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Trip: Mesahchie Tour - JGAP LLC Trip Date: 05/21/2022 Trip Report: One of the things I enjoy most about rambling around in the hills is figuring out the "best" way or time of year to do trips. This often takes repeated visits to a route or area, in several seasons, and maybe over as long as 10 years or more. Of course "best" is entirely subjective, but it typically means (for me) when/how the outing the the most "fun" (or, TBH, easiest). I'm not getting any younger, so I need to use all the tricks I can. It also helps to bring strong, competent, younger partners along. @geosean ably fit that role on the Mesahchie Tour yesterday and helped it all click. In the case of this tour, it took three times and ignoring some of the advice you'll find online or in a guidebook. But despite my stubborness, we were rewarded with fun turns, spectacular views, and solitude. We also had the full mix of weather, from spring to winter and back again in the span of a few hours. And the full mix of snow conditions as well, including some of the stickiest snow either of us has had the "pleasure" of skiing. But we had a great time overall, with minimal shenanigans. But just remember, "best" is in the eye of the beholder. You might hate the way we went so I'll let you figure it out for yourself. That is the part of the allure of the North Cascades, no matter the weather or season. Oh, and if you were the one who stole the catalytic converter from my '91 Civic while it was parked for a few hours at the Easy Pass TH (in broad daylight!), I hope you really needed that hit of meth. Sheesh. NF of Graybeard: Golden Horn and Hardy: Hardy: NF of Arches: The one and only @geosean Look at that, a nice path through the cornice! How civilized: My favorite view of the trip, NF of Goode: Glamour shotz by JGAP: North side of Ragged Ridge: Probably the best turns of the day, fast and smooth and in the sun: NF of Katsuk: NF of Mesahchie: Then we had some winter: Minimal shenanigans getting over Granite creek on a nice jam: Look at that footwork!: Gear Notes: leave the snowshoes at home! Approach Notes: Follow Volken or your own nose. There are options

Trip: Mt Hood - Reid Headwall Right Variation Trip Date: 05/24/2022 Trip Report: Coming down onto the Reid from Illumination Saddle wasn't horrible but the ice crust at the top wasn't great. Pretty easy to get over the bergschrund. About to head through the gap. Stayed to the right to avoid the ice fall. Getting some elevation, starting to punch through the ice crust - some hollow sounds. I should have gone up the green line initially instead of trying to go right from the location the picture was shot. Going right here takes one to a flat-ish spot on top of Castle Crags. I did eventually go up the green line but the standard route is one gully left from it. Route was consistently steep. The slightly less steep parts had more ice fall too. After descending and traversing climber's left to the gully with the green line shown before. Whew, I'm going to make it out of here, I think. The ice crust wasn't great on much of the climb and a couple of times I could feel vibrations in my left foot through the crust when kicking in with my right foot. Shot of Castle Crags before heading up any further. Previously I was climbing toward the sunlit middle part of the ridge. Fun climbing. Upper part of Castle Crags. Made it to the West Crater Rim, nice. Looking East. Looking down route. Very cool. Wow. 1 O'clock couloir needed some love. Used teeth to keep umbilicals from getting caught on rime feather on the center fin. Barely fit through with the pack on. Had the summit to myself. Headed down the right Pearly Gate. Gear Notes: 2 tools, crampons, helmet, feet - no skis. Approach Notes: Followed cat tracks.

The CMC route on Mt. Moran has some great views out over the environs of Jackson:

So I went up to the infamed north fork crag yesterday and am PSYCHED OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND. Long story short - bushwhacked through swamp, crossed the river too far north, bushwhacked up to some random cliff, chilled in the woods, gave up, went back to river, spotted the actual crag, found the trail, went up, saw routes, screamed with ecstacy, bushwhacked back in the dark swamp. (For those who don't know it's a huge cave/amphitheater, 25 ish bolted routes all 11 through 13, stays dry in the rain, 15 miles up the north fork county road out of north bend.) So if anyone is psyched about this, please join me in trying to beat a new trail in between the road and the river. The crossing is chill this time of year but the swamp creek crossings are irritating. From what I've read in old threads the creeks just mush everything up pre river so it'll need a solid effort to squish one in. The road is plenty driveable, bolts are in great shape, there's a few modern permas, the routes are stunning and it's total choss. My cave stoked friends and I are gonna be out there doing this mo matter what, this crag is too good to be true (ain't climbed hardly anything yet but it looks better than World Wall in my _humble_ opinion). But it'd be more fun with more people. If you have more info about the crag pls post and such.

It was great getting out with you Jason. Thanks for all the awesome pics of me. Here are some cell phone snapshots of you.