Viewseeker
New member
Giant/Rocky Peak Ridge
Feburary 7th, 2009
As most of my hikes, this one starts out the same. Meeting my friend adirobdack46r at his house for dinner, conversation and hanging with his family. 10
opm comes and off to bed for early 2:15am wake-up call. On the road at 3am for the ride north. Arriving at the TH at 6:30am we look for others who maybe meeting us for todays adventure. Nobody there but soon after Jay H. arrives. It was a pleasure to meet him. He is looking for his friend too. As he waits we gear up. Since he didn’t show Jay H. decides to explore something else. We say our goodbyes and the two of us are off. Other groups have arrived and signed in before us. This is my second time to Giant, first to RPR. The climb resurrected flashbacks from last time I was here. Remembering the switchbacks, which look abit different with the snow in place. The trail was well broken and only a few Ice spots which you can get by. The memory of the steepness also invades my mind….over and over..climb, climb, climb….Arriving at the Y we choose RPR first. This being my first yr. winter climbing, I’ve heard the term buttslide before though. Last hike I got some buttsliding in from Colvin. Well going down RPR I got much more buttsliding in. Decending 900Ft. really helps. The climb back up RPR was not as bad as it looked. The group that signed in just before us where coming down and said, “your almost there”.. Well everyone knows this language injects insulin directly into your veins. A quick look at GPS says .3 of a mile. Well .3 can be the longest or it can be the shortest..Its was the shortest this time… Before we knew it we emerged from the tree cover to see it in our face. Robert ahead of me I take a few pics of the peak and find him tucked in behind the Huge cairin that marks the top. Now we had seen this black cloud moving in from the south for awhile during the climb as it was clear until now. The winds picked up and where about 40mph I’d say..But on RPR we had a view…Over on Giant it was socked in and you could see like snow,ice,rain or something being blown thru in the wind near top. After few pics we decend out of the wind and quick step to the bottom of the col to break before the 900ft ascent. This portion kicked my butt.. My legs where jello by the time I hit the Y again. But I made it!!!!! We talk with two guys resting at the Y which are headed to Giant and went beyond as we arrivied there. From the last bush/tree before stepping into the rocky summit of Giant again was like two opposite worlds… Cloudy and it went from dead still to seemed like 60mph winds.much stronger than on RPR. Robert said it took his breath away if you tried to talk into the winds. Of coarse a few pics even in the wind and we step back out of wind. WOW!!! Those winds moved me right out of my boots a few times they where so strong. On the decent we told people to button up. At this point I hade thought ok I have done some buttsliding…well let me tell you…From here we slide quite abit more.. It was like on a roller coaster..screaming YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOO on some rides as they seem to last 100ft on a few. Near the bottom we ran into I think was daughter/Father who saw us buttslide infront of them and sad” OH..thats how you get down”…. This ranks right up there with the most fun had on and outing. Sign out 7:00am – 3:00pm, not bad …As we pull out the clouds are darkening and rain begins to fall on the windshield, perfect timing…perfect day with temps warmer than normal. Forgot to mention the snow sticking to our shoes and poles on the way down as it was clumpy from the temps. The parking area was full, many people on these peaks today.
Feburary 7th, 2009
As most of my hikes, this one starts out the same. Meeting my friend adirobdack46r at his house for dinner, conversation and hanging with his family. 10
opm comes and off to bed for early 2:15am wake-up call. On the road at 3am for the ride north. Arriving at the TH at 6:30am we look for others who maybe meeting us for todays adventure. Nobody there but soon after Jay H. arrives. It was a pleasure to meet him. He is looking for his friend too. As he waits we gear up. Since he didn’t show Jay H. decides to explore something else. We say our goodbyes and the two of us are off. Other groups have arrived and signed in before us. This is my second time to Giant, first to RPR. The climb resurrected flashbacks from last time I was here. Remembering the switchbacks, which look abit different with the snow in place. The trail was well broken and only a few Ice spots which you can get by. The memory of the steepness also invades my mind….over and over..climb, climb, climb….Arriving at the Y we choose RPR first. This being my first yr. winter climbing, I’ve heard the term buttslide before though. Last hike I got some buttsliding in from Colvin. Well going down RPR I got much more buttsliding in. Decending 900Ft. really helps. The climb back up RPR was not as bad as it looked. The group that signed in just before us where coming down and said, “your almost there”.. Well everyone knows this language injects insulin directly into your veins. A quick look at GPS says .3 of a mile. Well .3 can be the longest or it can be the shortest..Its was the shortest this time… Before we knew it we emerged from the tree cover to see it in our face. Robert ahead of me I take a few pics of the peak and find him tucked in behind the Huge cairin that marks the top. Now we had seen this black cloud moving in from the south for awhile during the climb as it was clear until now. The winds picked up and where about 40mph I’d say..But on RPR we had a view…Over on Giant it was socked in and you could see like snow,ice,rain or something being blown thru in the wind near top. After few pics we decend out of the wind and quick step to the bottom of the col to break before the 900ft ascent. This portion kicked my butt.. My legs where jello by the time I hit the Y again. But I made it!!!!! We talk with two guys resting at the Y which are headed to Giant and went beyond as we arrivied there. From the last bush/tree before stepping into the rocky summit of Giant again was like two opposite worlds… Cloudy and it went from dead still to seemed like 60mph winds.much stronger than on RPR. Robert said it took his breath away if you tried to talk into the winds. Of coarse a few pics even in the wind and we step back out of wind. WOW!!! Those winds moved me right out of my boots a few times they where so strong. On the decent we told people to button up. At this point I hade thought ok I have done some buttsliding…well let me tell you…From here we slide quite abit more.. It was like on a roller coaster..screaming YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOO on some rides as they seem to last 100ft on a few. Near the bottom we ran into I think was daughter/Father who saw us buttslide infront of them and sad” OH..thats how you get down”…. This ranks right up there with the most fun had on and outing. Sign out 7:00am – 3:00pm, not bad …As we pull out the clouds are darkening and rain begins to fall on the windshield, perfect timing…perfect day with temps warmer than normal. Forgot to mention the snow sticking to our shoes and poles on the way down as it was clumpy from the temps. The parking area was full, many people on these peaks today.
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