Mount Gabb
Failed ascent of Mount Gabb (South Slope from Cox Col, class 2), with Robert Zeithammer, April 19-21, 2021.
Timeline:
April 19, 2021. We had planned to meet at the trailhead at 10:00. The road, however, was still closed at the Rock Creek Sno-Park, adding 4.75 miles to our hike in. We set out from the cars at 10:26 and were lucky that the manager of the Rock Creek Resort happened to drive by past the locked gate. We loaded up our packs in the back of his truck and sat on the tailgate as he kindly drove us up to a point past the pack station, about a mile from Mosquito Flat. We hiked the last stretch of road in hiking boots which we stashed in a bear box. We left the Mosquito Flat trailhead at 11:30 and skinned up to Treasure Lakes, where we found a nice spot for camp at 15:30. We then set out toward the Hourglass Couloir on Mound Dade. By then much of the terrain was in the shade and the snow had started to harden. The Hourglass was also quite bare of snow in its upper reaches. We skinned about half way up the couloir, to 12,000 feet. From there we skied back to camp, reaching it at 18:04. It was a cold evening, and after cooking dinner we retired to the tent early. (A 7:04 hour day, 6.5 miles, 2,100 feet of elevation gain).
April 20, 2021. It was a cold morning so we waited for the sun to hit camp (a mistake which probably cost us Mount Gabb). We left camp at 8:40 and skinned up to Cox Col (13,100 ft), reaching it at 11:00. We skied down the other side to a point at 11,500 ft, where we had lunch. We then started up the southern slopes of Mount Gabb, but it was getting a bit late and we were worried that it would take too much time to summit with enough time to return before the snow hardened again. I stopped at 12,000 ft at 13:00 and turned around. Robert went for another few hundred feet and also turned around. We met again just below Cox Col, which we reached at 15:40. From there it was a wonderful ski descent back to camp, past the Northern aspect of Bear Creek Spire, the highlight of our trip. We were back in camp at 16:50.
We learned a lot of lessons this day, as budding ski mountaineers: 1) We were not properly acclimated, Robert having driven up straight from LA the day before and I having spent just one night in Mammoth; this slowed us down. 2) We left camp too late – an hour earlier and we might have made the summit of Gabb. 3) Climbing steep class 2 rock in ski boots is really hard – carry some approach shoes if there is going to be any amount of scrambling on rock. Overall, this trip was a great learning experience. (An 8:10 hour day, 7.9 miles, 4,440 feet of elevation gain).
April 21, 2021. It started snowing around 6:15. We made breakfast in the tent vestibule and played cards waiting for the weather to clear. It only partially did so, and we packed up our wet gear. We left camp at 9:17, skiing down toward Mosquito Flat, which we reached around 10:45. From there began the interminable hike down the road to the cars – we did not get a lift this time. We were back at the cars at 12:50. Robert drove home to LA while I went back to Mammoth. (A 3:33 hour day, 8.5 miles, no elevation gain).
Trip totals: 18:47 hours, 22.9 miles, 6,540 feet of elevation gain.