New York Basin/Pigeon Group

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Neil
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New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by Neil »

Has anyone here packed into New York Basin for ascents of Pigeon and Turret, as opposed to the standard route(s) from North Pigeon Creek or Ruby Lake? I've looked at the topo -- a pack up the Needle Creek Trail and a bushwhack into New York Basin seems to be an adventurous and seldom-used alternative. Based on an analysis of the map, an ascent of Eolus even looks feasible from here.

I would appreciate any info on ascending into New York Basin from the Needle Creek Trail or camping in New York Basin, whether or not you climbed peaks from this area. Thanks in advance!!!

Neil
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MtHurd
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by MtHurd »

I descended down into New York basin after a climb of Eolus a long time ago. So to answer your question, it's doable. However, I remember it being very nasty. Loose rock and a cliff band about a thousand feet below the summit (maybe 40 ft. tall). The cliff can be negotiated but it will take some routefinding and the rock is very loose (our route though went down further south so you may be able to avoid the cliffs altogether based on the topo map). I don't remember the bushwhack up into New York Basin being very difficult though. I didn't know any better as I climbed Eolus without a map or a book (dumb rookie). I ascended the South Ridge. :-) It's been a long time, but I am pretty sure you would be able to find camping in the basin.

Taking a wild guess, but you should be able to do Pigeon and Turret from there too.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by dsunwall »

I hiked up NY creek to climb peak 15. There is no trail beyond the campsite just off the Needle creek trail. I pretty much followed the creek and didn't find it real bad, although I'm fairly used to bushwhacking. I have heard from others that they preferred to go up higher on the west side but I have no comparison between that route and the creek. I believe all peaks in question here can be climbed from NY basin. No annoying goats and crowded campsites, I found it to be a great alternative to Chicago basin if you are ok with no trail. pack lite
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by DaveLanders »

We backpacked into New York Basin to climb Peak Fifteen. We used the high route instead of the creek bed. It was
difficult. There were bits and pieces of game trail and a few cairns. We camped in a meadow somewhere between
11,000' and 11,200'. It's certainly a spectacular place, but I have no desire to do that backpack again.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by sgladbach »

I've packed in there twice. Peak 15, Pigeon, Turret one trip; Peak 15 on the second trip. One time we moved camp over the Pig/Turr saddle into Ruby to continue our trip. The other time over the Peak 17 (little finger) /Eolus saddle into Ruby to continue the trip.

The backpack into New York Basin to the base of Pigeon/Turret is a tough off-trail route. As Dave Landers mentioned, it is better to stay high on the left side of the creek for the majority of the trip. Experience w/ bushwhack travel is good, because this is a tough bushwhack with a full pack. After getting off the train at 11AM or so, it will take most of the remaining day to get to a New York Basin camp (of course, you are probably asking because you know the trip into Ruby is no piece if cake either.)

As it gets closer, if you want to give me a call when we both have our maps out, i'll talk you through it. Send a PM.

BTW, I currently plan to go in there sometime during the 1st two weeks of August.
Last edited by sgladbach on Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by DaveLanders »

sgladbach wrote: ...
As Dave Landers mentioned, it is better to stay high on the right side of the creek for the majority of the trip.
...
At the risk of creating more confusion, we went up the LEFT side of the creek (the West side). We never crossed the creek.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by sgladbach »

Dave, that's exactly what I meant. Definitely the left side of the creek. I edited my post.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by Neil »

Thank you all so much for taking the time to provide such detailed responses. This is great information and I'm very excited to make this trip!

Barry -- I definitely dig that you went up and over Eolus without route info. That's the real deal and it must have been a blast to explore such wild territory without any expectations. I've had similar (although less remote) adventures; sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but they are always fun.

dsunwall -- Glad to know straight up the creek worked out for you. We will make sure to scout both routes (hillside and creek). Also, you nailed my motive right on the head -- avoid crowds and goats on an adventurous route with killer peaks. I'm still experimenting with lighter packing, but this trip is good motivation. How did you find Peak Fifteen -- worth bringing a rap rope? I am good on low class 5, but have heard about rap stations on 15 and may want the insurance policy.

DaveLanders -- Glad to know the high route works also. As noted, I'd like to take time to explore both. It's seems like such a virgin basin and it would be fun to spend a few days up there, especially after working so hard on the approach. Sounds like there are good camp sites? Also, did you have easy access to creek water that high in the basin? Any comments on Peak 15?

sgladbach -- I do have good experience with bushwhack travel and I'm now becoming convinced that traveling above the creek to the left is the way to go. Also, I do indeed know how rough that Ruby trip is! An all-day bushwhack into New York Basin will be a tough-sell to my climbing buddies, but such is life. I still think it sounds too good to miss! Thanks so much for your offer to talk me through the route -- I will definitely take you up on that and will PM you as the time gets closer. Let me know when you go in August. I am climbing the Emmons Glacier on Rainier the second week, but am free the first if you have room for company. As above, any comments/advice on Peak Fifteen?
"On the edge of the porch in the warm evening night
Throwing the bone for the dog I see two passing lights
Well, I wonder where that driver's bound
Is there someone, somewhere, someway out there that I've not found"
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by DaveLanders »

panicneil wrote:Thank you all so much for taking the time to provide such detailed responses. This is great information and I'm very excited to make this trip!
DaveLanders -- Glad to know the high route works also. As noted, I'd like to take time to explore both. It's seems like such a virgin basin and it would be fun to spend a few days up there, especially after working so hard on the approach. Sounds like there are good camp sites? Also, did you have easy access to creek water that high in the basin? Any comments on Peak 15?
We camped at about 11,200' in a meadow close to the creek. There was easy access to water. You probably have to go to
at least 11,000' before the terrain flattens out enough to find a good campsite.

Peak Fifteen was a great climb. We took a rope and a light rack. I thought the hardest climbing was actually in the approach
couloir to the Fifteen/Sixteen saddle. If it has rained recently, there will be wet rock. We set up short belays in a couple
of sections of the approach couloir. We did 3 short pitches on the upper part of the mountain. We did 3 rappels to get back
to the Fifteen/Sixteen saddle (with some scrambling in between rappels), and then did several rappels mixed in with
scrambling to get down the more difficult sections of the approach couloir. I'm sure that many people would do all of this
unroped; I wouldn't.
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Furthermore
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by Furthermore »

Peak 15 is an excellent climb. I would take a light rack and a rope; plus rapping down would be funner and probably safer than down-climbing. The one thing I would recommend with Peak 15 is to traverse at least 100-200 feet west from the Peak 15/16 saddle and NOT start heading up too early.

As for the Peak 15/16 colouir, you can avoid the crux by scrambling on some ledges to the west (left side) of the colouir.

To give you an idea on the climbing, here is a picture of my partner at the top of the first pitch (5.0-5.2)

Image
John Landers
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by John Landers »

I would not pack into New York basin to do Pigeon and Turret, I would use one of the other approaches. If you want to do Peak 15, then I would recommend the hard backpack into this beautiful basin. At that point you could then look at Pigeon and Turret as well. The pack into New York basin is one of the hardest backpacks I have done in Colorado. There are intermittent paths, going in the general idea is try to stay on top of the little rib left of the creek as mentioned in previous posts. The trick is to go high enough before traversing over to the basin. We followed information from a trip report and started the traverse 200 feet too low and it was one slow ugly bushwhack. On the descent we found a worn path which took us back to the top of the rib, but the descent was still difficult trying to find the best line down. The various faint paths kept taking us off the little rib and into crap. As my brother said, I am not sure I want to do that again, but it was a great trip.

Peak 15 was hard, but not as hard as I expected and the rock was generally better than I expected. It was a fun summit day. Take a rope primarily for rappelling and it is also useful in a few places on the way up. A small rack of mostly smaller cams and a few nuts should suffice. Bring some spare webbing for rappel anchors. While we camped around 11,000 to 11,200 in a meadow there may be a few better spots, which are a little flatter, further and higher into the basin. There was plently off water available. The coulior leading up between Peak 15 and 16 was dry when we were there in early September, this could be fun sometime in June with crampons. A final comment is this is very very remote, any help and rescue is a long ways and time away.
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Re: New York Basin/Pigeon Group

Post by georgebailey »

I am interested in hunting elk up in this basin. I am accustomed to bushwacking. Did you guys see many elk or much elk sign up that way?
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