Al West Peak Attempt
Stats:
Date: 5/06/2008
Distance: 8 miles
Elevation gain: 2700'
Class (difficulty): 2
Time: 7.5 hours
Range: Lost River
Partner(s): Zach
Report:
I only had a few days left of work at my current job with lots of timeoff to burn, so I wanted to find a peak to climb in one of the bigger ranges before I started working at my new job and didn't have a lot of time off. Reports were that snow conditions were great in the high country. Zach was interested in tagging along, so we figured out that Al West near Borah would have great views and a manageable route. We left Boise on a Monday afternoon, heading for Rock Creek Canyon (also the start of the Borah North Face route). We arrived at the trailhead in the evening and were impressed by the nice camping spot. It was flat, shaded, had a tent area, a fire ring, and running water nearby... oh yeah, and a view of Borah right too!
We messed around that evening drinking some beers and chatting. We eventually realized we didn't have a match or working lighter to start a campfire, so it took about an hour of trying different things to get flame. Tissue and the cigarrette lighter (of the started vehicle) was the flame producer. After some attempts at capturing the campfire and Borah in the background, we hit the hay.
We awoke around 4am to beautiful clear skies and cold temps. It was cold enough that I didn't think the snow would be an issue, so we hit the sack for another hour or so.
The hike in was initially brushy, but snow free. We then headed above the creek on the east side and worked our way through snow drifts in a pine forest. About 1/2 a mile in I found a trail and we actually made good time for a while. Eventually the canyon steepened and the snow deepened. Here is where we figured out our day was in trouble, as we sunk into the snow all the way to our thighs on occassion (even with snowshoes). It was also at this point that we couldn't find good routes. The snow was horrible on the east side, but the west side wasn't much better and was littered with downfall and the creek bottom had the worst snow of all.
When the creek finally turned toward Borah and opened up a bit, the snow got a lot better. We were exhausted from the postholing, but kept on trudging toward the saddle at 9400' between Al West Peak and Mount Borah. Just before the saddle, the snow relented and we cruised to the top on bare ground. I arrived at the saddle after Zach and he was already laying down. I did the same. After relaxing, refueling, and discussing the situation we decided to give it one last shot even though we were spent already after 3 1/2 miles of hell. We decided to head up the ridge and just see what the crux and remaining route looked like. When we crested a small point on the route and touched snow again, we both knew the day was over. The snow on the ridge was more rotten that it was in the creek bottom (just not as deep). We could see snow the rest of the way. The crux on the route appeared difficult enough, but the rotten snow would have made it very tricky. We turned our backs to the route and just started enjoying the views that were before us. After a bunch of pictures of Borah's north face, we made our way back.
The return through the creek was another posthole nightmare. In some spots, I had never seen worse snow. You would literally step onto snow 3 or 4 feet deep and it would feel like you were stepping into a bowl of soup as your foot hit the bottom without any resistance. We were glad to be done with the hike and plan to return without snow to finish what we started!
Getting There:
From Mackay, drive north on US 93 for 22 miles and turn east (right) onto the Doublespring Pass Road. Follow Doublespring Pass Road for about 2.8 miles (right before the earthquake information area), turning right on a dirt road heading toward the mouth of Rock Creek Canyon. The road parallels the mountains until it reaches Rock Creek, then drops down into the canyon and ends at a old damn. The site is perfect for camping with a spot for tents, water, and shade!
Hiking Instructions:
Follow Rock Creek, initially staying on the east side of the creek and above it. Eventually you will find a trail that helps get you through the forest. At 2 miles you are supposed to be able to enter the creek bottom. With crappy snow, we found the creek bottom impassable until the route turned and Borah could be seen. Near the 8900' mark, turn left and angle towards the saddle at 9482'. From the saddle, climb the southeast ridge to the summit.
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