mattp

CC.COM's spring picnic will be May 4, at Magnuson Park. Come join us and meet potential climbing partners, share a hot dog, or maybe watch slides. Got some cool shots of you last vacation?

For Mount Saint Helens, just go to the sno park and head for the mountain. Keep track of where you're going so you can find your way back if the visibility craps out and just so you don't end up in the wrong drainage gully and have to climb over some lava ridges to get back to the parking lot. Morning is often a good time for good conditions on hardpack spring corn, though if it was a cold night you'll have to wait a bit for it to soften if you start too early on a small ski run and get up there quickly. When the surface starts to re-freeze, as in a NE slope that goes into shade in the afternoon or when a cloud blows over, it can make for very tricky conditions.

Everybody tricks out their pack the way they want it, Cracked, but I have never found long straps to be a problem on a 4,000 ci pack. (I wouldn't want them on a crag pack.) I HAVE found short ones to be a nuisance. It is a matter of personal habits. I don't much go in for the ice axe sheath or the shovel pocket either, and I don't even want ice axe loops on my pack, but other folks think these are essential components and they think the bar tacks that I prefer are a waste of weight.

Spring in the Cascades definitely rocks, but very often the new snow is exactly what you don't want. Because the temperatures are warmer in the spring and the sun more intense than in mid-winter, powder doesn't stay nice very long. If you get more than a few inches, the stuff threatens to turn what was yesterday's corn run into some horrendous gloppy mess or crusty combat skiing or brand new avlanche debris. I had some nice turns on new snow last weekend, though.

St. H is a good one. With whatever it is (5,000 feet?) of vertical drop, expect that there will be some poor skiing conditions for at least a thousand feet somewhere along the way. Washington Pass has some good outings, too. The S. Face of Cutthroat is good (I noted last week that you can scope it from the highway and you'll want to check to be sure the lower rocks are covered). Also, the bowl west of the Early Winter Spires/Liberty Bell is good, though brushy in the lower part. For an exciting photo-finish, kick steps up the little peaklet south of S. Early Winter Spire. At Baker ski area, the ridge out past Table Mountain has all kinds of good skiing and relatively easy access. At Rainier Park, the Tattosh range is excellent. Head for the Pinnacle/Castle peak saddle. At Snoqualmie Pass, Granite Mountain is excellent but watch for serious avalanche hazard that can linger even when it looks like the snow is largely gone. I once triggered a "hard slab" on a cross-loaded slope up there even though there were rocks and grass showing through much of the surface. The Chair Peak bowl is easier to get to.

I am user #420 on cc.com.

A couple random thoughts: Most packs have side-straps that are too short. In my opinion, there is no reason not to have them long enough that they can carry a sleeping pad if you are overloading your pack as happens sometimes even with a 4,000 ci pack. Oh well, you'll have to use a bit of parachute cord. For a medium large pack like that, I wouldn't much worry about the empty weight. People carry on about how such and such a pack is too heavy because it weighs three pounds more than their super cool pack, but if the three pounds consists of features that you want in a pack, such as durable fabric, a suspension system that can cary 50 pounds comfortably, or a bivouac sleeve extension, go for it. Don't worry about gimmicks such as a waterbottle holster, crampon patch, or zippered compartments for your sunglasses. Bartacked strips up the back are a plus for overloading your pack or attaching things like skis, crampons, shovel, sleeping pad, lawn chairs ... Don't think the molded foam that looks space-aged and aerodynamic makes a pack any more comfortable than regular fabric. It really doesn't.

Fenderfour, I understand why they would think they have to "tie up" a crag. However, if they do, and if somebody gets mad about it, it'll be their own fault. This kind of selfish behavior can lead to problems that we really don't need and it certainly fuels the jokes about Mounties and Boealps because other climbers come to dislike the mere presence of such organizational groups. I hope their instructor's training includes not only a discussion of minimizing their impact on where they climb, but also minimizing their impact on other climbers who are there at the same time.

I've never read this "leading takes priority" rule anywhere but here on cc.com. Is it in "The Freedom of the Hills?" One of John Long's books? Really, Dan. I understand the sentiment. It is just plain rude for any group to think they can "reserve" or "tie up" a crag, but I'm just not sure about your "rule." It seems to me that a little bit of consideration and flexibility should be employed on all parts, whether they are leading or not. Just because you can "lead through" on some 5.4 crack and some other gaper can't, you have right to lead through but that other gaper has to wait until the Mounties are gone on Monday morning? I don't think so. By the way. It may be a pain in the neck, but I am pretty sure you can find some "beginner's routes" in Leavenworth that will not be overtaken by instructional groups if you don't want to be around them. Try anything that actually requires leading, like Castle Rock if you don't want to hike very far, or head for a crag more than 300 yards from the road. You should be fine. I realize that Mountie's Buttress and Barnie's Rubble are convenient and you've probably got them all dialed in after soloing there a 100 times, but there ARE other alternatives. I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Dan, but I DO think Icicle Creek is a great place for Boealps and the Mounties and just because you have your own program I don't think you or I or anybody else take priority over them.

My trip report started and ended in Beverly Creek. If you look at a map, I think you'll see that is the shortest approach even after the road melts. Here's a picture from near the pass between Turnpike and Beverly Creeks.

How do you know?

They ripped out culverts, added burms, and refilled a road- cut on that road leading to Static Point, also. Unfortunately, they left the ripped up culverts sitting in the road, the biggest piece of trash you've ever seen in your life. And a friend of a friend of mine drove his 4x4 right accross the refilled road, where it must be at least 30 degrees sidehill.

I didn't get many good pictures. Sorry. I'll have to go back.

No question about it, RuMR. Sport-bolted climbing draws more climbers than traditional climbing. A sport climbing area, near the road, draws way more poeple and their dogs than does Condor, though.

They ripped out culverts, installed burms to block access, and I believe they refilled the grade in at least some areas.

I agree with some of what Mr. Mo said here: wilderness regulations are indeed "out of whack" and it seems to me that many people want to set aside wilderness for selfish or perhaps self-indulgent reasons. On balance, that is not necessarily a bad thing in that in the case of a place like Wild Sky it will lead to the preservation of wild land, and the politics are screwy, but I'm glad there are people fighting to save the mountains from mining, logging and ORV's, just as I'm glad there are people trying to undeveloped areas and open space in the Puget Sound basin. I agree, too, with some of Fairweather's sentiment. I was sorry to see the road up to Mt. Stickney destroyed in the interest of "rehabilitation" (the peak lies in what will become Wild Sky). I never got up there, but there was a road leading high up in the mountains, not far from Seattle, that offered a rare opportunity for a relatively short hike to the summit of a real mountain. I can't think of many other such places that close to Seattle. I realize that some people believe those that DO exist are often overused and become a mess, but I think it is a good thing to have these opportunities as long as they are few and far between. On one point, I disagree with Mo. I don't think they will be building trails in Wild Sky. They don't have the money. Additionally, the "Grizzly Bear" habitat rules will not allow it – unless they remove other trails in the nearby area.

Catbird- I disagree with your statement of "ethics" in a big way. In my opinion, a major way that we as crag climbers affect other users out there is through the littering of slings all over the place. They can be seen from as much as a quarter mile away. I believe this has even been a reason for area closures in the past. In a crag climbing environment, if you are "setting up" a rappel where others may use it, it is probably a good idea to put a sling on the tree. Add two rappel rings if you can, and preferably extra large ones so that cautious climbers don't freak out and so that when everybody and their dog feels compelled to stuff 25 slings in there it can accomodate that wad of garbage. (If you come upon said wad, please remove all but the three best looking slings, but the fact is most climbers feel compelled to strew their slings all about without regard for visual impact so that's just the way it is.) If you are going to rappel once, in a spot where you don't expect other parties to use the same tree repeatedly, DO NOT put a sling on it. Please. And please don't carry brightly colored slings around for this purpose. Get grey webbing or olive green. In the mountains, different considerations apply. At the crags, visual impact is a much bigber deal. -Mattp

Climb: Mount Stuart-Cascadian Couloir Date of Climb: 4/18/2004 Trip Report: My buddy John and I skied Mount Stuart, via the Cascadian Couloir this weekend. The weather was "blustery," but the skiing quite good. Stuart is a remarkable mountain and it will be in good shape for at least another week or two. The road to the trailhead was blocked by a snowpatch about three or four miles short and about a mile before the turnoff from the main road into Beverly Creek. High clearance 4x4's were going through, but we thought better of it and parked well off the edge of the road so one of these guys wouldn't plow into John's brand new car. Even in telemark boots, I don't much like walking on a road. After walking what seemed like forever we were finally at the trailhead and my buddy told that I'm just a loser. It really hadn't taken very long so what was I complaining about? Not long afterward, muddy trail gave way to snowpatches and snowpatches gave way to snow, and somewhere around 3600 feet we started skinning up. At the pass at the head of Beverly Creek we got our first views of Stuart and then dropped into Turnpike Creek. We opted to cut left, where the map shows open slopes should offer some downhill skiing. In fact, these were old avalanche slopes growing in with little trees; right would have been better. We tumbled on down the hill, however, and toured on down the valley to find a crossing at Ingalls Creek (snowbridge), and dry ground near a horsecamp directly below our ski run. The climb up Cascadian Couloir was icy; I'm glad John had suggested crampons. After a thousand feet the "yousuckometer" said we hadn't gotten very far, but we continued on. In the sun, we were balling up but the sticky snow overlay an icy layer that would have made step-kicking quite a chore. The "youhavealongwaytogoometer" said we still hadn't gotten very far, but we continued on. Higher up, the snow grew deeper for the last few hundred feet but it looked like some climbers descending from a North side climb had triggered an avalanche, and the surface was a mess. The "you'regettingsomewhereometer" said we were doing OK. The summit ridge was very exciting. I had neglected to bring an ice axe, and steep slopes perched over the great void said "be careful." Powder snow and graupel overlay icy snow so it took a few kicks to get a good purchase, and I had the sensation that I wasn't going to be able to do much of a self arrest with my ski pole if I fell. We made it up to the summit –just to say we did- and headed back down. By this time it was snowing and visibility had dropped to less than 50 yards. I decided to pass up the top 300 feet below the false summit and opted to walk down instead of ski, but my friend John sideslipped and carefully picked his way down it. A few hundred feet down, I put on my skis and while the first few turns were a bit tricky it soon turned to GREAT SKIING! We enjoyed mostly easy conditions all the way down, and it even cleared up as we dropped below the cloud layer for the one short technical bit of hop turns in a steep part of the gully filled with avalanche debris. The nine mile slog back to the car was a slog. Go figure. However, the skiing down Beverly Creek was a very enjoyable cruise on gentle, largely open slopes, in great snow. Gear Notes: crampons and ice axe advisable overall, snowpack was firm enough that one could have made it without skis or snowshoes this weekend Approach Notes: Beverly Creek trailhead and other trailheads in the area are not yet accessible by car

I don't know about Garden Weasel, but if you're going to Three O'Clock Rock I'd start with either The Big Tree One, Silent Running, or "Till Broad Daylight" (though I'd recommend getting on "The Kone after a few pitches rather than completeing "Daylight." In my view, Board Walk is OK as far as it goes, but it is one overbolted pitch with little to recommend it as far as the actual climbing goes (it has some amazing giant knobs and it is very easy to manage so it is a good choice for a beginning leader). If you want 5.7 climbing, hit Big Tree 1. It is depicted quite well on my topo, labeled incorrectly as "Three O'Clock Rock, - Arch Area" in the link on my site, but which opens up and shows it is labelled "Big Tree Area." This has a combination of easy cracks, bolted face, and some of the mandatory DTown bush pull. Topo. If you think you're ready for 5.9 -- which most climbers with a signficant amount of climbing experience probably are even if they've never been on slabs before -- go for "Silent Running." As noted, "Silent Running" is straight forward. The first pitch can be wet, and it has some long run-outs for the Darrington flavor (up to 40 feet, perhaps), but the harder climbing is all quite closely protected. You may be skating a bit on the crux, but it is plenty safe. Topo. The combination "Daylight" to "The Kone" is also a great outing, though a little more complicated and it involves more traverssing and ends up a couple hundred yards to the left, with a rappel down a completely different climb ("Tidbits"). The first pitch (5.8) is one of the best 5.8 pitches in DTown (skip the first anchors and combine two 75 foot pitches into one). Leave "Daylight" on what is shown as the fourth pitch and jump on "The Kone" to what is shown as "The Kone's" third belay (variation right is more "sporting"). Two more pitches of slab dancing at a moderate grade lead to the top anchors. Topo. If you like these climbs, or if you want to jump on something harder right off, "Total Soul" has eight pitches of great climbing. It is a little harder, but it is also straight forward and you can rap off at any belay. It may be a bit gritty early in the season, and it doesn't look all that great from the bottom, but it is a good and varied climb with mostly pretty comfortable belays. Topo.

Yup. I think, too, that I was called cynical when, not long after 911, I said I believed the conspiracy theories that they'd try to pin Twin Towers on Saddam, or at least connect the dots in a way that would allow them to invade Iraq. You may think I'm an ugly cynnic, but lets see what happens.

Wouldn't you expect us to be "getting warmer" as the election grows nearer?

OK HTML Redirect. But no matter how many times I hit "back", it doesn't go back. It used to open up and take my entire screen, so I couldn't back out without using the "Exit" button or something. I brought this to his attention a month or two ago, and it appears that he took care of it: now I see that it is opening up just a partial window so I do in fact retain control of my computer.

Three posts above Mike Layton's, I posted the link. If the scroll button is broken, here you go. Warning: Dave's site is done in Flash, so it will take over your computer. You cannot press "Back" to get back here and spray, and you won't have multiple windows available if your boss comes around the corner real quick.

Yup. It's a great guide. My website will get you through a test run in the area, and more, but Dave's "book" is well worth it. His drawings are fun to look at, he has tons of pictures, and there are lots of excellent routes in there that have never been published elsewhere (even though some of them are 20 years old).