Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

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Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by PeteE »

I decided to re-post pictures and video from summiting Reynolds last summer with EarMountain
Most of the pictures were posted but hosted from Photobucket. Most of my images on Photobucket are gone or will be. Bad service for the price.
Some of the "helmet cam" video clips have been posted, but some have not.

This video picks up right after the video clip where I dropped my stick.
Most will probably find it "tedious, scary, boring, motion sickening, whatever". 8)
I understand :)
That's why they have FF and STOP buttons. :mrgreen:

That said, if you want to do any "off trail" hiking/scrambling in Glacier Park...
This kind of "rotten rock" terrain, exposure, and goat paths for trails is what you'll find virtually everywhere in GNP.
Lots of fun for those who like this sort of thing. 8)

I didn't edit the helmet cam video that I have much at all because...
Stopping and making video clips from various places, most of them "safe", doesn't give one the perspective and the "feel" for the hike
like an unedited helmet cam video does, e.g.

Poking around with my stick, feeling for hand holds, checking foot placement.
The constant sound of loose scree and rock, the wind, even my breathing which I apologize for. Hiking, and especially climbing makes my nose run :evil:
All that contributes to what the "experience" is really like... much more so than scenes panned from a static location---in my opinion of course. 8)

Part 1 is "Dropping my stick"


Part 2 runs 9:45


Part 3 runs 8 8:03


Part 4 runs 6:22


Part 5


Here is a link for the album images on Flickr. Most have a short description if you scroll down.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/98975350@ ... 2959416675

I'm posting these two GoogleEarth images to give some context to the helmet cam video clips.
Reynolds Mt is listed as an "easy or relatively easy and safe" climb in most mountaineering guides I've read.

And now having done Reynolds, I can see where that's true...
But only for the popular Southwest Talus Slope Route, a GMS Class II(3) route with minimal exposure.

The Grand Tour Route has more Class III and a LOT more exposure.
I loved the traverse across the North Face, the one that you see from Logan Pass.
While the trail is narrow in places with great exposure...
I felt a lot more comfortable. The trail was wider--if 2-3 feet seems wide! 8)
And relatively "level", not "sloped", and the rock wasn't quite as "rotten" compared to the East face traverse.
Or it seemed that way to me.
That East face traverse was kinda nerve wracking at times.
Not a trail you want to slip and fall on.

The remaining two routes are Class III, IV, and one has Class V pitches---these two routes are for serious, experienced climbers only.


This is an image from GoogleEarth on which, I have crudely outlined parts of both the Grand Tour and The SW Talus routes.

The Blue route is the SW Talus route.
Climbers follow the mountaineering trail from the Hidden Lake trail to the saddle leading to the Dragon's Tail.
Then climb up to where the Green line, where the Grand Tour route joins it. From that junction the trail Red, is the same for both groups.

Grand Tour climbers leave the mountaineering trail not long after leaving the first saddle on the NW side of Reynolds.
The climb begins there with a scramble up a steep gully which can't be seen in either of the pictures below.

The Green line on the right side of the top image shows the traverse on the east and south faces.
That section is Class III and some pretty serious exposure--imo.

Image

Here is another GoogleEarth image looking at Reynolds from the NE.
The traverse across the North face is just above the red line. I really enjoyed that walk.
The junction of the red and green lines is where we ate lunch Blue Dot. I lost my hiking stick right after starting the green line traverse.[/b]
I'm pretty sure both of these traverses are Class III and this view makes the "exposure" pretty obvious.
Falling here would likely end your day.

Image
Last edited by PeteE on Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:44 am, edited 4 times in total.
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by ND »

Holy cow, it made me nervous just watching the videos! I wish I were a climber, but the fear of exposure would get the best of me. It just isn't in the cards for me. I noticed those rock out crops were your right hand's best friends. :) It sure looks very necessary to place your foot correctly on every step and never try to hurry things. Did you ever have a slip on the loose scree that scared you?
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by indiana hiker »

I'm with you ND. I could barely watch the video. Pete said it wasn't too bad, but I would have been crawling and probably couldn't do it that way either. I know I miss some great trails and vistas but it can't be helped. I am a lot better than years past, but will never be able to even think about hiking anything like the trail in that video.
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by PeteE »

ND wrote:Holy cow, it made me nervous just watching the videos! I wish I were a climber, but the fear of exposure would get the best of me. It just isn't in the cards for me. I noticed those rock out crops were your right hand's best friends. :) It sure looks very necessary to place your foot correctly on every step and never try to hurry things. Did you ever have a slip on the loose scree that scared you?
Hey Ken
Yeah....
No, I agree that this sort of "hiking" isn't for everyone. I got an earful from my sister and cousin back east. 8)
However, I'm glad you, Larry, and Bill had fun when we did ShangriLa and the false summit of the Dragon's Tail!
I think you'd agree both are awesome hikes with gorgeous views.

Regarding hand holds and foot placement. Yeah, you really do have to be careful, every step and hand hold on a stretch of trail like that.
In the next two parts you'll hear Ralph have me come and look at a particular rock and warn me to NOT use it.
It was a tricky little pitch with limited/awkward places to get a foot or hand hold
That "rotten rock" is everywhere.

I've really only had one bad experience on scree--so far.
That was when I climbed the Hay Stack via those short cliffs visible as you approach...instead of the more popular way up the bear grass slope on the south side.
I got up through the cliffs with no trouble at all. Then there is a scree slope that is hard rock with small loose crap on top.
Think crawling up the outside of an upside down "bowl" covered with marbles.
I felt like I was gonna go sliding back down and over the cliffs.
So I had to get spread eagle on my belly for maximum "friction", and just sort shuffle up the slope like some huge spider!! LOL
Until I got to where there was some larger rock for holds.
That wasn't much fun. I'll go the bear grass route next time.
The cliff part was fun though :D

I think you know me well enough to know I don't give a flying flip at a rollin' donut about boosting my ego doing this stuff.
I like like putting reports like this up. It's boring and "old hat" for some members here. And that's fine.
But let's not forget there are always new folks coming along...plus a good many lurkers.
Maybe they will find some of what I post useful.


It is what it is. :wink:
I'm just your "humble" reporter here on the GNP chat page. 8) 8) 8)

cheers and HI to Larry and Bill
indiana hiker wrote:I'm with you ND. I could barely watch the video. Pete said it wasn't too bad, but I would have been crawling and probably couldn't do it that way either. I know I miss some great trails and vistas but it can't be helped. I am a lot better than years past, but will never be able to even think about hiking anything like the trail in that video.


LOL!!
Well like I told ND, doing this sort of thing isn't for everyone. But I really do love doing these "scrambles".
I'll admit though that a "little bit" of that Class III scree walking goes a loooooonnnnnggggg way! 8)

Please try to watch the next two installments. I found the missing file this morning.
It'll be about 35-40 minutes in two parts.
I'll agree that the first 4 parts get tedious for most people...looking down all the time at my shuffling feet on the "hated scree".

These next two parts are where we are through the scree and now doing some actual climbing through a series of ledges with a lot more "conversation".
I think some of you and others on the chat might enjoy these two parts more.

later

pete :wink:
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by paul »

Thanks for posting Pete. This does look pretty dicey. I just wonder how much of it is distorted by the gopro camera. Did you take any stills with your regular camera of the narrow parts of the traverse?
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by PeteE »

paul wrote:Thanks for posting Pete. This does look pretty dicey. I just wonder how much of it is distorted by the gopro camera. Did you take any stills with your regular camera of the narrow parts of the traverse?
Hey Paul:

It looks dicey because, honestly, it is pretty dicey.
The GoPro was on the setting with the narrower angle of view to minimize distortion.
One of the things that does not show well when looking straight down with that helmet cam is the way the "trail" slopes down hill.
The camera does distort that feature. it looks "flat" viewed perpendicularly, and it is not flat. Trust me :)
Gauge the "narrowness" by boot width or length. It's narrow when you have to put one foot dead ahead of the other.
Now, I'm sure there are heaps of hikers that are stronger and more agile than I. And presumably they would have less trouble.
That said, I'm pretty sure EarMountain will affirm that that section of "trail" is pretty sketchy.
I think you'd be OK doing that route with all your experience.

I'm going the SW Talus route next time. 8)
Climbing around the ledges is a lot more fun than scree walking along side the abyss!

pete :wink:

PS
No, I didn't get any pics with my regular camera along that dicey part. I didn't like stopping and getting it out. Awkward because it was so narrow and sketchy.
It would have taken time as well. I felt I had to move along too. I knew I was holding progress up at times. But I just had to go slow sometimes. Ralph understood that--God bless him :) We had a bit of a time constraint. We needed to get done so we could make the GMS dinner over in Many Glacier.
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by daveparker »

You guys are nuts, I would not have even tried it in my good years, no freaking way now!

:shock:
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by teapot57 »

Wow. That takes a certain level of confidence in your abilities that I’m not sure I’ll ever have. Remember . . . this is coming from the gal who sprained her ankle strolling along the Iceberg Lake Trail a few years ago— LOL!

Thanks for sharing these videos. From the perspective of looking down at the narrow ledge to the sounds of the tinkling scree, they sure do illustrate the realities of a climb like this.
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Re: Reynolds Mt. 7-25-2017

Post by paul »

Ok, thanks Pete. I like to try the diagonal goat trail on the north face but I don't think the traverse around the Mountain is for me, at least not by myself.
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