mattp

The problem there was that he had copied the URL from the display window when viewing the photo gallery, and that is the URL for a page that loads the photo rather than the URL for the photo itself. You have to right click a photo shown in the photo gallery to find the actual URL for the picture and pasted that between the tags. [imag]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/503/1267Summit_2-med.JPG[/imag](using img instead of imag) produces:

I did the traverse a while back and I thought it was a worthwhile outing -- even better than that, a classic -- but in a Cascades kind of way. I might even do it again some day. Good one, Mr ChucK. You can now drive Highway 2 past Mt. Index and stare it straight in the face.

Josh, there was a report of traverssing that ridge on cc.com a couple of years ago, though I think they may have accessed it from the gully just past Nooksack Tower. The answer to your question is, I think, very rarely or maybe it has not been done yet all the way from Nooksack Tower to the Smmmit. I thought The descent was tricky as Mike describes, and we were downclimbing fairly hard ice over a huge schrund in the dark, but it wasn't anything truly our of scale with lots of big mountain alpine descents -- it is just that there are few if any other climbs in Washington that require that kind of thing to get off (there must be one or two, but I can't think of them at the moment).

I did it maybe six or eight years ago. We camped way down below treeline and it was a LONG day from there. Like you, I've done plenty of bigger climbs with guys who I never even met before, but the point about this one is that it is demanding and dangerous enough that you want to be sure your buddy is going to be solid - at least read their resume first. Nooksack Tower is not like another Mt. Goode or Forbidden Peak or something. For a "moderate" route, it packs some punch.

Gimme a break, Syj, Ranger Friendly could help an old lady across the Mountaineer Creek Parking lot and you'd be accusing him of rape. Then you'd go on some rant about why did the FS cut down so many trees to build the parking lot in the first place -- was it just so the damn city folk could ruin the pristine Enchantments?

I think if they painted or posted colored dots close enough so that your delerious toilet mouthed buddy could follow them in the dark, lots of people would be railing about how that *&$#!!! DeForestCircus wastes money putting THIS UGLY SHITE in our pristine wilderness but we aren't allowed to hike up there without a permit 'cause it would ruin somebody else's wilderness experience .... and I bet you'd be one of them.

Mike - wasn't there a good bivvy on that knob a couple hundred feet below the base of the climb?

Yes, I'd keep it on your list. There are not that many routes in Washington that provide a real alpine experience like that and the rock climbing, while long and loose in places, is never exceedingly difficult. Nooksack is a cool destination and that North Face route is really fun. Don't go there unless you and your partner have done some other long routes and are at least somewhat well schooled on loose rock and ice, though.

Sorry for the "posts deleted." I think we've got the HTML errors straightened out, at least. Carry on.

Their website says they have pitchers. We have in the past had some problems with the servers having a bad attitude, and I suppose that comes from the fact that the place is a major meat factory on Friday and Saturday nights so they maybe get a bit jaded with large crowds and stuff. But the outside seating area is quite pleasant and Fremont seems to be the center of gravity for those who like to go out on Tuesday nights. Center of the Universe? That's a bit grandiose. And I thought Ballard was the center of the Universe, anyway. But the Ballroom is not a bad place and Fremont is "central" (in a NW Seattle kind of way).

Consider hiking one of the coastal strips, either Lake Ozette to Rialto Beach, or the Hoh River to Third Beach. If you can arrange a car shuttle, they make a good through-hike; if not, hike partway out and then back. Though the water is too cold to swim and there are nasty rip tides and stuff, the beaches out there are as beautiful as any beaches anywhere. The North Fork of the Quinnault is a nice one for day-hiking in the rain forest.

The outdoor seating will be sunny 'till almost 8:00. The Ballroom 456 N. 36th St Its on the north side of the street, a block or two west of the Lenin statute in Fremont.

Snugtop, I thought this was where you were going to post about how you have to empty that freezer of yours and there'll be about ten nice thick steaks on the grill for the first ten people who show up. I think there are no fires allowed out at Golden Gardens these days, but grills might be allowed. The Ballroom is half-way pleasant on a warm summer evening, too..

Due to some glitch, I can't read my private messages. Call me.

I bet the ridge line could be entertaining.

I don't think you'll have any problem figuring out where to go on the back side. You just drop below the cliffs and traverse. It has been literally 20 years since I've been there so my memory isn't perfect, but it seems to me it was some combination of heather and scree, but mostly scree, and there may have been a rocky ledge or two but it was basically a hike between the gullies at either end. If you take a wrong turn, that will only mean you'll head up (or down) some gully you don't like and then retreat back where you came. Photo's at Eric's Basecamp show the gullies at either end, though these are early-season photo's where everything is covered with snow. It'll be mostly scree now. I think it might be slightly easier to find your way starting at Ellinor. Here is the gully down the back side (as seen from Mt. Washington). I don't think you'll miss it. I can't remember for sure, but the narrower gully closer to "A" peak may be a little less steep than the wider one nearer the summit. I think I'd look down the wide one first, though, as it is closer to the trail where you climb up Ellinor. Before dropping into the basin, look ahead at where you think you'll want to climb back up onto the summit ridge of Washington. There really isn't much question there, as you'll run into the cliffs of the W. ridge or whatever it is if you pass your exit ramp back up to the standard route, but you may benefit from looking ahead anyway. This photo shows Washington, viewed from Ellinor: I remember the scramble back up onto the standard Mount Washington route including, like I said, sand and dirt over rock or some vaguely treacherous kind of thing like that. Don't take your inexperienced friend there for their first outing.

All good jokes aside, Rad makes a valid point. Due to media hype and also due to the fact that climbing is obviously a self indulgent and potentially dangerous activity that many people will never understand, we DO have difficulty explaining why people who will never climb anything more challenging that the steps at Safeco Field (and they want an elevator for that) should pay for roads serving our climbing area or support recreation planning and rescue efforts on public lands. How many of us have a hard time explaning even to our family members, who clearly see how much we treasure our climbing days, why climbing is a "good thing?" The banter on cc.com may be no worse than elsewhere on the web, perhaps, but it DOES tend toward a self-righteous discussion of how climbers are heroes and golfers or even hikers don't deserve to share the same lofty pedestal we reserve for ourselves.

Darrington is a relatively low elevation climbing area and it can get HOT on sunny summer days. If you go for Dreamer on a sunny day, you'll get FRIED because you'll be in full sun from the very start of the day untill about 4:00 p.m. Take plenty of water and bring sun-protective cloting (not just sunscreen). The same is true for Three O'Clock Rock, though the climbs there are short enough that you can climb them in the late afternoon when the sun is less intense or maybe the rock is in shade and if you start in the morning you can climb a couple of pitches and retreat to the shade if necessary. If climbing Blueberry Hill on a predicted sunny day, start very early. The sun is in full blast by noon. Sunshine is fine, but be prepared. Also, don't be discouraged by the idea that Darrington is in a wet area and marginal forecasts should be avoided. Cloudy days, when there is little or no moisture predicted, can be good days at DTOWN! (By the way, Dave's CD is AWESOME, and well worth the $. If you just want to check out Darrington for a day, you can get the information you need at my website Darrington Rock Climbing web page but if you really want to explore Darrington, I'd recommend Dave's CD. The climbs at The Comb, for example, are presented nowhere else and some of them are really really good. Dave's art and his knowledge of the area cannot be beat.)

10am - 4pm, Magnuson Park 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 Biking Hiking Climbing Camping... and more! $2 Admission All proceeds support TRIPS FOR KIDS SEATTLE bike programs for inner-city youth. For table reservations for information contact tfkseattle@yahoo.com or 206-427-3090 Tables are free, but TFK encourages a $15 donation to support their programs. Contributed by Dave Schuldt

It is not exactly a "traverse" in the sense of a ridge-line traverse, but you can easily drop to the west in a gully/dirty ramps kind of thing just down from Washington's summit, traverse high in the back basin, and ascend a broad gully leading back up to the summit bowl area just short of Ellinor's summit. It is beautiful back there and I agree that it gives a "backcountry feel." There is nothing difficult about this traverse but a few short passages of sketchy loose filth overlying somewhat steep rock.

Dru is sort of correct, but low angle rappels on blocky terrain provide ample opportunity to pull rocks on your head as you try to clear the ropes while the first person rappels. In addition, if they pile up together in heaps on intermittent ledges and you pull them down two or three times into successively lower heaps, there is great opportunity to get them tangled up. Sometimes I find it helpful to throw one rope "right" and one "left" and have two climbers simul-rappel, with each guy taking care of one rope.

Climbing is perceived as a thrill-sport based on unnecessary risk and there is certainly some truth to that perception. We can argue that the risks are not really all that great -- and you might find some insurance company analysis to back that argument up -- but I think the reason climbers are singled out as opposed to boaters or irresponsible mom's has to do with this idea that we are reckless thrill-seekers. We could argue that anybody who goes to a Mariners game and parks under the viaduct is asking to get mugged and they should pay for any police support they receive, or that mom who takes her child outside during marginal weather has similarly courted disaster, but I don't think those arguments are going to go very far.

I be you are right about that being an important factor, Jon. The searches are typically going to involve more PAID staffing in addition to just larger numbers with larger logistics expenses and the aircraft support for mountain rescue, as we have been discussing, is often not chargeable to the operation. The point is, we should be careful when asserting that "climbers cost less than hikers to rescue" or whatever. To the extent that if you read up on it that appears to be true -- fine. But you'll have to consider things like volunteer labor being actually worth something and military training exercises being significant components as well. In addition, those of us who are members of the American Alpine Club actually DO have rescue insurance and I believe that some folks HAVE been billed for their rescues or at least some portion of the cost.

I believe the reason operations involving lost hikers and hunters typically cost more than climber rescues has to do with the "search" part of search and rescue. Large numbers of people are very often involved, hence more expense.