Bomber Traverse

A group of us headed out to do the "shortcut" version of the Bomber Traverse: we started at the Reed Lakes Trailhead, followed the Boulder Field past Upper Reed Lakes to Bomber Glacier, connecting to Bomber Hut, Snowbird Hut, and back to the Reed Lakes Trailhead. None of us had ever gone this way, so it was a great unknown about what the approach down onto Bomber Glacier would be like. 

Abi on night #1, near the lower Reed Lake

Dana looking down on Upper Reed Lake from Bomber Pass. There are a number of different routes to follow the Boulder field to get here from Reed Lakes, but a relatively nice trail follow the western side of the Boulder field. Nothing is particularly nasty, just the typical uneven terrain that you expect along the entire Bomber Traverse. There are two low saddles on the ridge, head to either one (they both have a rope). 

Once at the top, we explored, and discovered there are in fact TWO fixed ropes that descend onto Bomber Glacier. One is an easier approach, but leads down to what is currently a bergschrund (crevasse). I learned that a few of my friends had done this route a few weeks earlier before all the snow had melted off the glacier, and one of them had fallen in, landing on a ledge. They had to pull down one of the ropes from the saddle to help pull him out. The westernmost rope wasn't as easy getting out, but there were no crevasses in the immediate vicinity. As we were crossing the glacier over to the Bomber wreck, the group split up, and for whatever reason, everyone shot over to the steepest part of the entire glacier, and one of our group actually ended up losing her footing, and sliding a few dozen feet before she was able to stop herself with her pole. There were definitely easier routes to follow. 

We kept following the Bomber creek, hopped across the main valley stream channel, and checked out Bomber Hut again. We decided to check out the area above the hut, and potentially spend the night there. 

Denali poking its head out. This was taken from the top of the peak northwest of the Bomber Hut

Heading back down from Camp Site #2

Heading up the valley/boulder fields leading to Snowbird Hut

Our group just below the Snowbird Hut, and ready to head up the Snowbird Glacier. Notice the giant moulin in the background. 

The giant moulin. We headed up the glacier to the pass, and followed the well-established trail back down to the Reed Lakes parking lot. It ended up being about 16 miles. We left Friday night and returned on Sunday night.