stingy. Chris and Shawn were laughing. I nibbled on some food and smoked. I had to get sleep, so I fought until I was tired.
All too soon, I saw the flash of a headlamp and heard Chris say, "Get up. It's late". I was groggy. Chris started heating the water and then left me to watch it as I dressed. When I was ready to go, I gazed up at the stars that filled the cloudless sky. The moon was just setting. I yelled down when the water was ready.
After eating, I put on Paul's crampons, and we roped up. Shawn and Chris chose not to use crampons. Chris set a good pace, and we were just below Kennedy Peak when I turned off my headlamp.
When I saw how beautiful the sunrise was coming along, I noticed that my camera was not with me. I had to go back. I secured my pack with a snow fluke, and then ran off down the slope. It was exciting running in crampons. Arriving at the tent, I left my headlamp and grabbed my camera. I hurried back up to Chris and Shawn.
Going around the north side of Kennedy Peak at the head of the Ptarmigan Glacier, Shawn slipped and then self arrested. We unroped once across the Ptarmigan Glacier, and then Chris and Shawn donned crampons. I gave Shawn lacing instructions. I reread the photocopy directions from the guide, and then readjusted Paul's ten point crampons.
An energetic pace soon brought me to the base of the North Cleaver. Going up the Cleaver, I traversed and made switchbacks on the shaded west side. Halfway up the Cleaver, Shawn and I applied more sunburn preventative. Chris was leading from the rear and was down at the base of the Cleaver.
Going up the steep part, I had to tread lightly, or else I fell through to my hip. There was a dangerous zone between the snow and the rock. I climbed on either one or the other. Shawn was having trouble; he would fall through very often. My crampons started to clog every few steps, so I tried the rhythmic tap with my ice axe; it worked well. Shawn and I scrambled up the steep snow slope together.
When I neared the crest at the base of the "Rabbit Ears", I looked over the edge. I didn't like it. The only visible route involved down climbing on rotten, icy rock. Then there was the burgschrund. The big crack at the top of the Kennedy Glacier appeared to have no easy way around. I went higher and then walked between the "Rabbit Ears". But, I did not find an easy decent route to the south. When I saw some tracks below on the Kennedy Glacier, I decide to go back down to gain access to the Kennedy Glacier. Shawn and I slid back down to were Chris was waiting. He had climbed up to the base of the "Rabbit Ears".
We roped up and then crossed the upper Kennedy Glacier. I was relieved that we were able to easily jump across the burgschrund. Above the burgschrund we labored up a steep cliff of soft snow. Once on the shoulder of the crater, the traveling did not improve. With every step I would breakthrough the soft snow up to my hip.
Looking back down our tracks it looked like a row of post holes waiting for a fence to be built. We unroped and individually wallowed in the soft molasses like snow.
On the north rim I sat down and then started sliding down into the blown out crater. I was unexpectedly airborne when I passed over a crack. I turned around just in time to see Shawn blow up in a spray of ice and snow after crossing over the crack. He then tumbled head over heals down to the crater floor. He said he was OK.
Going up the south rim Shawn was leading. Chris was resting in the crater. At the crest we had trouble deciding were the true summit was. Chris quickly ascended the rim. When Chris arrived he said he was tired. We ate lunch and soaked up the view. After Shawn started cramping up, I found that Chris and Shawn were both out of salt tablets. We took a summit photo.
We removed our crampons in preparation of the slide down. Shawn said he was going to go slow, so he headed down first. Chris looked beat. We slid down together.
While going up the north rim, Shawn got disturbed when I passed him. Shawn lurched ahead, exhausted himself, and collapsed. He slowed down after that. We plunged over to the short cliff were I made a quick bumpy slide. When Shawn tried to slide down the steep cliff, he fell through and got stuck. Chris dug Shawn out.
As we gathered on the slope directly above the Kennedy Glacier Burgschrund, I was shocked into responsibility when Chris said, "I don't trust myself." I thought this was not a good place for someone to loose their balance or faint. Chris filled a water bottle, set it down on its side, and the bottle rolled down into the burgschrund. Shawn first put on his ice axe loop before trying to put on his pack and became frustrated because his pack did not fit anymore. I thought it was important to get across the Kennedy Glacier as soon as possible. We needed to get away from the dangerous crevasses. We roped up and then I led over the burgschrund.
While passing around the upper Kennedy Glacier, the snow beneath my feet fell away. I lunged for the rock wall on my right and then hung on with all my might. I frantically yelled to Chris for a belay. I stamped out a place for my feet in the crumbly loose rock and snow. A gaping bottomless cavern with large dripping icicles was visible through the hole where I had been standing. Chris belayed me to safety. We were soon able to move off the Kennedy Glacier to an only slightly less dangerous position above the ominous cracks of the glacier. I needed a rest to calm my nerves.
Shawn and Chris were perched above me, and I noticed that Chris was questioning Shawn. Chris said something was wrong with Shawn. Chris yelled down the symptoms and I misdiagnosed it as vertigo. I felt it best that we move Shawn, due to our proximity to the large crevasses on the Kennedy Glacier. I directed Chris to anchor his end of the rope, and for Shawn to come down. Shawn complained and Chris seemed confused. I got tired of yelling, and scrambled up to them. I questioned Shawn. He told me of the sparkles he saw before his eyes, and Chris said it happened to him too. I thought Shawn had heat exhaustion and the first aid book confirmed It. Chris complained that he couldn't find his water bottle he had filled. I was surprised that he did not remember it rolling into the burgschrund. I read the symptoms from the first aid book, and initiated the treatment. This depleted the supply of salt tabs from my first aid kit. We all rested for awhile, perched above the Kennedy Glacier.
There was a slightly more sheltered spot about twenty five yards down on the right, and out of the menace of the cracks below. We decided to go down, and Chris went ahead. With Shawn in the middle of the rope, I anchored the upper end. When we reached the sheltered spot, I insisted that we remain roped. Chris and I got Shawn comfortable. Shawn was out of glorp, so he ate some of mine. There was a lengthy exchange between Shawn and me. Most of Shawn's talk was garble. I remember Shawn saying something about Fizz-R-in. Shawn struggled into his sleeping bag, and lay in the shade of a large rock. Chris slept under his poncho. I watched the clouds for a long time.
I unroped and stomped a trench in the soft snow, over to the North Cleaver. I looked for a better bivouac, but none was to be found. After traversing back, I talked to Shawn. Shawn said he didn't want to move. That scared me. I thought of how long it would take a rescue team to come.
I watched the thickening clouds until they started to surround Kennedy Peak. I woke Chris and asked him to help. Chris was groggy at first, but when I told him that we needed a doctor for Shawn, he perked up. We persuaded Shawn out of his bag, and divided his gear. Shawn complained of the light level, so I gave him my bug eye goggles. I had him put his goggles over the top of them. Shawn ate some Rye Crisp, and Chris took a bearing on Kennedy Peak. I tied back into the rope and Chris led out. Chris and I traded belays as Shawn stumbled between us. The going was slow, and I fell while scrambling between belay spots; just minor scrapes.
Once on the North Cleaver, we remained roped together, and made two long glissades. When the grade decreased, Chris set a brisk pace, and we trucked down into the clouds. Shawn lost Chris's goggles. Chris led the contour around Kennedy Peak. I thought he went too far, and the compass confirmed it. The breaks in the passing clouds gave us brief glimpses of landmarks. We were able to slowly pick our way down to the large rock below Kennedy Peak. I thought Chris was going to lead us over the cliff onto the Kennedy Glacier. I was slightly irritated and had trouble convincing Chris to turn right, away from the cliff and go down. Chris showed me that he knew what he was doing as we followed along the top of the cliff, north of the Kennedy Glacier. I thought I recognized the rocky patch were they had waited for me, but we all agreed on the patch below it. The visibility increased, and we unroped.
We arrived at our high camp after over twelve hours on the mountain. At my camp the condensation inside my collapsed tent was perhaps an inch deep, and my sleeping bag was soaking wet. I cooked a disaster called Shrimp Cero that was way too rich. We all felt sick from the meal. I drug my tent down to Chris's tent site. We all crammed into Chris's tent and then we slept shoulder to shoulder for twelve hours straight.
Breakfast was cooked in the tent. While packing we came to the decision to go down Pumice Creek and bypass Kennedy Hot Springs. Our descent to the head of Pumice Creek was thrilling. There were four long and fast glissades altogether. I hiked ahead, down next to a roaring water fall. I had some fun tuning up my glissading skills while negotiating a wooded slope. When we got back together, Chris told of Shawn's abrupt meeting with a tree well. I satirically laughed, and pictured a head first predicament. Chris was for a rest, but I had just removed a major insulation layer and I needed to keep moving. As I left, I said jokingly that I would leave Owl Creek Picnic Area at nine PM to go get the search and rescue rangers.
The terrain became rougher as I descended. At one place, I stepped onto a large block of snow that slid into the creek. I recovered by grabbing a handful of prickly Devil's Club. Further down, I was temporarily blocked by a short steep step. I climbed down to the edge of the step, strung the rope, and waited. With the creek to provide a multi-toned accompaniment, I sang a complete James Taylor album.
When a predetermined time had elapsed, I started back to look for them. A few hundred feet up stream from the step, I found their tracks and then followed the faint foot prints down stream. Once on the terraces of the bench lands, I lost the track in the hard packed snow. I started trucking to catch up. I followed the slanting rays of the sun through the unchanging "treescape".
Eventually I came to a cliff where I was hit by a hot breeze. The heated air that was flowing up the White Chuck River Valley overflowed the narrowing valley and then rose over the cliff. Following along the rim of the cliff, I soon found a place to rappel. I threw my axe down, and looped the rope around a tree.
Once on the trail, a feeling of great achievement came aver me. I wished someone would come by so I could brag. I stretched out my stride, and soon reached where Pumice Creek crosses the trail. I ate energy food and soaked my burning feet until thirty minutes had passed.
I quickly sped down the trail, and acquired the forced breathing of a weight lifter. In a few muddy places, I looked for Shawn's number twelve foot print. But, I didn't see it. Just before I reached Boundary Creek, I asked some people if they had seen my companions. They said, "No." I slowed down to cool Off before I reached the van. The last section of the trail always seems long, due to my desire to stay in the wilderness. At the van I found the keys and opened the van. After helping myself to one of Chris's smokes, I removed the Clown White from my face with Cold Cream.
They arrived at nine fifteen, and seeing as I had not gone for a rescue team yet, all the spare food was consumed. By the time we headed down the White Chuck River Road, it was dark. Twenty miles later, we were at the Ranger Station in Darrington. The Leader signed out. Shawn moved the headlights around, so Chris could see to write.
03 077s2 Glacier Peak sketch north routes
03 077s3 Glacier Peak sketch west routes
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