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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 08:42pm PT
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 08:44pm PT
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Looking west from beneath Lone Eagle:
Lone Eagle towers above:
Moving to the meadow's end, scoping more closely Shoshone to the east:
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Incredible journey. How great you have days like that, and share them with the rest of us!
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Nohea
Trad climber
Aiea,Hi
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That is beautiful! Thank You for dragging the camera along. I have been eyeballing this valley near where I work now, and this report gave me a virtual kick it the butt to get in there.
Aloha,
wil
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 09:38pm PT
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This is a special place and epitomizes the feeling of spacious enclosure;
It shared a captivaing feeling of solitude made all the more poignant by autumn light.
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Double D
climber
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Nice Roy...
The ice on Shoshone's West wall looks way cool. Does it just go into a huge slot canyon?
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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As usual, Roy, wonderful trip report and awesome photos.
I just wish I were along for real on a few of them.
Thanks for the vicarious living!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 11:33pm PT
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Thanks folks, you are welcome & I'm 'glad you enjoy.
DD,
Yes, that ice seeps from a giant slot, capped by an overhanging alcove...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 11:58pm PT
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From CLIMB!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 09:48am PT
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At the head of the large meadow is a steep jumble of large boulders; this is Fair Glacier's terminal moraine. These were covered in a light snow so I carefully picked my way through and over them, shortly to arrive at the glacial tarn known as Triangle Lake:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 09:53am PT
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Struggling over the stretch of moraine leading upward,
The peaks known as Limbo and Iroquois rose to the west, defining the narrow valley cut by the Fair Glacier:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 09:56am PT
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Straight ahead was my way out;
Up and over Fair Glacier, followed by a scramble along Apache's West Ridge:
At three o'clock in the afternoon I strapped on my crampons:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 10:01am PT
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A neighboring gully, an alternate escape hatch, leading up through the cliffs of Mount George,
(this would have been the way out had Fair Glacier's crevasse been opened wide):
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Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Then what?
What time did you start?
What time did you finish?
How many miles?
What gear did you bring?
What were the temps?
Did you wear your schlong warmer?
Prod.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 10:10am PT
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Firm white alpine ice gave way to arduous snow-covered slopes.
The storied crevasse was a nonevent due to the snow; at any rate I skirted it to the left.
At 4:15 p.m. I stood on the upper lip of the glacier, which essentially formed a small pass on the shoulder of Apache's West Ridge.
Looking down valley past Triangle Lake toward Cascade Creek:
Iroquois and Limbo along the left side of the frame:
Gendarmes guarding the way west to Mount George:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 10:14am PT
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Yes I wore my schlong warmer.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Cool stuff Roy! Fun to wake up to this, a good morning show for sure. Looking forward to more.
Tom
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 10:18am PT
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Surveying the "fairyland" (as Roach calls it) of Wheeler Basin, and the northwest face of North Arapaho Peak 13,502':
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 10:34am PT
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The going along Apache's West Ridge was moderate third class.
I did manage to pull off my gloves for a finger lock and hand jam. I was starting to bonk as the incline broke and doggedly reached the summit just before 5:30 pm. I had less than an hour of light remaining and needed to quickly thread my way down the rubble of Apache's east face, latch and strap back into my points, drop through a neve/snow gully called Queen's Way and stomp down on to Isabelle Glacier.
At 6 p.m. the crampons came back off; under diminishing twilight I quickly searched my way down the climber's trail leading off of Isabelle Glacier beneath Shoshone's rock towers.
By the light of a bright headlamp and three hours after summiting Apache, I reached the car, having ascended 5000 vertical feet, descended 5500 vertical while covering some handful of miles, not sure really, maybe 15+, in 14 hours total. I saw no people; there were animal tracks in the snow leading off of Pawnee Pass, and more tracks leading up from Crater Lake to Triangle Lake and all the way up on to Fair Glacier. A nice day in the rough.
Picture of the descent taken early morning on the way up:
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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SWEET. Nice TR and wrap up....looks like a cool trek, and alot of miles to cover. Right on!
Getting me psyched for today's adventure in the batholith...temps are going to be a bit crisper. Should be fun...
Thanks for taking the time to post this.
Cheers!
Tom
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