We also brought up rope, tools, and anchor gear and proceeded to do a little ice climbing down off the slopes immediately east of the Palmer glacier. Actually, I did some climbing; Shawn didn't feel like it. Later that day Shawn wimped out for some reason and didn't even attempt the climb with me... oh well his loss. Me being solo yet again just meant the door was open for me to move fast the next morning.
I got up around 4 am and headed out. Made the hog's back in pretty short order. This year, the route led climbers way around the right of the burgshrund which by now was VERY open. Once you gained the small platform on the lower lip of the crevase you could look way down into it.
Crossing the gap was short, but involved a committing step onto a very unforgiving-looking snow bridge (see picture below). After you crossed the gap you had to steeply rejoin the ridge of the Hog's Back. I had never before seen the climb back up to the ridge so steep. A second tool would have been nice since I wasn't on rope... a slip here would have been "unfortunate"! I guesstimate the angle in the 50+ degree range.
Usually when I'm up there I see other solo climbers but this day I was the only person unroped. I got odd looks and questions like "You must be one of those Mazamas, huh?". Uhhhhh... yeah, that's it. Too many gawkers for me on this climb.
In retrospect I wish I had brought a second tool; I had even lugged my Prophets up to camp but left them there thinking there was no need for them! If I had had them I would have just headed up the old chute (left of the head-wall). This line was only a few feet wide and very steep ice, but I could have avoided the rope crowds and the long wait going up/down the bottle neck in the "gates".
