Mission Traverse

It started with an e-mail Thursday night – Friday class was cancelled.  Knowing that a storm was supposed to arrive Friday night/Saturday, I scrambled to get things together for a big day in the mountains on Friday.  Fast forward to 5:30 Friday morning and I found myself biking north from the st. mary reservoir, excited to tackle the full mission traverse, just 2 days after the annual july 15 – oct 1 grizzly bear closure around mcdonald peak had ended.

I almost hit a skunk at one point but the (mostly downhill & flat) bike shuttle was otherwise cold, dark and uneventful.  Just past the canal (eastern terminus of red horn lane), I stashed the bike and continued on foot, reaching the upper ashley lakes TH in about an hour, with one strategic switchback cut.  The trail up to the NW ridge of sheepshead was choked with downfall but I’ve become accustomed to a certain amount of this whenever venturing into the Missions.  The upper NW ridge was fun class 3&4 scrambling and it was cool to visit this summit for my first time without skis. 

approaching sheepshead

NW face mcdonald from sheepshead

I descended the E ridge to the mcdonald glacier.  Lacking any traction devices, I had to skirt down/around the glacier and maximize my travel on rock.  I was able to refill water from a glacial melt stream, negating the need to descend to iceflow lake later in the day.  The upper NW face was a bit of a loose slog but I pushed on and reached the summit right at noon, ready for a lunch break.  It was a little intimidating seeing how far in the distance east st. mary (ESM) resided.    

looking S from mcdonald at the route

The descent of the S face was not particularly enjoyable, with most of the rock being too large to comfortably scree-ski yet too small to be stable.  I eventually made it down to the saddle above iceflow lake, and began the climb up N glacier peak, bypassing the lower NW ridge on climber’s left, then up the enjoyable class 4 upper NW ridge to the top.  Thanks to Brian (per usual) for the route beta found here.  I continued SE along the ridge to S glacier peak, marveling at all the incredible ski terrain this mountain range holds.  Although I’ve skied a number of the classic lines in the missions, there is still so much more calling my name. 

iceflow lake

NW ridge of N glacier peak 

garden wall, from S glacier

A quick jaunt from S glacier put me on shoemaker, excited to cross the picturesque garden wall.  I ran most of the garden wall, which is much wider and casual than it appears from afar.  Nearing mountaineer peak, I was tempted to investigate the upper N ridge to the summit but threatening clouds prompted me to take the W face ledge bypass instead.

at 8800', traverse onto W face of mountaineer and up this ramp/ledge and continue easily to summit

There was a sizeable stretch of mellow terrain S of mountaineer that was suitable to running.  Some gendarmes had to be passed south of pt. 9066 above lake of the stars (I went climber’s R around the first and L around the second bigger gendarme).  Soon afterwards came a stretch of nasty looking terrain before the E ridge of lowary.  I bypassed the bulk of it on climber’s R, well below the ridge proper.  With my enthusiasm for route-finding dwindling, I settled for descending one loose, sketchy gully and then climbing the next one to the west.  I’m sure there is a better way through here.  

looking back N from random bump on the ridge before lowary, mcdonald is furthest peak just L of center

E ridge of lowary

ESM summit selfie

With these difficulties behind me, I continued up the E ridge of lowary and then down to vacation pass before slowly making the final climb of the day up the E face of ESM.  I finished my water as I watched the beginning of the sunset and reflected upon what an incredible day it had been (note – I saw 0 people, 0 bears and 2 mountain goats all day).  The trail descent to the reservoir was steep and direct as usual (latter half in the dark) but has been cleared of most everything but the biggest logs since I was last on it this spring.  Thanks to whoever cleared it!

Route:  overgrown trail to NW ridge (class 3/4) sheepshead, down E ridge, across mcdonald glacier, up NW face mcdonald, down S face, upper NW ridge (class 4) of N glacier peak, along ridge to S glacier peak, along garden wall, ledge bypass (class 3) on W face mountaineer, continue S along ridge, bypass tricky gendarmes, up E ridge (class 3) lowary, across vacation pass, up E face ESM, down trail to reservoir

Approx. splits from st mary reservoir:  canal 1:10, upper TH 2:10, mcdonald 6:30, mountaineer 10:20, ESM 13:00, reservoir 14:30

Stats:  approx. 19mi/12k vert/class 4 in 13:20 canal-to-reservoir

Rose: I feel lucky to have snuck in this traverse after the oct 1 date but before snowfall up high complicates the route

Thorn: my piss-poor routefinding around the gendarmes below the E ridge of lowary

Bud: overwhelming amount of great looking ski terrain

Thoughts:  although it is long, this is a stellar outing. I think it could be faster and more enjoyable in late june/early july prior to the july 15^th closure with snow glissading opportunities.  with light packs, I think this could be an enjoyable "fast packing" outing with a night spent at/near ice flow lake for those so inclined