Thunder Pyramid Trip Report 06/14/2010

Peak(s):	"Thunder Pyramid" - 13,944 feet "Lightning Pyramid" - 13,729 feet
Date Posted:	06/14/2010
Modified:	07/24/2019
Date Climbed:	06/06/2010
Author:	Summit Lounger

Thunder Birthday
Add your trip report here... Climbers: Papillon (Kevin) wooderson (Sarah) sgladbach (Steve) Summit Lounger (Greg) Cooper (Steves Dog) We left the trailhead at Maroon Creek around 3:15am, hoping to get on the snow before it got too soft. We made are way up past Crater Lake, through the avalanche runouts, the bottom of the Bell Cord, and on to find a way across Maroon Cr. We kept following the creek until this great place to get across appeared Stayed up high between the trees and the cliff bands to gain the basin below the peak. Thunder Pyramid is directly above the snow gully with the large waterfall at its bottom on the left side of the picture. South Maroon in the background In the upper basin. We decided to ascend the south ridge from the top of the gully. Looking up to where it narrows. Kevin, Sarah, Steve, and Cooper climbing 7:56 a.m. Happy Birthday Steve The angle eases near the top But the snow was soft So, onto the rock And the sun at the top Someone is watching us Summit of "Lightning Pyramid" North and South Maroon Thunder Pyramid from Lightning Pyramid. We decided to try the snow gully up the center of the face. Cooper contemplating life in the mountains The snow was still firm enough to climb To avoid the cornice on the left and the steeper than usual snow below the col, we climbed up ledges and steps to gain the ridge. The snow was so steep up to the col, because it was all deposited by the wind. The begining of the slope now began 20 feet away from where the ground dropped away from the col. I'm glad we decided not to climb it in the warm conditions. One last step up to the ridge. Summit of "Thunder Pyramid" Looking up the descent route from Thunder We were able to glissade a good 1500 feet Then traversed over 2 gullies to find more snow to glissade the rest of the way to the upper basin Kevin descending down a gully that would not be much fun in dry conditions Walking out below the Bell Cord Crater lake was full Happy Birthday To displag)y your photos (uploaded below) in the final trip report, type the image number (i.e., 1, 2, 3), highlight it with your cursor, and click on the Image button on the right. Example: Image #1 (not yet uploaded) Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Thunder Birthday

Add your trip report here...
Climbers:

Papillon (Kevin)
wooderson (Sarah)
sgladbach (Steve)
Summit Lounger (Greg)
Cooper (Steves Dog)

We left the trailhead at Maroon Creek around 3:15am, hoping to get on the snow before it got too soft. We made are way up past Crater Lake, through the avalanche runouts, the bottom of the Bell Cord, and on to find a way across Maroon Cr.

We kept following the creek until this great place to get across appeared

Stayed up high between the trees and the cliff bands to gain the basin below the peak. Thunder Pyramid is directly above the snow gully with the large waterfall at its bottom on the left side of the picture.

South Maroon in the background

In the upper basin.

We decided to ascend the south ridge from the top of the gully.

Looking up to where it narrows.

Kevin, Sarah, Steve, and Cooper climbing

7:56 a.m. Happy Birthday Steve

The angle eases near the top

But the snow was soft

So, onto the rock

And the sun at the top

Someone is watching us

Summit of "Lightning Pyramid"

North and South Maroon

Thunder Pyramid from Lightning Pyramid. We decided to try the snow gully up the center of the face.

Cooper contemplating life in the mountains

The snow was still firm enough to climb

To avoid the cornice on the left and the steeper than usual snow below the col, we climbed up ledges and steps to gain the ridge.

The snow was so steep up to the col, because it was all deposited by the wind. The begining of the slope now began 20 feet away from where the ground dropped away from the col. I'm glad we decided not to climb it in the warm conditions.

One last step up to the ridge.

Summit of "Thunder Pyramid"

Looking up the descent route from Thunder

We were able to glissade a good 1500 feet

Then traversed over 2 gullies to find more snow to glissade the rest of the way to the upper basin

Kevin descending down a gully that would not be much fun in dry conditions

Walking out below the Bell Cord

Crater lake was full

Happy Birthday

To displag)y your photos (uploaded below) in the final trip report, type the image number (i.e., 1, 2, 3), highlight it with your cursor, and click on the Image button on the right. Example:

Image #1 (not uploaded yet) — Image #1 (not yet uploaded)

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Presto	I‘m wth del_sur ... 6/14/2010 6:24pm Maybe we should have done those in the spring. Hope you had a great birthday, Mr. Gladbach ... you were definitely in good company (Cooper included ... helluva dog you got there). Thanks for posting. Happy trails!
mtgirl	Cooper 6/14/2010 9:06pm Is Cooper glissading without an axe ?
Yog	Looks like the reverse 6/15/2010 2:26pm of the route we took on these peaks (we went Thunder to Lightning), except we only had snow in the White Couloir and so much of our traverse was ridge running. Way to get these and happy birthday Steve!
Papillon	”Alpine Perspective” 6/16/2010 12:55am Thanks for everything, Greg - planning, organizing, coaxing, and punching us through to the ridge. Truly a great day. Britt: The only extra weight I had at the time of that photo was what was in my pants after I saw what the traverse to Thunder would entail. But all kidding aside, things always look worse from a distance. Hence, the alpine perspective. Snow cover definitely assisted us. I tip my hat to anyone who has done these peaks dry. Happy Birthday, Steve.
lordhelmut	now thats how you climb Thunder 6/16/2010 6:18am in the snow. Don‘t have to deal with the handholds that you literally end up holding in your hand, hahahaha (sarcastic laughing). Good to see Thunder Pyramid getting the attention it deserves, that looks like a fun peak to ski, more snow up there than I thought. Hope you guys enjoyed some high alcohol content beers after that slog....
wooderson	Moral Support 6/18/2010 2:25am Summit Lounger, thanks for organizing this little foray... it was sort of a ”graduation climb” for Papillon and I, and the moral support provided by you and Mr. Gladbach was invaluable. (Happy B-day Steve!) And yes Helmet, the Modus did flow in the parking lot after the climb, with the tourists looking on disapprovingly (which is half the fun).
globreal	Steve said those are TOUGH peaks! 11/30/2010 5:28pm And that couloir on Thunder looked steep. Kevin, did you have too much weight in that pack? Wowser, that's one ugly posthole. Great job on 2 hard earned peaks! (Happy Birthday Steve...now you are as old as I am....for a week anyway.)
Matt	Well, that‘s Tip Top! 2/5/2011 12:22am Snow looks like the way to go on these peaks. Congrats to all, and Happy Birthday, Mr. Gladbach.

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