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Me and a buddy attempted Granite last week by the SW Couloir route. We were coming down late in the day and had route finding issues locating the small lake/pond that we were camped at. After about an hour, with the temps and sun falling we made a judgement call and left our camp behind to hike out. We left a good bit of gear. I can mark exactly where the camp was on a map and email it. If anyone is looking for an adventure and wants to make some good $$$, I will pay to have my gear recovered and shipped to me. Just so you know how far in were talking, you would have to hike to the end of the first of the Sky Top Lakes.

The gear is as follows:

REI Tent
North Face 20 degree bag
North Face 0 degree bag
REI Bivy
Ice Axe
Water Shoes
Eddie Bauer Guide pants
Eddie Bauer down jacket
Lands End Polyester Shirt
Game cock hat
Lid to Kelty Red Cloud 5500
Base layers

I'm willing to pay $300, if you can recover it all. I will also reimburse shipping costs.


Thanks,

Mitchell

You had a zero degree sleeping bag in August? Email me the map and I:ll see if I can run up there and get it for you. Email is

Ok, I will email you maps when I get to work in the morning. Yes about the zero bag, I'm not used to those temps, I get cold easily. It was in the upper 90's all last week where I live. Thanks!

It's like reality Summitpost.

Tonka wrote:It's like reality Summitpost.

How's so?

I think I want to read a trip report on this…..

Why didn't you hike back and get your stuff?

Not going to be one. I have yet to receive a map or email. Lol......must be pretty important! I want to read the report on how much water you have to drink in order to rehydrate after a night's sleep in a zero degree bag in August! There's a bag I wouldnt want to buy used without getting a bulk shipment of Fabreeze.!

I wasn't up for going back in. Lack of gear (all my camping gear), wet boots (which led to blistered feet), fatigue. We had just completed a 20 hour day. Plus the day that we got back to the car the weather was good, everyday after that it rained all day everyday. WyomingSummits, you keep harping on this 0 degree bag thing. It was about 25 degrees up there that night, I wasn't hot at all, of course I also was only zipped 3/4 of the way. I looked at your summits, you have no experience in that area, hence why you never received info from me. That was my third time on this route, well technically we went off route this time, and I couldn't distinguish ridgelines to find our camp. The last thing I want is someone not familiar with the area getting themselves lost or hurt up there, because they don't realize what they are getting themselves into. Not that I need to justify myself to you, but both bags were mine. I was using the 0 degree, because he needed to borrow my 20 degree, because all he had was a 35-40 degree. I hope that suits you.


For everyone else. If you know anything about the area, they had a big snow year. Where there is usually two or three snow crossings around the skytop lakes, there were dozens this year. The guy that went with me didn't have an axe, crampons, microspikes, basically anything for an angled snow crossing. Many of those snow crossings drop right into the sky top lakes. He also had no experience with snow travel (he's an awesome rock climber, but mountaineering, snow travel, and multi-day backpacking trips are new to him). I asked if he felt comfortable going left around the sky top lakes (staying on route) and doing the snow crossings, or if he wanted to go right and head up into the ridges (lot of up and down hiking) and come out behind the lakes. I've actually gone each way once before, but we didn't camp in the ridges, we had set up on one of the lakes on route. He said he didn't feel comfortable and wanted to go right. We got up into the ridges a few hundred yards right of the lake. I wanted to push on until we reached the meetup with the trail at the back end of the lakes, but he ran out of steam and asked that we set up camp. We set up on a small pond, in the ridges. The next morning we headed up and came down around 5pm. We were in the ridges for 2 hours, up and down, up and down, but kept missing our pond. Eventually around 7pm, we decided that we'd have to commit to the tent, in which case it would be well below freezing with no shelter or insulation if we missed it, or we could commit to hiking out and get around the rock hopping on the lakes before the sun fell. Of course most of the gear was mine, so it wasn't of the same concern to him as it was to me, but we both decided to ditch the gear and hike out. I'm glad we left when we did, route finding was extremely difficult in the dark and we made it back to the car at 3:30 am. At first I said the hell with it, but then I figured if someone else "who knows what they're doing" is already going to be in the area, I might as well see if they want to bring some stuff out and get paid for it.

N 45.13501 W 109.80968

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=45.163453,-1 ... 9&z=13&t=T


If anyone is headed that way, my offer still stands. If you only have room for some stuff. I'd be willing to pay $250 plus shipping for everything, but the tent. I could prob get my buddy to throw in another 50 since the bivy is his.

gwave47 wrote:I wasn't up for going back in. Lack of gear (all my camping gear), wet boots (which led to blistered feet), fatigue. We had just completed a 20 hour day. WyomingSummits, you keep harping on this 0 degree bag thing. It was about 25 degrees up there that night, I wasn't hot at all, of course I also was only zipped 3/4 of the way. I looked at your summits, you have no experience in that area, hence why you never received info from me. That was my third time on this route, well technically we went off route this time, and I couldn't distinguish ridgelines to find our camp. The last thing I want is someone not familiar with the area getting themselves lost or hurt up there, because they don't realize what they are getting themselves into. Not that I need to justify myself to you, but both bags were mine. I was using the 0 degree, because he needed to borrow my 20 degree, because all he had was a 35-40 degree. I hope that suits you.


For everyone else. If you know anything about the area, they had a big snow year. Where there is usually two or three snow crossings around the skytop lakes, there were dozens this year. The guy that went with me didn't have an axe, crampons, microspikes, basically anything for an angled snow crossing. Many of those snow crossings drop right into the sky top lakes. He also had no experience with snow travel (he's an awesome rock climber, but mountaineering, snow travel, and multi-day backpacking trips are new to him). I asked if he felt comfortable going left around the sky top lakes (staying on route) and doing the snow crossings, or if he wanted to go right and head up into the ridges (lot of up and down hiking) and come out behind the lakes. I've actually gone each way once before, but we didn't camp in the ridges, we had set up on one of the lakes on route. He said he didn't feel comfortable and wanted to go right. We got up into the ridges a few hundred yards right of the lake. I wanted to push on until we reached the meetup with the trail at the back end of the lakes, but he ran out of steam and asked that we set up camp. We set up on a small pond, in the ridges. The next morning we headed up and came down around 5pm. We were in the ridges for 2 hours, up and down, up and down, but kept missing our pond. Eventually around 7pm, we decided that we'd have to commit to the tent, in which case it would be well below freezing with no shelter or insulation if we missed it, or we could commit to hiking out and get around the rock hopping on the lakes before the sun fell. Of course most of the gear was mine, so it wasn't of the same concern to him as it was to me, but we both decided to ditch the gear and hike out. I'm glad we left when we did, route finding was extremely difficult in the dark and we made it back to the car at 3:30 am. At first I said the hell with it, but then I figured if someone else "who knows what they're doing" is already going to be in the area, I might as well see if they want to bring some stuff out and get paid for it.

Not making fun of you man.....I just get really hot and couldnt fathom a zero bag in 25 degrees. Just trying to smile a bit. Relax......my humor is hard to read into on a forum. As far as my experience.......lol......not every summit is listed on SP. After 26 years of mountain travel, caving, rock climbing to 5.11, Army infantry, mapping.....I'm sure I'd be just fine. Just trying to offer you some well intentioned help. I hope you get your gear back soon.....but reality is this. I highly doubt anyone is going to just be around that area and just happen to have enough space for 2 bags, a tent, a bivy, insulated layers, a pack lid, Axe, etc.....sorry, but it's prob not going to happen. What you needed was someone willing to extend a helping hand. And yeah, we got a lot of snow last year.....we had over 3ft by October 3rd here at 5k where I live in northern WY. Had multiple weeks with the thermometer -15 to -25. But that's the northern Rockies for you.

Wish I could help you. Email these guys:
http://www.beartoothpowder.com/

I used to live in that area - if I did I would gladly go grab it for you - unfortunately I don't anymore. As far as the zero degree bag goes, that's the only bag I take in the Beartooths anymore. Hiking all day in rain and then a cold night at 10,000+ ft, I better have a 0 degree bag. It is not that uncommon for it to snow up there this time of year.

I'll be there Friday. There is alot of traffic in that area this time of year. I can't imagine it'll still be there.

jeep1212 wrote:I'll be there Friday. There is alot of traffic in that area this time of year. I can't imagine it'll still be there.

Don't ask him for any specific info......he'll turn you down due to lack of peaks in your summit list! Lol......you must not have any experience if you don't have it listed on SP....which according to that logic, he'd turn down help from Messner. Go figure.

His stuff is likely eaten by now. Stupid to turn down an offer for help, good on you for trying though Wyoming.