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Hi, Keith Stevens/Royster here. Regarding the north pillar of Rooster Comb, I seem to recall thin ice and lets say sparce protection as the rule on both of the Rooster Comb routes I was involved in. In ten years of time in the Alaska range I have found consistently better conditions in general early in the year. This is not the lower 48. Doug Scott and Dougal Haston, following an oxygenless ascent of Sagarmatha (everest)did a new route on the south face of Denali. By their own admonition grossly underestimated their undertaking.The Alaska Range is at 63* North Latitude, Sagarmatha 27*, this pressure difference changes the metamorphosis of water considerably due to the sunlight hours available. It gets worse, or shall we say more variable the later you go into the range for mixed routes.You can have equal temperatures from sea level to 4500 meters at times on Denali from the spring to late summer due to its latitude. The Alaska Range has a whole different set of things to consider to be successful climbing there. There are no mountains like the Alaska Range anywhere else in the world. Their geographical position requires a different set of tactics. To simplify, Jay and I chose earlier,colder, be fit,go faster based on previous experience in the range by our selves and others like Muggs and Rob and the McNurtneys, Haston and Scott. At this point, it seems a pair of you modern day bad asses (lol) could pull this plumb off by flying in in March or early April and blasting up this thing in a day! After all Jay and I were using a little bit less sophisticated tools. ( I still have both of those 55cm bamboo Zeros made by the master Yvonne Chouinard and GPIW in the chimney photo) I had a silver headed hummingbird for a third tool,Chouinard rigid crampons,and Galibier double boots. They worked fine. I think it will go, fly in, FIRE IT and fly out.......earlier,fit,fast,and you can leave the colder for BEER and SCOTCH at the Roadhouse in Talkeetna!!!!!! I can't wait to read about it!! Good luck to you all. Old and Slow, Keith Stevens. p.s. I have some other photos of the Rooster and Huntington, I'll see what I can find.