Lincoln's Throat

Meeting Time: 8:15 - 8:30 in East parking lot of trailhead for OBP. Destination: Lincoln's Throat via OBP bushwack from 800m-ish contour.

We have no idea what we're doing. Will report back asap. Read about it from These Guys. For a harrowing picture, see this one. Or check out These Guys (photo album).

My pics are now posted HERE.
tMail's pics are now posted HERE.

tMail's Trip Report:

1. Holy Shit
2. Holy Shit
3. Holy Shit
4. Blew the doors of Hillmans.
5. Looking back and saying okay today you can easily break everybone in your body don't fall.
6. Seeing Mutha go knee deep into a tree.
7. The falling ice crystals that were falling down the slide some at alarming speeds.
8. See the ice ax go in the ice and then all the ice break away...hhhhhmmm...self arrest?
9. The bushwhack...where was it?
10. Topping out on Lincolns false summit and seeing people just staring at us.
11. The "I am still alive" team hug on top of the ridge.
12. Bluebird
13. Double lightsabers for Mutha and I
14. Mutha's route guidance, traction updates, and confidence!

Couple of side notes:

What an insane day...that was Epic...it is a incredible approach to Lincoln...and must be what it is like in the big mountains when you just keep working your way up.

The lady in the parking lot arguing with us as to why we should not bring snowshoes. Note to lady...I saw you on the ridge in crampons with rubber boots on let me know how the crampons through rubber through skin through bone goes!!!

The first time in my life I saw a dog with better gear than a person. This kid was with his (gf) I assume...the kid had on the latest and greatest gear so did the dog...his gf has on jeans, sneaks and cotton...they had to turn back going to Lafayette she could not keep traction. Mutha asks her can I take a picture of you because your gear sucks so bad I need this picture...she poses and smiles for camera.

The guy that decided to ski of Lafayette...god rest your soul

To Bens Fold Five you are a true mountain spirit thanks for the Redrocks and Hellgate tips...many miles to you!

What a day!

Mutha's Trip Report:
Beautiful day, excellent spring weather. What started off looking like a rough bushwack in as we departed from the hairpin turn on the OBP turned into a 100yd drop to Lincoln's Highway - wide enough to drive a truck up with a solid, strong snowpack. tMail and I experienced something that this group has established well over the years: trust, teamwork and no fear of a big day out. And for some highlights:

1. Stuff coming off the mountain ran down the hard-crust gully and collected in pools. It was the size of marbles, not sand. They were round, clear, ice balls. We later discovered it was ice coming off the trees above treeline in the sunshine and tumbling down the mountain - become smooth like rocks in the PM's tumbler.
2. tMail charging up that gully like he owned the place and discovering the loveliness of the two-fisted axe wielding.
3. Route decisions: Hmm, we can go to the right and die in the deep snow; left and die in a steep fall; or straight up picking our way over the falls and die slipping on ice, falling through the air, landing on ice, and having bones scattered into the deep snow.
4. The douchebag on the summit all "hey man, was the Throat all gnarly?", geared up w/ the geared up dog and the girl-friend w/ cold, soaked denim jeans and sneakers following him like a groupie - miserable but afraid to say so.
5. Wallowing in the krumholz: the only thing more amazing than being in steep terrain is being in steep terrain and soft snow.
6. Having an axe touch rock through an inch of ice on one swing, and then have an arm plunge into soft snow on the next.
7. Topping out on Lincoln and attracting bears on the summit with a smoked herring sandwich.
   
8. Taking pictures of tMail and then noticing on reviewing at home that the horizon is showing up at a 45° angle. What way was up?
9. The gully got steeper, steeper, steeper - smoothly, gradually and relentlessly.
10. Ben and Nicky of Thetford know all the nooks and crannies of the WMNF. It was a pleasure to talk to people that play in the woods and hills for personal pleasure, love to share, have the relaxed demeanor of people with nothing to prove and also believe that these woods and mountains and all the beautiful snow are a bounty of fun and beauty, not to be ignored.
11. Spending four hours descending from Lincoln via Lafayette. No problems, no delays - lots of stopping, staring, taking pictures, hanging out. This was easy with winds steady at 0.5, gusting to 2mph.