Here is a little summary of my August trip to Glacier and Banff/Jasper.
There are larger versions of all the pics until the map (red/green).
Some are off topic – If it’s supposed to be Ice but hey – we’re starving for content here!
Pics till map taken with Canon 3.3 megapixels.
Others are low-res scans from a 35mm.
More to come…
Glacier National Park - Montana
A little scramble after the 41 hour drive from NJ to Glacier.
Looking down at our campsite.
From our campsite – I didn’t make the ridge – It gets pretty loose!
The river flows out of a rock! I’m told it freezes (of course it’s Montana)
But if you climb it (30-40’ up to the hole) shortly after it freezes you will
find a pool leading to the another set of falls that come from the river above.
Some flora from Glacier
Some fauna from Glacier
Backpacking in Glacier
Banff/Jasper
Athabasca on the left, Andromeda on the right.
My route up (red) and down (green) Athabasca 3491m
A “Freddy” alpine start (4:00am) – That’s my bud Howard (left) – He responded to my email
for a climbing partner the same day Andy emailed me.
There be some crevasses and snow bridges on the way! - about a hundred?
The slope up to what looks like the summit is the “Silverhorn”
Summit is actually about 500yds to the left.
I wish I had a close-up of the rigging – I read the Glacier travel book the night before.
1) Reinforce the backpack loop
2) Backpack over everything
3) Texas Pruski
4) 1/3 rope tied to the top of pack
5) I don’t remember them all (about a dozen more) but my bud has the book and it is
very well done – I recommend it. Email me if you want me to find out the name.
Up the Silverhorn (About as steep as N. Face on Gothics - Adirondacks)
Slope is approx. 40 degrees and 1,500’ high (Just like Gothics – but no trees)
Summit ridge – I’m told it’s a knife edge earlier in the year.
Summit – 8 hrs later
Summit shot.
Two days later I was planning to do Andromeda (just behind Athabasca) but something
I saw from the summit changed my mind. I wish I had a shot of it. During this lean snow year
there was a 300 foot scramble on the decent. The slope was about 45 degrees and very
crumbly. The continuing slope was approx 1500’ of 60 degree snow/ice. The bottom of the scree
was a narrow (3 foot) wide edge leading to a 1000’ 50 degree snow slope that we would down climb.
Anyway, I didn’t do it.
However, When we got back to the car it would not start so while I walked around the campsite looking
for a jump I found a Superstar to go with Howard. This guy (Chris) has done the Standard Route with
another guy (that’s up and down the green on my pic above) It took them 8 hours total. The next morning
Chis soloed the North Face (the steep snow slope to the left of the Silverhorn leading to the rock band)
Mixed Grade III/5.4 – It took him 6.5 hours total!
The next day (lets review – he does the Standard Route Sat. (4:00am start) Solo-N. Face Sun. (2:00am start)
then does Andromeda Mon. (2:30am start) with Howard. It took them 17.5 hours.
Andromeda and Athabasca are 5000’ elevation gain/loss.
I have Howard’s pics from Andromeda – But he’s not a fat boy.
Fred aka Waterfallfred