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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: January 27, 2006
- Miles Hiked: 5.8
- Elevation Gain: 2,970'
- Hiking Partner(s): None
- Description:
- After reading a recent trip report on Atlantic Peak's west ridge, I
decided to attempt Pacific Peak from the Mayflower Gulch Trailhead.
The west ridge on Pacific Peak proved to be one of the more challenging
climbs I have ever done given the winter conditions and technical aspect
of the route. In all reality, I underestimated the difficulty and
am grateful to have summitted. With the exception of the largest rock
tower a few hundred feet above the base of the ridge, I stayed directly on
the ridge crest which increased the climbing to class 4 in several
sections. Given my limited skills, I would consider this a fairly
difficult alpine rock climb with 1,400' of sustained class 3/4
climbing. I'm sure some may argue this assessment. It took me
4 hours and 40 minutes to ascend with a round trip time of 8 hours after
15 minutes on top.
- The approach up Mayflower Gulch went quickly with only 4 to 6 inches
of new snow on the relatively well traveled road. Progress slowed as
I turned up Pacific Creek, but was still not too difficult. By the
time I reached the base of the west ridge at 12,500', the snowshoes came
off and the wind and cold became more of a factor. I scrambled to
the major tower and skirted it on the south side. After regaining
the ridge, I slowly made my way up the ridge proper which held more snow
than anticipated. On some of the steeper more challenging sections,
I found myself clearing snow looking for holds.
- With mountaineering boots and thick gloves, hand and foot placement
was obviously important. The rock was slick and cold. My iPod,
glucose monitor, and digital camera all "crashed" because of the
temperatures, and ice quickly formed in my water bottles. My feet,
face, and hands were cold for most of the ascent. Fortunately, the
climbing kept my mind off of this fact for much of the time. The
summit was calm and gave me an opportunity to eat, drink, and warm up.
If I wasn't so wasted, I may have considered traversing to Atlantic for a
slightly easier descent, but in the end I didn't think I had the energy
and time.
- Needless to say, I was relieved once I made it back down to my cached
snowshoes. Although simply a fun summertime scramble, this hike was
a fairly big accomplishment for me on my first outing of 2006. The
trip out was uneventful, although traffic from the trailhead to the cabins
in Mayflower Gulch increased significantly as many people were out
snowshoeing and cross country skiing. For anyone interested, I
carried my crampons to the summit, but didn't feel there was a long enough
section of the ridge that required their use so I never put them on.
I used my ice axe on several sections and "holstered" it on the gear loop
of my backpack when all limbs were required for climbing.
- Maps:
-
Click here
to view a 2D
map of the area where this hike is located.
- Photographs:
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www.
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