Stats & Intro
Distance: ~42 miles
Elevation Gain: ~10,200’
Time: 55 hours
Trailhead: Pole Creek
Participants: Brian Kalet, Colin Fain, Evan Blumberg &
Wes Lloyd
Our plan was to climb Gannett Peak in three days. The three day time frame would allow us to quickly climb the peak without any sleep deprivation. We drove to the Pole Creek Trailhead late Friday night and were surprised to see so many cars in the large parking lot. We quickly set up camp and went to sleep.
Day 1
We started the 17 mile hike to Titcomb Basin via the Pole Creek Trail, Seneca Lake Trail, India Basin Trail and Titcomb Basin Trail Saturday morning carrying ropes, snow pickets and ice screws. I spoke with climbers descending that stated they used a rope to cross the bergshcrund above the Gooseneck Glacier. Luckily, I ran into fellow climbers
Sarah and Dominic, who claimed no rope was currently necessary for Gannett and that there was a snowbridge across the bergschrund. We arrived at our idyllic campsite in Titcomb Basin 8 hours after departing from the trailhead. I decided to sleep under the stars since the weather looked favorable; I was welcomed by the moonrise and a great display of stars.
Colin, Wes & Evan, from left to right, making final preparations. Photo: Brian Kalet
The Wind Rivers from near Photographers Point. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Fremont Peak from near Photographers Point. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Barbara Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Hobbs Lake. Photo: Brian Kalet
Fremont Peak & Jackson Peak from Seneca Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Little Seneca Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Mount Woodrow Wilson from Island Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Fremont Peak from Island Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Colin & Evan, from left to right, above Titcomb Lakes. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Moonrise over Mount Sacagawea. Photo: Wes LloydDay 2
We all slept in and leisurely prepared for the ascent, not leaving camp until 7 am. First, we approached Bonney Pass on foot, then put on crampons and started climbing frozen snow to Bonney Pass. Looking back, we had great views of Mount Helen. At the top of the pass, we got our first full view of our objective. We took off our crampons to begin the descent to the Dinwoody Galcier, but after seeing continuous snow, quickly re-donned crampons for the descent. Traversing the Dinwoody Glacier was easy, seeing only a few benign crevasses. After reaching the northern end of the Dinwoody Glacier, we traversed north on talus to the Gooseneck Glacier. We then climbed moderately steep snow to towards Gooseneck Pinnacle. We crossed the bergschrund at the base of the Gooseneck Couloir, then climbed the couloir to gain Gannett's south ridge. We followed the south ridge on a mixture of rock and snow to the final summit ridge. The summit ridge had some decent exposure, but was easy. In short time we were at the summit four hours and forty minutes after leaving our camp in Titcomb Basin. We were surprised we so no other parties en route and enjoyed nearly perfect weather on the summit for 45 minutes before heading down the ridge. The descent was uneventful, but we were cautious with to monitor balling on our crampons. We arrived back at camp 9 and a half hours after leaving in the morning. We ate, drank and celebrated our climb.
Our campsite in Titcomb Basin. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Bonney Pass. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Climbing Bonney Pass with Mount Helen in the background. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Titcomb Lakes from Bonney Pass. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Gannett Peak from Bonney Pass. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Gannett Peak, Gooseneck Glacier and Dinwoody Glacier from Bonney Pass. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Colin & Evan on the Dinwoody Glacier. Bonney Pass in the background. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Brian, Colin & Evan approaching the northern end of the Dinwoody Glacier. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Evan & Colin traversing to the Gooseneck Glacier with Dinwoody Glacier & Bonney Pass in the background. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Brian, Evan & Colin, from right to left, approaching the snowbridge over the bergschrund above Gooseneck Glacier. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Evan & Colin, from left to right, climbing the Gooseneck Couloir. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Colin, Brian, Wes & Evan, from left to right, at the summit. Photo: Colin Fain
Brian in front of Turret Peak, Mount Warren, Doublet Peak & Dinwoody Peak, from left to right. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Brian descending the summit ridge. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Evan & Colin descending the summit ridge. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Gannett Peak and its hanging snowfield from its south ridge. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Looking down to the Dinwoody Canyon. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Brian descending the south ridge with Turret Peak, Mount Warren, Doublet Peak & Dinwoody Peak, from left to right, in the distance. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Colin & Evan, from left to right, descending the Gooseneck Couloir. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Gannett Peak, showing the crown and debris from a slab avalanche, taken from Bonney Pass. Photo: Wes LloydDay 3
The next morning we all slept in again and slowly broke down camp. We started for the trailhead at 10 am. On the hike out, we passed many parties, which made us feel lucky not only for good weather, but solitude.
East Twin Peak, West Twin Peak & Mount Woodrow Wilson from Island Lake. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Brian, Colin & Evan, from front to back, descending the Seneca Lake Trail above Seneca Lake with Fremont Peak & Jackson Peak in the background. Photo: Wes Lloyd
The Wind Rivers from near Photographers Point. Photo: Wes Lloyd
Map. Annotation: Brian Kalet
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