Chaz and Lee Peak, from NW in WIND!

pics by Harlan W.S.
Sept. 05, 2010

This was a fun day, though a bit windy – the straight wind on the peaks was probably 40-50 mph, as I could lean into the airstream.

A week before, we made a plan to go up Big Falls to Charleston; then we found another large group would be ahead of us. We were a bit concerned about rockfall from the earlier group, so our group considered a different route. Chaz by Ski Lee was mentioned. I asked, “have you been on that route?” I forgot to ask the more important question: “have you been on that route since the 2005 avalanche?” When we met Sunday at 8AM, 4 members defected to go up Griffith, so just Doc Z, Susan and I braved this hike.

	We hit the 1^st saddle off Bristlecone Trail.
McFarland in back as Doc Z and Susan power up the ridge.	The ridge looks ominous, but is rarely worse than Class 2.
On Lee. Can you tell that it is windy?	Chaz, as we head down the S side of Lee.	We parted temporarily at Devil’s Thumb, and I took the Devil’s Thumb Shortcut while Susan and Doc Z continued on the trail. This view is N, as seen from the top of the first steep climb above the Thumb.
View of Chaz from the DT ridge.	On top now; I couldn’t see my compatriots on the trail below, and began to worry that they had decided to turn back because of the wind. Shortly I saw Doc Z. It turned out that the switchbacks were relatively sheltered from the wind.	What’s left of the flag was blowing straight out
I went to the other side as I waited, and saw the familiar green jacket of Branch Whitney.	His group looked terribly overdressed.	Now back to the other side, I see Susan chugging up; Macks Peak at L, The Sisters at R.
	We didn’t spend long on top – heading down to 11100’ to eat lunch in a wind-sheltered spot.	Top of the chute down to Ski Lee.
Susan skis the scree. What fun!		Len wisely took off downhill, to avoid being pelted by falling rocks. Oops, I forgot to tell him to bear right on the herdpath… which came into existence after the avalanche.
		OK, we might as well all go down the valley, rather than cut back up to the herdpath. How hard could it be? The avalanche debris and thistles added to the fun.
Susan and Doc Z balance on a log bridge amid the thistles.	We were back at the car by 3PM.