Trypyramids – May 14, 2005

[sapblatt]

VFTT day at the Livermore Road parking area as Eric (Tuco), Ross (Double Bow), Rols and me were getting our packs set up for the Trypyramids. Rols was heading out on his own a little after we started.

After some final discussion we decided to stick to my original route of Livermore Trail to Scaur Ridge Trail to Pine Bend to Mount Trypyramid Trail and back out via the South Slide. We promptly began the hike at 7:00am. The Livermore Trail is a very nice and leisurely way to begin and end a 12-mile hike. Very easy grades that would almost remind you of a city park for nearly three miles (we would be very glad to see these same grades again about nine hours later! The cascades were flowing pretty heavily and we noticed some early season flowers including quite a few Trillum. Also heard a Pileated Woodpecker in this stretch (they are so elusive…I think I see one about once in every twenty times that I hear one.)

After the Livermore Trail switches back to the left we soon came upon the Scaur Ridge Trail. The grades increased a bit on this trail and the views to the North Slide were both daunting and impressive. The especially convinced us that we made the right choice in heading this way and not up the slide. As we neared the end of this trail we soon noticed that the North Slide was not a rock wall, but it actually had some less of a degree of incline than appeared from the straight on views. The final 200 yards of the trail started the first real patches of snow we had seen all day.

The entire 1.2 miles of the Pine Bend Brook Trail were completely covered in about two feet of packed snow with some patches of ice. My standard issue “one accident per trip” happened in this section where I was trying to find a snow route around an ice patch and managed to slip onto my fronts side and slide back about 15 feet before stopping. Because I had ditched my shell and was wearing a coolmax t-shirt I managed to get a pretty rough looking bunch of gashes and scrapes on the inside of my left bicep. I patched it up and somehow it did not hurt. Rols passed us in this area and offered to let us borrow some of his extra traction devices…why I did not do accept his generous offer will remain a mystery to me.

After struggling up the rest of this section we made it to the top of North Trypyramid at about 11:20 – right on book time. This is the last time we would be able to say this all day! After a snack, drink and chat with Rols we headed out for the Middle and South peaks. This is where it gets interesting.

Due to the patchy snow on the trail the three of us were pretty much keeping our heads down and were rarely looking up as we headed south. I was in the lead so I will take the blame for this ridiculous error even though Tuco and Double Bow said it was all of our faults. Anyways, with our heads slung down low we inadvertently headed down the Sabbaday Brook Trail after none of us noticed the faded trail sign. The silver lining to this debacle was that after about 30-40 minutes of this nightmarish, icy snow-covered trail I said that I thought there was a pretty good chance we were on the wrong trail because we had traveled to far from North Trypyramid and descended to far down. The three of us looked at the altimeter Double Bow brought, the map and the compass and we concurred that we should head back up and keep our heads up! At last…we found the sign! I thought it was pretty cool that we all stayed cool at this time and thought it out and came to what proved to be a logical conclusion.

From there we were able to make it over the two other peaks without two much trouble and then we hit the South Slide. The only problem here was we saw rain showers off to the west and we all thought it would be really good to not have to descend the slide in the rain. We moved down as quickly and as safely as possible and made it to the leveled out section pretty quickly. There was no rain!

The final 3-4 miles were a nice relaxed woodlands walk back to the Livermore parking area and we got back to our cars at about 5:45 which made for a nearly eleven hour hike. I would guess that the navigational error cost us between 1 ½ and two hours. A very long day but a great time with some new hiking partners!

Oh yeah…I almost forgot…this was numbers 21 and 22 for me. Not sure how many for Tuco and Double Bow I believe only has about 13 to go.

It is a long story…but we have no pictures.

 

[SteveHiker]

So, the Fool Killer almost claimed some more victims.

 

[chinooktrail]

Hey, Don't beat yourself up for missing a sign, we have ALL done that. The good thing is that you figured it out and got back on track before popping out on the Kank! Sounds like we had the same hike, but on different mountains. You shouldn't worry about doing Zealand, you need to give yourself more credit. Ranger Rick and I did 13.4 miles in 9 1/2 hours. We had a little lunch break and spent a little time looking for a better place to cross the river, (until I just did a leap of faith. ), and two snack breaks at the Hut, up and down. So, your pace is just relative I think, and changes with your hiking partners. Our hiking pace picked up quite a bit toward the end, as we were quickly loosing daylight, we got back to my car at 8:14. I am thinking of Kinsmans, Cannon or Waumbek for next weekend if you still need any of those and are interested. 22 to go

 

[Sherpa John]

I wish I had ONE accident per trip.

 

[Tuco]

Ditto all that Mike said. Really was a challenge in certain spots with us barebooting and large patches of ice and tough grades.

I admit to never even looking up to look for the sign, after Mike took his spill I was even more determined to make every foot plant the best available and didn't look up. Thanks to Mike for figuring out we were on Sabbaday- the extra ground we covered was intense enough with the ice without doing more.

Really good time, lots of laughs, more great people from VFTT, and the most prepared person there is ROLS!- No pictures screw up was mine - didn't pay attention when charging the batteries.

 

[Double Bow]

I was very happy that the weather held for us and it was really great to hike with some new partners (nothing against people I've hiked with before). The snow and ice on the last pitch before reaching the North Tri summit and our little "side trip" were really the most difficult parts and where we lost time. Other than that, it wasn't too bad and I think we did pretty well. I imagine that if we had stayed on track and the trail was clear of the ice and snow, we would have easily beaten book time. Guys, it was a blast! We'll have to hike together again sometime!!

 

[sapblatt]

The snow and ice on the last pitch before reaching the North Tri summit and our little "side trip" were really the most difficult parts and where we lost time. Other than that, it wasn't too bad and I think we did pretty well. I imagine that if we had stayed on track and the trail was clear of the ice and snow, we would have easily beaten book time. Guys, it was a blast! We'll have to hike together again sometime!!

Agreed...the side trip was the killer!
I would love to hike again with the both of you...it was a great day!

 

[Rols]

Enjoyed meeting up with you guys along the trail. I planned to wait for you guys if the south slide had any ice or snow...but as expected it did not. I stopped for lunch along Slide Brook kind of expecting you guys to show up. Planned to see if any/ all of you wanted to meet up for a hike in the future.

It turned out to be a great day out...the weather held up, no flies, and some good people along the trail.