Thursday came and after work we all (Lucas, Ryan, and I) packed in a hurry and headed off for Canada. After a (not so) quick bite while watching a disappointing end to the sounders game, we headed to the Chiliwack Lake Provincial park. The Suburu took a toll on the pothole-ridden road, but we made it to about a mile from the TH where we camped for the night. After a casual morning we headed up the road and to the trail. There had been some reports of getting 'lost' at the trailhead area, but at this point in time all you need to do is follow the highway cut into the forest: over, up, and then over; no problem. After 60 minutes at a leisurely pace we crossed the border back into the US:
Once back in the US, we found ourselves in the land of blueberries and huckleberries. Our pace slowed as we picked about a quart of berries (including 2 salmon berries that were the vain in Ryan and Lucas' existence) and continued to the waterfall. Outside Iguazu falls, I don't know if I have ever seen a falls like this. very impressive.
At the base of the falls:
Lucas climbing up the wet, slick rock with the aid of a fixed line:
More waterfall.
After lunch we even had the privilege of climbing straight up, right next to the falls. This trail was only rivaled by the pyramid peak climbers trail for the most outrageously straight up climb. Luckily it wasn't nearly as long or difficult to follow, and in the end, the 900' vertical went by quickly. We continued up the Depot creek valley to Ouzel Lake - home for the next three nights.
Whiskey + Berries + cup = mmmmm dessert.
We woke up at 4 and headed up to the redoubt glacier. Access was straight forward and we climbed to the ridge between the redoubt and depot glaciers.
Just above the entrance to the redoubt glacier:
Sun coming up behind spickard alongside some crevasses:
We wanted to do the NE face (a fun sounding alpine snow/ice/rock route). After looking at the snow apron on the Depot glacier we decided that the route was beyond out current abilities in its current conditions (impassable crevasses, impassable bergschrunds, and low snow) so we headed over to the Bear creek drainage to do the standard S route.
Our view of the Depot glacier from the ridge. We wanted to go up/left just past the rock outcropping:
Glacier peak et al. to the South.
Challenger glacier with the N pickets to the left of it.
Challenger glacier with the N pickets to the left of it.
Access was a little tricky but we made it into the basin and headed around the flying buttress to a gully for access to the S slope. We were immediately greeted with what I thought was the worst case of kitty litter, scree, talus, and fryable rock that I have been on. The going was slow and arduous as we took 2 steps up, one and a half steps back, while kicking rock grenades and rock slides down the gully with every step. Ryan and I continued straight up the gully when it narrowed making things that much more "entertaining." At this point we should have veered left over more crappy scree to gain a ridge which would have given us nice access to the summit block. By nice, I mean just more annoying scree.
The gully we took to the summit block: (should have gone left here)
Ryan scrambling in the gully while I dodged his grenades.
We pushed on, up the gully (Lucas took an interesting rock version) and we finally had the 'cannonhole' in sight. We decided to protect the entrance to the cannonade and the exposed summit run, which wasn't all that bad. And alas, we were atop of the beast that I thought was unobtainable.
Self photo atop the summit.
Ryan rappeling from the summit. Redoubt and Depot glacier below. Mt Spickard behind.
Lucas rappelling from the cannonhole:
Weather turned out to be exceptional so views were great and we hung out for a long while - L even took a nap. After several summit shots and playing name that peak we rapped a few times, went down the proper route on the S face, and then retraced our steps to camp where we were greeted with several shots of whiskey.
The following day we did Mt Spickard (with video).
