Falls Creek Recon

[lilbitmo]

Guys, what about just taking sleeping pills or just buying a gun? I mean, really, if you're trying to kill yourselves, there's got to be an easier way. You guys are freakin' hard core. HJ

LOL HJ!! don't you get it? pills or a gun are too quick! they (we) prefer a slow tortuous demise! much more fun.

Sunday night thru Monday night the gun or pills were sounding very reasonable Tuesday morning I was shopping online for both today I'm looking at another way to complete that adventure - just goes to prove that some of us are "Just Not Right"

This outing is right up there with the Cirque/Langley day trip and then drove all the way home - this one I had more scratches but both took two days before I could walk normal again

[bluerail]

theres so much fun to be had on that hill.

it is fun, right ?

[Hikin_Jim]

theres so much fun to be had on that hill.

it is fun, right ?

Beyond hope.

HJ

[tinaballina]

Sam, you were laying down on that rock and all i could think of were flash backs from last year of ants, lots and lots of ants.

[zippetydude]

zippetydude: are you referring to routes up the (ahem) East Branch of the West Fork of Snow Creek -- that is, the drainage that leads up to the impressive network of couloirs on the northwest side of Folly Peak?

Yes, exactly. I'm picturing going straight up the mountain, heading southwest, from the road to the west of Snow Creek. (I've done this route before, and there's just grass and minor brush, no real issues.) We'd cross the big switchback on the PCT once, then when we hit it as it comes back east at about 2600', we'd follow it around the mountain til we hit the nob at 3252'. From there, we'd dip down slightly to cross the West Fork, then follow the ridge line SSW from there, hitting the PCT again just before Castle Rocks. We'd follow that section of the PCT until about 8800' elevation, then when the trail heads off to the SW, we'd again leave the trail and follow true south, up the ridge line to Folly.

Of course, following the drainage is also an option, but the deeper in the drainage, the more brush in my experience.

Probably be easier before the snow melts off.

z

[halhiker]

Just when I thought the forum was getting a little staid.

Nice.

You know what I hate about bushwhacking in those canyons on the North side of the mountain? All the leaves fall off the poison oak so you don't know to avoid it.

[Perry]

Well I wasn't expecting this. As Hal mentioned, this is different and also a topic that brings back memories.

That's probably good that you guys turned around. That left chute that looks easy on a map actually has a short steep rocky section that appears technical from the fork. That was our original plan, but it looked like a cliff from several hundred feet away, and we were running out of daylight to investigate. That's why we took a steeper chute that we had no business doing with just a single ice axe and regular crampons (the middle one with the rock faces on each side and a steep sliver of snow to the right of a large boulder). You definitely want to bring 2 ice axes and crampons with long points, possibly rigid or semi-rigid. This is assuming there's consolidation. With fresh snow or melting afternoon slush, it would be very risky if not impossible to do the middle or right chutes. There may be an alternative to the little cliff and the very steep chutes: you can do some very steep bushwhacking...

[bluerail]

good to see you pop your head in the door buddy....hiked with Eric on tuesday.

[Hikin_Jim]

Well I wasn't expecting this. As Hal mentioned, this is different and also a topic that brings back memories.

That's probably good that you guys turned around. That left chute that looks easy on a map actually has a short steep rocky section that appears technical from the fork. That was our original plan, but it looked like a cliff from several hundred feet away, and we were running out of daylight to investigate. That's why we took a steeper chute that we had no business doing with just a single ice axe and regular crampons (the middle one with the rock faces on each side and a steep sliver of snow to the right of a large boulder). You definitely want to bring 2 ice axes and crampons with long points, possibly rigid or semi-rigid. This is assuming there's consolidation. With fresh snow or melting afternoon slush, it would be very risky if not impossible to do the middle or right chutes. There may be an alternative to the little cliff and the very steep chutes: you can do some very steep bushwhacking...

Congratulations, married man.

HJ

[Perry]

Thanks Jim. I'm also a busy working man. I've de-activated my Facebook a couple times to focus on other things right now. Gradually getting back into the outdoors again...