Boott Spur Gully 4/02

[Suebiscuit]

OK, they've been clamoring for more info (but sorry, have to be brief)...

After splittling off from MEB, SleepingBear, Arm, Francis, Giggy and Woody (did I get everyone?) who headed into Huntington's, Frodo, Hamtero, Shizzmac and I went off to tuckerman's to climb Boot Spur gully. A mini bushwhack led us to the base of the gully, but noe without losing Shizzie along the way (he appeared later on having been partially devoured by spruce trap). Ever patient and generous Frodo set a rope so we could practice crevasse rescue on the first ice bulge. He deftly scrambled up. I, however, got myself flat against the ice, and had to rely on too much arm strength to pull myself up, soon discovering that I have the forearm/hand grip strength of a fish, so had to bail out. Hamtero and Shizzie made it up no problem...

Frodo plucked out the ice screws, and we set ourselves up for rope travel, skirting the first ice bulge, and eventually heading up nice grippy consolidated snow. After negotiating another ice bulge and some rocks, we made it to the last long stretch of sonw. Frodo set pickets so we could practice transferring the rope, etc.

As we approached the top of the gully, we became more exposed to the wind, and soon the real fun began. Screaming at about 80-100 mph, the wind made moving anywhere with grace near impossible, so we stumbled and rolled our way to the Boott Spur trail. I crabwlkaed my way down the icy trail for a bit, the rest held on to rocks as best as they could. Eventually, we made it to split rock, and soon after into the woods. My ears were ringing from the flapping of my jacket. Shizz had a problem with his knee, so negotiating the high winds and rocks were tricky for him, as was the rest of the rugged Boott Spur Trail (I contend it is at least twice as long as the sign says!) but we all made it back intact.

Thanks to Frodo for imparting his wisdom, and thanks to Hamtero and Shizz for fun and giggles.


Oh, here are just a few pics: here

 

[giggy]

nice report sue,

looks like you guys has more ice to contend with than we did. Fun day overall for both groups it sounds. Thanks to everyone esp woody and frodo for helping out with everything and passing on knowledge. for 12 people heading up together, sounds like it all worked out rather well.

 

[mtnmama]

Sweet!

Sue sure looks like you all had a great time!
Nice TR.

 

[DougPaul]

Sounds like you might have needed to rope up on the ridge more than on the ascent...

Doug

 

[bruno]

the hardest of the 'core! heroes all! hardmen and hardwomen!! great pics but we need more!!!

 

[sleeping bear]

I crabwlkaed my way down the icy trail for a bit

No photos of this??

Thanks for posting Suebiscuit, I was curious what you guys did.
Apparently others were too!

 

[arghman]

!

I remember looking up from Hermit Lake & seeing those intimidating-looking cliffs, is this the area you're talking about? (Tuckerman Ravine is out of view, off to the right)

 

[HAMTERO]

Space cowboy

Sounds like you might have needed to rope up on the ridge more than on the ascent...

Doug

Frodo did fly aways after he unroped.

 

[DougPaul]

!

I remember looking up from Hermit Lake & seeing those intimidating-looking cliffs, is this the area you're talking about? (Tuckerman Ravine is out of view, off to the right)

The gully heading up to the right is Hillman's Highway. A popular ski route.

A winter view from www.tuckerman.org:

I have snow-climbed up Hillman's Highway, turned left down the ridge a bit and descended down the snow slope (perhaps near Boot Spur Link) back to HoJos. Don't remember any gullies (the ones going up to the left in the photo), but I do remember going down in deep snow so they might have been filled it. There was certainly no ice, but there was probably more snow that year than this year. I might also have been to the left (in the photo) of the left gullies.

Doug

 

[Suebiscuit]

We were west of the Boott Spur link trail - I believe on the gully on the left of your pic, in the more prominent notch.

As Frodo said in his trail conditions post: diving weights would have been helpful up on the Boott Spur trail (something like that)... cuz the tiny ship was tossed... (all 4 ships acually!)

And Bruno (or should I call you "Sock Boy"?): I give and I give and I give, and yet you want more. So demanding...

 

[Jazzbo]

Great TR and nice pics

Thanks for the nice TR and great Pics. Thanks to Doug Paul for the link to Tuckerman.org.

 

[Frodo]

We climbed number 1 in this interactive picture, just scroll downBoot Spur Gully 1

Nice trip report and pics Suebiscuit! All I can add is that when we topped out, we suddenly stopped... I was being blown around like a tether ball (I was lead on the rope and 1st to hit the high winds, which were hitting us hard from behind.). I looked back at Suebiscuit who was 50 feet behind me to see why, and I noticed Shizzmac who was 100 feet behind me crouched over as the wind was ripping over his back. I screamed at the top of my lungs for him to keep moving, but the words that came out of my mouth were being blown towards the ocean...

In a desperate situation, I unroped (we were near the top and out of the steeps). All of a sudden I was pushed UP the last 100 feet and was rolled onto the ridge I layed there for a few minutes catching my breath, and as I looked back for the rest of the team, all I saw was small chunks of ice flying at me like tracer bullets (as they were heading over the ridge, the snow and ice they were breaking up with thier crampons became projectiles).

Soon they all reached me and we layed there on the Boot Spur Trail contemplating our next move, which was to get the F out of here! We then began the long crawl down, and when Shizzy tried to actually stand and walk, I witnessed a 200+ lb guy get flipped over by the wind Good thing Bumbles bounce!

Over all it was a fun day (except for the ridge).

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

The wider gully near the top of Boott Spur left of Hillman's is Dodge's Drop, named after Brooks Dodge, son of Joe Dodge, and is skiable in decent snow years. To the right of Hillman's is the Dutchess, which is skiable during really good snow years. Both are usually "no fall" ski runs because of their rocky run outs. A few of the narrower gullies on Boott Spur have also been skied during exceptional snow years, and obviously they are also "no fall" runs.

I was teaching an Edu-trip on the Summit over the weekend, where the MWO clocked some gusts over 100 mph early Sunday morning. We were still clocking 70+ mph gusts during the late morning, which certainly explains why Frodo and others had a difficult time standing upright.

We got a good look at the Great Gulf gullies from the upper Auto Road on our way down Sunday afternoon, and they look pretty decent for the moment, but probably will not last long when warm temperatures return. Most of the record-breaking October snowfalls stuck to the walls, with precious little windblown snow filling in the bottom of Tucks since, leaving thin run outs with lots of exposed rocks and brush about everywhere. The Little Headwall is already melted out, as are extensive stretches of the Sherbie.

Better get up there and ski it while you can!

Dr. D.

 

[TDawg]

Most of the record-breaking October snowfalls stuck to the walls, with precious little windblown snow filling in the bottom of Tucks since, leaving thin run outs with lots of exposed rocks and brush about everywhere. The Little Headwall is already melted out, as are extensive stretches of the Sherbie.

Better get up there and ski it while you can!

Dr. D.

This is bad news...I'm tryin to get up there soon, ohh well. I'll do it anyways.

 

[giggy]

yes - it was tad brezzy - wasn't it , while i don't think we had it quite as bad (we probably had 40-50mph with higher gusts) the frodo/shizz/sueb/ham group -topping out in huntington, it was still quite windy. we were able to sit and not be blown over - I took a spill in the garden (I am about 190 and it blew me right down and I took a nice slide! (on level ground, not in the gully)

we benefited from the cone somewhat sheltering us I think - where they were getting the full force of the wind over there - and anyone who has topped out on lion head on a windy day - knows how much worse it can be there, than even on the summit for whatever reason!