A trip to Indianhouse Mountain

Prezwoodz

I thought i would give you guys all these pictures since i have been posting my hiking and climbing ones anyway But for anyone who likes reading there is a story to go along with this one. A Crazy moment where i almost didnt make it back!

Brian, Michelle and I headed up falls creek valley to get Indianhouse Mtn. We followed the valley until it took a split right to Indianhouse and left to Falls Lake and the Suicide peaks. We then followed the ridge to the left of Indianhouse up to a high point which had another ridge that went right up Indianhouse. We stopped here for a bit because we had Michelle’s dog Milo with us and Michelle was still way down the valley and so we couldn’t leave him or else he would have run away. The ridge was really intimidating and it was more than once I was thinking about just saying we should come back another time. I did however decide to go and Brian stayed back with Milo. The first part of the ridge was not too bad but I was only about 1 /4 of the way there when it started to get harder. I had to do some climbing which made me wish I had some ropes and large chunks of rock would move or come off when I grabbed them. Hooray for Chugach choss.
At the halfway point I had my most excitement of the entire trip. One little move which gave me a split second in which I thought I may not make it back. Standing on a 12-15ft ledge I saw nowhere to go. There was however a patch of snow below which I could jump into. I contemplated my move for a minute or two and then jumped. When I hit the snow my legs sank in and my chest hit the snow hard, hard enough that I bounced back out of the snow and started rolling towards the cliff. I took one roll and on the way around I slammed my arm as hard as I could into the snow and my body swung around leaving me hanging by my one arm. I took a few really huge breaths and then using my fingers I dug them hard into the snow and climbed with my fingers and toes back up to the ridge. If I had fallen I would have rolled another few feet until I left the snow rolled off a small cliff onto another ledge where I would have proceeded to finish my tumble and freefall down to the valley floor. I have to admit that I was shaking after this little ordeal and sometimes when I would stop going moving the ridge I would have to concentrate hard to get my hands to stop shaking.
When I was finally nearing the top I came upon some nearly vertical snow at the summit. I laid down on the snow and would kick steps with my feet while using my arms as braces into the snow, just another time I was cursing the fact that my mountain axe was sitting on my bedroom floor so I wouldn’t forget it. When I would sink into the snow my body would slide under the hard layer and into the thin snow sometimes up to my chest giving me the eerie feeling I would slide underneath the hard snow layer and sink forever. Once on the summit I took a few pictures some huge breaths and headed back down. Going back I went slow and methodical since I didn’t need any more excitement, I had all I wanted.

Brian scopes the views ontop of the first ridge.


Indianhouse is the shaded peak in the back. The ridge i took comes from the left.


Brian heading up to the peak.


I followed the ridge along the left to the top which is on the right side.


Another shot of the ridge from where i started to walk it. My cliff i jumped and bounced off of was at about the center of the ridge.


Milo says "No thanks guys im hot, you guys go ahead"


One more of the ridge to Indianhouse, what can i say it was scary!!


Looking out from the top. Bird Peak in background.


View from the top


Here is my ledge. I jumped from the rop right and onto the left side of the snow.


This is my little buddy here. He was awesome he even let me and Brian pet him.

DavidTO

You are nuts. That was a harrowing tale. Thanks for telling it. Nice shots, too, amazing mountains, beautiful.

What's Chugach choss?

ginger_55

Young, handsome, and full of adventure, and stamina!

That should be packaged and sold to us old folks. Except that adventure stuff, put a little less in my package.

Did Michelle ever make it?

Great shots, really great!

Now that you have them, well, there is Everest.........

I always found going down from anywhere, was more difficult and scary than going up. How can you take it "easy" while going down?

ginger

Prezwoodz

Chugach is the mountain range i am hiking and Choss means Crappy rock basically

My nerves were so shot from the craziness that going down i was euphoric most the way

wxwax

Prez, very nice shots and a great story! That damn ridge gives me the willies, I wouldna crossed it for all the Cherry Ripes in Gus' pockets. And I love the shot of the dog in the snow - perfect!