My second failure on Trapper Peak (pics)

NorthCascades wrote: »

A friend and I made a half-hearted attempt on Trapper this winter. I never planned or expected to reach the summit, and sure enough, was turned back by a cornice. We lost the trail early and went up through the woods.

I came back Saturday for an earnest try. Everything was completely unrecognizable without snow, which was fun, I got to see everything for the first time again. Followed the trail to a meadow, and then climbed the south ridge. I got much higher this time, and enjoyed heart breakingly beautiful scenery, plus a fun scramble.

And I learned something. Cushioned shoes come at a price, the cushion takes space and raises you higher off the ground then minimalist shoes a which feels less stable than I'm used to. Not by much, just enough to notice.

There's a downsloping granite slab on the ridge, with an obvious death fall below it. Very easy series of moves to cross it, but my mind went to my cat who has asthma, and who will take care of her if I roll an ankle here? So I turned around. I did 3,641 feet of gain, and turned back 100 feet below the summit.

Normally I'd start thinking this one wasn't meant to be after two strikes, but there is an incomparable view of the Southern Pickets. The Picket Range had an almost religious significance among mountain people here, this is the wildest place left in the lower 48. The Pickets were a blank spot on the map until the late 1930s. I'll be back and I'll bring better shoes next time. Trapper and I have unfinished business.

I have another friend who spent a night on Trapper's summit a few days before the Newhalem fire, and got some of the last - now historic - photos of the area before the fire.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3913459693


Newhalem in the center.



Hello Terror! Hello, Degenhardt! Hello Pyramid, Inspiration, McMillan Spire! It's such a privilege to see you!



A puddle and a glacier.



Thornton Lakes (notice there are 3). Wildfire smoke down the Sauk Valley.



Wider pano with glaciers.

NorthCascades wrote: »

A friend and I made a half-hearted attempt on Trapper this winter. I never planned or expected to reach the summit, and sure enough, was turned back by a cornice. We lost the trail early and went up through the woods.

I came back Saturday for an earnest try. Everything was completely unrecognizable without snow, which was fun, I got to see everything for the first time again. Followed the trail to a meadow, and then climbed the south ridge. I got much higher this time, and enjoyed heart breakingly beautiful scenery, plus a fun scramble.

And I learned something. Cushioned shoes come at a price, the cushion takes space and raises you higher off the ground then minimalist shoes a which feels less stable than I'm used to. Not by much, just enough to notice.

There's a downsloping granite slab on the ridge, with an obvious death fall below it. Very easy series of moves to cross it, but my mind went to my cat who has asthma, and who will take care of her if I roll an ankle here? So I turned around. I did 3,641 feet of gain, and turned back 100 feet below the summit.

Normally I'd start thinking this one wasn't meant to be after two strikes, but there is an incomparable view of the Southern Pickets. The Picket Range had an almost religious significance among mountain people here, this is the wildest place left in the lower 48. The Pickets were a blank spot on the map until the late 1930s. I'll be back and I'll bring better shoes next time. Trapper and I have unfinished business.

I have another friend who spent a night on Trapper's summit a few days before the Newhalem fire, and got some of the last - now historic - photos of the area before the fire.

NorthCascades wrote: »

Phirrgus wrote: »

NorthCascades wrote: »

A friend and I made a half-hearted attempt on Trapper this winter. I never planned or expected to reach the summit, and sure enough, was turned back by a cornice. We lost the trail early and went up through the woods.

I came back Saturday for an earnest try. Everything was completely unrecognizable without snow, which was fun, I got to see everything for the first time again. Followed the trail to a meadow, and then climbed the south ridge. I got much higher this time, and enjoyed heart breakingly beautiful scenery, plus a fun scramble.

And I learned something. Cushioned shoes come at a price, the cushion takes space and raises you higher off the ground then minimalist shoes a which feels less stable than I'm used to. Not by much, just enough to notice.

There's a downsloping granite slab on the ridge, with an obvious death fall below it. Very easy series of moves to cross it, but my mind went to my cat who has asthma, and who will take care of her if I roll an ankle here? So I turned around. I did 3,641 feet of gain, and turned back 100 feet below the summit.

Normally I'd start thinking this one wasn't meant to be after two strikes, but there is an incomparable view of the Southern Pickets. The Picket Range had an almost religious significance among mountain people here, this is the wildest place left in the lower 48. The Pickets were a blank spot on the map until the late 1930s. I'll be back and I'll bring better shoes next time. Trapper and I have unfinished business.

I have another friend who spent a night on Trapper's summit a few days before the Newhalem fire, and got some of the last - now historic - photos of the area before the fire.

Inspiring photos as always, but that just seems like sound decision making rather than a failure

It's hard to give a willful cat an inhaler. Parsley chose me at the Animal Shelter 13 years ago, she was about a year old, and whoever left her there obviously punished her with a squirt bottle because she's still afraid of the sound. And the inhaler sounds close enough that she really doesn't like it. I feel like anyone else would give up.

I have a book on my shelf called Glorious Failures, about people who didn't make the summit. Fascinating read if you're into disaster stories. The first one in the book, a team had to turn back when they ran out of chocolate. I've taken that to heart and always carry emergency chocolate!