Castle Peak Trip Report 08/04/2008

Peak(s):	Castle Peak - 14,274 feet Conundrum Peak - 14,037 feet
Date Posted:	08/04/2008
Date Climbed:	08/02/2008
Author:	emcee smith

Two weeks late, and 15 minutes early
Castle and Conundrum 08/02/08 Departure: 12,200' - 6:30 am Castle Summit - 8:00 am Conundrum Summit - 9:00 am Return to car - 10:00 am Pavement - 11:30 am Summary: You can see from the pictures, especially comparing them to trip reports made two weeks ago, that the snow is gone from the Castle/Conundrum saddle, and left a bit of a downclimb to get to the glissade. Also the pool was melted out and didn't show that clear blue color. If both of those interest or concern you, it may be best to wait for next year. The hike itself was challenging, but not as bad as I had feared. It seems that I may have been the hiker ahead of the one that fell through the crevass, perhaps by only 10 - 15 minutes. Road Conditions: I drove and parked my Tacoma at the mine site at 12,200'. The road was rough, narrow, and tricky in some places. I bottomed out a few times up and down. The creek crossing wasn't too bad, but I bottomed out there as well on the downhill bank. There were only a few pullouts above the Pearl Pass junction, I should have taken one of them but didn't. Once you leave the pull out just at tree line, you are committed to the 12,000' range before you could turn around. I don't think that the road was much worse above the junction than below, just fewer options to turn around and very narrow. Hike: View from the 12,000' parking area I left my parking spot right around 6:30, shortly behind a couple. The walk up to the uppermost parking area was uneventful. Getting up into the first basin, you can see the path off to the left traversing the snowfield, and the snow/rock climb to get into the upper basin. At this point, I recommend that you scout your descent route if on the snow, as when you are coming down, it is handy to know whether to go left or right to reach the chosen snowfield. Shot of the lower basin, taken on the descent. You can see some climbers in the narrow snow area about 2/3 up. Reaching the upper basin, the trail to the left and up the slope to the ridge is pretty much right at the top of the lower basin. Shot of the trail leading up to the left Looking across at the snowfield, the glissade descent, and traverse back. (note the required down climb) The trail up to the ridge wasn't that bad. It was loose, but I don't recall slipping back very much. Once you get above the initial steep switchbacks, the trail gradually traverses the slope up to the ridge, as shown in the following photo. Traverse up to ridge, Castle Peak on the right. Once on the ridge, showing some of the trail. I thought that the ridgeline wasn't too bad. In some places the trail was on loose rock, but didn't seem that there was much exposure. In the places where there was exposure, the rock seemed more solid. I didn't grab onto much rock on the way up. There is a point on the ridge where there seemed to be larger flatter areas as shown in the following picture. Flat area on ridge. From this point, there were two trails, one to the right and one to the left. I took the left one that seemed to stay closer to the ridge, and didn't find it to be too difficult. There were some hikers behind me that went right. Once they regained the ridge, I had put a bit more distance between us, so either they rested, or going to the right took longer. Looking back at the ridge. Hikers are below and left of the saddle. I came over the top on the ridge. Top of Castle, looking down into the upper basin. I didn't spend much time on the summit, and headed down toward the saddle. The route was pretty loose, but didn't seem to be much exposure right on the trail. I thought the crux of the traverse was the down climb through this spot. I should have gone around it to the left, but instead came straight down the middle. The block in the middle is probably about 4 feet tall and was challenging to come down face out. Below this, the trail continues down into the saddle and seemed pretty uneventful. Shot from partway down to the saddle Shot of most of the traverse, from partway up to Conundrum The hike up to Conundrum was pretty easy, the false summit, or the ridge before the final gap was very flat, fairly solid, and enjoyable. From Conundrum, looking north Looking back on Castle From Conundrum, looking back down on the road. Back down to the Castle / Conundrum saddle was uneventful, but the route down to the snowfield was steep, loose, and muddy. I mostly slid down on my feet. I would have rather had my poles than my axe, but I feared that if I slipped, I would slide down onto the snow and then would need the axe. I thought that it took some maneuvering to get into a comfortable glissade path, the main one was probably 2-3 feet deep and didn't look that safe, so I opted for one slightly to the left. Glissading down into the basin was largely uneventful. There are several rocks on the path to avoid. I stopped near where the traverse started and walked back around to the rocks. Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the potential crevass or wondering whether that circular gap continued around under my fee. Definitely a "there but for the grace of God go I". At this time it was about 9:15 - 9:30am, before the hiker fell through, I think that they may have been the pair immediately behind me. From the rocks, looking back on the traverse and the glissade path. One hiker at the bottom and one at the top of the glissade. Close up view of the small lake, from the rocks. The rest of the hike was uneventful (of course not knowing what was behind me). Glissading down the lower basin was smooth and easy. Didn't need the brakes too much. Down by the upper parking area, I got out of most of my wet clothes, took the helmet off, stowed the axe and walked back to the truck. Probably the combination of the rough road (up and down), sleeping alone at 12,000', the challenges of the hike, and the events that happened shortly after my traverse of the snow make this hike seem a bit surreal. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Two weeks late, and 15 minutes early

Castle and Conundrum
08/02/08

Departure: 12,200' - 6:30 am
Castle Summit - 8:00 am
Conundrum Summit - 9:00 am
Return to car - 10:00 am
Pavement - 11:30 am

Summary:

You can see from the pictures, especially comparing them to trip reports made two weeks ago, that the snow is gone from the Castle/Conundrum saddle, and left a bit of a downclimb to get to the glissade. Also the pool was melted out and didn't show that clear blue color. If both of those interest or concern you, it may be best to wait for next year. The hike itself was challenging, but not as bad as I had feared. It seems that I may have been the hiker ahead of the one that fell through the crevass, perhaps by only 10 - 15 minutes.

Road Conditions:

I drove and parked my Tacoma at the mine site at 12,200'. The road was rough, narrow, and tricky in some places. I bottomed out a few times up and down. The creek crossing wasn't too bad, but I bottomed out there as well on the downhill bank. There were only a few pullouts above the Pearl Pass junction, I should have taken one of them but didn't. Once you leave the pull out just at tree line, you are committed to the 12,000' range before you could turn around. I don't think that the road was much worse above the junction than below, just fewer options to turn around and very narrow.

Hike:

View from the 12,000' parking area

I left my parking spot right around 6:30, shortly behind a couple. The walk up to the uppermost parking area was uneventful. Getting up into the first basin, you can see the path off to the left traversing the snowfield, and the snow/rock climb to get into the upper basin. At this point, I recommend that you scout your descent route if on the snow, as when you are coming down, it is handy to know whether to go left or right to reach the chosen snowfield.

Shot of the lower basin, taken on the descent. You can see some climbers in the narrow snow area about 2/3 up.

Reaching the upper basin, the trail to the left and up the slope to the ridge is pretty much right at the top of the lower basin.

Shot of the trail leading up to the left

Looking across at the snowfield, the glissade descent, and traverse back. (note the required down climb)

The trail up to the ridge wasn't that bad. It was loose, but I don't recall slipping back very much. Once you get above the initial steep switchbacks, the trail gradually traverses the slope up to the ridge, as shown in the following photo.

Traverse up to ridge, Castle Peak on the right.

Once on the ridge, showing some of the trail.

I thought that the ridgeline wasn't too bad. In some places the trail was on loose rock, but didn't seem that there was much exposure. In the places where there was exposure, the rock seemed more solid. I didn't grab onto much rock on the way up.

There is a point on the ridge where there seemed to be larger flatter areas as shown in the following picture.

Flat area on ridge.

From this point, there were two trails, one to the right and one to the left. I took the left one that seemed to stay closer to the ridge, and didn't find it to be too difficult. There were some hikers behind me that went right. Once they regained the ridge, I had put a bit more distance between us, so either they rested, or going to the right took longer.

Looking back at the ridge. Hikers are below and left of the saddle. I came over the top on the ridge.

Top of Castle, looking down into the upper basin.

I didn't spend much time on the summit, and headed down toward the saddle. The route was pretty loose, but didn't seem to be much exposure right on the trail.

I thought the crux of the traverse was the down climb through this spot.

I should have gone around it to the left, but instead came straight down the middle. The block in the middle is probably about 4 feet tall and was challenging to come down face out.

Below this, the trail continues down into the saddle and seemed pretty uneventful.

Shot from partway down to the saddle

Shot of most of the traverse, from partway up to Conundrum

The hike up to Conundrum was pretty easy, the false summit, or the ridge before the final gap was very flat, fairly solid, and enjoyable.

From Conundrum, looking north

Looking back on Castle

From Conundrum, looking back down on the road.

Back down to the Castle / Conundrum saddle was uneventful, but the route down to the snowfield was steep, loose, and muddy. I mostly slid down on my feet. I would have rather had my poles than my axe, but I feared that if I slipped, I would slide down onto the snow and then would need the axe. I thought that it took some maneuvering to get into a comfortable glissade path, the main one was probably 2-3 feet deep and didn't look that safe, so I opted for one slightly to the left.

Glissading down into the basin was largely uneventful. There are several rocks on the path to avoid. I stopped near where the traverse started and walked back around to the rocks. Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the potential crevass or wondering whether that circular gap continued around under my fee. Definitely a "there but for the grace of God go I". At this time it was about 9:15 - 9:30am, before the hiker fell through, I think that they may have been the pair immediately behind me.

From the rocks, looking back on the traverse and the glissade path. One hiker at the bottom and one at the top of the glissade.

Close up view of the small lake, from the rocks.

The rest of the hike was uneventful (of course not knowing what was behind me). Glissading down the lower basin was smooth and easy. Didn't need the brakes too much. Down by the upper parking area, I got out of most of my wet clothes, took the helmet off, stowed the axe and walked back to the truck.

Probably the combination of the rough road (up and down), sleeping alone at 12,000', the challenges of the hike, and the events that happened shortly after my traverse of the snow make this hike seem a bit surreal.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

covfrrider	looks as if... 8/4/2008 8:48pm the Conundrum couloir might still be in for another week or 2... Nice Report!
emcee smith	Sorry 8/4/2008 9:05pm ...you have to look at my ugly face to get a read on snow conditions.
Mel McKinney	We must have missed you... 8/6/2008 5:23pm We climbed on Sat. too and somehow missed meeting you and seeing the crevasse fall. Glad you got out of that area without incident too. Very fun peak and a great report!

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