timmus
Well-known member
Day 1
Monday morning, Pinedale Wyoming. We've been planning this 6-day/48 miles backpacking trip for almost a year, and now it's time to start walking for real. The pack didn't seem that heavy on paper (250 Lbs/ 5 people), but everything is as planned : everybody is feeling good, the weather is perfect, and we know exactly where to go : Camp 1 is at Seneca Lake, camp 2 is Titcomb Lake, and basecamp is the top of Bonney Pass. In four days we should be on top of Gannett Pk.
As we sign in we share the way with horses, I guess hikers here like to travel light, while the poor animals carry all the tents and heavy food. Most of the groups we see in the Wind Range use that system. Not too far after leaving the Elkhart Park trailhead, we get to Photographer's Point. Very pretty, but the best is yet to come. Seneca Lake is a terrible mosquito land, and after a quick swim (Suzie and I only, the guys didn't think they need to wash), we find shelter in our tent. JS and I were in the Tetons the week before, and we met a young couple on Glory Mtn. They warned us about the bugs, and I'm glad I listened to them and brought a net. The guy also said his father was in the Wind River Range at same time than us, and that we might cross path with him. Andy Carson is its name, and he's a very old man. We'll be looking for him.
Day 2
There's a lot of up and downs along the way to Titcomb Lakes, and the rocky trails doesn't make it easy either. But we have plenty of time, so we take a well deserved break on a beach, offered by Island Lake. Groups that are coming back from Gannnett have good news for us : A LOT of snow, everywhere. Bonney Pass is covered on each sides, and the Bergschrund is safe (well, was safe the day before), and we have good tracks to follow on the normal route. But almost everybody started the summit hike from Titcomb Lake, instead of Bonney Pass... It's true that climbing that 35° slope on slushy snow, with the heavy packs, is not the greatest idea. The more we think about it, the more we realize we have no choice but to do the same. It's going to be a looong summit day, that's for sure. It's a 10.8 miles roundtrip, with more than 5500' of elevation gain. That's a lot of glacier travelling !
Day 3
Today is a full rest day at 10 600', very good for acclimatization. We also have plenty of time for many different crevasse rescue simulations, with one victim on each rope (Jean Sebastien and I are rope #1, Danny, Suzie and Karl are rope #2). Also, I thought earlier that Seneca Lake was very pretty, but really, the ultimate scenery is at Titcomb Lakes. I never camped in such a place, surrounded by tall pinnacles, snowy peaks and turquoise waters AND : NO BUGS HERE ! Really, I call it Paradise. As we pack our gear for the upcoming alpine start (1am), I find my summit pack really small. Actually, it's my little Black Diamond BBEE pack that I use to carry my lunch and umbrella to work... I tell JS he has to carry few things for me and because he's a real gentleman he agrees. We would realize later that we brought all the winter gear for nothing, and my pack was just fine. Rope #2 had their big backpacks for summit day, and they got slow because of the extra weight. During the day we see only a few people coming down from Bonney Pass. One group is our camp neighbors from California, and they didn't reach the summit because one guy got too sick. Then we meet a man who was back from a 15 days trip on the Glaciers. He knows a lot about the area, and he tells us about a different route to the summit. It's a couloir, SouthWest of Gooseneck Pinnacle that leads to the Gooseneck Ridge. That will make us avoid the bergschrund, and also avoid the possible class 3 rock scramble. I really like snow climbs better than rocks, even if it's steep. The man says it's maybe 45°, but not more than that. We talk about it, and everybody is tempted by the idea. Then I look at the old man, and ask him: Is your name Carson ? Yes, he says, laughing. I tell him about his son and I swear his eyes were like fireworks. I believe he was so happy to hear about loved ones, after such a long trip in the backcountry, he could'nt contain his emotions. We exchange handshakes and say goodbye.
Summit day
We wake up it's midnight, of course nobody really slept. Only few minutes after leaving, my headlamp dies. Really... Dead, final, kapout. I can't believe that for the pasts 3 years I always carried an extra headlamp, but not today. I have to use someone else's light beam, but as soon as we hit the steep section I start feeling insecure. Again, my dear lover is there to help me, and he lend me his headlamp. Because I'm the slow but steady pace goer of the group, I insist to take the lead. Our goal is to feel as fresh as possible when we'll get on top of Bonney Pass. It’s supposed to be 35°maximum, but the upper section seems more than that. We reach the top just before sunrise, and we're all feeling very good. With the firsts sun rays comes the firsts views of Gannett Pk. All the way from Pinedale we tried to see the peak, but just like a gem, it's only after days of hard work that we get the chance to admire it. Once on the Dinwoody glacier we switch hiking poles for ice ax and rope up. The alternate route offers a walk on a crevasse field, but it's a pretty friendly glacier. We are careful, with JS leading and making sure we stay away from the rock wall on our right side. A falling rock could be fatal. Once at the bottom of the couloir, we know that 600' ascent will not be a piece of cake. It's still early in the day, but the sun is powerful and our gore-tex layers are not appropriate at all. Karl is asking for a break in a shady spot, but it's way too steep to stop. I take a picture of rope #2 below me, and I can only see the helmets... That feels more than 45° to me. I have to admit that right at that moment I live every second of the climb in pure state of joy. Ice tools make me feel safe, and I totally trust everyone in the team. No worries. Once on the ridge, we stop and drink water. We'll be missing some of that later, for sure. The year before on Rainier we had full winter gear, but here in Wyoming the weather is different. The temps will reach the 80's during the day, good thing we brought the water filter.
The final ascent on the summit ridge is much more relaxed, but Karl has a hard time. Being one of the stronger members of the team, we are very surprised of his condition. We go very slowly and stop every 15 steps. It's so pretty on the ridge, I'm glad I have time to enjoy the views. We finally get on the summit of Gannett at 11:00am. It took us a freakin' 10 hours to get there, and we're worried about what time we'll be back to basecamp. Some tears are dropping down the cheeks (not only mine...), we take quick pictures and start the descent. We choose the normal route for the return, and the bergschrund is absolutely safe. Also, we don’t have to down climb the class 3, because (we already know that), there’s so much snow this year. We post-hole a little, but it's not too bad. There's a little section of rocks to traverse, ropes are getting shorter, and while I wait for the next step I realize my camera is ... GONE ! I am so angry I cry (again), I hate myself for putting it on a biner, attached to my harness. I decided to go back to where I took my pants down (for peeing, of course), even if that means an extra 200' elevation gain. I walk 30' and get to the post-holing snow spot.... And the camera is right there, waiting for me. I can't believe my luck, and I scream ''Victoire !!!!''. At the bottom of the rocky section we find a stream. We take time to fill the bottles (they actually get empty again, faster than we can pump water in), and let Karl rest more. He doesn't feel well, but we are all aware of altitude incomforts, and we know he'll make it. Soon after we are back on our previous path, and what awaits us is the 1200' ascent to Bonney Pass. Everybody who've been there will tell you that this is the toughest part of Gannett. Still feeling OK, I build steps up, and I'm pretty glad about my physical condition. At 12 000', I feel much better than the year before on Rainier. But once on top I suddenly feel very tired, and the idea of butt-sliding down Bonney doesn't seems right to me. The hours that will follow are blurry in my mind. I fall asleep while walking, I trip a couple of times, and other people's voices sound like coming out of a can. At 6:30pm we reach the tents. That was totally insane I think. 18 hours ! Insane, yes indeed. We force ourselves to prepare food before hitting the sleeping pads, but Karl can't swallow more than 4 spoons of Chicken Teriyaki with Rice. I finish it, after licking the mashed potatoes from my own meal.
(to be continued)
Monday morning, Pinedale Wyoming. We've been planning this 6-day/48 miles backpacking trip for almost a year, and now it's time to start walking for real. The pack didn't seem that heavy on paper (250 Lbs/ 5 people), but everything is as planned : everybody is feeling good, the weather is perfect, and we know exactly where to go : Camp 1 is at Seneca Lake, camp 2 is Titcomb Lake, and basecamp is the top of Bonney Pass. In four days we should be on top of Gannett Pk.
As we sign in we share the way with horses, I guess hikers here like to travel light, while the poor animals carry all the tents and heavy food. Most of the groups we see in the Wind Range use that system. Not too far after leaving the Elkhart Park trailhead, we get to Photographer's Point. Very pretty, but the best is yet to come. Seneca Lake is a terrible mosquito land, and after a quick swim (Suzie and I only, the guys didn't think they need to wash), we find shelter in our tent. JS and I were in the Tetons the week before, and we met a young couple on Glory Mtn. They warned us about the bugs, and I'm glad I listened to them and brought a net. The guy also said his father was in the Wind River Range at same time than us, and that we might cross path with him. Andy Carson is its name, and he's a very old man. We'll be looking for him.
Day 2
There's a lot of up and downs along the way to Titcomb Lakes, and the rocky trails doesn't make it easy either. But we have plenty of time, so we take a well deserved break on a beach, offered by Island Lake. Groups that are coming back from Gannnett have good news for us : A LOT of snow, everywhere. Bonney Pass is covered on each sides, and the Bergschrund is safe (well, was safe the day before), and we have good tracks to follow on the normal route. But almost everybody started the summit hike from Titcomb Lake, instead of Bonney Pass... It's true that climbing that 35° slope on slushy snow, with the heavy packs, is not the greatest idea. The more we think about it, the more we realize we have no choice but to do the same. It's going to be a looong summit day, that's for sure. It's a 10.8 miles roundtrip, with more than 5500' of elevation gain. That's a lot of glacier travelling !
Day 3
Today is a full rest day at 10 600', very good for acclimatization. We also have plenty of time for many different crevasse rescue simulations, with one victim on each rope (Jean Sebastien and I are rope #1, Danny, Suzie and Karl are rope #2). Also, I thought earlier that Seneca Lake was very pretty, but really, the ultimate scenery is at Titcomb Lakes. I never camped in such a place, surrounded by tall pinnacles, snowy peaks and turquoise waters AND : NO BUGS HERE ! Really, I call it Paradise. As we pack our gear for the upcoming alpine start (1am), I find my summit pack really small. Actually, it's my little Black Diamond BBEE pack that I use to carry my lunch and umbrella to work... I tell JS he has to carry few things for me and because he's a real gentleman he agrees. We would realize later that we brought all the winter gear for nothing, and my pack was just fine. Rope #2 had their big backpacks for summit day, and they got slow because of the extra weight. During the day we see only a few people coming down from Bonney Pass. One group is our camp neighbors from California, and they didn't reach the summit because one guy got too sick. Then we meet a man who was back from a 15 days trip on the Glaciers. He knows a lot about the area, and he tells us about a different route to the summit. It's a couloir, SouthWest of Gooseneck Pinnacle that leads to the Gooseneck Ridge. That will make us avoid the bergschrund, and also avoid the possible class 3 rock scramble. I really like snow climbs better than rocks, even if it's steep. The man says it's maybe 45°, but not more than that. We talk about it, and everybody is tempted by the idea. Then I look at the old man, and ask him: Is your name Carson ? Yes, he says, laughing. I tell him about his son and I swear his eyes were like fireworks. I believe he was so happy to hear about loved ones, after such a long trip in the backcountry, he could'nt contain his emotions. We exchange handshakes and say goodbye.
Summit day
We wake up it's midnight, of course nobody really slept. Only few minutes after leaving, my headlamp dies. Really... Dead, final, kapout. I can't believe that for the pasts 3 years I always carried an extra headlamp, but not today. I have to use someone else's light beam, but as soon as we hit the steep section I start feeling insecure. Again, my dear lover is there to help me, and he lend me his headlamp. Because I'm the slow but steady pace goer of the group, I insist to take the lead. Our goal is to feel as fresh as possible when we'll get on top of Bonney Pass. It’s supposed to be 35°maximum, but the upper section seems more than that. We reach the top just before sunrise, and we're all feeling very good. With the firsts sun rays comes the firsts views of Gannett Pk. All the way from Pinedale we tried to see the peak, but just like a gem, it's only after days of hard work that we get the chance to admire it. Once on the Dinwoody glacier we switch hiking poles for ice ax and rope up. The alternate route offers a walk on a crevasse field, but it's a pretty friendly glacier. We are careful, with JS leading and making sure we stay away from the rock wall on our right side. A falling rock could be fatal. Once at the bottom of the couloir, we know that 600' ascent will not be a piece of cake. It's still early in the day, but the sun is powerful and our gore-tex layers are not appropriate at all. Karl is asking for a break in a shady spot, but it's way too steep to stop. I take a picture of rope #2 below me, and I can only see the helmets... That feels more than 45° to me. I have to admit that right at that moment I live every second of the climb in pure state of joy. Ice tools make me feel safe, and I totally trust everyone in the team. No worries. Once on the ridge, we stop and drink water. We'll be missing some of that later, for sure. The year before on Rainier we had full winter gear, but here in Wyoming the weather is different. The temps will reach the 80's during the day, good thing we brought the water filter.
The final ascent on the summit ridge is much more relaxed, but Karl has a hard time. Being one of the stronger members of the team, we are very surprised of his condition. We go very slowly and stop every 15 steps. It's so pretty on the ridge, I'm glad I have time to enjoy the views. We finally get on the summit of Gannett at 11:00am. It took us a freakin' 10 hours to get there, and we're worried about what time we'll be back to basecamp. Some tears are dropping down the cheeks (not only mine...), we take quick pictures and start the descent. We choose the normal route for the return, and the bergschrund is absolutely safe. Also, we don’t have to down climb the class 3, because (we already know that), there’s so much snow this year. We post-hole a little, but it's not too bad. There's a little section of rocks to traverse, ropes are getting shorter, and while I wait for the next step I realize my camera is ... GONE ! I am so angry I cry (again), I hate myself for putting it on a biner, attached to my harness. I decided to go back to where I took my pants down (for peeing, of course), even if that means an extra 200' elevation gain. I walk 30' and get to the post-holing snow spot.... And the camera is right there, waiting for me. I can't believe my luck, and I scream ''Victoire !!!!''. At the bottom of the rocky section we find a stream. We take time to fill the bottles (they actually get empty again, faster than we can pump water in), and let Karl rest more. He doesn't feel well, but we are all aware of altitude incomforts, and we know he'll make it. Soon after we are back on our previous path, and what awaits us is the 1200' ascent to Bonney Pass. Everybody who've been there will tell you that this is the toughest part of Gannett. Still feeling OK, I build steps up, and I'm pretty glad about my physical condition. At 12 000', I feel much better than the year before on Rainier. But once on top I suddenly feel very tired, and the idea of butt-sliding down Bonney doesn't seems right to me. The hours that will follow are blurry in my mind. I fall asleep while walking, I trip a couple of times, and other people's voices sound like coming out of a can. At 6:30pm we reach the tents. That was totally insane I think. 18 hours ! Insane, yes indeed. We force ourselves to prepare food before hitting the sleeping pads, but Karl can't swallow more than 4 spoons of Chicken Teriyaki with Rice. I finish it, after licking the mashed potatoes from my own meal.
(to be continued)
)
