One thing I should make clear is that at the time Jack turned around on the mountain, his situation was not appearing as dire as it would later become. Neither of us knew he would not be able to make it back to the trailhead on his own, at that time, which later meant it was even more of a good thing he turned around when he did. But once the severity of his injuries became clear, my #1 priority was to get him back to the trailhead safely. I hope he thinks I did a decent job in doing so.
You didn't happen to tell a ranger or police in the area that story, did you? Those guys may have been there to break into/steal/vandalize cars, or worse yet, rob people themselves. A description of the guys and their truck and whatnot may help law enforcement/rangers know what to look for in the future. They couldn't live too far away from the area, right?
Here is the continuation of that segment of the story...
When Mitzi Voss and Jack returned to the trailhead, I told them about the kids. When I described the t-shirt one of them was wearing, Mitzi knew right away who it was. She told me, "I know who that was. By tonight, I'll know who the other two boys were, too. This is a small community, and everybody knows everybody. They won't get away with that. Trust me."
Oops! I was working on another SP page at the time I did this TR, and I guess it was force of habit because of my "home" location. Thanks for letting me know the error, and thanks for reading.
Some friends and I just got off Granite Peak. We reached the summit on July 27th via the SW Couloir Route. Your report was well written. Thanks for sharing your journey. Again, great job!
Sorry, I was in a hurry when I typed this comments about Granite didnt make any sense. I was going to say that when we were atop Granite, there were no clouds in the sky and we could clearly see Gannett in the distance. I attempted it in 2007 (Gannett) but the glacier was very bad and a friends fell inside a small cravasse and soaked his boot (the cravasse was filled with water)...very nasty. Now, maybe what I typed will make sense. Be safe and again, great job! I loved that area.
You really expressed your experience well, a very enjoyable read. That's a bummer to hear about your experience at the trailhead. I have spent a lot of time at that parking lot, many times, my truck was the only one there, in spring. It's disturbing to hear about some local punks making you feel threatened. Most of the Dubois locals are very nice people, I hope those idiots were put in their place. They should respect those who are helping keep their town alive. Another good reason to carry pepper spray. Isn't Gannett's summit a magical alpine place !
sounds very similar to mine. We also attempted Gannett via the Glacier Trail without a guide or horse support. My partner also experienced blisters and a leg injury. I turned around on summit day when my partner decided not to continue. The steep part above the bergschrund looked too difficult to do alone so I went back with him. I still have second thoughts about my decision. It is such a long hike to turn around on summit day. Glad to hear you made the summit and got back safely. Gannett is one difficult state highpoint. Congratulations. I will be returning in 2010.
Agreed. At the time my partner decided to turn around, I was already atop that steep slope (above the bergschrund) and he was in the middle of it. If I was not already there, similar to your situation, I likely would have turned around with him (and he might not have instructed me to continue). Then, if there was not already a bootpath/track to follow on the upper slopes, I likely would not have continued solo because the "unknowns" would have increased exponentially. Although that steep slope above the bergschrund is considered the "worst part" of the climb, that is not to suggest that the upper slopes are not technical or require extra caution.
I hope you have a safe and successful return to the mountain.
...and congrats on the summit! Too bad about the trash at the trailhead; darn kids these days! How steep do you think that slope above the bergschrund was btw? Also, not my habit to judge but with blisters after 3 miles, I doubt I would continue my journey.
(1). You wrote that "after seeing the Bonney Pass route from that perspective, Jack and I knew why so many people turn around on that approach." Why do they turn around?
(2). How steep is the slope above the bergschrund? 45 degrees? 70 degrees? How steep is steep?
1) We already knew that "standard" western route was a grind: 12-20 hour summit day. A 1500'-2000' climb to Bonney Pass, then a 1200'-1500' descent from Bonney Pass to Dinwoody Glacier, then a 2000' ascent from Dinwoody Glacier. We knew those aspects alone were probably intimidating to a lot of people. But what we did not realize, before seeing it from Gannett Peak, was how steep that route from Bonney Pass really appeared. Plus, the route appeared to head straight up/down that slope, rather than switchbacking up, giving the impression of an even steeper approach. I took some photos, but they do not really do it justice.
2) I would say the slope above the bergschrund was at least 50-degrees... for reference/comparison, DEFINITELY steeper than the "Old Chute" of Mount Hood... but I will need to double-check my GPS waypoints & track log to have a better estimate.
magellan - Jul 16, 2009 1:14 am - Voted 9/10
Awesome!Great TR! That was a helluva trip. Glad you outwitted the TH punks. It's a sad day when I think about carrying on trips.
EastKing - Jul 16, 2009 9:12 am - Voted 10/10
Great job!!Man, the crux of the trip were the thugs. Great trip report!!
maddie77777 - Jul 16, 2009 3:42 pm - Voted 10/10
Great story!Awesome photos, and I after reading how you treated Jack, you sound like a great hiking partner. Better than I would be, I'm sure of that.
Redwic - Jul 20, 2009 2:46 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Great story!One thing I should make clear is that at the time Jack turned around on the mountain, his situation was not appearing as dire as it would later become. Neither of us knew he would not be able to make it back to the trailhead on his own, at that time, which later meant it was even more of a good thing he turned around when he did. But once the severity of his injuries became clear, my #1 priority was to get him back to the trailhead safely. I hope he thinks I did a decent job in doing so.
maddie77777 - Jul 16, 2009 7:33 pm - Voted 10/10
One other thing...You didn't happen to tell a ranger or police in the area that story, did you? Those guys may have been there to break into/steal/vandalize cars, or worse yet, rob people themselves. A description of the guys and their truck and whatnot may help law enforcement/rangers know what to look for in the future. They couldn't live too far away from the area, right?
Redwic - Jul 16, 2009 11:50 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: One other thing...Here is the continuation of that segment of the story...
When Mitzi Voss and Jack returned to the trailhead, I told them about the kids. When I described the t-shirt one of them was wearing, Mitzi knew right away who it was. She told me, "I know who that was. By tonight, I'll know who the other two boys were, too. This is a small community, and everybody knows everybody. They won't get away with that. Trust me."
Bill Reed - Jul 16, 2009 9:42 pm - Hasn't voted
Great Trip Report!!You managed to deal with a lot of hardships and overcame them all, well done!!
TJ311 - Jul 17, 2009 2:55 pm - Voted 10/10
Really NiceTrip report and pictures. Congrats on your summit! Thanks for sharing.
marauders - Jul 19, 2009 12:38 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice work.I'm jealous, we tried Gannett Peak a few months back and got shut down by weather. Great to see you were able to summit. Nice pics and TR.
slowbutsteady - Jul 19, 2009 9:52 pm - Voted 10/10
trip location?Trip location should read Wyoming, not Washington. Great report. Thank you.
Redwic - Jul 20, 2009 2:34 am - Hasn't voted
Re: trip location?Oops! I was working on another SP page at the time I did this TR, and I guess it was force of habit because of my "home" location. Thanks for letting me know the error, and thanks for reading.
Tbacon251 - Jul 20, 2009 1:55 pm - Voted 10/10
Great job!Some friends and I just got off Granite Peak. We reached the summit on July 27th via the SW Couloir Route. Your report was well written. Thanks for sharing your journey. Again, great job!
Redwic - Jul 20, 2009 7:36 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great job!When it comes time for me to do that mountain, that will be the route I take, as well. How were the conditions up there?
Tbacon251 - Jul 21, 2009 9:26 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Great job!Sorry, I was in a hurry when I typed this comments about Granite didnt make any sense. I was going to say that when we were atop Granite, there were no clouds in the sky and we could clearly see Gannett in the distance. I attempted it in 2007 (Gannett) but the glacier was very bad and a friends fell inside a small cravasse and soaked his boot (the cravasse was filled with water)...very nasty. Now, maybe what I typed will make sense. Be safe and again, great job! I loved that area.
wyopeakMike - Jul 20, 2009 8:38 pm - Voted 10/10
well said !You really expressed your experience well, a very enjoyable read. That's a bummer to hear about your experience at the trailhead. I have spent a lot of time at that parking lot, many times, my truck was the only one there, in spring. It's disturbing to hear about some local punks making you feel threatened. Most of the Dubois locals are very nice people, I hope those idiots were put in their place. They should respect those who are helping keep their town alive. Another good reason to carry pepper spray. Isn't Gannett's summit a magical alpine place !
Holsti97 - Jul 21, 2009 11:16 am - Voted 10/10
Your experience...sounds very similar to mine. We also attempted Gannett via the Glacier Trail without a guide or horse support. My partner also experienced blisters and a leg injury. I turned around on summit day when my partner decided not to continue. The steep part above the bergschrund looked too difficult to do alone so I went back with him. I still have second thoughts about my decision. It is such a long hike to turn around on summit day. Glad to hear you made the summit and got back safely. Gannett is one difficult state highpoint. Congratulations. I will be returning in 2010.
Redwic - Jul 21, 2009 1:20 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Your experience...Agreed. At the time my partner decided to turn around, I was already atop that steep slope (above the bergschrund) and he was in the middle of it. If I was not already there, similar to your situation, I likely would have turned around with him (and he might not have instructed me to continue). Then, if there was not already a bootpath/track to follow on the upper slopes, I likely would not have continued solo because the "unknowns" would have increased exponentially. Although that steep slope above the bergschrund is considered the "worst part" of the climb, that is not to suggest that the upper slopes are not technical or require extra caution.
I hope you have a safe and successful return to the mountain.
Luciano136 - Jul 22, 2009 7:59 pm - Voted 10/10
Great read!...and congrats on the summit! Too bad about the trash at the trailhead; darn kids these days! How steep do you think that slope above the bergschrund was btw? Also, not my habit to judge but with blisters after 3 miles, I doubt I would continue my journey.
LongDuty - Jul 23, 2009 1:29 am - Hasn't voted
Nice TR! Two questions:(1). You wrote that "after seeing the Bonney Pass route from that perspective, Jack and I knew why so many people turn around on that approach." Why do they turn around?
(2). How steep is the slope above the bergschrund? 45 degrees? 70 degrees? How steep is steep?
Redwic - Jul 23, 2009 8:46 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice TR! Two questions:1) We already knew that "standard" western route was a grind: 12-20 hour summit day. A 1500'-2000' climb to Bonney Pass, then a 1200'-1500' descent from Bonney Pass to Dinwoody Glacier, then a 2000' ascent from Dinwoody Glacier. We knew those aspects alone were probably intimidating to a lot of people. But what we did not realize, before seeing it from Gannett Peak, was how steep that route from Bonney Pass really appeared. Plus, the route appeared to head straight up/down that slope, rather than switchbacking up, giving the impression of an even steeper approach. I took some photos, but they do not really do it justice.
2) I would say the slope above the bergschrund was at least 50-degrees... for reference/comparison, DEFINITELY steeper than the "Old Chute" of Mount Hood... but I will need to double-check my GPS waypoints & track log to have a better estimate.