Trip: cd to 10.2k -

Date: 10/9/2009

Trip Report:
With crumby weather forecasted to hit us next week, and with my labor buisness (Dan's Labor Service) strugleing - I decided to hit up the 'shan again -- knowing full well that the snow conditions were going to be shiitee for skiing, this was going to be leaning more on the mountaineering aspect of "ski mountaineering" great fun for sure.



The snow was as expected -- much crustier than a few days ago, Kulshan has definetly tranistioned from sweet summer corn to typical winter knar. There was an on-off cap on the summit, it decided to leave later in the day, but high clouds rolled in blocking out the sun for the most part -- and ensureing a especially crusty experience. Where there wasn't crust -- there was old frozen solid firn and glare glacial ice... The CD however is a route low angle in nature, so such conditions can be safely mangaged on skiis.

My Camp Nanotech crampon (the remaining one I am currently useing) busted just below the col-cleaver. I really love the extrodinary lightness of the Camp Nanoteches, as well as their incredible ease of transition, however -- both front bails broke/snapped on my climb of the east face of Graybeard earlier this year (I replaced them with steel bails with help from a friend), then one of the plastic heel clips broke as I climbed back up the Park Headwall this July, now wearing one old stubai and one camp -- the camp's heel clip broke. The utility of duck-tape never ceases to amaze me, and I ducked the crampon on to my foot --- wich worked for a while... Snow stopped at ~10.2k so - so did I.





conditions at 10.2k





ahh - coleman headwall - when will you be in? don't take too long, and don't do me in, oh coleman headwall where have you been.

any pics of Colfaz North Face?

AAI has a used gear sale going, they had some crampons left at noon or so if you are looking for a matching set. Sweet pictures also.

Here's a previous Cascadeclimbers with a pic