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Past Activity

Mt. Jefferson

  • Start date: 07/02/2016

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 07/04/2016

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Mt. Jefferson, Whitewater Glacier route (II, 4th class, steep snow, moderate glacier)

Day 1: Jefferson Park TH to camp at "The Beach" (on the moraines between the Jefferson Park and Whitewater Glaciers)
Day 2: Summit out and back from The Beach
Day 3: Hike out

There may be an option to hike out on Day 2, time and interest permitting. This is a long, strenuous route with a lot of exposure on steep snow. Your glacier travel skills, including crevasse rescue, should be dialed in. Leader permission required to sign up.

CAVEAT EXHIBUIT: The leader has climbed the route only as far as the base of summit pinnacle. He has not summited Jefferson before.

  • Event Leader: Alexander Ellis

  • Event Leader Phone: 917-880-6744

  • Event Leader Email: apellis@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Climbs

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: South Eugene High School, 19th & Patterson

  • Rating: Difficult

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 213

  • Season: 2016

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Camping gear (possibly on snow), ice axe (second tool optional), crampons, glacier travel gear. Depending on snow level, comfortable hiking shoes might be nice.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 16

  • Member Fees: 3

  • Elevation Gain: 7000

  • Non-Member Fees: 15

  • Committee: Climbs

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

We left Eugene Saturday morning intending to climb the Whitewater Glacier route on Mt. Jefferson over two days. On the hike in, while enjoying the view of the north side of the mountain, I joked that the Jefferson Park Glacier looked like it might be in good enough condition for us to climb. The closer we got, the more seriously we took the joke. We set up camp in the moraines at the base of the Jefferson Park Glacier --- this was lower than originally planned but gave us the option of climbing either route in the morning.

Marge and I spent a few hours exploring the big question mark on the Jeff Park route, namely the bergschrund. Around 7pm, after scoping out a few no-go lines, Marge finally spotted a rock bypass on the far right side. It might go!

Four of us started climbing a little after 3am Sunday morning. The bergschrund went (too?) smoothly; we were all on the saddle above the glacier within three hours from camp. The rest of the route went slowly but surely over plenty of exposed ground featuring moderate snow, low 5th class rock, and some fun mixed moves. Our progress was relatively slow, so we turned back halfway up the summit pinnacle (which was in excellent and easy condition) to ensure decent snow on the traverse on our way down. We returned to camp via the Whitewater Glacier route, spent another night, and then hiked out the next morning.

It's never easy to turn back so close to a summit, especially when the ground ahead is in great condition. Still, I think we made the correct choice. I'll take fun, exposed rock climbing in crampons without a summit over a climb of the Whitewater Glacier route any day! Thanks to everyone for making my last trip as an Oregon resident a memorable one.