Deb wrote:Wow! No wet crossings on Shepherd's Pass trail?! Where did all the water go? I was up to my knees in a couple of those (counted 8 in all), course I am only 5'4".
No, we don't wear contacts; did ya find some bootie? Congrats on your summit, that thing is a BIG beast!
Congrat's right back atchya on making the summit while "infirmed". You're not kidding... that thing IS a beast. And that whole west face just looks so chopped up and foreboding.
When did you go in? I can see peak flows dropping considerably in only a few days. We sacked out at the trailhead on Sunday night the 17th and started early on Monday the 18th. Were you with the group that came out at about 10:00 Sunday night? I remember vaguely hearing someone say something like "Let's just go get drunk".
Are you sure about 8 creek crossings? On the Symmes Creek/Shepherd's pass trail? There are four in the first mile, crossing back and forth across Symmes creek. They required some fancy foot work/stone dancing, but doable without getting in the drink. (Boot's got a bit wet, but nothing to write home about.) Then a side stream that feeds Shepherd's creek, just below Mahogany Flats. Then one more crossing of Shepherd's creek leaving Anvil camp. That's six. Oh wait... there was one more spot up near the Pothole just before the pass itself. Maybe two. OK, so maybe 8 total. But easily crossed without getting wet. Anyway, probably a lot less water between the time you were there and when we got there.
Yeah, we found a bottle of contact lens solution down near lake 2 when we fished it. Big friggin' bottle to be hauling in up there! (But hey, I don't wear contacts, so what do I know?) Emptied that sucker and hauled it out. Figured it might have got blown down from the upper bowl.
We climbed Willy via the West Face Chosspile Route on Wed and then Tyndall via the North Rib on Thur. The North Rib was very enjoyable third class the entire way up. I think we mad the summit in just over an hour and a half. Fun scramble.