J.T.'s Photo Gallery

6.2

Really interesting day!
The plan was to climb a few high points in the area today and then head home tomorrow. The day began just fine with easy walking and route finding up to a point on the east ridge above Peter's Creek (Peak 5537). The hope was to take this ridge to Thunderbird Peak and then on to Bee's Haven for a deluxe ridge walk. As I walked the ridge, it became more obvious that the ridge between Thunderbird Peak and Bee's Haven was not going to be a ton of fun - there was a much easier option but it meant descending the ridge I was on and taking a different ridge up ... no problem.
As August and I bee-bopped along the ridge to Thunderbird Peak we first saw a wolverine! and later a cairn. Thunderbird Peak's summit! ...maybe ...
While at home I plotted in my GPS a few summits and navigation points that might help me out if the weather shut down. I checked with my GPS and, yup, this was the summit (why I didn't look at the map I had brought, I do not know ... a cairn and the GPS seemed to satisfy me). More on Thunderbird later ...
After a quick scree ski down, August and I headed up Bee's Haven using the east ridge - easy walking on a beautiful day.
While we were descending, I took a good look at Thunderbird Peak and began to wonder ... did I really climb to the summit. When I finally got back to camp, I looked at the 2006 Chugach State Park map (yes, the year is important) and, damn, I definitely did not climb to the summit marked on the map.
Now a few things went though my mind - coming back another time, climbing Thunderbird from one of a bunch of other routes, or ... climbing it tomorrow before I headed out back to Ram Valley. I actually could not sleep well at first while thinking about this! The other summit was only about a 3 minute stroll from where I had been!
In the end I decided to go to bed early (which was really tough because the megamid was unbearably hot) and try climbing it tomorrow if the weather held. Luckily, the weather was fine. The story only gets better, though!

Chugach "medium" country! This is what I love to play around in!

Another look up valley at East Killiak and West Killiak. The saddle between them is more clearly visable here (which I accessed from the Icicle Creek side only two weeks prior).

Peeking and the valley and ridge (on the right) that I would use to get back to my car tomorrow).

Peak 5537.

Peak 5537's summit cairn.

A look at a few options I had to get back to Ram Valley

A photo looking at the valley that leas to High pass (one of my options for returning to Ram Valley).

The ridge to Thunderbird Peak with Bee's Haven just in view on the right

It is a little easier to see Bee's Haven. My intention was to use the ridge between Thunderbird and Bee's Haven. I ended up coming down into the valley and using the ridge that ascends Bee's Haven from the right side of the photo.

Bellicose and Rumble

The Shroud

Wolverine

Wolverine

Wolverine

Wolverine

A bit blurry but this photo starts the controversy! This photo shows the two summits of Thunderbird Peak.

Looking over at Bee's Haven which is guarded by Benign and Bellicose

A nice view of the ridge I ended up using to ascend Bee's Haven

The first summit cairn of Thunderbird. After confirming with my GPS (which I set at home) I took off down the nearest scree to begin a climb of Bee's Haven.

August after a treat (with the cairn)

Looking back at the two summits of Thunderbird. Today, I climbed the one on the left and then scree-skied down the face.

August with Bee's Haven in the background

The twin peaks of Pleasant.

The final ridge to Bee's Haven

Looking at the summit of Thunderbird that I climbed that day with the ridge I used to get there.

The Shroud

The Shroud and the Wall Street Glacier

The Shroud

On Bee's Haven

My climbing partner

It is amazing that a note from the early 1990's can survive in a film canister in this environment !

Wasted ... or just tanning

A view of our camp from up high

Horse packer trash.

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Chugach "medium" country! This is what I love to play around in!