mattp

I'm with DPS on this. It all boils down to what you are ready for, and what expectations you may have. People say "the such and such route is no longer open" when there is a crevasse requiring one to climb down in and back out again, or "the liberty ridge is done for the year" when there is dirty bare ice around the Black Pyramid or the initial wall off the Carbon Glacier is exposed such that there is a nasty first pitch. But people DO climb the route in late season and the first ascent was made in September or October. I climbed it in late July of a year where there was a lot less snow than there is this year, and I did not find it to be unreasonable.

On what grounds did they deny your request? I was under the impression that they could not deny such a request. Several years ago, they gave me a permit and I had a great climb. Crossing the Carbon was a little worriesome, but I went in on a Sunday, when there were lots of fresh tracks from the day before, and I took it very carefully. Despite the obvious risk inherent in travelling unroped on glaciers, I believe Mount Rainier makes a good solo objective and all in all it is probably easier to climb it by yourself than with a partner. For one thing, the pack is lighter without a rope, and for another, you climb at your ideal pace -- a big plus for a long slog up a big hill.

Lets all slam those bike riding bastards. Just yesterday I was flipped off while driving to work because rather than wait for a bicyclist who insisted on taking up an entire lane, I swerved over the yellow line so I could get by. I suppose he may have been thinking that he was riding within his rights and I was just being impatient, but I was careful to give him wide berth and I did not endanger him in any way. And later in the block he crossed into the oncoming lane and jumped a curb anyway. Those bike riding bastards are just like all those other guys who think they can get the jump on me at a 4-way stop sign. Damn.

I generally prefer to drive to the North Cascades via Burlington because although it is 20 miles longer, I believe it is frequently faster that way because the added distance is on I-5 and there are more opportunities to pass slow drivers on highway 20 than on 530. Knowing climbers who go that way take the Cook Road exit. Maybe we should start a new thread and we can slam each other over this.

I think that is a stuffed moose. It was there when we went down that way, as well. It IS scenic back there, isn't it? Another moderate ice climb is Mount Stanley and it too is an easy car-to-car day trip with the obligatory rotten rock descent. Mount Faye, too, has a moderate ice route on the N. Face and the hut is pretty cool. Depending on how you go, you may actually climb 5.6 rock to get to the hut! [ 07-16-2002, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

On Cavelle's E. Ridge, routefinding is no problem at all. Follow the ridge (really, it is just that simple). You may wander a bit on the moraines approaching the climb, but there is more or less a trail to the route. The downclimb off the back includes some somwhat scary traverssing on a loose rockslope above the big void but it (the scary part) is short and I'm afraid you will not find very many Canadian Rockies peaks that don't have at least some of that kind of thing. [ 07-16-2002, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

For a bushy mess on bad rock, it is a pretty good climb and a Northwest classic if for no other reason than the fact that it is such a spectacular landmark from Highway 2. Consider also the traverse to the Main Peak.

Lambone - When I mentioned the E. Ridge of Mount Temple, I actually meant the E. Ridge of Mount Edith Cavelle. The E. Ridge of Temple is 5.7, and although most of it is a scramble it is in reality a rather large and serious climb on which there are great epics on a regular basis. If you are there with a partner who is up for a long day with some complicated route finding on loose rock and maybe a little bit of messy mixed climbing, it is a great climb. But I wouldn't recommend it for your honeymoon unless your wife was pretty hardcore. The E. Ridge of Cavelle is long for a newbie, but much easier and has better rock. If you try that one, consider descending the route as the descent off the back (not altogether trivial) leaves you with a rather long walk home. - Matt

Andy Fitz is the local rep. In the last couple of years, he has organized trail projects at N. Bend, Tieton, and I believe Vantage, and he helped organize them in Darrington and may have participated in something at Index. Behind the scenes, he and other representatives from the Access Fund have been contacting land managers at these and some other areas accross the State, offering assistance with the production of climbing management plans with the idea being to get out in front of the issues where there may be concerns related to wildlife, bolting, parking, etc. He posts on this board occasionally.

I haven't done a lot of climbing up there, but I believe you and she might enjoy Silverhorn Arete on Athabaska (a very scenic snow climb with about 50' of low angle ice) or the E. Ridge of Mount Temple (a 5.4 rock climb in an awesome setting). Both can done as a day trip from your nuptial suite in Lake Louise, though you might want to spend the night a little closer to the trailheads.

quote: Originally posted by sayjay: 0.5 being climbing at the same crag Exactly.

I got you beat -- I can count 10 1/2. Good Monday morning, all. [ 07-15-2002, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: mattp ]

How 'bout we all pile into David Parker's speedboat and head out for a cruise?

My first peak was Mount Monadnok, in New Hampshire, when I was three. Our cousins never showed up, but we showed them! I got a hiking stick out of the woods and all was golden. The leamonade stand up on top made it all worthwhile.

If you pass a black bra, you are on the right trail.

Do you have something against volcano's? I don't see one on the list.

Smoker - The approach is straight forward for someone who has been scrambling up and down peaks along the mountain loop highway. I would not recommend Teva's. It takes about an hour and a half.

For those who have been wondering, Dwayner and Pope are indeed real people. Here they are:

We should also see a new edition of the "Traveller's Guide" pretty soon. I believe it is all ready for publication.

I thought the Burgner-Stanley route was a better climb than the Beckey-Davis because it is overall cleaner, more sustained, and ends up right at the summit. However, both are good and the W. Ridge is not a bad choice either. Anybody got an assessment of the Boving, Kearney, and Morales routes?

I was commenting on the NW (rib) Face route and I believe Wayne probably was also. It is a fun climb.

Armchair speculation here, but if one could ski Sahale Arm to below Cascade Pass last weekend I can assure you there is still plenty of snow on the NW face of Forbidden. However, the snow is part of what makes it a fun route.

I met some guys at Little Si once who told me about a friend of theirs who was (illegally) riding his mountain bike in the Hoh river valley and thought he heard a ranger on the trail ahead so he hopped off his bike and jumped into the bushes. As he cowered beneath a fern, a cougar attacked him, jumping on his shoulders from behind. The cougar made a mistake, however, because the guy was on the Western Washington wrestling team. He turned around and pinned the beast, it cried uncle, and he let it go. Maybe you should invite him on your Vesper Peak climb.

I'm not planning my own guidebook effort, though I do intend to add more to my website. David Whitelaw and David Gunstone both have Darrington guidebook projects under way, and I'll help them in any way that I can. I've also sent information to Jeff Smoot.

quote: Originally posted by jesse: Only if you are afraid of falling and sliding to your death should you wait so long the that the snow becomes soft enough to rule out such slides. That was exactly my point, Jesse. I don't know Josh's skill level, but I do know that if one were to slide down that entire slope unarrested they would probably end up dead. It is only an intermediate level ski run, and when soft this is not much of a concern, but when I give advice over the internet to somebody I have never met, I figure it is a good idea to advocate prudence.