Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, Aug 1 2009 - 8888 Peak (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):		Larry Sandefur
Participants:		Larry Sandefur

Write Up:
Peak 8888 - August 1, 2009 Coordinator: Larry Sandefur Peak 8888 was climbed by five GMSers via the Fielding Trail and Ole Creek. The 7.5 miles of trail up to the lower Ole Lake were uneventful except for two creek crossings and the fruitful huckleberry bushes that would nearly beg you to pick them by often hanging large right in the middle of the trail. After reaching the lower Ole lake, we dropped down to the creek bottom and waded once again (a third time) across to the north side, and followed it eastward nearly a mile before angling up toward a large gully that comes out of the hanging valley just southwest of Peak 8888. We crossed the creek in the center of the gully and continued climbing and were eventually above the small lake and waterfalls below, into a large wide open basin that included some nice green meadows and wonderfully cold drinking water. It was a fairly easy scramble up the broad southwest slope to the top, but made a bit harder by trying to keep the pace set by Don on the final assault. The views were great and we took a nice break on top of this, the highest point on the ridge between Park Creek and Ole Creek. We found only a wet plastic sack with an old register put there by Bill Hedglin and Bud Iszler, and only a handful of folks had signed it. The nicely built cairn was still there, but damaged no doubt by a lightning strike. It was a fairly arduous 10-plus hours of hiking, but the route turned out a winner, and everyone agreed that the cold beverages were well earned as we headed home. Peak 8888 climbers were: Don Scharfe, Jack Beard, Linda Soper, Mark Hertenstein and Larry Sandefur.

Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Tim Anderson at twamontana@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.