Baxter: Chimney Route, Knife Edge, Baxter, Hamlin Ridge

Players:
Arm
Suebiscuit
Frodo
Spencer
MEB
Little Sister
Stoney
Giggy

(Or Chimney Pond Trek with the Rippin Mean Girls).


Day 1: Abol Bridge to Roaring Brook

Huge breakfast at the truck stop in Hampden (sp?) after crashing at Spencer’s.

Gorgeous day for the 13 mile sled haul to Roaring Brook. Bluebird and nice and warm. Pretty uneventful - most of us tuned out on iPods to their favorite tunes along and slogged or skied. Took the group roughly 6 hours to do the trek. Once at Roaring Brook, we fired up the stove and has some kickass meatloaf supplied by Suebiscuit. (Thanks Sue!) Did what we usually do as a group of friends – talk about urban dictionary terms, la casa, porn movies (70’s vs. new ones, etc...), and see who can shock the gals. Though interesting note – we never shock them. We just needed WU to help out there.


Day 2: Roaring Brook to Chimney Pond
Woke up to about an inch or two of fresh snow. The weather wasn't great (bit windy, socked in and soupy), but some inclination that it was going to break. Slept in a bit and got going about 11am or so for the 3+ mile sled haul up to Chimney Pond. Right before Basin pond, we were treated to breaks in the soup and nice warm sun beating down on us - views opened up of Pamola, North Basin, South Turner, etc... It was turning out to be a nice day, but looked still socked on at Chimney Pond.

A little while later we strolled into Chimney Pond after roughly 2 hours. After getting unloaded, and having some lunch, we went over to the practice slabs on the slope of Pamola and set up a couple of top ropes and did some easy ice climbing for a couple of hours. Sue got a chance to try out her new ice axes.

About 6pm - We got the weather from the ranger and it wasn't great, but not all that bad - our planned summit day was going to be a "yellow day" - with a forecast of party cloudy skies going to mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. We knew the rest of our stay was going to be a washout, so that was our day to go high – it was our only chance.

Day 3; Chimney Route (WI 2 II), Knife Edge, Baxter peak, Hamlin Peak, Hamlin Ridge.
This is why we came – this is why we were there. (quote from movies Mosquito coast) 6 of us would attempt the route. MEB and Rachel decided they would hike partly up Hamlin Ridge.

We decided earlier would be better and our single objective for this trip was a climb of the Chimney route and anything else was a bonus. We decided on a 4am wake up with a 5am start - this was so we could possibly could beat any weather and get down via Dudley trail if needed. We also wanted to be out of the gully before the sun hit it in the afternoon and sent stuff flying down on us. The Chimney route is the obvious gash that runs up from above Chimney Pond and drops you on the col between Pamola and Chimney peaks.

At 4am, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and not a hint of wind. It was game on. After 2 years of trying to climb this route (avy too high last year) – it was finally going to happen.

We donned headlamps and headed up to the base of the route. We decided to simuclimb (running belay) the route with 3 on a rope with the 2 on the ends switching off leads. We protected the route mostly with snow pickets and the occasional ice screw. The chimney route was mostly a steep snow climb with one small ice bulge that we had to go over. It’s a long couloir at roughly 1500 vertical gained in probably less than half a mile. We did around 15 pitches to the top out. It was an excellent climb with views back and below into the south basin simply breathtaking. There is nothing else like this east of the Rockies – not even Huntington ravine. For the most part the snow anchors were bomber, thought we did have to run out a couple of sections with some “less than desirable” anchors in some very unconsolidated snow - but this happens on a alpine climb and we were all comfy of this grade, so some run out was fine. No worries.

Roughly 3/4 of the way up the gully, you pass under a huge chockstone where we could actually sit on a small shelf and rest for a few seconds, drink and eat a bit. The last 4 pitches to the col were all neve hard snow and required mostly frontpointing all the way up. (up until this part, we were able to alternate frontpoint, French technique and kicking in steps. – which is great to be able rest your calves.



Once at the col b/t Pamola and Chimney we decided it was a no brainier to traverse the Knife Edge to Baxter peak - the weather was perfect and not a hint of weather moving in. Spencer called MEB on the radio and let them know of the plans (they were on Hamlin ridge having a picnic).

We decided to set up a fixed rope to the get over some tougher terrain to the top of Chimney peak. . It was easy to climb (few mixed moves), but the consequence of fall would have been a 2000 foot tumble on the roaring brook road side of the peak and good luck getting out of that. Jeff (Stoney) is very good on mixed rock and ice so he went up to secure the top anchor while I belayed him from a slinged rock. He set up the fixed line and then we all clipped in and climbed to the top - I belayed Arm up off the top anchor as he cleaned and climbed up - and we were all set head across the Knife Edge. Rope was back in the packs.


That went fairly quick and the terrain is not hard, but very exposed – you most certainly need to pay attempting as there are many “no fall” zones down many gullies coming up the headwall. One trip over a crampon could have serious consequences.

We called MEB again and they could see us bouncing along the ridge. From there it was a quick jaunt down to the saddle Trail – where everyone said lets just go over Hamlin and down the Ridge. It was a slog up Hamlin but the views take your mind off it all. The trip down the ridge allowed some great views into the North basin and the endless possible climbs in there up gullies.

The smiling faces of MEB and Rachel met us in the woods off the Hamlin Ridge trail and we all got back to the bunkhouse to many adult beverages to re-hydrate. MEB had made us all Lasagna (isn’t she the best???) Between that, Sue’s meatloaf and Rachel making us turkey wraps – makes these MEAN GIRLS the best. Arm had good pulled pork as well. Out came out the urban dictionary again.

Simply one of the best days ever in the mountains.


Day 4: Hike out to reality
We were slated to stay until Monday, but the weather was going to get crappy (rain rain rain) Sunday pm right through Monday, so we did what we came to do and decided to hike out Sunday rather than deal with a wet slop-fest on Monday.

We got out in about 6 hours or so on Sunday and it started to rain right after the gate house, so we times it pretty well.

LONG day - drove the 350 miles home after that and got home pretty tired and the stank from 4 days of sweat and toil was pretty mean.

Great trip with great easy going fun people. Talk about dolphins is always fun after a few cocktails.

Baxter rules. We just wish those that couldn’t make it could have, but life sometimes gets in the way - (Hamtero, Darl, and Prino).

Hail the Mean Girls!!!!

This trip was so much fun with everyone goofing off, and just having a grand ole time.

Hopefully others will chime as well and share more pix

Full PiX: (Arm and Spencers)
http://community.webshots.com/user/armclimb

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=84410&id=667107281&ref=mf

Nice photos, Giggy. Liked the one of Spencer doing the bat pose off the summit sign... and of course Frodo's Yankee Cap! Great trip report!

Looks like you had an incredible time up there. Awesome pictures, thank you for sharing!

Awesome, way to get after it.

Thanks for sharing.

That's a hell of a crew in a heaven of a place, pretty much the balls. Just seems like one of those trips that make a whole lot a other world crap seem like not a big deal. Must suck coming back to the "unreal" world but at least you do it with a smile on your face.

Congratulations. Awesome trip. Can't see the photos now at work, but will review later. Excellent report. "Hurray for You !" as my boys say ! Glad all were safe.

Chip said:

Glad all were safe.

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yea, we are all very comfy on this grade, but we still choose to protect it as much as possible with pickets and then the fixed line up from the col. the chance of a fall was probably small, but you just never know. ice and rocks can fall on routes like this and potentially knock one off balence. I thought it was a great team effort to be able to proctect it with running belays and move nice and quick up it. We swapped off leads to save time by not having to transfer gear from cleaner to leader. So, whoever cleaned, led the next pitch. Everyone here was capable of leading this gully.

you just never know - I would rather be safe than a crumpled broken mess as the bottom of the gully.

giggy said:

I would rather be safe than a crumpled broken mess as the bottom of the gully.

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crumpled broken mess = bad
celebration, drinks and dirty talk in bunkhouse = good

It was certainly a fine trip - the highlight of my winter season, for sure.

I put my pics up on Webshots, too, although I didn't bother with captions there.

giggy said:

you just never know - I would rather be safe than a crumpled broken mess as the bottom of the gully.

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Geezum, you got something against crumpled broken messes?

What a fine trip you all had. Very nice climb up the Chimney. Good work on the TR, too, Giggy.

Great trip report and photos. Glad the weather (half-way) cooperated with you this year, and you got the climb in. - Al

Nice report Giggy and crackin' pics! You climbed that thing?? Glad the route you wanted to do was doable this year - 3rd year lucky...sounds like a fun time with a cool crew, especially those unshockabe Means Girls

One of two steep pics I absolutely love



Looks like one epic trip! Your description of the Knife's Edge made me nervous just reading it. Awesome.

grouseking

pretty damn cool guys and mean girls!
some day i devote some winter time to learning to climb!

Awesome !!!

Great report and pics!

Just a dumb question from a non-climber: the cleaner is the person at the end of the line that unhooks the fixed lines?

Hey Giggy, thanks for posting the report - and nice pics Spencer and Arm! Jeff has some pictures from the top of Chimney Peak which reminded me why I lobbied to rope up (thanks fellas!) Looks much tamer in Arm and Spencer's pics...

You all are too much fun - the things I learned...

Darlene and Hamtero, you were missed!!!

link to jeff's pix: these came out really good as well.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570765126RUOfQd


BobC - yep, clean the pro and either lead the next pitxh or give the gear back to leader.

I hope things work out better next time. And if you wonder if I'm kidding...the answer is...how do you know?