| Ref: Bob
Spirko's Road not taken |
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Going up the ski
slope climber's left of Larch lift. |
| Scramble:
RT 5.25; 3.0 up. The forecast was not ideal so I decided to stay close
to home and chose a simple outing. Lipalian is very easy; the only
hazard to consider is the avalanche prone upper slopes, climber's left
of the boulder field. As it turns out, I had good weather and a very
shallow, crusty snowpack which facilitated the ascent. I brought my
snowshoes and put them on the ski slope for traction. After 2 hours, I
reached the top of Larch ski lift. I had good visibility and planned my
traverse left, in the boulders, to the scree bowl. I was able to keep
my snowshoes on for the traverse, which made it much easier and safer.
The very shallow snow in the bowl did not pose a problem; the crampons
on the snowshoes dug into the ground. Once on the ridge, I wandered to
the top. I stayed longer than expected, still warm and dry; I enjoyed
the awesome cloud formations framing some of my favorite mountains.
Returning was quick. I took a nice break comfortably seated at the
unload station with my camera at hand; I waited for the fog to lift, it
didn't! I stowed my shoes in my pack and proceeded back down to the
car. |
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A nice view of
Redoubt along the way. |
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Mount Temple. |
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Lipalian's false
summit from the top of the lift. |
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I traversed ahead to
the scree slope, below the bigger boulders. |
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View from above the
Rock Garden. |
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Looking back towards
the ski lift. |
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Upper slope to the
ridge crest. |
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True summit, a short
distance away. |
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Mount Hector towers
above Whitehorn. |
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Southern view beyond
the summit cairn; Storm Mountain and Stanley Peak (left and right). |
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Pilot Mountain and
Mount Brett in a sea of clouds. |
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Too bad I can't
distinguish the colored scree on Purple Mound. |
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Heading
back, Mount Richardson in the background. |
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At the lift station,
now engulfed in a fog layer. |
| Back
to home page |
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