Mount Sill Bailout

pics by Harlan W. S.
July 1-3, 2009

We meant to go to Mount Sill in the CA Sierra, but came across some unusual conditions. There was a very heavy snowfall in June; coupled with rain and warm days and nights, that recent snow led to an unstable soft layer on a slightly harder base. During plunge steps, the soft layer would break free, and it was hard to arrest in the soft, airy and slushy top layer. We spent a fair amount of time trying to analyze what the slip meant*. There were avalanches on sub-30° slopes. Glacier Notch was full of high-angle snow, so we bailed at 11AM and about 13000’.

100k map of trip. We started at R near Glacier Lodge.	24k map.	The 1^st eve we camped at Grandview on the way to Big Pine. This campsite, at ~8500’, gives some small acclimatization. We picked up the permit at ~9AM the next day.
The 1^st day, we just packed in to 3^rd Lake. We had heard that Sam Mack was still snowy 5 days before; but nearly all snow had melted. Here we are at the 1^st bridge over Pine Creek.	As we move up the N Fork, we look back on Middle Pallisade (far distance, at L) and Norman Clyde (R).	Iris.
We join the backpacker’s trail.	Rushing waters of the N Fork.	Penstemons, “Pride of the Mountain”.
N Fork Rangers’ cabin.	Thunderbolt appears in distance, just L of trail.	Shooting stars.
Temple Crag, from near 1^st Lake.	My tent at 3^rd Lake.	Kim looks out over 3^rd Lake, and tries to shovel down her dinner.
Next morn (July 2), Ali and Kim cross stream at Sam Mack, on Glacier Trail.	Gayley on L, Sill on R.
Panorama, with Gayley far L, then Sill, V and U notches with Polemonium between, N Pallisade, Starlight, and Thunderbolt at far R.	A recent avalanche is visible behind Kim.	About here, on 40 degree slopes, I turned L up to Glacier Notch. The snow in the chute was at least 50 degrees. I passed a rap sling, then climbed on top of the rock and shouted down to Kim about the conditions; though only 11AM, we decided to bag it. On descent back to Kim, my butt was nearly touching the snow as I carefully self-belayed, face-first, down the slope.
View UP. I made deep, close-placed plunge-steps so Kim could have more secure footing, and would be freed of constant self-belay.	We’re about to pass this one section, where the snow rapidly steepened and gave a run-out to the icy water.	Kim has passed the worst run-out section, and is back on gentler slopes.
Sill in the back. Light rain started soon after.	3^rd through 1^st Lakes. We could see Kim’s tent from here.	Feldspathic pegmatite vein in granite.
Alpine Laurel.	Richard B, whom we met on trip; he talked about the difficulty in getting shoes to fit his size 16 feet (my 9.5 foot for scale).	Granite Gillia.
Broad-Leaf Gillia.	A buchwheat, probably Sulphur Flower.	Mid Pal and Norman Clyde (R) again, on the way out, July 3.
A rose not far from the backpacker parking.	* We spent a lot of time trying to figure this out. Kim has much more snow experience than I do; she was wearing the same crampons that she used on Denali, and was “doing everything right”. However, her crampons heels were the same size as mine, and she weighs a lot less, so she was able to put less force on her heels. We just seemed to have crappy conditions; avalanches on 20° slopes should tell us something. Kim started slipping at about 30°, but the problem didn’t hit me till 50°.