North Face of Mount Buckner 7 / 26 / 03 - 7 / 27 / 03
The initial plan was to camp at the toe of the Sahale Glacier but the permit situation forced us to camp on the Boston Glacier and do a carryover. The Boston is a nice place to camp and makes for a shorter day two but means carrying a heavier pack. We climbed to the top of Sahale and traversed the ridge leading to Boston Peak before dropping down to the Boston Glacier where we spent the night. The next day we found excellent snow conditions on the north face and good plunge stepping on the south face descent, although lower down this was scree hell. Crossing Horsehoe Basin we climbed a short snow finger and some rather ugly loose rock (we were probably in the wrong place) to get on top the ridge leading back up to Sahale Glacier.
Snafflery
The trail approaching Cascade Pass
Lisa on top of Sahale
Shawn
The chossyness leading to Boston Peak.
Looking back at Sahale
Buckner with the north face ascent on the left and the south face descent on the right in the late light from camp on the Boston Glacier
The sun rising over Logan
Lisa and Tom climbing the north face
Tom on the summit of Buckner with Sahale, the Boston Glacier, and Boston Peak in the background
Waterfalls crossing below the Davenport Glacier