Journeys: Beehive Peak

I climbed Beehive Peak today. Sometimes when you climb to the top of crag or a mountain you feel like you have conquered it. Today was not one of those days. Today felt like the mountain let me off the hook...this time.

Traverse over Beehive Peak.

I should have camped at the trailhead and got a proper alpine start. Instead I arrived hours late and started hiking up Beehive Basin just after 7 a.m. One mile in I saw a moose and her calf grazing on a grassy slope. No bears. Shortly after the moose I hit the snow line and put on my snowshoes. An hour and a half later I was in the bowl below Beehive Peak putting on my crampons. The snow was too soft for crampons, but I needed the practice. I cached my snowshoes and trekking poles under a small tree then started up the 4th of July Couloir, ice axe in hand. Climbing in the soft snow was slow and tiring. I am not sure how long it took to climb the couloir, but the view from the top was fantastic. I could see where someone had skied down the backside toward Beehive and Spanish Lakes. There may have been two or three small couloirs leading from the col to the summit of Beehive Peak, but I did not take time to assess each of them. I started climbing the one in front of me. It was a tight and steep couloir that tapered to what looked like (hopefully) 4th class rock.

Couloir above 4th of July Couloir.

The first few steps up were fine, but I was soon swimming in thigh deep sugar with my crampons bottoming out on rock. I was not comfortable with this and should have turned back, but stubbornly pressed on. The snow ended and I reached the 4th class rock. A rope and a partner would have been nice, but the crampon's spikes were quite stable on the rock and I climbed up passing a rat's nest of rappel anchors on the way.

I could see the peak. In between was snow and more 4th class scrambling. I started crossing the snow headed for the rock and realized I had left one couloir for the top of another larger one. I looked down the couloir and realized that I was now in a no fall zone with a fatal runout. The bottom of the couloir ended in thin air and the valley floor below. I made my way to the base of the 4th class scramble to the summit and removed my crampons. I had tried two different routes turning back when the moves were too committing before finding an easy route to the summit on the third try. The view from the summit was beautiful. To the north was Gallatin Peak, to the east Wilson Peak, and to the south Lone Peak and Fan Mountain. I spent a while eating and taking photos from the summit then packed up to head down the east ridge. I had heard that the east ridge was exposed 3rd class rock scrambling.

On the summit.

Looking at the ridge traverse from the summit. 

Looking back at the ridge traverse after finishing.

In snow it was treacherous. The sheer cliffs hundreds of feet down either side did not help my nerves, but I grit my teeth and made it to the descent gully below Honeycomb Peak. The descent gully was a gentle relief to the ridge traverse. Back in the bowl below Beehive Peak I took a long break and collected my nerves then made the hike back to the trailhead and my truck. As glad as I was to be out of a dangerous situation and finished with the climb I had a strong desire to go back for another round and see if I could find and easier way to the summit.