mattp

Scott- Are you one of those people who, when the highway backs up in advance of a merge, waits in line behind a half mile of cars and gets made when others zoom on past you in the lane that is wide open up to the merge point? Do you try not to let them in when you are at that merge point? These people who insist on an orderly merge and expect everybody else to do the same are merely moving the merge point back a half mile, doing nobody a favor in my opinion.

That is no picture of Mr. Vaughn, JZ. It's Chris Greyell.

Ashw- I don't mean to be discouraging. Yes, it has some of the biggest avalanches around during a big avalanche cycle, the rotten spring snowpack can suck, the bushes are terrible after the snow melts, the bugs can be as bad or worse in there than anywhere in the state, it rains 100" a year in the upper Nooksack, the rock is rotten, people have died .... But Mt. Shuksan is COOL! It is truly one of the easiest accessed alpine peaks in the State, very scenic, and the north side routes are well worth doing. Go for it - just assemble all available information and plan accordingly.

The only Beal rope I ever had was WAY soft and had a lousy sheath on it. I never bought another. For doubles, I've been liking the Edelweiss Stratos. They have a good solid sheath and are stiffer than most ropes their diameter. They also have a filament in them that means they are resistent to being cut over an edge, and they are pretty strong. Hell, I even lead on a single one some times though, properly speaking, they aren't rated for it. You don't often see deals on these, though (they actually cost way MORE than other similarly sized ropes). Yes, I know: this thread isn't about doubles. But Minx asked.

BEWARE OF MUSH OUT. When it starts staying warm enought that the snow doesn't refreeze for several days in a row, it turns "isothermal" and the whole snowpack is rotten for a couple of weeks. It seems to get worse below the North side of Shuksan than just about anywhere else I've been, and I've been in that basin a couple of times during this condition - in April and May. It sucks. Even snowshoes won't really help.

Right, Ramsey, but Catbird may not have understood what I wrote, either. And for Whirlwind, I would add that to me it makes no difference crag or alpine - I cannot think of a situation where I would find it advantageous to use that extra anchor as a directional rather than an additional piece of security for the sketchy belay I was worried about.

That's pretty much what I was trying to say there, Mr. Ramsey.

I've got one of those with the little "subloops" on it and I almost never use it because I find a regular one much easier to use. The separate loops would seem to help keep the gear organized, and I suppose that they do to some extent, but they make it harder to shove the whole mess out of the way for a move or pull it forward to rifle through the back stuff when you're looking for something. By the way, I liked one of those double slings when my partner had one, but then I bought one and I could never get it adjusted to work well for me. Mine had stiffeners that kept it in a wide arc, making it more difficult to move the gear backwards and forward the way I like. His was simpler.

I once saw a very strong sport climber, who regularly climbs 5.12, shoot sparks and back off a runout 5.8 slab in Leavenworth. Be careful out there!

I hear you, Minx. I've scared myself at Peshastin more than once. However, its not a bad thing to grapple with real runouts once in a while. Just be careful, stick with routes that are below your limit if you don't want to be scared, and it is a fun place to climb.

Just like anyplace else, Peshasting takes some getting used to. However, the same can be said for Darrington or Index (less so for Exit 38 or Vantage, because most climbers these days train in a gym and are used to reaching for horizontal holds and tiny sidepulls and stuff, and they are used to having lots of bolts). Spend a few days at Peshastin in close succession and most people will get their feet on the ground there.

Careful there, DPS, you're putting yourself out on a limb there. Go without a bivvy bag? I have always maintained that bivvy bags were not needed most of the time - even in the dreaded frosty tent or damp snowcave or when using a tarp as shelter - and I actually deliberately bring my wet clothing into my sleeping bag in order to dry it out, but I catch nothing but flack for making such wild and irresponsible statements on this bulletin board. Keeping a down bag dry requires some attention, to be sure, but it can be done.

I think I understand your thinking there, wirlwind, but in general I'd think that if that "directional" was any good it'd be a better idea to use it as part of your anchor (I'm assuming that since you call it a "directional, it must be level with or above your belay device). If it is questionnable, I'd rather set up so I am fully braced in the direction of the ultimate pull that I am worried about, and a nearby "directional" often seems to make it clumsy hauling in the belay rope anyway.

WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST NORTH OF STEVENS PASS... OLYMPICS... Gradually increasing danger later Thursday morning and afternoon and becoming considerable above 5000 feet and moderate below. Slightly decreasing danger Thursday night. Increasing danger again Friday remaining considerable above 5000 feet and moderate below. Gradually decreasing danger Friday night.

I can't answer your question there, ChucK. Obviously, 0" of new snow would be a better forecast. However, we are talking about a few inches a day, at relatively warm temps, and mostly with relatively moderate winds. This is not the stuff of EXTREME avalanche hazards. Will it be safe? Who knows. The avalanches from Shuksan Arm on the approach can be some of the largest in the entire State, and the North Face itself is at a perfect angle and aspect to be dangerous this very weekend. I don't mean to sound like I'm "downplaying" the danger if by that you think I'm suggesting that everybody ought to ignore an obvious potential danger - but this is not a lot of new snow for this time of year in the North Cascades. It may turn out to be just fine.

Right you are, ChucK. With this kind of weather, its a little early to rely on weather forecasts for Saturday and Sunday, but Doolittle and Knight posted about all the new snow, and my intent was to suggeset that we probably aren't going to geat a huge dump.

WEST SLOPES NORTH CASCADES AND PASSES- WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES- 830 AM PST THU MAR 25 2004...UPDATED TODAY...BREEZY...SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 2 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 3500 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES AROUND 40. SOUTHEAST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 25 MPH. TONIGHT...SNOW SHOWERS. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET. SOUTHWEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 15 MPH. FRIDAY...SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 4 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 3000 FEET. AFTERNOON PASS TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 20 MPH. FRIDAY NIGHT...SNOW LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 5 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 2500 FEET. SOUTHWEST WIND IN THE PASSES 10 TO 15 MPH.

I believe the slot that Alex is talking about, and which Catbird calls the "hidden crack," is visible in the picture of MVS that appears just below Alex's crack about him on page 1 of this thread. It does indeed offer some sense of security here, but presents the issue of rope drag that Alex noted.

Here's the placement I've used there.

Lammy- I don't know where you were. The picture of Eric shows the "traverse" (more like a single step) from the protectable crack start to the start of the main corner, above the unprotected bouldery alternative start. He could have placed a piece of gear under the lip right in front of his face had he wanted to. No, I've never seen anybody falling off the start of the second pitch.

Best? Maybe not the longest route around, but Davis Holland-Lovin' Arms surely ranks as one of the best in the State.

Bear Mountain looks pretty damn hard to me. And Passenger on S. Early is 5.12, isn't it? Leopard could do Willis Wall or Yokum Ridge, I bet. Neither is really technically difficult unless you try to stay right on the ridgecrest on Yokum, which few parties try to do. If it is the lack of solid pro on Yokum that makes it "most difficult," I bet the same could be said (but much worse) for the Norweigian Buttresses on Index - and they were done many years ago as well.

Beta: Part One.

Here, kitty kitty.

For group camping in Leavenworth, I think, a bigger issue is the rafting groups that seem to completely take over the campgrounds in the Spring. I don't know exactly when that happens - mid April to mid June, perhaps? The Mountaineers or Boealps or whoever are not nearly so numerous and they will largely stick to two or three locations in Icicle canyon, won't they?