Trip Report
Glacier Peak/Disappointment Peak Cleaver
Abundant water sources and marmots. Crevasses are starting to open on Cool Glacier.
Arnold Galit
- Thu, Jul 11, 2024 — Sat, Jul 13, 2024
- Glacier Peak/Disappointment Peak Cleaver
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Road rough but passable
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After Marmot Knob, there's a cornice/snow remnant covering the saddle where the "dry" route usually ascends into the basin (see picture). We went to the climbers' right of it
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Trail was almost snow free until we reached the entry climb to the glacier basin. What snow is left in the basin is melting at least 3 inches per day, judging from how high our tents were elevated off the snow when we returned on summit day
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Last water source is on the short ramp up to Glacier Gap. Plenty of water sources before that starting at the top of the switchbacks
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The snow bridge at the start of the Cool Glacier held for us but it will not be there much longer. Crevasse opening is clearly detectable
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Large, house-eating crevasses opening on the Cool Glacier at the foot of Glacier Peak.
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The bergschrund at the west side of the Cool Glacier next to the summit ridge will force you onto the dirt.
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I used hiking boots for the entire trip instead of my mountaineering boots and they worked great, particularly since 95% of the route is dirt or loose rock. Everyone else in my party had mountaineering boots.
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Lots of active rock and ice fall starting at Disappointment Peak. Easily avoidable by keeping your distance
- Weather was sunny and clear requiring only a single clothing layer until above 10k'
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We had a great group of three rope leads and six Basic Alpine Climbing students with me as the mentored lead for the trip. I planned for the first two days to be 12+ hours camping initially at Glacier Gap on Day 1 then moving down to White Pass camp on Day 2 after summiting. GPX: https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=10.8/-121.3057/48.0697&pubLink=xxf88YQ0JjouDgKluuFSe4cF&folderId=139d1ade-4ef3-4b4f-be9e-ddacc336e815
Day 1. We started the 5.5 mile section of the North Fork Sauk trail at 830 am. The trees protected us from the heat until we hit the switchbacks in full sun. Water was available at the log bridge and Mackinac Shelter. We took a 30 minute break at White Pass and then proceeded towards Marmot knob. The path after Marmot knob heading towards the entry to the glacier basin was windy and, concerned about rockfall, we donned helmets for this section. We set camp about a mile inside the basin at around 815 pm due to team fatigue. While we had planned to reach Glacier Gap, we knew there were ample campsites available prior to it for situations such as this.
Day 2. We departed at 515 am for our summit day following the bootpack to climbers right in the basin. We stopped for water at a runoff pond prior to Glacier Gap, but there was water at the ramp of the Gap as well. No running water was found after it. We traversed from Glacier Gap north along the ridge to Disappointment Peak. The morning snow was in good shape and the bootpath was only slightly soft. Roping up at the base of Disappointment Peak, we climbed to the east and found a crevasse starting to open at the start of the Cool Glacier, east of Disappointment Peak. We crossed a snowbridge and proceeded to just north of Disappointment where we took a short break and surveyed the numerous large crevasses opening just north of us at the base of Glacier Peak. Of note, we met a solo climber who was descending with a ~12 foot pool strapped across his back. He told us that this was a safety measure that would hopefully prevent him from falling into a crevasse.
We avoided the crevasses by walking slight south and west and gaining the ridge between DP and GP. A large bergschrund forced us onto dirt and we started the steep climb up the remaining 800'. Very soft snow started again at about 10.2k' resulting in us postholing deeply. We gained the summit and reveled in our glorious achievement. We returned to camp, arriving around 630 pm.
Looking from Marmot Knob towards the glacier basin entry in the center-right upper, just below Glacier Peak peeking out in the background
Looking from Glacier Gap towards Disappointment Peak with Glacier Peak behind it.
Flashing our Five Volcano Summits sign
