goatboy

Great stuff, thanks for the excellent documentation of it.

That sounds like a great experience (especially when you're bivied on top not by accident!)

Trip: Rainier - Emmons Glacier Date: 7/1/2010 Trip Report: Tamara and I climbed Mt Rainier in the summer of 2010 with our friends Erin and Jammie. We got lucky with a window of climbable weather in between storms. As we were hiking in, parties were descending from Camp Schurman reporting "chest-deep powder" high on the mountain as a result of the new snowfall. I honestly doubted if it was as bad as they made it out to be, but I was also concerned about avalanche conditions with that much new snow on top of summer snowpack, as well as wondering if the weather/visibility would even lure us out of our tents at all. On our first day, we lugged fairly heavy loads up to Camp Schurman, and dug into some nice existing tent platforms with snow walls. Day Two: We spent a full day at Camp Schurman, watching the storms clear, hydrating, and acclimatizing. It was time well spent, as parties who tried to summit that day all came down reporting bad conditions, deep snow, high winds, and poor visibility up high. No one who came down that day reported summitting. We drank a lot of hot drinks and miso soup, accompanied only by a visiting Rosy Finch who seemed very comfortable amongst the snow and ice: That afternoon, the storm started to clear off, leaving flurries of fresh snow atop the Steamboat Prow: And then, as we walked from Camp Schurman up to Emmons Flats to stretch our legs, the clouds closed in again. It was hard to know what to expect the next day. Day Three: It was clear and very cold. Our water bottles had all frozen, camelback hoses useless. We left camp around 1 in the morning I think, and the wind was blowing hard. We hoped it would abate, though our hopes were not high. After gaining several thousand feet following bootpacks and weaving past the occasional headlamp-lit crevasse, the first morning light provided some measure of relief and the illusion of warmth. We passed several parties who were turning back for various reasons. As the sun illuminated the slopes below us in pink, we could trace our path all the way back to our campsite and Little Tahoma a few thousand feet below at this point: Although we had passed a few parties, we noticed a party rapidly gaining on us from below. Soon, we recognized Joe Puryear and his wife Michelle who were climbing with some friends. They blasted past us at rocket speed and quickly weaved through a short steep section where the bergschrund was opening up. Soon enough, we had surmounted a short section of crevassed, icier terrain and followed the Puryears through the bergschrund, and found ourselves walking along the crater rim towards the summit. We descended back to camp, placing some pickets as we worked through that same icy, crevassed section -- and noticed a helicopter searching for a climber who had gone missing the previous day ( LINK) and hiked out the following day. As we hiked out, the weather seemed to close in again. I believe we got very lucky with the only climbable day between storms. LINK It was a great climb with the best partners you could ask for. I am writing this trip report on 9/11, thinking about my friend George Cain, a NYFD firefighter who died in the world trade center 10 years ago today. It is bittersweet to remember what a wonderful climb we had on Mt Rainier, only to find out shortly thereafter that Lee Adams would die days later on the same icy, crevassed section we had noticed on the Emmons, that Joe Puryear had died climbing in China, and that the missing climber we saw the Chinook searching for would never be found. Gear Notes: A few pickets, crevasse rescue gear, crampons, ice axe Approach Notes: Trail Crews did a great job repairing the washed-out sections of trail between the parking lot and Glacier Basin LINK

Trip: Liberty Bell - Beckey Route Date: 6/25/2010 Trip Report: Tamara and I climbed Liberty Bell last year and I am finally getting around to writing a TR for it. We did the standard route (Beckey Route) and although I have done it before several times, I enjoyed it as if it were the first time. It is always stunning to arrive atop the snow-filled gully between Liberty Bell and Concord, and suddenly see the SilverStar Massif across the valley: The first pitch goes very easily once you locate the ledge where the route starts, and soon you're into the steep but easy chockstone-chimney, complete with (original?) rusty pitons: A very nice pitch maneuvers through clean, low angle cracks and hand-traverses around a corner to the east (right). Here, you intersect the descent route (or Rapple Grapple if you came up via that variation). We left our ropes and rack here and found our way up the short friction slab towards the summit. This route is a classic for a reason. It is very easy but incredibly rewarding, reasonably long, feels more rugged than it really is due to the surroundings and the snowy approach (despite the highway far below), and inspires you to return for the many other excellent routes visible from the airy summit. Gear Notes: Light rack up to #2 or at most #3 camalot should suffice. Ice axe useful for steep snow. Approach Notes: Go when the gully is still snowfilled. Usually melts out in July.

You guys are my heroes. It's one thing to do a trip like that, and another to do such a great job documenting it. Tremendous work, nicely done.

They weren't broke when they instituted the fee demo program, so it doesn't seem adequate for that, does it? No, it doesn't. I hate the fee demo program and am not defending their choice to implement it. I am pointing out the illogic and unintended consequences of damaging or removing signage to (maybe) avoid a ticket, but which does drive an impoverished system further into debt. Doesn't seem logical, does it?

Good clarification about the kinks in a munter -- it CAN be done without kinking. I actually use the munter a lot, personally. But in general, I still contend that it inherently lends itself to kinking much more than anything else does. Plus, if you ever drop your belay device and need to use the munter -- you'll be glad to know how to do it.

What early summer are you referring to? It has been a late spring and no summer really until August... Nice job on Big 4 though

Good thing to know for the old bag of tricks, if a situation warranted using it. I agree with MattP that it's usually not needed -- a regular munter creates a great deal of friction (and kinks in the rope!) without this added secturity. However, things like this can have unintended consequences if set up wrong, etc. I saw a guy who "thought he knew" how to release a loaded Reverso at Joshua Tree drop his partner fifteen feet onto a yucca. In other words, best to practice these things in low-pressure situations so that you're fully aware of their limitations before having to use them in higher pressure situations with real consequences.

I don't like or approve of the whole Fee Demo system, but it obviously has some of it's root cause in land-management agencies needing to get money from somewhere. They are broke. It is also short-sighted to rip down the signs, etc. which ultimately uses up more money and makes the problem worse for everyone, though it may solve the perpetrator's temporary problem for that particular weekend, etc. I agree with MattP that whether we buy the pass or not, we can at least voice dissent through the proper channels.

I think the technically it's a 1/4 mile from the sign, and that the fact that folks haven't been enforcing it doesn't mean that they couldn't.

Big adventure, great success!!!

Awesome, cool to see it in such conditions in August, huh?

Thanks for the report. The only thing I'd offer is a different perspective on the actual chimney pitches themselves. I found them to be very reasonable and comfortable to solo up and down, in boots -- so based on my experience and calibration of climbing grades, that would make them more like 4th class than 5.6, honestly. I am not a bold or particularly strong climber, relatively speaking. I am not saying that they're not steep and exposed, or appropriate to rope up on if needed -- just striving for a more precise description in the interest of sharing accurate info. I'd hate to see people bring lots of gear to protect 5.6/5.7 climbing for what is usually perceived as 4th class (or 3rd class in some descriptions). Thanks again for a report from a great part of the range.

Nice job, Sobo!

Fantastic stuff.

I glissaded into that same hole the young woman died in, on Aasgard Pass, about 15 years ago. Fell a long way into the waterfall, wedged in between ice and rock... clawed my way out in a hypothermic haze and emerged about 30 feet downslope from where I fell in. It was horrifying. I consider it my closest call in the mountains.

Can we move this to Alpine Lakes forum?

I don't think you need a permit of any sort as long as you're below 10,000 feet - right?

That chimney pictured is a harder variation - easier chimney around corner to climber's right (west). How hard did you find this one to be?

Woody Goomsba

What a surprise, people who disagree about the ethics of wilderness use as it overlaps with climbing. Goats are an objective hazard of climbing. If you're not okay with that hazard, then there are plenty of other places to climb. Here's a funny analogy: Shooting goats is like retro-bolting, or bolting cracks -- it just brings the crag down to your level of comfort. Instead of the murder of the impossible, it's just murder of goats. By the way, on a related tangent, dogs are illegal at the Pearly Gates and the snow creek trail altogether. I saw a very irresponsible group with a husky dog chasing goats around the talus up there last year. A good way to hurt or kill either the dog or the goats.

If you've never been -- you have no idea how wonderful it is. Wonderful people, good fish and chips, and adventures to be had at every corner (if you're willing to be flexible between sustained bouts of bad weather). It's a lot like the Cascades MIGHT HAVE BEEN during ice ages in the past, when glaciers were huge. And like the Cascades, the clear blue days mean so much when you've sat out a long wet period... New Zealand is called "Aoteroa - the Land of the Long, White Cloud" for a reason! Not to mention lots of white baa

They're passable but it's illegal to do so.

End of second video highlight: "This is fucking un-BELIEVABLE!!!!!"