Alpine Scramble - Pratt Mountain

We put microspikes on at the 3,760 foot level, just after a creek crossing.  We went off trail just after the Talapus Lake Trail makes a right switchback. The off trail scramble portion involved a 1,300 foot gain through alpine forest and a bed of snow several feet deep in places.  The first 500 feet of this are the steepest part of the day.  We could make out faint snowshoe and boot tracks probably a few days old. 

We encountered the crux boulder at 4,530 feet. From a distance it looks impassable without doing some rock climbing up the face, but as we got closer a faint boot pack trail became visible that skirts the right side.  The mountainside is very steep here, for hundreds of feet, but there are trees to stop a fall.  The move requires facing the mountain, toe pointing and two-hand belay on the ice axe, for about a 30 foot climb. 

Soon after the crux boulder, the ridge becomes narrower and both sides drop close to 1,000 feet very steeply.  The are few or no trees in the way of a fall here.  It's not likely, but the consequences would be great. It would be a very steep place to self arrest.  Most of us kept the spikes on all the way, a couple put on the snowshoes.  Without snowshoes there was post-holing about a dozen or so times. 

The summit consisted of about 5 square meter platform and was windy.  There were sweeping views, and a particularly nice angle on Rainier.   Half our group chose snowshoes coming down, the other half spikes. On the steeps, the snowshoes were very difficult to get purchase.  I would do spikes next time in order to plunge step.  The crux move was more difficult to negotiate coming down as the snow was getting soft and slippery. Face in, toe point, ice axe  deep. One in our party did not know what plunge stepping is and took considerable time descending the steeps.

We wore the spikes all the way down to 3,600 feet.  By afternoon things were sufficiently melted as to get very slippery  in spots. We had three people slip and fall on trail and a few other unintended sit-downs  on the snow.  Nothing that rose to the level of an incident.   

We had a great leader, Tobey, who was calm, confidance-inspiring, caring and attentive.  A good time was had by all.