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20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:47 pm
by Taco
Keeping it simple, as I'm low on those "creative juices" who's location evades me to this day.

Got to BBW around 1000. 3 cars there, mine included. Moved up to BBW, and put on crampons. Need to put on crampons as you exit vehicle, otherwise it's a waste of time.

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BBW

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Looking to Baldy

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Looking up BBW

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Nice shots of the ridge to the right of BBW (South)


Was nice going up, til' further up where rime ice was falling off the trees and flying down the intended route (Lightning Couloir 260M AI2), to the South Ridge of Thunder Mountain, so I got out of that couloir again, further down than last time. I have a prominent lump of bone in my right hand from where I was hit by rockfall on Baden Powell's East Face. Waiting a while longer will just help anyway, as there was lots of snow in the couloir, and the ice wasn't even real ice at the moment. Needs some time to do its thing. The ice that's now buried under snow was quite nice and strong, with some semi-consolidate snow in areas which wouldn't support crampons without kicking steps. There was a lot of thin, but strong, water ice on rock around BBW this morning.

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Steepening, where I turned back

From here, I just went to Miners Bowl again, and onto San Antonio Falls Road to the Notch. Spent some time enjoying the view and getting a sunburn at the Notch, talked to some folks (Pat who works there, and Steve I think, who was hiking). Need "business" cards for our forum here. Ate a mid-1990's MRE main course (Chilimac, my fav), and am now processing it with a strong odor. :lol: Typically, MRE's constipate you. I digress. Ate, booked it down, and am home.

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Overflow from the reservoir

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Check out all the snow!

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Looking up Thunder

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Baldy

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Taking a random ridge down from the road to Manker Flats, with the ski lift lot at center.

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Don't park here

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Looking up at BBW and Lightning Couloir


My goal this whole time (while waiting for snow/ice to harden) was to link up Lightning Couloir with Thunder's South Ridge, which looks really cool from SAF Road. The ridge looks like it gives quality traditional mixed climbing, and the couloir had some strong alpine ice/very hard snow up to maybe 50 degrees (I don't have a thingy... incinometer?). Thunder Mountain needs a real climbing route. Anyone who wants to go with, is welcome. Should be a short day climb. One axe, crampons and good stiff mountaineering boots, harness, maybe a couple pickets kinda deal. I carry rope, harness, one picket, slings etc, in case things go bad or are impassable, and one is forced to rappel. I like the added security this provides, even if the little extra weight slows one down a tad (not typically an issue climbing in a party in this area).

Blah.

So yeah, we got a lot of snow!

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:52 pm
by Sashimi
sweet pix thanks for the tr.

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:06 pm
by AW~
More awesome Baldy pictures...thanks!

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:58 pm
by Travis
Very nice! Let me know when you are heading out as I am eager to join you on one of your adventures. We are planning on going up the Bowl Sunday still, if conditions are good, you are welcome to join us.

By the way, what you are talking about for measuring the slope is an Inclinometer (also called clinometer). You can rig one up pretty easy yourself. Basically all you need is a protractor and place a weighted sring at the center. Align the long edge of the protractor with the slope and read off the angle.

this one has a sighting tube that is not necessary for what you want.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/math_explo ... clino.html

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:35 pm
by Taco
Sounds good, I might hafta go with ya guys! I was thinking of SA Ridge on Sunday as an option as well.

Not being a fan of football has its advantages.

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:23 pm
by Augie
With any luck, we'll be going up a real super Bowl tomorrow!

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:38 pm
by He219
Augie wrote:With any luck, we'll be going up a real super Bowl tomorrow!
Weather's predicting possibly a foot of new snow starting late night tonight.
Better bring some goggles.
;)

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:24 pm
by Taco
Yeah, "winter storm warning in effect from Sunday morning till Sunday night" for the San Gabriels.

So much for a day off, but hey, this is good stuff! Getting the mountains recharged quite a bit as of late!

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:31 pm
by justinjohnsen
Ah, those must've been your tracks I followed in Big Butch Wash last Saturday. Above the SAR crew practicing and the braver sledders, I spotted two sets of prints up to the bend.

Justin

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:03 pm
by Taco
If they were heading directly up, then confusing winding north, yup! :lol:

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:21 pm
by Augie
He219 wrote:
Augie wrote:With any luck, we'll be going up a real super Bowl tomorrow!
Weather's predicting possibly a foot of new snow starting late night tonight.
Better bring some goggles.
;)
I brought some dam expensive Oakley's and I still couldn't keep the ice off them on our descent.

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:46 pm
by Taco
Augie wrote:
He219 wrote:
Augie wrote:With any luck, we'll be going up a real super Bowl tomorrow!
Weather's predicting possibly a foot of new snow starting late night tonight.
Better bring some goggles.
;)
I brought some dam expensive Oakley's and I still couldn't keep the ice off them on our descent.
These are supposed to be the first goggles designed for Alpinism... I think...
http://www.mtntools.com/cat/alpineice/a ... oggles.htm

Might hafta get a pair myself, someday.

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:52 pm
by Travis
TacoDelRio wrote: These are supposed to be the first goggles designed for Alpinism... I think...
http://www.mtntools.com/cat/alpineice/a ... oggles.htm

Might hafta get a pair myself, someday.
Prior to this trip it never even crossed my mind that I would need goggles, duh! But after experiencing the pain of the blowing snow hitting my bare eyes and basically crying all the way down (tearing like crazy) I definitely think I need goggles for any trip where I could possibly experience blowing snow. Plus even with the overcast weather it was very bright with everything being so white. I was even nervous about snow blindness.

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:03 pm
by Taco
Snowboarding goggles should work, right?

Re: 20080131 BB Wash Again... no cigar... again...

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:41 pm
by He219
TacoDelRio wrote:Snowboarding goggles should work, right?
Yeah, but they're just the same as ski goggles with some minor styling differences.
It doesn't take something fancy, just the right vents and color for varying conditions.
The last storm brought quintessential wet pacific coast snow and even the best of goggles will have a difficult time with water freezing on the lens or water logged mesh vents freezing up and causing fog-up.

Sunglasses don't work well in driving rain or snow and freeze up even faster.
I have no idea how you survived bare-eyed Travis, that's just miserable.

Oh, always bring backup goggles in varying weather to counter fog-up and also to help somebody in need.
I learned that during similar conditions on Termas Chillan.