Newton Clark Ridge/Moraine, 8/31/19

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Bosterson
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Re: Newton Clark Ridge, 8/31/19

Post by Bosterson » September 15th, 2019, 10:57 am

mjirving wrote:
September 3rd, 2019, 4:39 pm
Cool! Interesting views. Here is a pic of your “hanging gardens”.

Image
Hey Mike, I was just in that area yesterday coming in from the west. Judging by your recent high route track going CCW, I'm presuming you actually traversed under this feature from the Clark Creek side and then climbed up onto the Newton Clark ridge? I looked across at it from the other side of the canyon but figured the dirt slope would be too steep and crappy to climb up to the ridge, so I went higher into the moraine at 8100 ft, which was a mistake - very loose, so I decided not to go further and backtracked. Didn't go down to check out that wall and the slope, so if you went up that way, I'm guessing it's one of those things that looks a lot steeper from far away?
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mjirving
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Re: Newton Clark Ridge/Moraine, 8/31/19

Post by mjirving » September 15th, 2019, 5:40 pm

I'm guessing it's one of those things that looks a lot steeper from far away?
Yep...exactly. Earlier in the summer, there is a snow chute to cross that feels slightly sketchy just on the east edge of the "gardens", but on the loop it was gone. Both times I kind of side-sloped up the moraine towards the downhill side of its crest and then once I reached the crest, I turned up-crest to regain back up to the top of the moraine where it terminates into the upper rocky cliff. (hopefully that makes sense). It should be pretty clear if you look at my GPS track on my post. it's generally not sketchy going up the moraine, but it is loose and so it's 2 steps forward and one back. I think going straight up it would be twice the effort of my angling up it at roughly a 45 degree angle to it to take some of the steepness out of it. It wasn't crazy, scary steep though.

Chip-down used his crampons to just go straight up the snow chute when it was there is my recollection. I just had microspikes and an ice axe when I did it earlier in the snow which felt way to sketchy to go straight up the chute without the toe points on crampons.

Hopefully that makes sense, let me know if you have clarifying questions.

Mike

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Chip Down
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Re: Newton Clark Ridge/Moraine, 8/31/19

Post by Chip Down » September 16th, 2019, 6:23 pm

mjirving wrote:
September 15th, 2019, 5:40 pm
Chip-down used his crampons to just go straight up the snow chute when it was there is my recollection. I just had microspikes and an ice axe when I did it earlier in the snow which felt way to sketchy to go straight up the chute without the toe points on crampons.

Hopefully that makes sense, let me know if you have clarifying questions.
Bosterson's first question will be "How is that possible? I've seen Chip's crampons. He might as well just duct-tape butter knives to his boots."

But yeah, that chute* is steep enough and long enough that it can be slightly uncomfy to ascend it when icy. I was prepared for anything: mtn boots, crampons, axe in each hand. I didn't even need to be strategic, just motored up the slope as fast as my fitness/mood dictated. That was fun, almost felt like I was cheating. On the way down, it was so soft I don't think I needed crampons.


* essentially the corner where the moraine meets NC Prow

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Bosterson
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Re: Newton Clark Ridge/Moraine, 8/31/19

Post by Bosterson » September 16th, 2019, 6:30 pm

Chip Down wrote:
September 16th, 2019, 6:23 pm
Bosterson's first question will be "How is that possible? I've seen Chip's crampons. He might as well just duct-tape butter knives to his boots."
On the Hogsback once, I saw a guy coming up whose crampons were just duct taped to his boots. Butter knives could work too - think of the physics, regardless of how dull they are, for snow all you need is your full weight over the very thin butter knife blade to produce enough pressure to get bite. You should bend a few butter knives into right angles and tape them to your boots and see how it works. :)
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