TR: Wasatch Tri-Wilderness Traverse

[CarpeyBiggs]

The details:

Length: 35 miles, ~15,000 vertical, 3 nights, through Mt. Olympus, Twin Peaks, and Lone Peak wilderness areas.

Start: Alexander Basin trailhead in Mill Creek on Wednesday afternoon.

Finish: Lake Hardy Trailhead in Alpine on Saturday afternoon.

Route: Up Gobbler's Knob from Alexander Basin, through Mill A Basin, down to the S-curve in Big Cottonwood. Up Mill B south trail to Lake Blanche, up to Mt. Superior, down Cardiff Pass into Alta and Snowbird. Walk the ski resort trails down to White Pine trailhead, up to Red Pine Lake, following the Beatout Traverse to Chipman peak, descend to Lake Hardy, through the Hamongogs into Alpine.

Highlights: Upper Lake Blanche drainage is outstanding for scenery and solitude. Most scenic part of the Wasatch I think I've seen.

Endured 2 nights of crazy monsoon-like thunderstorms, including one night at red pine that nearly sent me back to the trailhead. Lightning strikes all over the ridges, and hail that I was sure would shred my tent. Fortunately, it cleared out after a couple hours.

Ridge scramble from Red Pine to Chipman peak is extremely scenic, last stretch up to Chipman has some exposed scrambling.

Lowlights: walking through the ski resorts, and the terrible trail from Lake Hardy down to 2nd Hamongog.

If I could do it again: First, get in better shape. Living at nearly sea level for the last 8 months did me no favors. With more fitness, I'd get to Alta, head up collins gulch, and do all of the bullion divide camping at red pine, then pick up the beatout from red pine over the next day. Oh well, next time...

Photos -

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2437/3938438426_3aa6ddfe34.jpg
Sunset in Mill A Basin, first night.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/3938440264_7b29c9546a.jpg
Lake Blanche, Day 2.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/3938444830_fd91eba5d4.jpg
Upper Lake Blanche drainage.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3937668207_403afb3049.jpg
Reed and Benson Ridge

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3937668623_b90dbbb594.jpg
Superior, from above lake blanche.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3938446934_cbc129865c.jpg
big storm rolling in on red pine.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3937670113_9255a6d86e.jpg
Small break in the tent-shredding storm.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/3937670877_a02754765d.jpg
Lightning ridge.

[Bad Karma]

Nice TR

:2thumbs:

Thanks

[asdf]

you make me feel lazy

[tmartenst]

Awesome adventure. I agree with the upper Lake Blanche basin. My wife (then girlfriend) and I went up and over Mt. Superior and camped pretty high up in that basin. As to your next point about the lightning, that same trip was the most exposed we had been to a high altitude lightning storm. We just made it down below the scree and boulders to set up the tent when it started and continued all around us for 3 hours. Afterward was one of the most memorable sunsets though. I'll have to bust the old slides out!

Next day (the external frame pack!):
http://www.purelightimages.com/pics/fs/callietomabovelakeblanche.jpg

Your trip sounds awesome all together like that. I've been to those places but always different trips and different times of year. The Hamongogs to Alpine is a long way down. and I skied half of it! Upper Bells is a great and photogenic drainage as well and I think your alternate ending with the Beatout would be pretty awesome.

What kind of shelter did you use? I am looking for a lighter option.

[CarpeyBiggs]

What kind of shelter did you use? I am looking for a lighter option.

hey tom. it was a good trip. for my solo trips, i take a big agnes seedhouse sl1 tent. it is very lightweight, though the tent floor is particularly fragile, so gotta be careful.

i'm soon going to upgrade to this thing... http://tarptent.com/contrail.html

1.5 pounds.

[Felicia]

Welcome back to the lower 48. Beautiful pictures! :2thumbs:



What kind of shelter did you use? I am looking for a lighter option.


i'm soon going to upgrade to this thing... http://tarptent.com/contrail.html

1.5 pounds.

OK - that is a neat looking tent. Let us know how you like it.

:popcorn:

[tmartenst]

The TarpTents are sweet. Does anyone have experience with the GoLite ShangriLa? It has similar specs to the TarpTent Contrail.

[Sombeech]

Looked at this post many times, never got around to commenting. Nice work Dan.

[tmartenst]

Agreed, an awesome trip. Didn't mean to hijack the thread!

[Jaxx]

Beautiful pics. I have been missing your TR's. Is it ok if I live vicariously through you? :roflol: