Peak 4602 5-18-2015

Partners: Dog.

Stats: Distance 5.27 miles. Elevation Gain approx 2,000ft. Total time 2:30.

Route: From Highway 55 scenic overlook to pt 4114, to pt 4430, to Peak 4602 and a side trip to pt 4304. Topo Map Peak 4602 on Lists of John

Gear notes: Ended up bringing three jackets despite packing "light".

Peak 4602.

I've been looking at some peaks off of Hwy 55 since it is so close to my house and I haven't explored the area.  Peak 4602 caught my eye for this short trip because it sits on a long ridge that I decided to walk since it was sure to provide a great view of Horseshoe Bend.  It looks like Mark Jones made the first ascent of this peak on his list of peaks within one hour of Boise, at some point.  Peak 4602 sits on BLM land so I figured access shouldn't be too tough.

Dog and I hit the road about 10am and were parked at the scenic overlook on Hwy 55 about 15 minutes later.  Cloudy, fairly humid, temp 57F with light wind and an occasional rain drop.  The first goal was to run across Hwy 55 to get on route.  That in itself is a terrifying experience.

Mores Mountain on the left, Shaffer Butte on the right. 

Once across the highway, my route followed the steep hill side to point 4114 where we had to duck under a fence on BLM land.  Once past there I was treated to a fine view of near by Shaffer Butte and Mores Mountain.  Turing to the east to gain the next point brought up another fence we had to duck.

Approaching Peak 4602 along the ridge.

From point 4430, there is an old road that leads directly to peak 4602, so naturally, that's the way I went.

The actual summit of Peak 4602.

Once I was on top of what I thought was peak 4602, I realized that wasn't the highest point, so I headed a little farther to the east.  Once there, I found this bump on the ridge was about ten feet higher than the other little bump.  The odd thing is that the USGS map clearly identifies the elevation as 4602, but my altimeter, which was calibrated, read 4580 and the GPS on my phone indicated 4590 - somthingish. Hhmmm...  The other odd thing was that the GPS compass went all weird and wasn't indicating the correct heading.  I concluded these anomaly's are due to the large flat area of the summit actually being a UFO landing site used by Grey Aliens that probably come from Zeta Reticuli.  No actual science was done regarding this conclusion, its just a blind guess.

Ketchum on the flat summit.  Squaw Butte is in the background.

I was certain of where I was, but not certain why the elevations did not check.  Oh well...

A slightly confused summit photo.

Then it was on to point 4303 to finish off the whole ridge.  There is a big dip and the hike is steep on both sides, which made for a good time to run in boots with a pack on.

Point 4303 on the far end of the ridge.

The view over Horseshoe Bend was totally worth the effort to get there.

Horseshoe Bend from point 4303

From pt 4303, I simply reversed my steps, bypassing pt 4430 on the way back to the car.
This was a great opportunity to explore a different part of the foothills and it turned out to be a good workout as well.  In the end, I got in another lame-local peak, safely made two crossings of Hwy 55 and avoided alien abduction.  The next ascent party may not be so lucky.

Happy Trails!

- Granola, out.

Teapot Dome 5-03-2015

Partners: Deez and Landen (AKA Lego Master).

Stats: 3.5 miles. Total time, 3hrs. Elevation gain approx 1,000ft. Summit: 4,713.  Route: Hiked from the west end of the lower south ridge to the south slope and headed east to the summit.

Gear notes: N/A.

Dan Robbins' TR.   Lists of John data.

Teapot Dome.

Teapot dome is a small peak that consists mostly of igneous rocks and is oriented along an east to west trending ridge line.  It sits just off the Sun Valley Highway and is only a few miles north of Mountain Home.  I was actually saving this peak for some time while driving home from the greater ranges of Idaho, since I'd already be right there.  The summit can be attained via a very short walk from Teapot road and that in itself does not prompt a drive.  However, while looking over the map, I noticed 2 other peaks in the vicinity, so that was game on.

We left town a tad bit on the late side to make a real effort to hit all three peaks, but at least we would still have time to hike Teapot Dome. Heck, at least we weren't sitting at home, and I've been told that this hiking stuff is actually good for you.  The day was forecast to be fairly warm and it certainly was when we parked a little after 1pm.  We parked along the road at the western end of the peak to add some distance and extra ground to explore.

Short scrambles to be had along the way.

We found some neat outcrops to scramble over.

The true summit sits behind the high point seen here.

We followed the ridge line to the east, toward the actual peak, then turned north heading up a south facing gully.

The south gully.

The gully was steep but really not that bad.  It was warmer than we would have liked, but at least we were out.

Just shy of the summit ridge, the energy of the group was attenuating, so we stopped for a decent water break before the final push.

Summit of Teapot Dome.

From the break area, we turned our toes to the east and kept at it.
After another half mile or so, we crept up to the flat area that is the summit.

Summit cairn of Teapot Dome.

The sky was hazy and that left the view over the Snake River Plain rather limited.

Summit shot with Bennett Mountain in the background.

After signing the register and a quick summit selfie, we headed back to rejoin Denise.  After one more short break we made like sheep herder's and got the flock out of there.  The lack of shade made the upper 70 degree temps feel much warmer than that.  We made it back to the car and headed into town to sweeten the deal by grabbing a milk shake for the youngest explorer of the group.

Southern slopes of Teapot Dome.

One can save significant time and effort by driving farther down the road and hiking a more direct route to the top.  We made it harder on ourselves just for the LOL's and to offset the windshield time required to get there.

And that's a wrap sports fans!

Happy trails!

- Granola, out.

Gradjean. April 18-19 2015.

Partners: Deez.

Stats: 5 miles one way; 10 round trip. Elevation gain N/A.

Route: From Grandjean trail head to the South Fork Payette River Trail. Camp at Big Meadows.

Gear Notes: Standard overnight equipment.  New sleeping bag.

The first thought that comes to us when spring hits is when are we going to Grandjean!?  For the third year running we rolled the dice, pushed in all the chips and went for it.  While we keep tabs on snow levels and weather, we never really know what to expect when going backpacking in April.

Obligatory trailhead photo.

I had a fairly good idea that we were in for little to no snow, compared to last year when we couldn't get down the road.  After a quick stop for the finest sandwich in town we were jamming up highway 55 a few minutes past noon.  Lucky for us, the road was clear all the way to the trailhead.  Some fellow hikers were just finishing their day when we pulled up just past 2pm and they had reported ticks were out in force. Oh, great!

Trail Creek.  Denise Savoy photo.

After the bridge across Trail Creek, the trail comes to a fork and we turned south towards Baron Creek.

Denise Savoy photo.

There is a big view of Grandjean Peak at the start of the hike and it really looks quite impressive.  Its not as good as the view from the road, but it'll do.

Gradjean Peaks west summit.

After the long drive, it felt good to be on our feet.

Crossing a small, unnamed creek along the trail.  Denise Savoy photo.

The trail was in good shape as we began our hike.  No snow to be had, skies clear, temp 66F with an occasional light to moderate westerly gust.  At 1.5 miles in, Baron Creek was flowing pretty good and the best option we had was to ford the calf deep cold water.

Ford of Baron Creek.

Deez went first and I followed.  I didn't realize this was a take.

Well, that was nice and brisk!

As expected, the water was cold, but since we both lost the feeling in our legs about half way though the ford, that didn't really matter.  As we continued down the trail, the hiking was easy and pleasant. The South Fork Payette River Trail does undulate a little, but it's never steep and does not gain much elevation above the trailhead at 5,200 feet.

Goat Creek.

After another 1.5 miles, we reached Goat Creek.  It was flowing about the same as Baron Creek, but we found good logs to cross on so it was fairly innocuous.  The day was fairly warm down in the canyon and we enjoyed the shade where we could.

Looking south-south west from the trail.

We planned to camp at an area known as Deadman Cabin which is in the area identified as Big Meadows on the map.  I knew we were getting close to finding that riverside camp site that we were looking for.  I don't think Denise was entirely on board with my optimism.

View from the river bank near camp.

It wasn't as long as a different version of the story may or may not indicate until we found this fine spot.  Man, I hate being right all the time...

There is a memorial nailed to a tree near this camp site.
We were set up in camp and kicking back with our delicious sandwiches and a cup of wine well before sunset.  With gourmet sandwiches, good wine and some great tunes, it's really hard to say that we rough it.

Relaxing in camp.

Up until this point, we had seen a couple ticks, but it wasn't quite the infestation that we were told about earlier.  There were also man-eating mosquito's that prompted us to start a small camp fire.
The evening cooled off a bit but we stayed out sipping wine and stargazing fairly late.

The next morning brought us cold temps and a bit of frost on the ground so we both decided to sleep in.  The sun finally hit the tent about 10am so it was about then that we decided it was a good time to rise and shine.

Breaking camp.  Denise Savoy Photo.

Looking west from camp.

There was a large and diverse bird and water fowl population in the area, including a Bald eagle that Deez spotted.  We tried to get a good picture but we couldn't get a camera out in time as it flew past us and landed in a tree well out of range.

Snow free trails in April.

After breakfast, coffee and  hot coca, it was time to break camp and hit the trail.

Crossing Goat Creek.

We made short work of the Goat Creek crossing.  It did prove to be a little tricky due to the swift current and the up stream angle of the log.

Ford of Baron Creek.

Soon we were back at Baron Creek where we de-booted for the last icy ford and short and refreshing splash session.  From there it was just the same easy walk back to the car.  

After a short distance of walking, I stated that we were close to the bridge over Trail Creek.  I gave an ETA of 15 minutes to the trailhead.  I gave Deez the option for the over/under; she took over, I took the under. We hit the car in 9 minutes, but hey, who's counting.

Backpacking in April?  Yep.  We do it.  We've done it three years in a row now and every year has been different.  This early season teaser just happened to go off without a hitch.  

If conditions allow for it next year, I think we'll push up Baron Creek where there is a good camp site that is not too hard to get to.  You know, change it up a bit.

Lets see, whats that thing that we do after a trip?  Oh yeah...  Cheeseburgers and beer!

Happy trails!

-Granola, out.

Gladiator Peak* 10,243, 3-30-2015

Partners:  None.

Stats:  6 mile round trip.  6 hours total time.  Time to summit 3:45. Elevation gain: 2,900ft.

Route: Southwest Ridge, class 2.

Gear notes:  Used snow shoes on the escape.  Crampons and ice ax used on the final 600ft to the south summit.

Gladiator Peak Summitpost page. Avalanche advisory for the day of this climb.

Gladiator Peak.  10,243ft.  The southwest ridge is seen from the left, to point 9,607 to the summit.

Gladiator Peak sits just east of Galena summit, close to highway 75 and offers good early season access.  I've been eyeing several peaks in this area for some time, and now that I felt ready to attempt a bigger peak, Gladiator won the top spot on the list.  It's been six months since I've done anything at higher altitude, not to mention above 10,000ft.  I was flying solo for this trip and woke up at 4am, was on the road just before 5, arriving at a pull-out just south of Galena Summit at 8:30.

The temperature read 27*F at the car, so I anticipated a solid overnight freeze to the snow pack; good news.  However, the day was forecast to be about 20*F above normal; potentially bad news.  Clear skies, no wind.

My planned route was to cross the highway and head east though the forest staying at about the 7,600ft contour line, hop over a small unnamed stream and then cross Westernhome Gulch.  Starting out across the flat area, the snow was fairly firm, so I didn't bother with snow shoes,  however, the occasional post-hole was making its dreaded guest appearance.  Down in the trees, there was nothing to take pictures of, except trees; so no pictures.  

Looking south from the base of the ridge.

Once across Westernhome Gulch, the next move was to turn north, hike uphill while looking for a Forest Service road that runs along the base of the southwest ridge of Gladiator Peak at about 7,800ft.
I had actually found the correct ridge with little difficulty.

Hu, now I actually have to climb this mountain!

From that point on the route up the southwest ridge is fairly steep and the south facing slope was mostly snow free down low.  Now I was faced with an 1,800ft climb to reach point 9,607.  I was thinking about dropping my snowshoes to lighten the load, but I didn't want to be stuck without them up higher in case I needed them.  There was nothing to do but continue up and re-evaluate as I gained elevation.

Sometimes it's better to have it not need it, than need it and not have it...

Titus Ridge in the Smoky Mountains.

The hard work up the ridge was soon rewarded with views of the neighboring peaks in the Smoky Mountains.

Negotiating the alternating snow and dry ground up the steep southwest ridge.

It was moderately frustrating carrying snow shoes when the ground was bare; but I knew that wouldn't last.  I hit continuous snow at about 8,600ft and it was still fairly firm, yet not without the occasional post-hole.  It was about 10:30 and I wanted to top out by noon, 1pm at the absolute latest. The day was getting notably warmer and I needed to get moving.  After a short break and evaluating all conditions and factors, I decided to drop the snow shoes and make a run for it.

Consistent snow above 8,700ft en route to point 9,607 dead-ahead.  The summit is behind the tree on the right.  Old ski tracks are visible. 

I was thinking about how soft the snow would be on the way down.  Even though it was easy walking now, I knew that might not be the case later in the day.  I wanted to get the upper most parts of the ridge finished before it became too soft and unsafe, so I just kept moving without any breaks.  From that point on, the angle eased off and I was able to make good time.

The upper ridge and final 600 feet of Gladiator Peak from point 9,607.

Arriving at point 9,607 I was treated to this magnificent view of the upper ridge.  It looked manageable, as long as the snow was firm.  Keeping to climbers right (east), I rounded 9,607 only to find that it was probably corniced to the left (west) and drifted about 20 feet deep or so.  I didn't bother to stick my neck out and examine.

Oh, that's nice!

This brings up this point; spring is a great time to climb when the conditions are right.  Cool temps and firm snow often make for good climbing.  Its what may or may not be under the snow that was concerning to me at this point.  Had I known that 9,607 was in the shape that it was in at that time, I probably would have not climbed over it.  But, now that I was already on the other side of it, I decided to give the last 600 feet a go.  I'd take it one step at a time and as soon as it seemed like the snow was getting too soft, I'd back off.

Looking back at point 9,607.

Looking south down the Wood River Valley.

Just before the upper ridge kicked back, I strapped into my crampons and grabbed the ice ax. Sticking to the shaded areas provided the best snow and the climbing was pleasant.  I was about half way up the ridge when I punched through a drift up to my thigh.

Holy crap, not cool!

Wet slide activity on the west face.

Wet slide activity was noted and appeared to be coming from the rock band at the top of this couloir.  I wondered if I should have been backing off at this point, but I was right below the final scree slope that appeared to lead to the summit, so I went after it.

Looking southwest toward the Smoky Mountains, Galena Summit and the southern edge of the Sawtooth Range.  The entire southwest ridge is visible.

I popped off the spikes, dropped the ax and got to work on the scree and short class 3 scramble.  Looking at the topo map, the south summit and north summit are on the same contour, but I had read that the north summit has the cairn and is apparently higher, so that's where I planned to go. Once on top of the south summit, I could see that the cairn, if even still there was completely buried by a huge drift that was likely a hanging cornice.  I stayed focused as I poked around and got as high as I safely could, but I had a gut feeling that I was about to get into serious trouble if I went any higher.  No way was I going out onto, or underneath this sucker.

Looking northwest from the base of the drift/cornice that covered the summit.  

This is about fun and adventure and I need/want to be safe because I want to keep having fun and going on adventures.

Looking west toward the Sawtooth Range.

Normally, this would be a happy time filled with smiles and sandwiches.  Not that I wasn't happy, but my nerves were a little fried.  It was noon-thirty by the time I snapped a few photos and got to work on the descent.

Looking east toward Galena Peak.

Looking south down the valley toward the Smoky Mountains.

Not a cloud in the sky.

Getting back to 9,607 in itself wasn't a huge deal but I could tell the snow was getting soft.  At least I was back to the mellow terrain and who doesn't mind a few post-holes anyway, right?  Wrong!  I thought about traversing under 9,607 to avoid the drift/cornice but abandoned that idea when when I dropped to the east and started punching down about knee deep.  I worked around a few trees just about to my original path and once there I went in about thigh deep again.  

Holy s***!  Seriously not cool!

This about sums up how I felt.  

I dug out and took one more just like that.  I was about to lay out and crab-crawl to the trees but I made it without having to look like a total idiot.  After a gulp of water and a short spell of SVT I was able to regain my composure to continue the descent.

Titus, Bromaghin and Saviers Peaks.

Coming back though the trees I was able to stick to the shaded areas and walk on firm snow.  The sun effected snow made for good boot skiing.  I picked up my snow shoes and made my way down the ridge and back to the road.  I knew the road led to the west, toward the highway, so I elected to follow that to get over the creeks and stay out of the downfall and soft snow.  That was a good call and I probably should have gained this road right from the highway to begin with.

The snow on the road was total slush without a solid step to be had without snow shoes.  No big deal here, it's just that there were a few long sections that were melted down to the dirt.

I'd rather walk with snow shoes on dirt than take another post hole, and I'm definitely not playing the on again-off again game!

Pretty sure I'm doing it wrong here. 

I passed both creeks, dropped off the road and angled toward the highway, which was just a short walk away.  As I shed my gear, I realized that out of the 6 hours I'd been out, I had been moving for about 5:30 of it.  I'd been so intent on getting up, down and out that I never really stopped or ate more than a Rice Crispy treat and one pack of Cliff Shot Bloks.  Oh, and by now it was 60*F when I got back to the car at 2:45pm.  

Hey, I'm ready for that sandwich now!

So, for now I'll leave the asterix attached to this summit, but I'm officially claiming it, sort of, and here's why:  I worked my ass off to get up it and it's not like I bailed 300 feet from the top because I was tired.  The north summit was buried and it just wasn't safe to walk out there.  Just to clear this up, I plan to go back sometime later in the year and hike it from Galena Lodge just in case the north summit is actually higher.  I now realize that I didn't get a picture of that drift across the ridge.

While the day had been a little nerve racking at times, it was still fun and I was glad to have done it. Based on my observations during this climb, I think I'll wait until a more consistent freeze-thaw cycle settles in to attempt another big peak if done with snow on the route.

For such a relatively short day, this was a tough climb.  It still leaves me feeling just a tad frustrated. Maybe I pushed it too much; maybe not enough.

One thing I still know; pizza and cold beer is a tried and true recovery aid.

Happy trails!

-Granola, out.