Pyramid to Pillar

[Limberjim]

On 05/31/2015 I wanted to do a variation of the Anton to Monashaka route by starting from Pyramid. I had never been to the Easter Sunday side of the Prongs, and was doing it on the fly. The original plan was to cross over to the North side of the prongs at Easter Sunday and make my way to the Three Sisters. It was shorts and tee shirt weather the entire way.

I started at the ski chalet parking lot at the base of Pyramid.


The hike's highlights were the 4 valley/bowls. The first valley on the backside of Pyramid was entirely brush free, easy hiking and very scenic.


On top of the saddle between Pyramid and Easter Sunday bowl.


It was a little soggy in Easter Sunday bowl, but easy to navigate the brush.


I attempted to summit Easter Sunday, but turned back half way up. The steep knife edge ridge seemed too dicey. It was almost entirely snow free.


After abandoning Easter Sunday I crossed the bowl on the South side, which was nice.


After crossing another saddle, you enter into the last bowl. I climbed a pass at the top of the bowl looking for a way to the North side, but didn't like the look of the drop off so went back into the bowl.


The final bowl was the highlight of the hike.


Time wasn't an issue so I climbed another ridge.


I finished up hiking the ridge into pillar, it was brushy and buggy until you hit the trail, not too bad though.


9 miles overall and took a little over 8 hours. You could cut down on time if you didn't climb to the ridges. I only saw one goat, no bears. If anyone has beta on how to link into the Three Sisters i would appreciate it.


 

[Philip]

Superb hike and trip report! Well done.

That southern end of the Prongs is hard to deal with. A lot of the ridges are really scary if not completely impossible to hike. Many years ago I did what you had planned on doing and went over Easter Sunday and out the Sisters, but it was later in the summer with no snow and it was still sort of scary. There are sections of the Prongs I just won't go to anymore. Too steep and rotten rock, or you have to do detours that take you down low or across very steep grass or scree.

If you study the Prongs from the Sister's side ahead of time, you could probably plan your egress from one of those passes. It can be done, you just need to know where to aim. This past sunday I did the Pillar Watershed loop hike from my house and I popped into the Prongs for a little added mileage. I went over a pass at the southern end, and while it is very steep, it's just grass and pretty nice hiking.

Here is the kmz of the loop I did. Click the link and it should open in google earth. dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10241410/PillarProngs.kmz

[Philip]

Note: USGS topo maps label what locals call the "Three Sisters" as the "Devils Prongs". Below I use the local definition of the Three Sisters: the 3 peaks south of Monashka Bay Rd on the west side of Pillar Creek. The Devils Prongs are the peaks that start at the northern end of the Pillar Mountain ridge and include 2405 and Easter Sunday, but NOT the Three Sisters.

Okay, I popped into the Prongs today and linked from the Buskin side to the Sisters. You were pretty much on the right track the second time you topped out on the ridge (the time after you tried to get up Easter Sunday). If you look at a USGS topo, you will see a peak called 2405 (feet) that is the natural link between the sisters and the Prongs. There is a pass just on the southern flank of 2405 that is an easy walk-up, and after summiting 2405, the ridge to the Sisters is an easy stroll (though climbing the south side of the S Sister is anything but). 2405 is the peak on the NE corner of the last bowl you liked so much. Definitely approach it from down in the head of the bowl and don't try to walk the ridge from the peak to the NW. Yikes.

I went in from Pillar as I often do. Here is the view of 2405 from the top of Pillar. The arrow shows where you top out on the shoulder and then climb the peak:



The double arrow is the pass at the southern end of the Prongs you can pop over to get into the bowl south of the South Sister. It looks gnarly, but it's just steep grass on both sides and not technical. The arrow leading to 2405 shows the slope you need to climb to get on the ridge leading to the 3 Sisters.



Now in that pretty bowl at the southern end of the Prongs, showing how to get up 2405. It's a lovely and easy climb:



A couple of bears lounging at the entrance to the bowl below 2405:



The goats were thick on 2405:







From the summit of 2405 looking south along the Prongs. No, you do NOT want to walk the ridge in that direction!



Looking in the opposite direction from the summit of 2405 towards Easter Sunday. The ridge looks doable but I still wouldn't recommend it. Travel through the bowls on the Buskin side and then summit 2405 via the pass just to the south of the peak would be my recommendation.



From the base of the south side of the South Sister looking back at 2405:



Also from the base of the south side of the South Sister, this time showing the somewhat gnarly looking pass over the south end of the Prongs (mentioned in my second pic, above) that is still pretty doable as long as the grass is dry.

[Limberjim]

Thanks Philip, I wouldn't have thought that section to summit 2405 would be doable. Looking at some of my other photos the top of the pass looks like more rock, and appears to be another section of knife edge ridge. Using the pass would also allow a person to hit all the best features of the traverse from Pyramid. The exposure in the Prongs/Sisters is awesome, but definitely a gut check.

Unfortunately attempt two will have to wait until this fall or next spring when I’m back on the island. Work is currently in North central PA, which has great hiking but the scenery doesn’t compare to home.