June 27, 2010

Red Baldy


Andrea and I on the summit of Red Baldy

Date: June 27, 2010
Distance: ~9 miles
Vertical: 4100 feet
Time: 5.5 hours
Peaks: Red Baldy (11,171 feet)
Route: White Pine Lake trail to base of NW slopes, Snow climb up NW face, descend part of N ridge to lower-angle snow, glissade back to White Pine Trail.
Crew: Andrea and Jake

After yesterday's adventure we wanted to get out for another climb, but Andrea had some restrictions: 1) Not too long of an approach (3-4 miles), 2) Snow climb almost all the way to the summit, 3) No sketchy downclimbing on loose rocks, and 4) Be home by 2pm. I had seen a nice climbing line on Red Baldy the day before from the top of Sunrise Peak that I felt would meet the bill, using the White Pine Lake approach.

We set off from the trailhead around 7:15am and made really great time up the great trail to the basin below Red & White Baldy. The line we scouted appeared to be in almost all the way to the top, so we donned crampons, pulled out the ice axes, and got climbing. The snow was surprisingly firm (it got a real good freeze the night before despite the hot temps in SLC) and steep towards the top. After a little over 1000' feet of snow climbing, we made the final scramble up the summit and we rewarded with amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the Great Salt Lake. The snow was still too firm to glissade the steep part of the climb, so we walked down the summer trail for a bit under we found a more mellow angle slope for the glissade. The hike out was quick and painless, and we were home well before 2pm. Mission accomplished!


Hiking up in the morning


About to start the snow climb


The couloir we climbed up


Andrea climbing


The Great Salt Lake in the distance


Mt. Timpagogos


Summit panoramic


Snickers time before the descent


Andrea with some of the mountains we climbed yesterday (all the way to the left) behind her


Andrea glissading


Glissading in shorts = not a great idea!


Our route went up the first obvious snow gully to the left


Heading back to the trailhead


Our route

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