Alaska, Part 2: Snow River Glacier

Snow River Glacier Expedition

June 13-26, 2002

The night before we were due to leave on the Snow River Glacier Expedition, Mark and JD came in to brief us on the plan for the next two weeks. We were going to a remote area, and our resupply would be by air. They impressed upon us the isolation that both groups would be traveling in, and that any accident could become very serious indeed under those circumstances. Essentially, after we crossed the Fall River Pass we would be on our own. This was exciting, and a little intimidating too.

The next morning, we finished packing our backpacks and loaded them on the vans and headed out to the Falls River trailhead. I was already tired and several people fell asleep in the van on the way over. Once at the trailhead, we started off up the trail. This time, we hiked individually with about a one minute space between each hiker. It was very quiet and peaceful to hike on my own, but it was hard to enjoy it because the trail was very steep. Within the first hour we gained nearly 1000 feet, and until we reached the mine the trail continued in the same spirit.

Around lunch, we stopped and had a hot lunch. The other patrol had left some soup and potatoes from their previous expedition, so we had added those to our stores before leaving Seward. It made for a nice lunch, and we felt a bit pleased with ourselves at getting the extra food since we had run low on the basic expedition. Still, it wasn't a perfect lunch since there was little area to sit and it was raining slightly. As we ate, the other patrol passed us and continued up the trail. This got to be a bit of a pattern; we would start earlier and pass them in the morning, and then be passed in turn when we stopped for lunch.

As the day wore on, we passed the slag heap of an old mine and saw quite a bit of abandoned equipment along the trail. The trail itself began to deteriorate, and we decided it was about time to stop. We saw a good camping place on the other side of the river, so we learned about snow bridges, probed it, and crossed over. It was a very nice site and to improve upon an already nice evening, the sky cleared and we saw the sun for the first time! We were also sitting in grass rather than snow for the first time in the trip. The sun really changed how the valley looked, compared to the gray light we'd be seeing for the previous week.

That night we learned some more navigational skills, and then headed off to bed. For the first time, I was aware of the sunset in Alaska. Until then, it had always been a gradual transition of light gray to darker gray!

The next morning, we started the hike up to the base of Falls River Pass. The goal was to be at the base of the pass, so that we would cross it first thing the next morning. The day dawned bright and sunny, and it was a hot hike up the valley. We crossed back to the south side of the river and bushwhacked our way up to another snowbridge below a ridge. We decided to cross to the north side, since it looked like an easier hike from there to the pass. As we crossed, we saw the other patrol working their way down from above us; they had been working their way along the north side for some time, and had forded the river earlier.

We traversed along the side of the valley above the river. It was challenging hiking but everyone kept up well, although we were guilty of lingering at our breaks. The weather continued to be beautiful all day. Finally we arrived at the bottom of the pass, and set up camp. In the sun, it felt more like being on a beach than on a snowfield and everyone stretched out on their pads while Jess and Gina played softball with snowballs and the shovel. A while later, we could see the other patrol set up camp about half a mile below us.

First thing the next morning, we headed up the pass. It was pretty steep, and we kicked steps up the slope. It took about an hour to reach the top of the pass, but the spectacular view was more than worth the effort. We rested on some rocks at the top, and had a lesson on glacier features using state-of-the-art visual aids. (Snickers bars.) We had lunch as well, and then it was time to head down off the pass towards Cloud Camp.

We started down a ravine that looked like a good way to get down into Five Bear Valley. However, the terrain in the ravine became more and more challenging. Finally, JD scouted ahead and when he returned, Mark asked him what he saw ahead of us. JD replied "Death." So it seemed prudent to choose a different route. We were already pretty far down the ravine, so we didn't want to have to climb back out again. But the sides of the ravine were very steep, making an exit that way challenging. We decided to climb out along the side of the ravine. This wasn't easy, and required a traverse along a steep, rocky slope. No one was very comfortable with this, but there really wasn't much choice.

After the traverse, we reached several snow slopes that offered possible glissades. They were somewhat steep and the runout wasn't the best, but it was the best way to the valley floor that we had. Mark later said that it was close to his safety limit, but we all made it down safely. As I went down, I managed to get snow up my nose as I self-arrested. I don't recommend the experience.

At the bottom of the final slope, we took an extended rest and made some soup and had second lunch. No one was very inclined to move after our exertions that morning, and it was getting later. Erik suggested we break out the coffee supply, and although for some reason I didn't feel much like coffee, I did have a cup. For the next several hours, the only way to hold me down was for the rest of the patrol to sit on me. I was well and truly wired.

We headed down into Five Bear Valley, looking back over our shoulders to see the other patrol coming down the slope behind us. And as we crossed the valley we saw a wolf! I was very, very excited to see one. JD and Mark held back a little bit, as Matt and I lead the patrol across the valley and up Cloud Pass. We took ten minute spells kicking steps up the pass, finally arriving about ninety minutes later. We didn't get into camp until around 2315, and everyone was pretty tired, except for me in my caffeine induced mania. So we set up camp and I made chicken curry. Finally around 0130 we got into our tents and passed out.

For me, this was one of the best days of the expedition.

The next morning was bright and hot, and Cloud Camp was sweltering as the snow focused all the sun's heat directly on us. We had breakfast and then headed up the pass to Grant Glacier. JD and Mark had already headed up, and were waiting for us at the spot where we would need to rope up. I lead most of the way up the pass, in the heat. It felt incredibly hot in the valley as we climbed out, but thankfully it was cooler once we got up onto Grant Glacier.

We roped up, into three teams. JD lead the first team of four, and Mark lead the final team of three. We worked our way across the glacier, becoming more familiar with moving in echelon and performing end runs and so on. As we moved across, we decided against Grant Pass because of a cornice that had formed there. Instead, we went for a pass to the side that was marked as probably needing 2 fixed-ropes on our map. Mark led my team up to the moat, where we could unrope and rest safely on a rocky ridge. On the other side of the ridge was Fairyland and the Snow River Glacier, but the way down was very steep.

It took several hours to fix the ropes, and several more to get everyone down off the pass. As I moved off FX2 Pass in the last group with Erik and Mike, we could see the other patrol coming across the glacier. They were too far away, however, so we took our ropes with us, leaving them to fix their own or choose an alternate route when they arrived.

We reached the bottom of the pass around 2300 and had dinner. Our objective was a spot near the Snow River Glacier where we were going to set up a base camp for the next several days of ice climbs and summit attempts. We talked for some time about whether we should try to continue that night, or set up camp and move to base camp in the morning. Although there were some people willing to give it a go, the sensible thing was to set up our tents and get some rest, so we did. It was pretty clear that trying to push on that night was not a wise decision.

The next day, we were very slow to move. Although it had become my job to wake people up in the morning, I just couldn't yell at people to get up when my alarm went off so we slept a little longer than planned. Even once we did get up, we moved very slowly and didn't break camp until nearly 1400. It was very hot again, as we hiked towards the glacier. We started with a "bronco" ride down a slope. Behind us, we could see the other patrol at the top of the ridge -- they had camped on the glacier the night before.

Later that afternoon, we arrived into camp. Before even setting up the tents, we decided to take a snow bath. It was so hot we rubbed snow all over ourselves. It felt great and we actually felt clean for the first time in nearly two weeks! The weather was beautiful but we were tired, and although there was some talk of trying to ice climb that night, we decided to take a break. We had had some hard days getting from the trailhead to the glacier, so everyone needed a rest.

First thing the next morning, JD, Mark, Brooke, Matt, Mike, Dave, and I hiked back to the base of the FX2 pass, where the other patrol was camped. In the spot where we had camped the night before, our resupply arrived in the form of a helicopter! It was pretty exciting to see the helicopter fly in and drop off our resupply, and then fly off again. We refilled our fuel, sent out our trash, and filled our packs with our food ration before heading back to our camp. We got back around 1030, and the rest of the camp was just stirring.

The weather was still very good, so we got our things together and headed down to the edge of the glacier to ice climb. While JD headed around to the top of the glacier to set the anchors for our ropes, Mike and I belayed Mark down to the base of the cliff so he could prepare the bottom of the cliff. They set up three climbs of varying difficulty. The hardest climb actually exceeded 90 degrees and presented quite a challenge, and the conditions of the ice on all three climbs was not optimal. We got a lot of climbing in, but the weather started to get stormy and everyone got pretty cold when they weren't climbing. Around 2100, we headed back to camp, tired but also thrilled with the afternoon's excitement.

The next morning brought us poor weather, and I ignored the alarm for over an hour. We had planned to get up at 0800, but with the bad weather I didn't wake people until 0900. Mark and JD said that they were considering coming over to tell us to sleep another hour, so I was glad I made the decision. We were a bit slow moving, but at 1130 Carol met us to teach us assisted crevasse rescue. That was really interesting, and we learned about anchors and pulleys. We experimented with burying a number of objects to test their strength, and also practiced pulling first a deadman and then one of our teammates out of a "crevasse".

That went on until nearly 1700, and then we headed back to camp for a large dinner. JD and Mark told us they had decided to start our solo that night, but because of the bear problem and the threat of poor weather we were all going to have our solo sites within sight of camp. We got a good meal in us, and then were separated off to our solo sites with our tarps. My site was on a shoulder overlooking camp. It was fairly sheltered and the weather looked fine, so I didn't bother to set up my tarp. The solo was a nice break, and I spent a lot of time updating my journal and almost an equal amount of time napping.

As our solo ended, we started planning for our Summer Solstice expedition. The plan was to rise early and summit a peak overlooking camp, return through camp and pick up our backpacks but only a minimal amount of gear and head to a new ice climbing site. We'd ice climb for a few hours and then head across the glacier to another peak, and summit that before returning to camp. We'd bivy somewhere along the way.

We got moving pretty quickly the next morning and headed up the peak. It was fairly easy going with just daypacks, although in spots the loose rock required us to climb in a tight group. The view was great as we moved up, but as we approached the summit the clouds rolled in and we had little visibility from the summit itself. We had a snack on the summit and then headed down, glissading when we could.

Back at camp, we picked up our packs and headed to the glacier. We roped up and headed to some large ice cliffs we had seen from the summit. The way down to the base of the cliffs was stiff, and we had to put our crampons on to work our way along the bottom. There were some treacherous-looking rivers running under the ice that could be seen through some holes, and it was clear that a fall into any one of them would be fatal. So we were very careful.

JD, Mark, and Carol climbed the cliffs to set our anchors. Carol, especially, made a very impressive climb to set the anchors on the two tallest climbs. The ice here was much, much better and the climbing was great. We climbed a lot higher than at our first site, but the climbs themselves were easier because our ice axes and crampons held easily. In a rocky ravine, those of us not climbing had a perfect view of the climbers and a great cooking site as well. The only damper on the evening was a lost ice axe.

We climbed until midnight, and then decided it made sense to bivy where we were and then continue in the morning. We climbed up to a grassy area near the glacier and settled in for the night.

We didn't get up in any great hurry the next day. A few people climbed again as we had breakfast, then we discussed the day's plans. The group was split on whether to return to base camp to plan our route back to the trailhead or to continue on to the other summit. In the end, Jess, Gina, Dave and JD went to the summit and everyone else went back to camp. Adam and I wanted to go to the summit but there weren't enough ropes or instructors for us to split the group 5/4; we needed either 3 or 6 people in each group. So we had to go back to camp instead.

On the way back to camp, we learned about ice anchors, screws and V-threads. As we headed across, everyone got some practice at leading a rope team across the glacier and we increased our skill and confidence in such maneuvers as echelons and end-runs as well. This was a good thing to learn, as the chance to hone these skills comes rarely for most people.

Back at camp, we pulled out the maps and made daily time plans for the last three days. As we were going to travel independently, we needed to have a clear plan so that Mark and JD would know where to find us if something went wrong. One of the advantages of not going on the summit team was that I ended up with a very clear picture of where we were going over the last three days. The plan was to leave camp at 1100 the next day and hike to the glacier, and camp at the bottom. The next morning, Mark and JD would meet us and we would travel across the glacier and over the pass together and then split up again as we headed to a camp in the Fall River Valley. Finally, the last day we would hike back down to the valley to retrace our steps of the first day back to the vans.

A slight snag hit our plans, however. A 0745, 15 minutes before we were supposed to get up, the summit team finally made it back into camp. While they were on the summit, a black bear cornered them, ate all their food, and menaced them for some time before finally losing interest and running off. It was very touch and go for them, and even once they were free of the bear it was still very late and they were almost 6 miles from base camp with little food. They hiked across the glacier non-stop to arrive, exhausted, in base camp having hiked all night long.

I got up to ask Mark and Carol what our plan would be, and Carol said that the other patrol had left the day before to summit a peak and they were gone still. She'd checked their camp and no one was there, but they hadn't taken their sleeping bags so they obviously weren't planning to bivy. So even if Jess, Dave, Gina, and JD were ready to travel, we couldn't move until the other patrol was ready as well. Finally, around 0900 we were relieved to see all of them head come across the glacier. We sent down some hot water and honey to revive them, since we didn't know their situation but all was well.

The weather still wasn't great, and we debated what our plan should be. There was some support for trying to move a few miles that night, but in the end it was clear that we wouldn't gain much by moving a short distance that night so we all rested the rest of the evening but planned to get up at 0430 to start the next day early.

We did get up early that day, having cleaned up the camp as much as possible the night before. The weather was awful, windy and rainy, and it did nothing to inspire us to move. Still, we broke camp and moved out down Fairyland. We hiked along the side of the valley, staying as high up along the valley wall as possible. Around 1300, we stopped for a long lunch in the Mid. It was windy and rainy, so we made soup and huddled in the tent. Finally we dragged ourselves out and continued on. We traversed along the side of the valley and turned up into the valley leading to the glacier. The glacier had receded quite a bit from what our maps showed, so we were able to get a good ways into the valley before we stopped for the night.

That evening, the weather cleared and everyone's spirits rose as we got a little sun and were able to dry out the wet clothes from the day. We made plenty of dinner and enjoyed ourselves on the rocks in the sun. During the night, however, a wild wind picked up and the poor weather returned. The next morning, again, was nasty, and the wind resulted in several items attempting escape and broken tent pole as we struck camp early.

We hiked the short distance up to the glacier and roped up. As we went up the glacier, several rock slides came down off to the sides and the weather continued to get worse. About half a mile below the pass, we came upon the other patrol's camp. They weren't up yet, and we used their camp to stage for the pass. Mark and JD explained how they would use a running belay as we went up the pass, and off we went. The pass wasn't intensely difficult for anyone but the first team, but the snow was deep so they had a lot of work to do to make steps. Each time Mark stopped to place a picket, we all had to stop in our tracks. Everyone got very cold as we waited.

Finally we reached the top of the pass. It was cold and nearly a whiteout, with snow being blown in our faces by a stiff wind. Before the visibility fell further, we could see the other patrol starting to work their way out of camp behind us. We packed up the ropes and glacier kit as quickly as we could, because no one wanted to stay on the ridge any longer than necessary. As soon as we could, we practically jogged down the other side into Fall River Valley. At the first likely spot, we stopped to set up the Mid again and have a hot lunch and warm up.

As we ate, JD and Mark told us they were going to hike all the way to the van that night and return to Seward, and then come back to pick us up the next morning at noon. So we were pretty much on our own.

The other patrol was still behind us, but they were going to the vans that night too so after they left it would just be us on our own. After we finished eating, we packed up and continued on. The weather was still poor and it was cold, but each step we took brought us lower into the valley and brought better weather as well. We had several nice glissades as we crossed to the south side of the valley, and found a good trail leading down the valley. Without much fuss, the trail lead us back along our path of the first day. We were moving along pretty well, and before long we were opposite our campsite of the first night. We stopped there and set up camp. About 1700 the other patrol passed us on their way out, but we were feeling smug with the tents up and dinner cooking.

We had a relaxed evening, as we attempted to eat all the rest of our food. It was raining lightly, so we all packed into the Mid. It was pretty cozy and I was struck with how "normal" the scene was. Sitting on the ground around a stove in a wind-whipped tent seemed no more unusual than sitting at my dining room table!

The last morning, we woke up early and had a huge breakfast again. We broke camp and started down the trail, which at this point was wide and easy to follow. The trail that was so steep the first day made for quick travel on this day, and we decided to have a coffee break. At the turn off to Ptarmigan Lake, we broke out a stove and made a pot of coffee before hiking the last half hour to the vans. We had said we would arrive at 1200, and we walked up at 1202. I felt very smug about that.

Back at camp, we had little time to bask in the achievement of completing our expedition as all the gear had to be cleaned, organized, and checked back in. But our team spirit worked well, and the deissue went quickly and smoothly. We had a nice salmon dinner that night, and then split into our patrols for some closing ceremonies.

We all gathered around in a circle and awarded pins to each other. As each person was nominated for their pin, people in the group would volunteer why they thought that person deserved the pin or recall a special memory of that person or comment on what they thought that person brought to the group. It was a very appropriate end to our expedition together, and I think everyone came away from the group feeling good about themselves and good about their place within the community.

First thing the next morning, we went out for our run along a trail next to Resurrection Bay. After that, we checked in our final gear, and loaded the bus. Everyone said their final good-byes: a bittersweet moment to say the least. And then it was time to go! As the bus pulled out of camp, we all looked back at the closing of a special experience in our lives.

The bus back to Anchorage was such a different experience than the trip on the first day. It was hard to believe that we were even traveling with the same people. Those same people who had been strangers on the first day now had been through so many experiences with us that they even looked different!

The whole experience was truly amazing, and it is still hard for me to believe that I actually did it. I'm terribly proud of what we accomplished, and very proud to have been part of and made a contribution to such a great group of people.