goatboy

huh?

Climb: Colchuck Peak-North Buttress Couloir Date of Climb: 4/29/2006 Trip Report: TeeWa and I climbed the NBC on Saturday in warm conditions. Some stories are best told by pictures. This is probably one of them. All of these pictures look better in full size, but here are small ones for the TR. Frozen Boots! Full size images available HERE: Gallery Gear Notes: 30 meter rope 5 stoppers, 3 cams (to 1") 5 slings 2 pickets crampons two tools each Approach Notes: Road is open, snow-covered to about 1 mile from TH Carried snowshoes, didn't need them NOTE THAT boot track takes a dramatic divergence from summer route, sidehilling and traversing cliffbands --- may be best to go more directly uphill towards Colchuck Lake!

Small Picture from 4.29.06. Larger picture is in my gallery here: CLICK ME

We observed an appreciable avalanche pour out of the bottom of the Triple Couloirs on Saturday afternoon about 2:30 PM, and then observed a party of two descending the Hidden Couloir sometime thereafter. Everyone appeared to be okay, glissading down to the lake as the storm picked up momentum... I hope everyone is okay, and wonder if anyone knows what happened?

Please stop stalking me. See PMs.

Nice work on TC! What were conditions like on the NEBC??? Thanks!

For those of you who have done the Ptarmigan, I'd appreciate some advice/perspective about when the best time this summer might be to do it: We can either go the first week of July, or the second week of August. In my experience in other parts of the range, the snowpack and glaciers can change appreciably in that 5-week period of time. Given that it's a relatively high snow year, any thoughts on which you'd prefer, and why? We're envisioning a week-long trip, climbing a few things along the way, and enjoying the wild terrain without being in a hurry. Thanks in advance for any input, goatboy

From website: LINK On Thursday afternoon (April 20), crews working from boths sides of the pass finally reached one another. Thanks to the snow blowers, crews now have one lane cut through nine feet of snow between Rainy Pass and Blue Lake. Eleven crewmembers, four snow blowers, one caterpillar, one road grader, and one loader will spend this week widening the single lane out to two lanes We suspended work Thursday afernoon after things started to heat up (literally). The avalanche danger shot through the roof after crews met up because temperatures were rising. As a result, two of the Liberty Bell's Avalanche Chutes (#'s 2 and 3) emptied themselves and dumped snow over the road. Conditions were not safe. Our avalanche control team will use explosives this week to try and help empty the dangerous avalanche chutes. There were no new slides over the weekend, but Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker says the forecast says there could be temperatures as high as 80 degrees late in the week. "That should help some of the chutes to release. We can't open the highway until they do." The tentative reopening target is still noon on Monday, May 1st. "I know this is the opening weekend of fishing season and folks would love to see a Friday reopening, but if it's not safe, we can't open it," said Becker.

Thanks for inspiring me to "ignore all posts by this user" from this day forth.

Still Climbin, are you referring to the East Ridge Direct, or the NE Face when you refer to the "standard?" I echo the idea of the Boston Basin summits which you missed last time, or the Ptarmigan Traverse.

You can also park there, just down the road outside of the "fee area" without getting ticketed. The place in George is a good suggestion EXCEPT for the fact that their machine is broken currently, so you can't buy them there....as of 4/15/2006.

Could it be Chimney Rock?

This is non-sensical.

From the 1964 Wilderness Act, available at: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct&error=404 "A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this chapter an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. " Translation: We define and manage wilderness differently than these other countries do. I like the fact that there are no huts in our wilderness areas. I also confess that I enjoy going to places like New Zealand where they do have hut systems.

I enjoyed Black Peak -- not for the route, as much, as for the position, the views of Goode, and the overall aesthetics fo the package hike in/campsite/climb/views/experience. We did the NE Ridge and descended the South Ridge. Check it out as an overnight option in the area...

Two and a half months from now will be the Southern equivalent of early winter, eh? Not sure what the Aspiring region is like in winter, but I bet you'll likely be making approaches by helicopter if you want to get up shit at that time of the year . . . just a guess . . . For guidebooks, check this out: NZ ALPINE CLUB SITE

Good points, and I agree. Just to be clear, I'm not bummed out about anything -- I'm impressed and inspired. And self-deprecating sometimes. But not bummed out!

Christ! It's so fascinating that someone would (rather humbly I'll add) post a TR about skiing something which I am proud to have ASCENDED. People never cease to amaze me. This, of a route which I once heard Mark Twight call one of his favorites in the range.... Sounds like some melt-freeze cycles would benefit the runnels . . . If I was roped up and climbing that thing when someone went past me in the other direction on skis, I might have to retire for good... Thanks for the report -- any more pictures?

I personally would not recommend soloing T-F Traverse unless you're familiar with it. I soloed 95% of the NE Ridge of Triumph, but did appreciate being roped up for the one 5.7 pitch which is kinda wide and very exposed. I second SAHALE and Sharkfin as good things to solo.... I actually found N Face of Buckner to be a reasonable solo as well in good conditions (though I "soloed" it with a partner - does that count?) Good luck!

I agree with Jmace. Too early to worry! Be happy that you have time off and just go where conditions dictate. I climbed N Face of Fury and N Face Bucker, both in September, over the last 3-4 years, so I trust that there will be something to do in August if one looks in the right places. Good luck!

FYI, I got a message from Mike King that prices have gone up quite a bit (probably due to increasing fuel prices) from what is listed in Don Serl's guidebook. More like $2880 (Canadian) + tax versus the $1600 listed in the guidebook...

Any of you old-timers remember 1976 when WA PASS apparently didn't close at all over the winter? Any good stories of winter ascents that year???

Funny observations from FIVE NINE CLIMBER.COM about the camping scene at Red Rocks: The camping scene: Both good and not so good. The good is that there IS camping here and it is clean and safe and convenient. The not so good is that it is too clean, too safe and too convenient. The 13 Mile Campground is a compound, a gated community guarded by overzealous retirees. These RV dwellers are volunteers for the BLM, and they take their job seriously, some may say a bit too seriously. what you get is elderly conservatives reigning over the young and the restless. Bad setup. If you act extremely mature, and follow a number of clearly spelled out rules your stay at 13 mile will likely be less aggravating, but, alas, much less fun too. And you're on vacation after all. Or just fed up with the rules and regs of an overcrowded world. Well, here at Camp 13 Mile straight, upstanding behavior is the standard against which all is judged. TRUE! TRUE!

Great photos of a great area. Any kea encounters? Did you descend "the Ramp" or go all the way down the NW Ridge? Cheers! - "Handle of Speights, mates?"

Noticed this yesterday: LINK TO SLIDESHOW DESCRIPTION REI Bad , but Pickets? Good!