Baal Slot

Jeff R. Filler, (c) July 2007

     
Tower of Babel (most prominent left of Center) from the Vista of the Devils.

The first ridge traversed is to the right of Babel in the center of the pic.

The peak on the left of the frame is Ogre.

Seven Devils Camp Ground and Lake sit in the basin on the right of the frame.

 

  
     
... the ridge between Mirror Lake (this side, not visible) and Sheep Lake (other side, obviously not visible).

Rock on left of frame is the north ridge of Babel.

Route below ridge line successfully reconned earlier.

Originally I planned to stay just above the white rock band, but there are sketchy makings of trail (goat and climbers) up higher - almost on sky line (blue dots, appox).

  
     
Jaci on Climbers Trail out of Seven Devils Camp Ground.  
     
We have broke off Climbers Trail at Goat Pass and have now gone south out the ridge between Mirror and Sheep. 

Jaci above Mirror Lake ...

 
     
Jeff, ditto ... near north ridge of Babel.  
     
We have gone out the ridge ... Babel towers above us ... Sheep Lake will be visible on other side.  
     
Sheep Lake, Seven Devils ... in my opinion one of the prettiest in the State.

Continuing on Climbers Trail would have dumped us out at the small lake at the bottom of the pic - a thousand feet lower.

  
     
Mt. Baal.

Pic taken several weeks earlier.  The slot (`Baal Slot') is to the left, and The Slide is partly visible to the right (of the face of Baal).

Picture taken on recon several weeks earlier with snow still in slot.

Part of Tower of Babel is on the left of the frame and the east end of She Devil on the right.

  
     
Here's a zoom of the slot.  I would definitely not try the slot with snow in it (free climbing).

But by the time of the climb the snow was gone.

  
     
Pic from far side of Sheep Lake (2003) showing planned traverse (red).  Dots stop as slot not visible from this angle.  Intent of traverse is to save elevation across to Baal and avoid The Slide (green).

 

  
     
Jaci resting ... a bit over halfway across the traverse.

Best going across all the talus was finding the bigger stuff and `rock hopping'.  The smaller - the looser.

  
     
The slot was bad.  Loose, loose, and loose.

No pics in the slot - our hands were busy.

A bit over halfway up even the handholds were loose - so we broke right and went up the more solid `face'.

Helmet recommended for the slot.

  
     
The traverse and climb up the slot as viewed from the top. 

We decided it was a bit too grueling.

  
     
From the top Jaci shows off The Goblin and the main Upper Hanson Lake.  
     
From the top of the slot we traversed the south side of Baal to the top of The Slide.

Drained.  One of the `Pre-Towers' to Tower of Babel in the background.

Hard part over.

But ...

Between the slot and the Slide I slipped and ended up banging my leg up.  Ughhh.

  
     
Sheep Lake from the top of The Slide.

Smoke is from the Pole Cabin Fire - which by this time had crossed into the Sheep Creek drainage and smoke was `back-drafting' up the drainage.

 

 

  
     
Now past the slide (and after hurting my leg) we drop and traverse across the upper end of the Cannon Creek drainage.  
     
Upper Cannon Lakes from the top of the Cannon Creek drainage.

(Sorry - but due to the injury to my leg and the growing contusion - we did not take pics of the smoke filled high basin below He Devil at the top of the Hanson Creek drainage.  Eerie.  Instead we made haste to Hanson Lakes.  If you want pics - they are elsewhere on my site.)

  
     
Nice Billy (Mountain Goat) feeding in the Upper Hanson drainage.  
     
A spire of sorts in the Hanson drainage.  
     
We made it to Upper Hanson Lake before dark (but not much before).  As night fell the smoke cleared.  We dined on MREs I left in 2003 and I elevated my leg.

The next morning - beautiful sunrise on Belial (left) ... He Devil (right) and un-named stuff in between.

The descent from the basin below He Devil down into Hanson Lakes is grueling whatever way you take - and I have taken several.

  
     
In the interest of my leg and the fact that my brand new boots were deteriorating ... the next day we dropped to Lower Hanson and on down to the main Seven Devils loop trail, and then the 6 miles out to Windy Saddle, and then on to the Camp Ground.

This area burned while or before I was a child, and had been snags since.  It burned again last year.  Current forest management is to let forests burn.  This area will be snags for my entire lifetime.

  
     
He Devil looms in the distance.  Here we are coming across the Cannon Creek drainage - this time much lower.

(Same decades ago fire produced these snags in the Cannon drainage.)

  
     
Smoke on the Seven Devils as we depart.  
     
 

Raw Trip Diary ...

(written on back of He Devil Quad.)

Pages 1-4 ... here ... and ... 5-8 ... here

And, on the Pole Cabin Fire ... here

 

    
     

Note:  I have now crossed from the Sheep Lake Basin into the Upper Hanson basin via between Babel and Baal (this trip ... the `Baal Slot') and via between Baal and She Devil (`The Slide') ... AND ... I have crossed from Sheep to Upper Hanson via the `Gap' between She Devil and He Devil.  I would consider the `Baal Slot' the most dangerous!  Take that route at your own peril!  It's only advantage is that you don't have to drop down to Sheep Lake.  The Slide is admittedly grueling - even among climbers - as it is so LOOSE ... almost ALL the way up!  The Gap (between She and He Devil) is almost entirely boulder hopping - with some of the boulders ENORMOUS.  It is also several hundred feet lower.  So, take your pick - or you can access Cannon and Hanson drainages from the main Seven Devils loop trail below.