Mountain Loop Highway explorations July 29, 2001
I set off by myself to explore a valley in the Monte Cristo area, and hopefully to scout out a possible ski descent.
The weather was bad, what else can you do?
A dark misty day.
I left the trailhead and walked on the main trail for around 10 minutes, before finding the right spot to leave
the trail. To my suprise, there was a nice path for walking, despite what it said in the Beckey guide!
Soon however, the forest ended, and the path disappeared in a sea of slide alder and other meadow brush.
Mentally preparing myself, I dove in. Within fifteen feet of walking, I was thoroughly soaked by the wet brush.
I considered
bailing, but finally forced myself to push on (the berries were good), after putting my goretex jacket on. After another few minutes, I
switched into gore-tex pants. At least now, the soaking wasn't immediate... but water was slowly seeping in.
I wandered around on this zig zag old path for another 20 minutes, until it descended to the valley bottom, and
emerged on the open stream bed. Finally! I followed the rubbly stream bank. I took my soaking wet pants and lay
them on a rock to dry until I returned this way - hopeful that the sun would come out in force.
Heading up the valley. The waterfall was in the dark area on the right.
Ahead, I spied a large waterfall coming down a north-facing canyon. I went to check it out.
As close as I dared to get to the waterfall.
At the base (2800ft), there was a large pile of avalanched snow, with ice (snow) caves underneath. They made
it difficult to approach the waterfall, but I was able to climb down into them. Didn't want to go too far in the
unstable terrain though, as I was alone.
Looking out of the ice cave.
I then continued up the valley, where I had a choice to make. The stream split, with a branch heading left, and
rising more steeply than the main branch. I had thought Beckey said take the left branch, but I decided to try
the main. The going became rougher, the stream bed narrowed, and I was forced into the stream itself on several
occasions. Finally, cliffs bordered both sides.
Self portrait, wet and miserable Phil.
To continue, I backtracked a bit, and ascended a steep, rubbly,
dirty slope to forest above the stream. Great - more bushwhacking. It wasn't too bad actually, but the wetness
made it miserable. I pushed on slowly, and was encouraged when I saw what I thought was a cairn. Turned out not
to be though - at least I don't think so - any path I was followed faded to oblivion. Dense wet brush all around.
Time to go back. I took a GPS reading.
Welcome to Brushonia.
I retraced my steps back to the stream junction. Deciding it was still early, I tried the other branch. It quickly
became a cool narrow trench, with smooth wet slabs on one side, and steep moraine-y rubble on the other.
The second branch.
I followed
the bottom. However, the bottom eventually became dangerously unstable, and again, I had to backtrack and find a
way up the steep moraine-y bank. It was a little sketchy, and I had to follow the line of trees, using theirs limbs
as handholds, so I didn't slide down the loose rock into the stream, and subsequently be buried by it.
Phil wonders what to do next.
I forced myself through the trees, and was relieved to find an open talus slope leading gently much higher up. I
took another GPS reading, and was slightly suprised to find out I was only 500ft from where I took a previous reading
in the other branch. Heh heh. Guess I could had avoided a lot of terrain.
Me, and a large tree.
The talus led to some nice large trees on a subsidiary ridge. From here, I had fairly good views of the continuation.
I could see the peak I had come to explore, but it looked too tedious and wet to get to it today. I turned around.
Ouch! That's some sharp rock!
6000-ft Sperry Peak.
