How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

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rmayer
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by rmayer »

Old Fall River Road is open now.

http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm

I plan on hiking up there on Friday. I'll post some pictures if all goes well.

Randy
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JimR
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by JimR »

Some photos from October, 2011, are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/JimRanda/M ... DwtPD2vQE#
I doubt that it's changed much since then. If it's a clear day, you'd have to really try in order to get seriously lost.
I have more age than experience, more experience than knowledge, and more knowledge than wisdom.
Yet somehow I usually make it back to the car safely; and oftentimes, so do the people that I'm with.
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Dark Helmet
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by Dark Helmet »

Thanks Jim!!!!

the topo screen-shot is actually very helpful... I'm so used to hiking below treeline i may be over-thinking this a bit...
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by krishcane »

I just climbed Chiquita and Ypsilon today. I'm going to create a route for them on 13ers.com in the next few days, which will have directions and photos a-plenty.

But in the meanwhile, yeah, the trail is clear to get you to the Chiquita-Ypsilon saddle. After that it's vague because it's just shifting talus, but just keep going up. Unless there was terrible visibility, it's easy to see what's going on as you ascend. The east face of Ypsilon is a huge cliff, so you can just keep that on your right and follow it right up to the summit wind shelters.

It was 4.5 miles from the car at Chapin Pass TH to the summit of Ypsilon (via Chiquita on the way, skirting Chapin). So that's 9 miles RT, with about 3000 feet of vertical gain in the route. Four hours car to car strikes me as aggressive and not leaving you much time for sightseeing, but possible depending on conditioning.
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by Dark Helmet »

krishcane wrote:I just climbed Chiquita and Ypsilon today. I'm going to create a route for them on 13ers.com in the next few days, which will have directions and photos a-plenty.

But in the meanwhile, yeah, the trail is clear to get you to the Chiquita-Ypsilon saddle. After that it's vague because it's just shifting talus, but just keep going up. Unless there was terrible visibility, it's easy to see what's going on as you ascend. The east face of Ypsilon is a huge cliff, so you can just keep that on your right and follow it right up to the summit wind shelters.

It was 4.5 miles from the car at Chapin Pass TH to the summit of Ypsilon (via Chiquita on the way, skirting Chapin). So that's 9 miles RT, with about 3000 feet of vertical gain in the route. Four hours car to car strikes me as aggressive and not leaving you much time for sightseeing, but possible depending on conditioning.

I don't really do lot of sightseeing when I hike... its sad, but kinda true. I stop at the top for 10-15mins and then haul-arse down. I usually average 1.5-2mph on the way up and then about 3mph on the way down. I ran a 1:46 Half-M last October and I'm at least 5mins faster than that now... goal for my next one is 1:35.... soooo yeah, pacing isn't really a problem. I made it down from Chasm lake with a 7-year-old in less than 2hrs...
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by mtnview »

http://www.truedino.com/ypsilonmtn.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My pics might be helpful. Fairly easy route to navigate. I would be more concerned with thunder clouds coming in quickly from the west. Keep an eye on any approaching cloud formations.

From Ypsilon I has to do a quick lower traverse around Chiquita (needed to lose altitude) based on the clouds I saw coming in from the west.

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Allan A
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by krishcane »

Great pics, Allan.

Here's the 13ers.com entry I just finished:

http://www.13ers.com/routemain.php?rout ... 2200016208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

--Kevin
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by Dark Helmet »

krishcane wrote:Great pics, Allan.

Here's the 13ers.com entry I just finished:

http://www.13ers.com/routemain.php?rout ... 2200016208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

--Kevin

great write-up... for a noob-ish guy, where on the trail does daylight become necessary for route-finding?
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Re: How well-defined is the trail to Ypsilon? (Chapin Creek)

Post by krishcane »

Under a full moon on a clear night, you could go all the way to the Ypsilon summit no problem.

If you're talking pitch darkness with a headlamp, it would get a little confusing around 13,000 feet on Mt. Chiquita, 2.5 miles from the trailhead. That's where the trail gets indistinct among the rocks and navigation is done by topography.

Note, however, that you can download my GPS track from the route and just follow that. Just remember that my GPS track went all the way to Fairchild and back, so you'd want to turn back after Ypsilon's summit if Fairchild isn't part of the plan.

The route is Class 2 to Ypsilon's summit.
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