Pioneer Trifecta
The Pioneers are a special place to me. I enjoy the beauty and ruggedness of the area. Hyndman Basin seems to lure me in with its aesthetic appeal, especially during fall with trees changing color. For as long as I can remember, the mountains have been a place for me to reflect and recharge, the Pioneers are no different in fact this mountain range is where my journey-building skills at becoming a better mountain athlete began. With Hyndman being the first 12er I summited both by foot and ski.
The ridge from Old Hyndman (OH) to Cobb is a fun and challenging Class 3/4 scramble, having never done it before I opted to follow a similar route to what Sam and Nate did which would have me going up to Big Basin first to summit, OH, then Cobb, and finally Hyndman. In hindsight going all the way to OH’s East Ridge then utilizing the OH to Cobb ridge would likely have been faster. However, once on the ridge leading from OH to Cobb the route is pretty straightforward I moved efficiently through this section and reached Cobb with a great view of the ridge back to OH from which I came and over to Hyndman across the basin. Once down from Cobb the route is pretty well marked as there is a trail to the saddle between OH and Hyndman then it’s just getting up to the summit. Descending down the south face of the Hyndman is always fun even if not on skis.
The run from the lake back to the trailhead went by fast where I was surprised by a massive herd of sheep above the yurt, therefore I had to detour a bit giving respect to the huge sheepdogs protecting the herd!
Overall a great route and I look forward to seeing others give it a go.