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A circumnavigation of Broken Top in late summer with friends

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Copyright© 2004-2012 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

The two stunning photos above, taken from his PPC, Copyright© 2006 by Q.  All Rights Reserved.

A description of our actual route in August 2004:

The blue line represents our proposed route. The red line is part of our actual route.
We found it un-appealing to climb up to the proposed ridge-crossing at GPS point BTRIDG as the snow pack had melted and it was a steep loose scree and rock climb. We headed directly for a red colored ridge that gently met the main North-West Ridge further down from the proposed crossing point. We had a miserable trip up and down and across loose talus moraines on the direct line. In retrospect we would have been better advised to have read our maps and stayed low and contoured in the flats and then gone up the easy red ridge. Just at the top of the red ridge we found serious ice under light snow and scree. We geared up again with crampons and ice axes and we deployed the rope to use as a fixed hand line.

When we reached the easy sandy top of the main ridge we heard thunder and made the decision to go straight down a steep loose dirt and rock slope to the trail among the trees along the largest Green Lake. We had planned to go (up the easy ridge for fifteen minutes and) down the traditional climber's trail on easier ground, crossing the (lightening exposed) sloping sandy soil to GPS points BT3 and BT4. This was a fortunate decision "to go straight down" as we were assaulted by a fearsome thunder, lightening, hail and rain storm just as we hit the trees along the Green Lakes Trail and headed for the rigs. The total distance was about 10.5 miles, the gain and loss was 2,730 feet and the adventure took us about eight and a half hours of work and play. Compare this description to the Prospectus and check the photos above.
--Bob Speik