Snow Creek - Report 3/2/08

[Rick Kent]

Snow Creek - Mar 2, 2008

It's been awhile since I've posted any significant trip report anywhere. With one adventure after another every single weekend I just kind of got out of the habit.

Anyway ... after having spent 6 out of the past 8 weekends canyoneering in Death Valley (with several first descents) I was ready to get back to some mountaineering.

With my friends tied up working or doing other things I decided to head up Snow Creek. I figured the conditions would be about right and was looking for a good solo challenge. There aren't many other routes quite like Snow Creek in southern California.

I suppose I got exactly what I was looking for. During the final 1500 feet or so conditions went from straightforward to challenging due to unstable crust, ice, and some "interesting" moves.

The 10,000 feet of elevation gain was hardly noticeable. Ha!

The report is here:

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/3 ... -2008.html

Photos are here:

http://www.rickkent.net/ViewerPlus/view ... lderID=689

-Rick

[GigaMike]

Nice job Rick! That's some serious climbing

[AlanK]

Helluva trip report. More importantly, helluva trip! That one was truly an adventure, even on the Rick Kent scale.

[Rick Kent]

It was fun enough that I may do it again in a few weeks ... though not quite via the same path. Though it feels more exposed it's probably better to stick to the center of the chutes.

[halhiker]

Sounds like conditions were better than the last time I did it several years ago. The snow was very soft and we had to wade uphill in waist deep snow. Also, my partner put his hand on a rattler when coming up the trail and that didn't do his heart rate any good. I love Snow Creek.

Thanks for the report and the pictures.

[Rick M]

Last time I did it we had hard snow/ice all the way up (a good snow year in April) but my friend didn't think he could make it with full pack (we planned on sleeping at summit) so we cached the packs at 8500' and had to come all the way back down. First time I'd ever seen a rattlesnake three feet up in the brush we were crashing through besides the ones on the ground...besides the hazards of ice we had the rattlers as well.
ps I'm glad you brought the jacket

I needed to edit the post to say the last time I did this climb was in the 70s with permission from the water district since it is currently no longer permitted to go through the area.

[Cy Kaicener]

Great Pictures. How did you manage to take 172 pictures and still do it in such an incredibly fast time

[Hikin_Jim]

I think Rick puts White Gas in his drink bottles instead of water.

[MooseTracks]

Well, something has to power the jet packs on his... ummm... feet.

Congrats on a phenomenal return to the heights, Rick! Glad to see you emerge from the depths of the DV canyons and start looking up again. A great TR, as always (I have missed seeing your adventures!). I keep thinking about the hole you had to climb through, or I should say, how I would not have that option:



Hopefully you had some good brew to wash down that day!

-L

[robpollard]

What a fantastic set of pictures and trip report. Thanks for sharing them.

I was particularly taken with the picture of the Falls Creek waterfall. That is a very nice shot.

Impressive hike too.