Mission abort at South Fork

bcrowell · Post by **bcrowell** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 6:30 pm

On Friday I went up to the South Fork trailhead with the goal of doing Charlton on the last day of clear weather before the next storm came in on Saturday. I didn't know what conditions would be like, so I brought microspikes, snowshoes, and crampons. There was snow all the way down to the trailhead (since this area is north-facing). However, there wasn't as much as I expected, given the news coverage that's been portraying the recent weather as a California stormpocalypse. By the time I got to South Fork Meadows, there was about 18".

Unfortunately, temps had been above freezing for a several days, and conditions were pretty wet and sloppy. Microspikes started balling too much, so I switched to snowshoes. They did work better, but as I started up the ridge toward Dollar Saddle, I started feeling uncomfortable about safety. That hillside is actually quite steep, about 30 degrees I think. I had my ax in my hands, but I wasn't confident that I wouldn't slip in those conditions, and I didn't want to be forced to try to self arrest to avoid getting seriously hurt. Turned around and headed back out.

Post by **Sean** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 6:42 am

Thanks for the report. Sounds like you made the right call. Did you take any photos?

bcrowell · Post by **bcrowell** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 7:28 am

Sean wrote: ↑Thanks for the report. Sounds like you made the right call. Did you take any photos?

No, I'm a cell phone refusenik.

Post by **Sean** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 7:45 am

bcrowell wrote: ↑ No, I'm a cell phone refusenik.

No camera neither?

bcrowell · Post by **bcrowell** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 8:09 am

Sean wrote: ↑
bcrowell wrote: ↑ No, I'm a cell phone refusenik.
No camera neither?

I don't want to carry extra crap.
I guess I'm out of step with the zeitgeist where it didn't happen unless it's on tiktok

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:27 am

Good call!

David R · Post by **David R** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 2:10 pm

I rarely take pics and everyone on here would always bitch at me for pics so now I take them just so people won't bitch at me, how messed up is that?

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 5:51 pm

You'll come around to taking pics bcrowell. Just like David R has.

Post by **tekewin** » Wed Jan 18, 2023 1:48 pm

bcrowell wrote: ↑On Friday I went up to the South Fork trailhead with the goal of doing Charlton on the last day of clear weather before the next storm came in on Saturday. I didn't know what conditions would be like, so I brought microspikes, snowshoes, and crampons. There was snow all the way down to the trailhead (since this area is north-facing). However, there wasn't as much as I expected, given the news coverage that's been portraying the recent weather as a California stormpocalypse. By the time I got to South Fork Meadows, there was about 18".

That was an ambitious attempt. If you made it to the saddle, were you going to go around and come over Little Charlton or go straight up the ridge?

I went up the ridge (in summer) and it seemed like 45 degrees in places. That would have been spicy.

Coming back safely is never the wrong call.

Edward · Post by **Edward** » Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:40 am

I have done the same. A few hundred feet below the top of the ridge, the wind started howling, and I knew it would be even worse above. It was Sunday and I was concerned about an approaching storm, forecasted to begin that evening. Also I had crampons but no snowshoes, and was concerned about breaking through the snow into water recrossing South Fork Meadows.

bcrowell · Post by **bcrowell** » Sat Jan 21, 2023 5:05 pm

tekewin wrote: ↑That was an ambitious attempt. If you made it to the saddle, were you going to go around and come over Little Charlton or go straight up the ridge?

I went up the ridge (in summer) and it seemed like 45 degrees in places. That would have been spicy.

I was planning on going from the junction up the ridge, which I've done before in winter, and it wasn't a big deal, at least in the conditions we had then. I don't think circling around to Little Charlton would have been any easier/safer, would have just substituted a longer traverse on the same kind of slope angle.
BTW, a fun descent route in snow is to start from the saddle between Charlton and Little Charlton and go down to the east. The initial drop-in is just a little steep.

With hindsight, I realized that the thing to do the most recent time would have been just to head up the Dollar Lake valley to the saddle. Much safer and less steep. There was no reason to follow the trail route.