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Thursday, July 18, 2024
Sugus Mountain - Southeast Ridge, July 2023
The 4th and final objective of the Pebble-to-North Creek traverse. Departed the North Creek hut with Ian in the lead followed by a merry band of 7, me included. Good trail from the hut to the bouldery creek outflow draining a minor valley directly to the west. Up along the right (north) bank into some bush for a bit before exiting onto open slopes that lead on up to a crest at the head of the valley, with a large glacier on its opposite side. A short, shitty descent to the glaciers edge, where we stopped to rope up. Paired up as 4 teams of 4 with one of our party and a couple other gals from Ian's taking issue roping up with me because I'm apparently too "heavy" for their liking. Just as well I figured as the rest of us were getting fed up with the ongoing verbal sparring between these three hens since the evening prior. Far too much ego for my liking. Ian graciously ended up taking the rear of that team while I led the other group. The others got their gear sorted first and started up with us following. Came to a full stop shortly thereafter, those in front now bickering about where to go and overcome by a severe case of analysis-paralysis. Lots of squawking and not much listening as expected but miraculously after several agonizing minutes a consensus was reached, and we all began moving forward again. Up to the large glacier plateau at mid-elevation, then a sharp left towards its east margin before turning up and continuing to the upper slopes. Right up the middle or better yet along the far right looked good as well - options abound.
The leading party stopped for a rest at a rock outcropping at the upper left head of the glacier, with our group now continuing in front. I found this portion of the climb to be quite enjoyable as it ascended a series of large steps on a broad glaciated ridge. A quick turn to the south and we soon found ourselves untying and ditching our glacier gear before stepping on to dry rock on the South-Southeast Ridge. From there an enjoyable and easy scramble along the ridge leads to the summit. By then, the blue skies from earlier in the day had given way to some high cloudiness mixed with smoke presumably from the forest fire we had seen while descending Pebble Peak days earlier. Views were a bit murky therefore, but no complaints! Cut our stay short as it looked suspiciously like a thunderstorm was brewing overhead, returning to our stashed gear shortly thereafter. Back down the glacier following our up-route, with the other party soon opting to for a different route, making a large jog to the left for reasons unknown. We instead simply followed our tracks from earlier, with me taking up the rear this time.
Easy cruise back down, until the bonehead in front somehow lost the track and blindly forged his own, oblivious to any hazards that may lie ahead. The large crack coming in on from the right was apparently of no concern or not seen as a foot punched through into the unknown. No mention of this of course, endangering those following to do the same or worse. Into the hole our #2 goes, with only a backpack to stop from falling in completely. Able to self-extricate thank God after which we retreat to where we'd lost our tracks from earlier and then proceed down without further drama. Fucking idiot hour at its finest! At any rate, back to the hut after another longish day where all is forgiven for the final evening of our trip. Polished off the rest of the warm beer revelling in our successes, failures but most importantly the great experience. Lots of learning to go 'round and a damn good way to spend 7 days in the hills if you ask me!
Peak #3 on the July 2023 Pebble-to-North Creek traverse. With an early(ish) start, Miranda, Sarah, Alex, Wes and I woofed down a hasty breakfast and set out for the mighty Mount Thiassi. Started up the same trail used for Mount Sears, which by now we were familiar with having been up and down it a couple days prior. Dropped off Sears' NW Ridge where it made sense and lost about 700 feet of hard-earned vertical into upper McParlon Creek Valley, bottoming out just north of the McParlon Glacier snout. Then back up the other side over heather, snow and increasingly steep and unstable talus for about 1700 feet stopping finally at glacier's edge below Thiassi's imposing East Face. Travel by this point had slowed to a crawl, navigating over and around teetering blocks and talus resting on friable glacial till and scree of the type only a recently receded glacier leaves behind. We were a good 5 hours into the undertaking by this point and two of our party members were noticeably out of their element if not terrified by the terrain we suddenly found ourselves in. Moving safely here required a kind of wariness that comes with experience, and when asked if these two had had enough, both seemed greatly relieved by the suggestion.
Kinda new to this group leadership thing to be honest, but in the absence of anyone else recognizing the predicament we were in, I offered to hang back and guide the two back down to relative safety. Coulda turned around after doing this, but by then I'd lost my verve with the group dynamic and pursuit in general. Miranda and Wes were still keen on pushing on, which was fine by me, but despite some hemming and hawing seemed to lack confidence in proceeding without me. Curious how when things took a turn for the worse, success or failure somehow rested on my shoulders. The next time I agree to joining a party of 4 or more on objectives such as Thiassi I'll insist on a sober conversation beforehand to hash out what the expectations are of each party member and who, if anyone is in charge etc. So anyway, back down we go as a group about 800 feet and probably a good couple hours from the summit. Turns out we weren't technically on route after all and should have begun traversing lower to the SE rather than continuing up so close beneath the East Face. Unfortunately, this wasn't obvious to me at the time and none of the route beta I'd looked at prior to the climb was clear about how exactly to approach the saddle on Thiassi's SE Ridge, where the real climbing was supposed to begin. Live and learn.
Once back down on the valley floor, Wes and I decided to at least tag Mount Wesley-the continuation and highpoint of the ridge on which Mount Sears lies. We had to regain the ridge to return to the hut anyway and might as well get our butts up on top of something we figured. With the rest of our party confident they could navigate their way back independent of us, off we went up a relentless talus slope in the blazing sun towards the base of Sears to near where we did our crevasse rescue practice days earlier. Rather than continuing up and over Sears and back down the other side, we elected to traverse its east slope to reach a prominent saddle to its south. This worked out well, after which an easy but aesthetic ridge ramble on snow and finally some rock saw us to Wesley's summit. A cairn here confirmed we weren't the only ones who had come this way, despite a dearth of information on the peak to be found online or otherwise. Views were superb, like Sears only better and a decent consolation prize all things considered. Back to Pebble Hut without further difficulty for our final night before moving on to North Creek the next day. Pity about Thiassi as it is quite a trophy peak to stand atop of - perhaps someday I'll head back that way, helicopter or not!
Pebble Peak was the second objective of the Pebble-to-North Creek traverse trip I went on last July (see previous "Pebble to North Creek" post). Approached via Pebble Glacier, it amounts to a basic glacier climb finished with a steep pitch of rotten rock where one needs to be mindful of the potential for party induced rockfall. Starting from Pebble Hut, the hike initially follows the same trail as that used for Mount Sears, but quickly branches off to the right following a somewhat faint path towards the large basin below the glacier. We gained the glacier on the left side of its snout, roped up and started up bare ice aiming for the large glacier lobe at right. This we followed beneath Pebble Peak on its north side to reach a rocky saddle high on the NW Ridge.
With the rest of our party hanging back at the saddle, Miranda, Lawrence, Wes and I continued up the final glacier headwall to the base of the chuting gallery. We ditched our crampons and ice axes here and started scrambling up the gully. Not feeling the loose rock here, Lawrence promptly turned back while the remaining three of us continued up. Great care had to be taken not to send rocks tumbling down on each other, but it wasn't long before reaching the summit where outstanding views were ours to behold! North towards Ethelweard and company, Thiassi to the NE, Sampson Group to the SE, south looking over Sugus towards the mighty Overseer, the Meager Group to the SW and finally beautiful Athelstan to the west. Something entirely new for me and pretty darn awesome to see!
Made back to where the rest of our party was lounging at the saddle without incident, then roped up again for the slog back down the glacier. I was careless there for a moment and managed to punch a leg through a small crevasse lower down where the snow transitioned to firn and I believe Alex did the same earlier in the day. Oopsy! About halfway into the return, we noted a mushroom cloud from a fire burning nearby. Strange how there was no sign of this from the summit and skies were clear without any thunder or lighting in the days prior. Anyway, packed up all our glacier gear once back on terra firma and returned to the hut for a ~10-hour day at a fairly casual pace.
This is the first peak bagged on the Pebble to North Creek Traverse trip (see previous post). As previously mentioned, Laurence, Wes, Alex and I went up to Sears' summit following an impromptu glacier rescue exercise lower down at a minor bowl on the peak's NW flank. We helicoptered in to Pebble Hut earlier that same day. It is a very easy hike that finishes with a wide but somewhat steep snow-covered ridge (or take to the rock at right if preferred) leading to the open summit area where incredible views abound! The peak is flanked by the Pebble and McParlon glaciers on the west and east sides respectively, with Pebble Peak and Mount Thiassi rising dramatically from the far edge of either. This was the first good look we got of the area we would be spending the next week exploring and needless to say we were awestruck!
The return from the peak to the Pebble Hut follows the gentle NW Ridge to where meadow gradually transitions to forest and where one wants to work slightly left (west) to intersect a flagged and somewhat bushy climber's path that descends steeply towards Ash Pass. The path eventually enters a minor gully/drainage (slight right) and follows that to forest and meadows at the valley bottom. The hut is just a short distance beyond where a welcoming party of starving mosquitos eagerly anticipated our arrival. Be sure to hurry and "shut the damn door" when entering!
Pebble to North Creek - via Pebble Glacier, July 2023
Put my name in the hat for a 7-day BCMC sponsored trek starting from Pebble Creek hut and traversing south to the North Creek hut, before completing the hike out to North Creek Trailhead on the final day. Such a trip entails a significant amount of logistics, thankfully all arranged by BCMC legend himself Brian S. The plan for the week was to split our time staying at the two huts, allowing for day trips to various objectives accessible from either. While there was some talk of going for more distant and challenging peaks such as Mount Ethelweard (from Pebble) and Mount Delilah (from North Creek), we ultimately settled on Mount Thiassi (no small feat in itself) and Pebble Peak before traversing over to North Creek and climbing Sugus Mountain. This itinerary allowed for a rest day (for me), helping Brian and others build the foundation for a second Pebble hut, not to mention the trek over to North Creek which itself consumed most of a day. As such, this post serves to cover details of the traverse, "hut life" and whatever else excluding excursions to and from our climbing objectives. Individual reports for the following will be posted subsequently: Sears, Pebble, Thiassi/Wesley and Sugus.
Our journey started at the Pemberton Airport where our party rendezvoused to sort packs and food caches to be helicoptered in to the two huts in advance. We all then drove on up to the large landing near Delilah Creek (aka North Creek Trailhead) where the heli awaited to transport us as two separate groups to the Pebble Hut. There was some concern with wind and weather on this first day, but which fortunately didn't amount to anything. Our group consisted of 7 total - Brian, Wes, Sarah, Alex, Lawrence, Miranda and me, with a separate group of 3 led by another long-time BCMC member Ian M. following their own itinerary. After arriving at Pebble, sorting our gear and having a quick lunch, Brian led us up into the alpine below Mount Sears for some crevasse rescue practice. We were all a bit rusty in this regard and the crash course was very much needed. Still had daylight to burn afterwards, so Laurence, Wes, Alex and I went up to Sears proper before returning to the hut for the evening. We all shared responsibility for one group breakfast and dinner each, and it was fun enjoying others' cooking each day (my turn didn't come until the North Creek Hut).
After a hearty breakfast the following morning and a not-so-alpine start, the entire group set out for Pebble Peak. Back to the hut after a surprisingly full(ish) day, with me taking the following day off to recoup and lend Brian a hand with the hut foundations. Did enjoy a nice sweat in the sauna just before dinner I might add - yes, you read that right! Up and at 'em first thing the next morning together with Miranda, Sarah, Wes and Alex to bag the mighty Thiassi. Ultimately abandoned the Thiassi sortie less than 800 feet below the summit - more on that when the report comes out - but fortunately Wes and I did at least manage to get to the top of Wesley. If only there was a nearby peak named Sergio as well! Anywho, the next morning saw us closing-up the Pebble hut in preparation for the traverse over to North Creek. Just before departing, Wes and Alex endured some minor trauma finishing off a carton of almond milk within which one of the hut's resident mice drowned at some point during the night. Haven't laughed that hard in a while!
Same approach to the toe of Pebble Glacier we followed previously, then up onto the ice towards its head, exploring some amazing ice caves along the way. Enjoyed a long break at a large saddle below Mount Chadwick, with Wes and I exploring a nearby bump for some nice panoramic views before descending towards the headwaters of North Creek. The route is poorly marked here, and it is critical that one locates the flagged trail towards the bottom of the meadows before entering a steep forested area. The trail exits the trees not long thereafter, with peekaboo views towards the valley draining the Boomerang Glacier before traversing the rocky crest of a minor lateral moraine feature. The route gets somewhat bushy at this point, then crosses over to the east side of North Creek before all the various tributaries merge making it a raging torrent. After some boulder hopping and a short bit of easy trail, we finally found ourselves at the North Creek cable tram crossing. Took some effort and time pulling/pushing everyone across, but the North Creek Hut is conveniently located right on the opposite side, and we were soon relaxing enjoying snacks and warm beer we had flown in at the start of the trip. Curiously, unlike the Pebble Hut, there were hardly any mosquitos here. Odd, but most welcome!
Sugus was on the menu for the following day, and so with Ian in lead this time we set out via a well marked trail from the hut up along the creek draining the large basin immediately to our west. Easy glacier travel with fun scrambling on the final summit ridge made for an enjoyable day for all 8 of us split into two groups. The nearby forest fire out towards Mount Sampson we'd seen on the day we were climbing Pebble unfortunately wasn't put out completely and made for some rather smoky views. But anyway, 'twas yet another long(ish) day - 10 plus hours or so - before returning to the hut where it was finally my turn to prepare dinner. Buttered spaghetti with sliced Vienna sausage and diced onions in a creamy tomato soup (reduced) topped with parmesan cheese - I wasn't the only one pleased with the outcome! Polished off the rest of the beer for desert and off to sleep for our final night of the trip. My turn for breakfast the next morning, which I once again delivered with a giant pan of scrambled eggs with bacon bits (previously cooked), melted cheddar cheese, finely chopped green onions and some cheesy buns to boot. All of which kept just fine for 7 days without refrigeration I might add! Finished packing up one final time after breakfast and back over to the cable crossing for our morning arm workout. A somewhat long but relatively well-maintained trail continues south down North Creek Valley before a short but brutally steep grind up some 450 feet to intersect with an old forest road. Finally, a 3-kilometer-long plod back to where our cars were parked at the landing near Delilah Creek, and we were DONE! All that remained for us to do was to get back into Pemberton for some delicious burgers and cold beer at the infamous Mile One Eating House. Bon Appetit!
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