Last week my friend Lance Breeding was working some shifts at the hospital in Petersburg, AK, and had a few days off. He came up with the idea to fly in to the Devil's Thumb area for a few days, just to hike around and check it out. Though my finger is healing well, my whole hand is still very weak and so hiking sounded like a perfect trip. These first photos illustrate why it's always important to sit on the left side of any southbound flight out of Anchorage. Below is the Agassiz Glacier from 35,000 feet.
Next was an awesome view up the Malaspina Glacier, which abuts the Agasiz. Together they're about 40 miles across at the toe, at the bottom of this photo. Mount Logan is the sun lit peak in the distance, and Mount St. Elias is cut off on the left.
Next we flew with Wally from Temsco across Thomas Bay and about 10 miles up the Baird Glacier, shown below.
Wally flying, and a view up the North Baird...
Our best view of the Devil's Thumb was right when we were dropped off. The NW face...
Mount Oasis. Zac Hoyt from Petersburg was super nice and gave us lots of information, and helped lots with logistics. He's put up a route on this side of Oasis and reports excellent granite.
One day we hiked over the the Witches Cauldron, but didn't get a good view of the Thumb. In all we covered about 20 miles of terrain like this. The many hours of ice bouldering was good rehab for me...
Dieter Klose volunteered to pick us up at the ocean. He and his friend Ann arrived right on time at high tide. You can see the toe of the Baird Glacier in the distance. Dieter and Ann gave us a great tour of Scenery Cove, Thomas Bay and the Sukoi Islands on the way back across Frederic sound. Their boat, The Fang, seemed perfect for such an area.
Sea Lions on a buoy as we motored in to Petersburg.
We stayed in an old hut built just off the Baird around 2000'.
Next was an awesome view up the Malaspina Glacier, which abuts the Agasiz. Together they're about 40 miles across at the toe, at the bottom of this photo. Mount Logan is the sun lit peak in the distance, and Mount St. Elias is cut off on the left.
Next we flew with Wally from Temsco across Thomas Bay and about 10 miles up the Baird Glacier, shown below.
Wally flying, and a view up the North Baird...
Our best view of the Devil's Thumb was right when we were dropped off. The NW face...
Mount Oasis. Zac Hoyt from Petersburg was super nice and gave us lots of information, and helped lots with logistics. He's put up a route on this side of Oasis and reports excellent granite.
One day we hiked over the the Witches Cauldron, but didn't get a good view of the Thumb. In all we covered about 20 miles of terrain like this. The many hours of ice bouldering was good rehab for me...
Sea Lions on a buoy as we motored in to Petersburg.
