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Report Type 
Mini
Peak(s)  Pikes Peak  -  14,109 feet
Date Posted  05/23/2014
Date Climbed   05/22/2014
Author  shearmodulus
 Y Couloir? Y not.   
Headed out on the 21st from the Barr Trail parking lot, intending to make the approach to the Bottomless Pit and camp as close as possible to the route. Due to work constraints, we left at 3:00 p.m. from the parking area and ascended via the Incline. Topped out on the incline in about an hour (1:02 with full overnight packs) just as the crazy microburst was coming over the mountain. The storm quickly blew over and left us with beautiful blue skies. Continued on to the Barr Camp, and made it in about 3:30 total moving time. Filled bottles and my 6-liter dromedary in case we couldn't camp reasonably close to a water source, and continued on.

The Barr trail was nice and dry (a major change from Wednesday the 14th after the Mother's Day Storm) so travel was easy until we turned off for the Bottomless Pit. The trail is a series of knee-deep post hole traps every 30 feet or so. Large snow banks still obscure a large part of the trail, but there isn't enough coverage to ski or any other useful means of travel.

After slogging through this mess for a bit, we decided to camp on the hill above the trail and call it a night. Stamped out a platform for the tent, cooked dinner and enjoyed watching the lightning over Colorado Springs.

Up at 4:00, moving by 5:00 we discovered we had a lot further to travel than we anticipated. Followed the contour around the scree fields above the trail and then finally entered the cirque at around 7:00. Got past the burned out car and entered the couloir proper around 8:00, and commenced the most heinous slog of recent memory.

Snow was knee deep or deeper in places. Travel was not easy or efficient. The later it got, the more it started to ball up on my crampons. My partner didn't use them, but I decided to give them a shot since there were a *few* areas of hard snow. Probably didn't really need them, but there it was.

Here's me topping out: http://youtu.be/3DqxD5PGXLs

All things considered, it was a good slog workout for Rainier next week. Next time, I think we'll start the approach earlier to make it in to the basin further. Good time, nonetheless.



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5 6


Comments or Questions
kman
User
Nice job
5/23/2014 2:50pm
Saw your post under the "couloir conditions" thread that you were heading up. I did it two weeks ago (before the Mother's Day storm), and was wondering what the conditions would be like after all the new snow. Guess it was a slog fest. Sounds like you didn't have to endure too much of the hail that pretty much tore up Colorado Springs on Wednesday afternoon as you started your hike up. Thanks for the report and good luck on Rainier!


shearmodulus
User
Hail
5/24/2014 1:34am
It was a brief (maybe 10 minute) downpour with high winds and lightning, but no hail where we were.

It might be easier going if you can get to the cirque and into the couloir before the sun comes up.


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