Wednesday, December 11, 2013

McClellan Butte 2013-12-11

10.76 miles and 3,748 feet of elevation gain.

The snow chutes were very icing and required microspikes.  Not much snow until we got on the other side of the mountain.  The last leg, to the base of the summit block, was very slippery even with microspikes.  There was a couple of inches of snow on top of a layer of ice.  The snow had not bonded to the ice and was deep enough to prevent the microspikes from grabbing the ice.   Even the dogs had traction problems.




 "Blobcicles" formed by freezing rain on a small twig.  This one was about two inches high.


The snow chutes are more ice than snow.  




Mt Rainier


The "other side" of the mountain.

Start of the really slippery part.



 The final 100 foot scramble to the summit.  This is a YDS class 3-4 scramble that we have never done.



 We had great company today.



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