To_The_Top

.......And a good place to practice is a place you can get out of easy, like an old cornice, say at Granite Mtn, or Paradise parking lot (not this year). I hired a guide to teach me too, and that was way better than looking at a book a hundered times. I go out every year several times to practice setting it all up. This also is good in setting up anchors and experimenting what works in different situations. If you practice, hopefully autopilot will help and you will be familiar with several options in setting up anchors. I know of two times this year where snow bridges on Rainier have collapsed sending one person of a two man team into a crevasse. TTT

I saw a picture that showed a landslide down Mt Si north of haystack.

Many years ago (12-15)in November I was at colchuck lake during a heinous rainstorm-sleet storm we saw a enormous rockfall that took out a route (not sure, Boving route or just off it)that lasted for five plus minutes with huge boulders that broke up and ended up crashing into the lake, splitting down to the lake and the moraine. It was out of the ten commandments movie. I wasn't a climber yet, but having climbed there since then rockfall hasn't happened. Once you go around the lake half way you can turn up the talus field and bivy up above by the big boulders in the trees. Skiing the Colchuck glacier would be way easier than Aasgard, but I haven't been there this year. There is a narrow coloir that starts west of the summit across snow field and down, almost joining the col of the Colchuck glacier.

I was at Muir saturday with a friend, and we saw a party of 3 going to Kautz across the way, and they were going really slow, I bet they were sinking like we were once off the boot track, and there probably was no track there. The conditions aren't firm at all, and with this recent storm, and more snow means more of the same.

I broke my fibula glissading a couple of years ago, just above Pebble creek. Those little chutes people glissade in the summer had a kicked step that caught my left boot (cramponless)and twisted it until it broke. I think the funist glissade is either Interglacier or the one on the left on the Daniel glacier--great run out and high speed. Any long glissade after a tiring climb is good. Mt Adams is long but boring, and Aasgard pass is crazy, but Colchuck col is good.

Knowing ticks exist in the east side and after shaking gear and find three once, I take bike shorts underneath my other shorts every time I go to Icicle, and a hat. No its not deet, but in past research ticks normally go for the head, underarms or the shorts. Chuck is right about Washington having low insidents of Lyme disease (I checked 5 years ago when this happened), but in the east coast it is a big problem in states like Maine.

Sorry, I meant (www.fs.fed.us./gpnf/mshnvm/climbing)

I went there last weekend, and the west route had a 4mile hike in snow on the road to Climbers bivouc, then Monitor ridge, which several people did. Worm flows (we did) had many people on it, and 2 parties were on the ridge east of Worm flows. Check (www.fs.fed.us.?gpnf/mshnvm/climbing) for conditions (sorry I don't know how to attach the website here). Mr Goodtime is right, the best way out is on skis.

Find someone that gets the newsletter "go Guide, the Mountaineers" (I think, or get one at the club DT) and see what they are up to. On some more popular climbs I plan around it. I don't know of a web site, but I bet there is one. I respect the club, but after several run ins I keep away from them. There always is a leader who doesn't know the big picture.

What time did you get to the summit? I was there too, and the weather started to clear a little later, but the summit was clouded all day. It cleared below 7500' I took up some friends that were newer to climbing, thus taking almost twice as long as it normally would, so I was probably there later then you. By then the weather was improving. I felt that the avi danger was not very high on the worm flows route saturday. Climbers Biviouc had 4 miles of snow so you had to hike more there, but I saw several people going up Monitor Ridge. The ridge to the east of Worm Flows had several parties there too. We were even later coming down due to a rescue, and post holed a lot coming down.

Hi Aidian, My training for Rainier has been running, like 6 miles in hilly areas twice a week, and hiking places like Mt Si (try to get to 1:15-1:20 without haystack), tiger cable trail 35 min, or Mailbox 2hrs. Like Phil said don't pack too much weight, just a few essentials on these hikes. Try the heavy pack to Muir once, or even better climb Mt Baker on the Easton or Colman-Deming. Doing this shows you what works and what doesn't work, and it's easier than Rainier. I've climbed Rainier quite a few times with quite a few people and the most successful seem to be distance runners mentally when it comes to first timers. There have been some studies showing Ginko Bibola helps some with altitude, and on the fluids, try mixing Gatorade or Poweraid, this keeps you hydrated and the electrolytes up high. I only take a MSR XGk with a large pot for melting snow, and earplugs, believe me it helps with tent flap noise, and other people making noise at base camp. Bill

I'm taking some friends up St Helens this weekend and wondering how others felt about avi danger would be. The sun didn't match the forcast. I think the snow consolidated a little over the 24 hours time it takes to consoladate and the southern exposure and the 4000' freezing level with the time makes it moderate on the ridge lines. The last 700'is the danger point. The bowl at top is where I feel some danger will occur. Is anyone going there or has anyone there the last few days. We are going up Worm Flows and checking sheer tests higher up. The NW avi danger was updated Wendsday. Bill

One vote for the Emmons. It is a long way to basecamp, but so is the Kautz. To Emmons you go through a forest, a meadow, then the Inter Glacier to base camp (camp shureman or the flats) The corridor is straight up, no zig zags for half the climb. There are enough people on the route, so you know where to go, there is no rock fall (had couple near misses on DC) and you come out on top, you don't have to cross the crater if you care about getting to the "true summit", and lastly, no RMI Bill

I think that snowmobilers should watch themselves on Baker. I have seen them every time I've headed up the Easton, and they are loud, but a minority are obnoxious. Most when we encounter them slow down and wave. Remember that they helped to look for those two guys a few weeks ago. I saw one go by while on a climb a few years ago, and started tipping and a snow bridge broke, was able to rev out without falling back and went on. When I ran into others at the parking lot and told them about it they all looked at each other--I thought that was something normal (Glacier=Hidden CravassesX200lb Machine w/200lb rider). They all said that they hate stories like that and that was a worse nightmare. I don't climb that side any more because I don't like the noise and smoke, let alone the slog it is.

Wow, people wanting to take your packs up for free! Last year on our climb we thought the gravy train rolled into paradise when 120 army guys filed out of 2 buses for a hike to Muir. My buddy offered $50 to anyone to take his pack up--no takers once they saw how much it weighed! They were shivering in their cold wet jeans at the hut and half of them were snow blind by then. And it's hard to bring up ethics when there is a rut all the way up anyway. Bill

Hi, I have used the Ice Floss tons of times on the lower angle climbs on snow and glaciers. I am sold on them, mainly on weight. I've pulled a person out of a crevasse safely (remember climbers to check to make sure the rope isn't wrapped around the guys neck-they don't show that on the drawings in the instructional books). They seem to wear faster then my other ropes, but keep dry while dragging across a glacier for eight hours. They can be a little like a rubberband when tight. Another thing is that they kink up easier then the larger diameter ropes(not a big problem). I have no experience with your rope, but the main savings is the weight. I find it real beneficial on a long day climb (like Rainier or Baker in a day or others like Eldorado). 3 on a team fit just fine with room on the ends, but four gets a little tight. Rappelling can be a little scary, unless you double up, but a fall is not a problem (count them and retire them) The price is good too.