Pickets Traverse

Regional discussion and conditions reports for Washington and Oregon. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the Pacific Northwest Climbing Partners section.
User Avatar
kiwiw

 
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:49 pm
Thanked: 0 time in 0 post

by kiwiw » Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:03 am

we're going in around August 12, planning for a 6 day traverse bringing food for 9. going in hanegan pass/easy ridge.

User Avatar
kiwiw

 
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:49 pm
Thanked: 0 time in 0 post

by kiwiw » Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:07 am

Wastral wrote:Want a 3rd? Probably will be in Waddington area at the time you are going though and it would kill me to go back there and not hit the peaks. Not to mention you have to practically walk over Challenger, Luna, Fury to do the traverse.


maybe, you've done the traverse before it sounds like. our group as of right now is 5, me, my dad, my friend, and 2 guys I've never met who've done it before. it'd be nice to have 3 ropeteams of 2.

keenan

no avatar
Wastral

 
Posts: 329
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:02 pm
Thanked: 25 times in 21 posts

by Wastral » Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:36 am

Do you realize how long of a drive it is from Hannegan pass trailhead to the Goodell Creek trail head or a different exit??? You might want to consider going in from Big/Little Beaver as your 2 cars will be close otherwise you are talking an extra 5 hours of driving minimum just to place your cars and getting to said trailhead! Cost of driving and time compared to paying the water taxi... Its cheeper to pay for the water taxi especially with your group size. Look up Ross Lake Resort for water taxi service $$ requires phone call. Was $75 for us last time. With 5 guys that would be $15 a pop, cheep compared to driving 10 hours total just to get your cars placed and then picked up again.

I will be coming back from a month in the Waddinton Range area on August 12th. Probably the date we will be coming out actually. So, have fun in any case! Hannegan pass to easy pass up challenger I suppose? If you descend challenger to traverse its west side, from the summit of challenger you might descend the defile between you and middle challenger. If you do, look for a dark navy bag. In it is a 'brand new' feathered friends down coat properly dried out it might be useful. (':roll:')

You shouldn't need much rope work at all if you are just traversing. Challenger glacier will be the most rope work followed by a little at fury/picket pass. Whatever you do stay high in your traverses so you don't get into the valley brush like several parties have tended to do. Like when descending from challenger arm. You should not encounter ANY trees/brush from challenger arm to the toe of N. Buttress Mt. Fury. No repells... A couple scrub alder descent on the last 200 feet to said toe of buttress.

Flat camping found at:

Hannegan Pass
Challenger arm/Wiley peak
Toe of N. Buttress Fury. Will see deer here and a couple 800 foot waterfalls.
Luna lake and its floating ice bergs a couple mosquitoes
Luna arm,
If Free standing tent Luna Pass
Bump to the W. of Luna pass(No Water) heather for stakes. My favorite "campsite" had to haul all our water from luna pass though. Kinda sketchy getting up down this, if you slip you are probably dead or in the hospital and no place to put descent pro.
Picket pass
Terror creek upper basin by McMillian if you go out this way, Doubt it as you have to cross thebarrier or basically climb over mount dagenhart to get to the upper terror creek basin and its 'trail' down to Goodell Creek. The ridge along the barrier is quite open and easy walking out. Make sure to take the ridge a Long ways down around 2800 Feet???? Before dropping off into terror creek itself. Otherwise you will cliff yourself out and may the repelling commence... UGG... If you have to repel over cliffs... YOU ARE NOT IN THE RIGHT SPOT! You can walk in/out terror creek to crescent creek.

There are a few semi established tent sites at picket pass, though you have to really look hard to tell that they have been used, but they are flat and dry. Make your own otherwise.

A half rope rapel out of picket pass to the E. should gain a traverse ledge to the glaciers and below. A half rope rapell will reach mustard glacier proper if one ridge runs picket pass to its end. If good weather forget mustard 'glacier' and climb CLEAN rock to Frenzelspitz and the ottohorn-himmelhorn col. Class 5.

Brian

kiwiw wrote:
Wastral wrote:Want a 3rd? Probably will be in Waddington area at the time you are going though and it would kill me to go back there and not hit the peaks. Not to mention you have to practically walk over Challenger, Luna, Fury to do the traverse.


maybe, you've done the traverse before it sounds like. our group as of right now is 5, me, my dad, my friend, and 2 guys I've never met who've done it before. it'd be nice to have 3 ropeteams of 2.

Previous

Return to Pacific Northwest (WA, OR)

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests