TR NE Chute Mt Langley 7/4-6 2003
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:36 pm
Trip Report: Mt Langley and Corcoran
July 4-5, 2003
Day1. 7/04/03: Tuttle Creek TH to Basecamp
The day before, Dave and I drove to the east side and walked up to Stone House to camp. RJ Secor and Brian Smith met us at 8:30AM next day. Checking gear we realized the rope was left at the car. RJ and Brian started up to basecamp while Dave and I went back to the car and returned to the Stone House by 9:30. RJ and Brian took the “low trail” and Dave and I took the “high trail”. You get your misery either way- at some point you have to climb up miserable loose sand. We caught up to Brian and RJ snoozing on a rock at Boulder Camp.
We continued up the hard-to-find use trail and were not pleased with the campsites below the Tuttle Obelisk, so continued up what is referred to as “Dome Camp” at about 11,000 feet. We arrived about 4:30. Since it was Fourth of July, I added to the excitement by blowing up my propane canister stove. Upon lighting, the whole thing caught on fire and soon “KABOOM”. Later we found shrapnel about 50 feet away and never did find the stove parts. For future safety, if your stove catches on fire, run and hide! We got hit with sand grains but thankfully no sharp shrapnel. After dark we watched small puffs of red and yellow fireworks in Lone Pine.
Day2. 7/05/03: Corcoran –Tuttle Pass Traverse
Saturday we headed out to do the traverse from Corcoran to Tuttle Pass at about 6AM. We angled up slabs forever and then hopped rocks and snow until we were below the north notch. The north notch is a miserably loose steep chute. RJ wedged a huge rock over his foot and thankfully was able to safely extract it without damage. We finally found the key chimney to the route, and headed to the top on 3rd class scrambling, arriving at 11AM. After lunch on top we were not successful in finding any route around Corcoran to Sharks Tooth without significant elevation loss. Prudence dictated and we headed back. While snacking below the north notch chute, a HUGE rock fall let loose in the adjacent chute – exactly where we walked earlier!! Out on the moraine, we were well protected, but I still jumped behind a rock, while everyone laughed at me. Dave, Brian and I continued on down and arrived at camp at 5PM. RJ climbed Pt 3925 to obtain photographs of the south face of Lone Pine for his guidebook. RJ liked the miserable scree so much that he climbed it twice since he left his ice axe on top.
While RJ was retrieving his ice axe, three mountain sheep bounced down the rock and snow very close to camp without seeing us. This was a real treat. RJ got to see tracks in the snow when he arrived at 7:30PM. Unfortunately seeing tracks was not quite the same as seeing the sheep; we sent him photographs later. So far we were having an eventful trip; explosions, rock fall, and mountain sheep! What next?
July 4-5, 2003
Day1. 7/04/03: Tuttle Creek TH to Basecamp
The day before, Dave and I drove to the east side and walked up to Stone House to camp. RJ Secor and Brian Smith met us at 8:30AM next day. Checking gear we realized the rope was left at the car. RJ and Brian started up to basecamp while Dave and I went back to the car and returned to the Stone House by 9:30. RJ and Brian took the “low trail” and Dave and I took the “high trail”. You get your misery either way- at some point you have to climb up miserable loose sand. We caught up to Brian and RJ snoozing on a rock at Boulder Camp.
We continued up the hard-to-find use trail and were not pleased with the campsites below the Tuttle Obelisk, so continued up what is referred to as “Dome Camp” at about 11,000 feet. We arrived about 4:30. Since it was Fourth of July, I added to the excitement by blowing up my propane canister stove. Upon lighting, the whole thing caught on fire and soon “KABOOM”. Later we found shrapnel about 50 feet away and never did find the stove parts. For future safety, if your stove catches on fire, run and hide! We got hit with sand grains but thankfully no sharp shrapnel. After dark we watched small puffs of red and yellow fireworks in Lone Pine.
Day2. 7/05/03: Corcoran –Tuttle Pass Traverse
Saturday we headed out to do the traverse from Corcoran to Tuttle Pass at about 6AM. We angled up slabs forever and then hopped rocks and snow until we were below the north notch. The north notch is a miserably loose steep chute. RJ wedged a huge rock over his foot and thankfully was able to safely extract it without damage. We finally found the key chimney to the route, and headed to the top on 3rd class scrambling, arriving at 11AM. After lunch on top we were not successful in finding any route around Corcoran to Sharks Tooth without significant elevation loss. Prudence dictated and we headed back. While snacking below the north notch chute, a HUGE rock fall let loose in the adjacent chute – exactly where we walked earlier!! Out on the moraine, we were well protected, but I still jumped behind a rock, while everyone laughed at me. Dave, Brian and I continued on down and arrived at camp at 5PM. RJ climbed Pt 3925 to obtain photographs of the south face of Lone Pine for his guidebook. RJ liked the miserable scree so much that he climbed it twice since he left his ice axe on top.
While RJ was retrieving his ice axe, three mountain sheep bounced down the rock and snow very close to camp without seeing us. This was a real treat. RJ got to see tracks in the snow when he arrived at 7:30PM. Unfortunately seeing tracks was not quite the same as seeing the sheep; we sent him photographs later. So far we were having an eventful trip; explosions, rock fall, and mountain sheep! What next?