Bronco

Amazing you guys were uninjured in the fall, sounds pretty hairy! Thanks for positing, I'll have to add this one to the list (minus the detour into the 'schrund).

Thanks Jon, that works just fine!

Howdy - The "Trip Report Search" link at the top of the page isn't working for me. I get an error that says "can't connect to the server at cascadeclimbers.com" I turned off my ad blockers and popup blockers and accepted cookies. Any other ideas? I'm trying to research some extreme climbing routes for the upcoming hardman season!

I say save it in case you run out of webbing to rap off of.

Yeah, I don't think the park staff is to blame. I've been responsible for clearing roads in the mountains and if they don't get addressed frequently, it's a major problem to get them opened up again. I'm impressed that it looks like they'll get it opened up soon!

Probably get it open just in time for the pending shut down on February 15.

Dovetailing Jason's comments, I was reminded on Saturday how much a slight change of aspect can also significantly impact snow quality. Went from boiler plate to breakable crust to 3" of hoar frost and facets as I went from SW-S-SE facing terrain. The hoar frost was pretty fun to ski. Happy Monday from Captain Obvious!

So now that the shutdown is over, will they re-open the road to Paradise? Fortunately it hasn't snowed a bunch in the last 34 days but probably enough that they might consider leaving it closed until it melts out.

Thanks for the excellent write-up and glad you didn't have to wait for the rescue. Could have been a cold night out.

Trip: Green Mtn Lookout - South Slope Trip Date: 12/02/2018 Trip Report: After arriving at the trailhead with no snow to be found, we agreed to hike for a while to see if we could find some. I believe we hiked a couple of miles to approximately 5,000' before finding enough snow to start skinning. By the time we reached the south face, there was 12" of boney (but solid) base with 3" of semi-bonded fresh snow and grauple. We took a short break at the top and had an unexpectedly fun 1,200' run. We continued to push our luck down to 5,000 where the brush put an abrupt end to my run with a fabulous digger into some rocks. Except for Kit, he managed another 500' of tremendous brush and rock skiing. We didn't see anyone else out, which always makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong. Remarkably satisfying first ski outing of the season. Where are we supposed to ski? That's better Does it count if you don't skin all the way? That's what we came for - Gear Notes: rock skis & helmet Approach Notes: road is in good shape

Can someone tell me how the environmentalist lobby is reconciling the removal of hydro-electric dams? Seems like a pretty good source of clean electricity to this unsophisticated bonehead.

Yep. Hopefully we can keep this open. It's not like there is ever a crapload of snow at the old gate, maybe 2-3' in early spring? Don't they need vehicle access to the Ross Lake Dam and resort? I have to imagine Seattle City Light signed off on the additional closure. Seems kind of crazy!

They added this statement to the top of the blog post: Thank you to everyone for your feedback. We heard you. Here are the changes we’re making in response: We will close the gates on SR 20 at milepost 134 just as we have every year when the avalanche risk increases. We are committed to keeping the western closure point at that location through at least Jan. 2, 2019. After Jan. 2 we will continue to keep the road open to the gate at milepost 134 until there is significant snowfall to the west, to alleviate concerns about large patches of bare pavement beyond the new closure point at milepost 130. We have heard from many snowmobilers concerned with the change in our operation. We are working with local snowmobile groups to attend/plan a meeting next month to discuss your concerns and talk more in depth about the issues we face on SR 20 while accommodating winter users.

See here: https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/change-means-more-room-to-roam-for-sr.html?m=1 This adds 8 miles round trip (probably a lot of it will be road walking) to the standard Ruby ski tour and sled access will be pretty limited with the new closure at 1,400' elevation (not much snow). What chaps my hide is the way WSDOT is spinning it as some sort of great accomplishment for recreational users.

That's a lot of info. Thanks for pulling it together and sharing it!

Yes it would be more difficult to roll over into self arrest with skis on your pack in any configuration. You could probably attempt this at home on the living room floor. If you find yourself in any situation where arresting a fall would be beyond your skillset, you should rethink your route, setup a belay or turn around.

This was a great lineup on Saturday, Scurlock had everyone cracking up, he has a great sense of humor. Videos are up on the NWAC youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKN3Cu9rnnkukkiUUgjzFQ

found these in the infamous boulder field on the approach to Eldorado in the summer of '13.

There is this report of a different route but I don't know of much else on the interwebs:

Hi Zeno: There are a bunch of routes but the standard route that you attempted is the most straightforward. It's kind of a grind getting up there but a great training hike and scramble at the top. Good job turning around when in doubt. SAR rescued a young man just about a year ago who attempted the peak in similar conditions.

Crazy ending to a great TR!

Now that's extreme alpinism!

Congrats and thanks for the detailed TR! The gear list is a wonderful pot-pori of hardcore minimalism, "one long spoon to share", what if you lost it!?

Wide foot and I like leather shoes without GTX or any membrane as they don't dry or breathe well enough for me. Also, I don't go out when it's wet very much. Here's my last few approach shoes: Past - Scarpa Crux, light weight, fit well, not great for hiking in, thin soles and not much traction. Cheap $ Past - Scarpa Zen Pro, hike real well, great traction, gusseted tongue but fit a little narrow and heavy. Expensive $$$ Current - La Sportiva TX4, fit pretty well, great lacing, seems like a good compromise between the other two. Moderate price and available in high top. I also have some Salewa Rapace boots that are stiffer and heavier than any of these approach shoes but are great as a Cascade Mountain all around boot for 3 seasons. Not quite a full on mountaineering boot but they hike very well with heavier loads, crampon and climb ok. Pretty ideal for a multi-day trip into the Pickets where a lighter boot might not be sufficient.

Great TR and good on you for getting out there despite the smoke. That's a lot of walking for 48 hours!