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Trip: South Sister - Up-Down-Swimmin' Around Trip Date: 08/05/2020 Trip Report: Tyler and I had a really fun day out on and around South Sister, full of: walking, trotting/cantering, scree pawing, scree skiing, boot skiing, serious-ass-abrasion glissading, lake swimming, shoe-emptying, and only a small amount of shivering. We went up the south side trail in good time, did the apparently-mandatory loop around the crater rim, slid down the NW side, and swim-traversed* nine lakes. Carver Lake, our last one, numbed our throats and we were very very glad it wasn't wider to cross. We got back on trail on the NE side of the mountain and looped back around to the car (distant thunderstorms with lightning provided some entertainment). A bit under 11 hours round-trip. *Depending on size of lake, air and water temperatures, and level of stoke, we fully swam across a couple of the lakes, while we swam across sizeable or not-sizeable corners of others. Photos that don't have Tyler in them: photo credit to Tyler. Also, route name: credit to Tyler. First lake, pre-summit, was fantastic! Gear Notes: Dorky running vest was pleasant to hike/run and swim in, but dry bag was essential for electronics and jackets. I opted for no poles, so gloves were great for the scree descent. "Crossover" pavement-trail running shoes actually worked well, not too much sloshy foot stuff or any hot spots. Goop was key. Ankle/baby gaiters would have been great for the scree.... Approach Notes: South side/Devil's Lake TH

Trip: Slesse, BC, Canada - NE Buttress - *Descent update* Trip Date: 08/07/2020 Trip Report: Some bivis are better than others! August 2019 A trusty Subaru Forrester got us into the Memorial Trail where we bivied before the long day ahead. While climbing the NE Buttress, Slesse shed ice from a hidden hanging pocket glacier above the approach slabs, narrowly missing a party behind us. Slesse rumbled as rock fell to the right of the North Rib, the landslide that had started the day before from Stumpy frequently hurled new debris down its ever widening path, ruining the crossover descent. The climbing was dirty and had several loose blocks in places which made it a bit nerve wracking to have the party below, but lent us an amazing experience in one of the most beautiful and seemingly remote alpine settings. We had snow pockets on route and found a great, albeit mini, bivi ledge two pitches from the summit. We mixed up the bypass and left it early and climbed some hard 5.9+ to the base of the crux pitch! Glad Jun was a bit of a crux thief really, as my pack was a bit heavy for optimum performance. We started the approach in the dark and climbed all day until darkness made it impossible. On the bivi ledge the rumblings from stumpy, realization we would runout of food soon, and uncertainty of how the crossover descent would go made me want to descend down the Slesse Creek drainage. Janet and Topher offered to drive out from east Vancouver, save our bacon and shuttle us, sweet, problem solved! We topped out early the next morning, and rapped the face from just north west of the summit notch (scramble down to first rap, or set a rap off summit notch), something like 8 raps with a single 70m landed us at the descent trail, quite good really but not sure how it compares to the other descent. We hiked out to the ridge but got sucked down a trail on skiers right of the ridge and had to do some nasty exposed down climbing, near rib busting rappels, and steep sidling on grassy vegetation that had one tumbling; then found the ridge looked better from below as the party behind us confirmed! All 3 parties on route decided to bypass the crossover descent as the land slide started right at the base of Stumpy's cliff face taking out the trail, at sunrise the one side of the landslide cast a shadow.. A double rack from BD .2 to #2, a #3 and #4 were indispensable, also a hiking stick, micro bivi sac, tarp, warm layers and 3 liters of water each, but we could have swapped out the ice axe and crampons for a light weight sleeping bag. Our rap from the summit is in the image below. *It is possible the crossover descent could go still if someone put in some work to make a way below stumpy's cliff face, like trail and some bolts in the rock on the traverse, but really no idea. Or possibly before Stumpy there are some low angle slabs with trees which may need a bolted rap line, or perhaps a climb over stumpy would go, it's a bit of an adventure if you try and descend the crossover now, and could be a very humbling waterless experience unless there are still snow patches present. Actually a new route or descent was just put in by a friend Brent Nixon from Vancouver Mountain Guides called Crack of Noon Club, details are on Mountain Project, Happy Climbing... Gear Notes: doubles BD .2- #2, one #3 and one #4 Approach Notes: Memorial Trail, 4x4 or Subaru Forester.

I know the right most routes get pretty bad reviews but the 1963 route had good rock/pro and a few really nice 5.7ish pitches right before you hit the perm-snow up high. we did it c2c in about 14 hrs

Why do you tease us like this?

That mountain doesn't mess around. My partner pulled off a hold and took a long fall, severely injuring his ribs. It took us many hours to come out the second day, limping along, followed by a trip to the ER. Glad you escaped unscathed, at least physically!