Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
Charles2
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Southeast Arizona

Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by Charles2 »

I would like to do a loop hike with the following itinerary: 1) North Lake to Göethe Lake via Piute Pass; 2) Göethe Lake to Darwin Canyon via Alpine Col across Glacier Divide; 3) Darwin Canyon to Lamarck Lakes Basin via Lamarck Col; 4) return to North Lake. I am planning the trip for late July or early August. I will be solo on this trip. I am a fairly experienced hiker/climber.

I have never been over Alpine Col and would like to have an idea of what to expect. I don't mind a bit of scrambling and talus hopping but, since I'll be alone, I do not want to have to deal with any technical climbing or major exposure. Can anyone tell me what to anticipate on this part of the route? And, have any of you climbed Mt. Göethe from Alpine Col and if so what is the climb like? Thanks.
User avatar
gdurkee
Founding Member
Posts: 774
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:20 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by gdurkee »

Because you put an umlaut in Goethe (and If I could figure out how to do it, I'd do it too...), I'll answer. It's semi-easy from the north. Big boulders at the bottom, then some scrambling towards the top. Then an easy walk down to the lakes where you walk on the west side of the first lake, then, if memory serves, the east side of the lower lake. No real problems the entire route, except the huge boulders which you've just got to take a deep breath and get by them.

While it is pretty easy, it's not a beginner's route so you do need some fair experience, which it sounds like you have.

The only other thing to keep in mind is to make sure you follow the trail down from Lamarck on the north side. Some people miss it and end up in the chute that drops straight down onto Lamarck Lakes. Some injuries doing that. Nothing else on that proposed route is a technical problem (hmm. Wait. Sometimes the top 100 feet of the north side of Lamarck is tricky with ice -- not a huge problem, but requires caution.)

Not to be too geeky, but I think only 1 in 10 people correctly pronounce it. It usually ends up being Gothe or even Goat.

George
Frau Altman's German Class, 1965
User avatar
BrianF
Topix Regular
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 1:29 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Santa Barbara,Ca

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by BrianF »

I agree with gdurkee, nothing technical. There is lots of talus on the north side of Alpine Col, just be careful. My one experience with Alpine Col was in Early october after a snowfall - just enough snow to make the talus fairly harrowing, you shouldn't have any such problem. If the snowfield at Lamarck Col is too icy to be safe with your equipment (and it sometimes is icy) I have used a steep sandy chute that is a couple hundred yards up towards Mt. Lamarck from the Col proper, You can see all the way down that chute and there is a use trail, make sure it is the right one.
The direction you are moving in is what matters, not the place you happen to be -Colin Fletcher
User avatar
giantbrookie
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Posts: 3580
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:22 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by giantbrookie »

Big talus blocks, while not technical, are not for everybody. Some folks absolutely despise the stuff (my wife, for example, although she has no issues with some very difficult off trail stuff), whereas others don't seem to mind (I'm one of them) and even get a kick out of it to some extent (really, I do, as weird as that sounds).

Regarding Lamarck, the one thing about the north side snow field/headwall, is that by the time one gets up there a big backpackers groove has been carved into it by the steps of many hikers. I've been over it three times, once as early as the beginning of July, and the hiking groove gets pretty deep. Were the groove not there, I would certainly feel more comfortable with an ice axe to give me greater assurance of not sliding into that icy tarn at the base of the slope. What I've found very tedious early season are the huge sun cups commonly found in the snow in the section below (N) of the pond noted above. As George notes, it is important not (1) to take the diretissima route straight to upper Lamarck, and (2) when sizing up the gap from Darwin Canyon, not aiming so far right (to what seems to be the lowest point) so as to be hanging on the top of a gap overlooking the Sabrina Basin rather than the North Lake basin.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Charles2
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Southeast Arizona

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by Charles2 »

Thanks all for the information. It looks as though I can make the loop; I look forward to doing it.

For gdurkee: "Because you put an umlaut in Goethe (and If I could figure out how to do it, I'd do it too...), I'll answer. "

Umlaut's are easy. If you have Windows on your computer, just do the following:
Hold down the Alt key and type in the following code, including zeroes for the character you want; the letter will appear when you release the Alt key:
Ä = 0196
ä = 0228
Ë = 0203
ë = 0235
Ï = 0207
ï = 0239
Ö = 0214
ö = 0246
Ü = 0220
ü = 0252
Ÿ = 0159
ÿ = 0255

Other useful codes are
Ñ = 0209
ñ = 0241
¡ = 0161
¿ = 0191
© = 0169
® = 0174
Æ = 0198
æ = 0230
Å = 0197
å = 0229

I have also heard Göethe pronounced "Gerta" and "Gerter". Hard to believe that English is a Germanic language, isn't it? I have a sheet with a lot more of this stuff; if you are interested, get me your email and I'll send you the file.
User avatar
giantbrookie
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Posts: 3580
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:22 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by giantbrookie »

And for you Mac users out there it's option u, followed by hitting a, o, or u for the desired letter mit umlaut. I have to do that quite a bit in my scientific writing (mainly for citations).
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
el cuervo

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by el cuervo »

Vielen Danke Herr Große Brookie.
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by markskor »

A few more useful ones:

Alt (hold) 0162 = ¢... add my 2¢
Alt 0186 = º (degrees)...32º
Alt 0178 = ², (as in our good buddy B²)
Mountainman who swims with trout
User avatar
Buck Forester
Founding Member
Posts: 452
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:38 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Lincoln, CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by Buck Forester »

And hit "alt 02222" for a registered trademark®.

Buck Forester, Inc.®
It's all about the WILDERNESS!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckforester/page9/
User avatar
caddis
Founding Member
Posts: 263
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:01 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Lemoore
Contact:

Re: Alpine Col from Göethe Lake

Post by caddis »

©addis


:thumbsup:
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot], Harlen, Highalpinefishin’, Karch, maxr22, Rutrho, wildhiker and 143 guests