Ontario Peak - 03/21/09 - 3rd Time = 3 Mountains

Yamaya · Post by **Yamaya** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:13 pm

Hello, all. First time posting here.

As the subject suggests, there are prologues.

01/10/09 Very windy day. I was just half mile away from Ontario Peak. Brief description what happened here. http://members.boardhost.com/sgva/msg/1231720451.html

02/21/09 Snow was so deep and took too long to get to the Saddle. Had leg cramp. After resting, attempted Bighorn, but the cramp came back and called it a day.

03/21/09 Didn't see snow until I got to the wilderness boundary. It saved time. Spirt is high.

Had an early start.

This sign was completely under the snow just a month ago. Did not need snowshoes.

East side from Bighorn Peak. I like to see clouds below me!

A familiear view. It looked so calm. Nothing reminds the bad accident.

Here I am at last!!! Mission comlete.

San Jac in distance. I snow camped on Valentine's Day. Brrr!

San Gorgonio

Had an eye on Sugarloaf Peak. Descended ridgeline bewteen Cherry Canyon and Falling Rock Canyon. There was an icey steep hill and I took off crampons and went to west side where there was no snow/ice. It wasn't very much helpful. Gravel and soil were so loose.

Ontario Peak from Sugarloaf.

This is where I descended (Sugarlaof).

Going down FRC was okay where there was snow. But once you come out of snow, it was rather difficult to hike. There are a couple of waterfalls - about 10 ft tall. There's no way around, but jump. With my tired legs after 3 peaks, and heavy pack, that was a last straw.

Now after more than 2 months, Ontario Peak is behind me. I needed to finish this before winter season ends.

calicokid · Post by **calicokid** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:47 am

Cool report.

Welcome to the board.

406 · Post by **406** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:50 am

nice first post! Looks like the snow is melting fast

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:47 am

yamaya,

thanks for posting your TR and sending the link to your first hike. good reminder for us all.

i did the hike in the reverse of you a couple weeks ago, going up FRC and coming down near the Icehouse saddle. really enjoyed it. i had to self arrest for real for the first time ever on that hike, twice. on the way down we wanted to glissade which meant hiking with our crampons off. a bit slippery in sections under the trees. twice i slipped and was thrilled to know that i really can self arrest. up until then i have only practiced it. sometimes i hike with one pole and my ice axe. i have never practiced a self arrest with that combo. now i'm thinking maybe i should...

climb on!

Yamaya · Post by **Yamaya** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:19 pm

Hi, Calikokid.
Thank you.

406
Yes, it's going fast. Find every excuses to hit the trail

norma r
I read your TR and actually I've been thinking about you & your friends all the time. I saw a faint trace most of times. Near Ontario Pk, I saw clear mark of ice axe.

Dave G · Post by **Dave G** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:57 pm

Nice pics, Yamaya. The Baldy accident was an unfortunate but common one. I was taught that the ice axe always has priority over crampons. There are lots of situations where you might deploy the axe and not crampons, but never vice-versa. If a slope is steep enough to require crampons, it also has the potential to kill you. BTW, there are some trekking pole grips that have a self-arrest "claw" built into them, such as the Grivel Condor, but I've never tried them.

Norma, if you fall when using a pole and an axe together, you just kiss that pole goodbye and get both hands on the axe (quickly)

.

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:17 pm

Your ice axe is supposed to be in your uphill hand, so you need to switch it from hand to hand as you make turns. I'm not sure how that would work out if you were also carrying a pole.

Typically, it is the ice axe that comes before the crampons but if it's a gentle snowfield that's a little slippery and you wear crampons so you won't fall on your butt then you really don't need an axe. I guess those running crampons would work good in those cases. There are grey areas.

Dave G · Post by **Dave G** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:04 pm

Hi Kathy, I use the pole/axe combo quite often myself if the angle isn't too extreme--it's nice having that extra stability. As you said, when traversing you need to be sure that the axe is on the uphill side.

As far as walking on low-angle hard snow and ice where crampons are overkill, I'm hearing positive things about Microspikes. Instep crampons have been around forever too, but in my opinion they're dangerous because once you lift your heel for any kind of a grade, you've got no traction and down you go.

Yamaya · Post by **Yamaya** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:08 pm

Hello Dave G,
I'd say I was fortunate to learn the lesson. This time, I went slow to make sure every steps were secure.

KathyW
Yes, I always do that. Whenever there is a potential of fall, I switch to ice axe if I'm wearing crampons. If flat trail with ice, I use trekking poles. BTW, I always enjoy your pictures.

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:24 pm

hi kathy!

i always switch my axe when my direction changes. SMI drilled that into me when i took their course a few years ago. i don't always use a pole with an axe, but i do sometimes if the slopes isn't too steep. on the steepest, just an axe and some serious concentration.

LD · Post by LD » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:34 pm

Welcome to the board Yamaya! Nice TR. I've always liked that lolipop,except for the rock part in FRC

I'm just a newbie on this board myself and I've found the folks here
super helpful.
Hang around here too much and you'll have to up your game for sure

On the waterfall you can usually go up a little bit on the east side and go around it. At least on the lower one.

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:04 pm

The pole and axe combo sounds nice, but I don't think I'm coordinated enough to switch both from hand to hand.

I guess it's really all about not falling if you can help it - whatever helps you avoid a fall is what you should do.

Knowing self-arrest is important so you can try to save yourself if you fall, but it's more important to do everything you can to prevent a fall. I've tumbled a few times in the mountains - it sure is scary when it happens. I've been lucky so far and my worst injury has been a sprained ankle.

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:31 pm

Those snow travel skills classes are really helpful. I took one a few years ago from Sierra Mountain Center (SMC) and it was very helpful and well worth the $120.

It seems there is some subjectivity involved in snow travel, such as when is the exact time to take off the crampons due to the softening snow, or should the axe leash be used. Sometimes you just have to go by your instincts as to what is best. I was instructed a couple of times not to use the ice axe leash because you don't want it attached to your wrist as that makes it difficult for you to switch the axe from one hand to another, but I have lost my axe a couple of times when it wasn't attached. I dropped it above Lake Helen last year on Shasta and it fell down the hill, but I was lucky that it didn't go too far and I just had to go down the hill a little ways to retrieve it. Then I took a fall on Conness Glacier last year and my axe was ripped out of my hand. It was lots of fun trying to arrest without the axe, but I did stop myself after falling about 300 feet. Now my axe will be attached to me somehow most of the time - just not to my wrist.

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:35 pm

one more post.

Yamaya - great reports and pictures!

They remind me that I need to get out in the snow while it's still there - I just haven't been out in it much this winter and I know I'm much weaker than I should be this time of year because of my lack of time spend in the snow.

Yamaya · Post by **Yamaya** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:16 pm

Hello, LD.

We actually met at IHC and arrived at the Saddle together. That was the day you hiked Ontario via Bighorn. And that was the day I had leg cramps. I read you nice TR on Ontario, Bighorn, and Cucamonga.

KathyW, norma r, and Dave G.

I also have one more thing to add. I wear helmet when I hike on hard ice - whether it is a hill or flat trail.

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:09 am

kathy,

regarding the leash... on the Baldy bowl one day i ran into a man that had his axe attached to him by a harness that went over his shoulders and around his chest. much like an animal harness. he made it himself out of webbing. i had not seen that technique before. your post made me think of it.

i have yet to drop my axe and do use a wrist leash. i get tired of changing the leash from wrist to wrist, but i like the security of having it attached to me. so far, so good.

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:03 am

Welcome to the board. Thanks for the TR and the pics. Looks like a beautiful area and I haven't been up that way. Looks like I need to head up there.

GigaMike · Post by **GigaMike** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:32 pm

Hi Yamaya, I met you below Icehouse saddle the day you had to turn around due to leg cramps. I also met LD that day between Bighorn and Ontario Peaks (small world!).

Thanks for the trip report and pictures.

-Mike

Yamaya · Post by **Yamaya** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:49 pm

Hello, EnFuego.

Thank you. I love your moonlight madness

hike. I love the portion that you came out a store, looked up the sky, text your buddy, a few hrs later you guys are rocking! Not many people can make a decision that fast!

Hi, GigaMike.

Surely I remember. I thought you don't... After went home I learned it was you. Hope to meet again on a trail.