Mid-Summer Climbing

The plan was to spend a week in the Selkirks, a week in the Bugaboos, and a week in the Canadian Rockies. For a variety of reasons, some of which will be explained below, that did not happen.

Bear Mountain.

Weather looked bad for the Selkirks so we bailed on that trip and decided to try for Bear Mountain and then spend the rest of the week in Squamish. The approach is a notoriously bad bushwhack.

Before the border there is a trail. 

After it there is not. 

The border. 

My hands after I got a yellowjacket sting on my right thumb, needless to say, rock climbing was out of the question. Two days later Ryan got injured from rockfall in Squamish and we went home. The swelling took most of the week to go down.

Independence Peak

This one was Adam's idea, Josh and Michael Lewis also joined. It was supposed to be 4th class, we ended up on some unprotectable 5.5. Summit ridge was awesome.

Route follows the right skyline, roughly.

We rappelled into that chimney, we think the 4th class route went on the buttress to the left, our route went up the buttress to the right.

Robin Lakes - Granite and Trico

After spending three days cragging in Leavenworth and Index, I went backpacking.

My tent is visible in the very middle. 

Trico Peak. 

On the summit of Granite Peak 

Two subsummits of Granite that I visited with Mount Daniel in the background. 

There was a forest fire in the next valley.

Enchantments

Ryan's friend Dan was looking to fill out an Enchantments permit so I joined him and his friend Greg for a couple climbs in the Stuart Range.

Creek Crossing at the beginning of the Mountaineer's Creek approach. 

Stuart and Sherpa, with the Sherpa glacier, our route, on the left. 

Dan and Greg filtering water. 

 

 Just barely possible.

Steep neve. 

Above the mixed step, just before things got scary. 

About 18 hours later... we arrive at Goat Pass and begin our descent back to Mountaineer's Creek.

Stuart Glacier. 

Ice Cliff Glacier. 

Mid-afternoon, descending Mountaineer's Creek, we were all pretty exhausted by this point. 

Several days later, climbing up to Prusik Pass. 

The Temple massif, from Prusik Peak. 

Dan on the summit of Prusik Peak. 

And then it was over, and I went home and back to work, and had a long hard think about mercy.

A more in-depth trip report, including some additional photos, will be on Summitpost at some point.