Failed to summit but never failed so gloriously in all my life!!! I'm in awe of this mountain now! My Frozen Finisher aspirations just turned to solid ice (at least for now) as did all pretentious hope of snowflaking Longs unaided via Cables (barring a freak storm that creates the walk-up conditions I found this spring). Utterly schooled by this route - didn't help that I didn't manage to start until 7:30am or that I had absolutely way too much stuff in my monster pack, though I persevered until almost 13,500ft, which is just below where the route really gets serious but also where the most epic views of the East Face I've ever seen are! That alone was a consolation prize adequate to redeem the day for me, though the pictures don't do it justice.
But as for conditions... snowy from the get go but no flotation or traction needed yet. One super brief pile of snow right at treeline. Lady Washington pretty bare. Even the Boulderfield wasn't that bad to pick across. But going up to Cables I chose the snowfield - good grief - every flake that's landed on Longs this season is piled up right there. Waist deep at times. Avy antenna were firing like crazy since this was the one zone CAIC called out as some possible moderate danger. In the end, with some careful study and slow progress I deemed it ok to proceed up but not without a touch of unease remaining (I saw minor slides here last spring when I descended this route). Probably not huge danger yet but for sure keep your eyes on this slope. Only a slight wind slab on top that I noticed but that could change. By the time I got there with my way too late start there was no way I could have finished safely even if the above route wasn't being blasted by crosswinds and splattered with snow and ice (not sure what form of madness led to my delusion that I would cruise up a route pretty much everyone ropes up for in winter - temporary insanity I guess). Looks like I'll be looking at other options if I want to flake Longs this season...
This could be a very epic climb for someone properly prepared but be ready for a little of everything if you go now - steep, deep snow; scattered ice and powder on class 5 rock... Not a route to be trifled with at the moment.
             
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