Stefan

philfort: Yes, I did see the snow/ice coulouir to the left. At the time I was on the NE Buttress on July 1 it looked like it was in really good shape. Really good. No bergschrund problems whatsoever--and snow/ice went all the way to the ridge. Since this is a low snow year I would suspect that it would last well into later July during a regular snow year. The guy with the foot locker I heard was talked to by the rangers at Stehekin about 2 weeks later. They asked if they could go through his stuff. He said yes. They found only his worldly belongings. No walking meth lab. The rangers thought he was weird though.

Here is my trip report on Goode this year. Glacial breakup was occurring at that time. My recommendation: it is too late—but I could be wrong. Goode NE Buttress 6/30/01-7/02/01 I had always wanted to do the NE Buttress of Goode since so many people had said it was a fun trip to do. Lots of class 4, some class 5 and class 3 is what they said on pretty solid rock. Pretty true to their words…..(If you really don’t care about the report at least read the last paragraph in this report. It is the strangest thing Greg and I have ever seen in the woods.) Greg and I left the Bridge Creek trailhead at 8:45 on Saturday June 30 and walked the trail which was pretty uneventful and made it to the start of the short cross country section in 5.5 hours (15 miles of hiking). We followed the example of how to proceed through the cross country section as described in the CAG#1. (I recommend that you do not do this. We found a MUCH better way through the brush on our way down. I will describe it later.) There is a log down across the stream at this point and easily crosses the North Fork. After that the brush becomes VERY intense for about 150 meters before it breaks out into talus. We stayed to the right of the stream opting to climb on the slabs which went very well and went through some more brush before coming to the Alpen slopes. We camped at 5600 feet on slabs and not at the bivy spot at the last bit of trees. Our camp was a great place if you want to carry over. Our objective was to climb Goode and Stormking and come back to camp. We left camp on Sunday July 1 at 7:30 under beautiful skies with just daypacks to make the ascent light and enjoyable. We went through the glacier which in my opinion is breaking up badly and did not look like it was going to last for several weeks. However, the snow to the bench had no indication a moat or bergschrund was going to appear soon and looked in very good condition. We did the fifth class climb onto the ridge proper and then did the short slabby section all roped up. After that the climb turns 3rd class for several hundred feet of climbing. Wow. I did not know this. We were basically to the south of the ridge proper and this section went very fast with many heather benches. We reached a part of the ridge were it blended in with a face and started doing more mid 5th class climbing. This was odd to me because we were about 800 feet below the summit where the books say the climbing starts at about 500 feet below the summit. From here to the summit we were doing a combination of belayed climbing and simul-climbing. I would say we were doing about 50/50. Maybe we were off route, but I came across several old, but looked recently used pitons that were permanently wedged. Shortly after this section we did a traverse on a very broad ledge to another minor ridge that borders the NW face. At this point is where Greg dropped two of my carabiners and a #7 stopper. They are yours if you can find them……. If we were on the right route, why wasn’t this wide ledge ever described in the route books? The next part of the ridge we climbed had snow on it but was not a problem. We were sometimes on the NW face just below the ridge and sometimes we were directly on the NE Buttress. The climbing is definitely fourth class with some sections of low fifth class in my opinion, however there are holds everywhere. The holds are not as big as the West Ridge of Forbidden, but they are still there. We finally topped out at 3:30, a little thirsty but glad to be at the top with such great weather. I did the climb in a short sleeved shirt. The summit register said someone had been up there that same day—solo—but we did not know what route the person took. We came down the Bedayn couloir because the Nelson book recommended it—I was not mentally prepared for what we went through. It was crap. Do not come down the Bedayn couloir. Since we had the rope, we decided to rappel certain sections. We did 7 rappels. This was the third worst rappel/descent in my life—and such it took a lot of time to do. Due to my frustrations it took us 3.5 hours to come down and as such we knew we had to give up on the Stormking ascent. We traversed around to the Goode-Stormking col and did another rappel to the glacier. From there we got back to our camp sometime just before 10:00 where we moved the overnight bivy to the last section of trees and a better view of the NE Buttress. The next morning we came down the way we came up from the North Fork EXCEPT we decided to NOT go through the brush as described in the Beckey book. We followed the scree talus/washout as far as it goes down to the North Fork directly below camp. From there it is about 20 meters to the stream through easy brush. We then walked up the stream on rocks for about 40 meters where we crossed and then went another 20 meters through light brush to the trail. The brush is light, and easy on this way across the stream and I highly recommend it over crossing the way the Beckey book describes. To access this way, go about 100 meters up the North Fork Bridge Creek trail after you leave the stand of trees. You should see the washout across the stream, but go about another 40 meters past this sighting, and then cross directly. The hike out was uneventful and took 6.5 hours EXCEPT for one thing. We were hiking sometime past the Rainbow Lake cutoff trail and before the South Pass cutoff trail. Here I am sweating like it is midsummer New Orleans wearing only shorts and shoes and I come across this man wearing a full sweater and pants and he is carrying a suitcase. Yes, a suitcase. With wheels. At the same time we see him, we also notice his stash. He has 2 other suitcases on the side of the trail. This man also has the largest duffel bag I have ever seen with stuff I can’t see and is even bigger than Greg and mine’s backpacks combined. The man has also brought along with him a metal foot looker about 3 feet long by 1.5 feet in height and width. The man also has a 5 gallon water jug, but we could not tell if it was fuel or water in there. He has no backpack. He has no friends with him. He has no horses. I am flabbergasted by what I see. We get to talking and he says he started at Rainy Pass with all this stuff. Rainy Pass???!!! He said he was going to Leavenworth. What???!!! He also said he started in Spokane. He was about 35 and seemed a little toked up, but I could not tell. I would like to know the friend that dropped him off at Rainy Pass, because this guy had a North Cascades backcountry permit too! To ferry his loads he said it took him five trips to retrieve his stuff. In other words, he would have to walk the trail 10 times!! No backpack. A metal footlocker. 3 suitcases. A 5 gallon water jug. A duffel bag not even a Navy seaman would carry. I would like to see the face of the shuttle bus driver at the Stehekin road when this guy arrives there.

I like the topic. I did all three Wilman's Spires this weekend. Recommendation: Do not come down or up the west ridge after all the snow has melted--you will encounter lots of brush.

Depends. If you do not care about Carne mountain, then definitely going down to Leroy basin and out the Leroy Creek Trail down to the Spider Creek trail. On old Green trails maps there shows a trail going south to the headwaters of Rock creek above Box creek. That trail is not there anymore and therefore is a pain to get to Carne mountain. I have done a traverse going over peak 8112 (Ice Box Peak) and peak 7960+ (Chilly Peak) and then over to Carne Mountain.

We did it August 11 from Holden Pass. No water at the pass, but you can walk down to the stream. We had a little ice section coming off of the main glacier onto the upper snowfield which was not a problem. However, we had to traverse around a crevasse that was opening up quite good just after the ice section. I doubt it would be passable by now. However, if you wanted to climb the serac next to the rock that would be a definite go.

Read Pack and Paddle for the August issue on page 15-16. Fred Beavon did it and gives more detail of how he did it. Where to pick up pack and paddle? You can either call them or I think there are copies at some REI's.

just testing to see if i have enough computer savy

Dru, Which Needle Peak are you speaking about for your favorite scambles?

robertm: The North Cascades National Park boundary ends just past Panther Creek. So any parking after Panther Creek and east you are in Mt. Baker National Forest Land or Wenatchee National Forest Land. Blue Lake trailhead is officially on Wenatchee National Forest Service land.

I do not repeat. There is too much out there to repeat. Call me greedy but I would like to get in as many different experiences as I can in my lifetime.......

Dogs are not allowed in any of the three national parks in the state. Dogs are only allowed to go where cars are allowed to go. But horses are allowed everywhere. I guess dogs leave too much crap.

Pope, was your mentor a professor at PLU and studied Egyptian Archaeology? I heard the same saying......

Does anybody know current conditions of the Mary Green glacier and access onto Bonanza?

If Lance Armstrong was at his peak and he raced Miguel Induran (spelling?) which was at his peak--then who would win in your opinion?

What's those Europeans doing taking pictures of our land? I thought we were on their side with nothing to hide!

I have heard the "Warbonnet" is pretty good in Idaho. I have never been there. Go to this webpage for somebody who talked about it... http://www.peakware.com/encyclopedia/peaks/addapeak939.htm

I was at Spire Rock circa 87-90 becuase I was at PLU during those days. I remember the condoms everywhere, seeing spray painting, the guys from the army base showing off their rappeling techniques to their girlfriends....a dead body or so in the woods. Aaah. Those were the days.....

I am sorry. I should have been more clear. I meant the Mount Rainier National Park General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement. I sent in several comments and suggestions in regards to the plan well before the February 9, 2001 deadline. I thought the comments were going to be put together and released for public viewing in regards to the plan but I have not heard anything. I just thought you might know since you post to this website.

by the way, email me at: stefanefeller@hotmail.com

I am looking for a partner to do Slesse--the standard SW route. I am not up for the classic NE Buttress. For July 28/29. I can also go on Friday. My skill level: I have been doing alpine type climbing for the past 12 years here in the NW, and I recently finished leading my partner doing the NE Buttress of Goode. Can lead alpine 5.8 I usually do not like posting for climbing partners becuase roped climbing requires you have knowledge of what your partner's skills are, but my potential climbing partner had other arrangements and I am left with a passion to climb Slesse without a partner.

Mike Gauthier, I do not remember the exact dates, but wasn't there supposed to be some media release on the public comments to the proposed changes within MRNP?

Use "Rabbit Runners" as slings. This is truly a grams/ounces saved technique and not a full pound. "Rabbit Runners" work well also to clip away from your body instead of the traditional over your head pull off.

Route starts at mid 5th class immediately, followed by a short 4th class section and then goes to 3rd class to the halfway point. From the halfway point the climbing turns to low 5th class to mid 5th class and then goes back to 4th class/low 5th class all the way to the top. Rock was solid for me all the way with good holds. Not the best I have been on, but pretty darned good. Good bivy campsite just below the entrance to the glacier at 5800 feet at the very top of the rock slabs. Best approach is to WALK PAST the forested trees for about 150 meters (where CAG says to go), go across the North Fork creek, then walk downstream the North Fork creek for about 50 meters and then aim for the large talus runnout. You can see the large talus runnout when you are on the trail past the the forested trees. You will encounter brush, but IT IS MUCH LESS BRUSH than the approach route as described in the CAG. (Take off shoes for crossing the creek.) On our return, we came around the Stormking Col by rapping down. Once again the glacier looked like it was forming a large bergschrund about 1/3 of the way down.

I know somebody who did it last Friday. They went over Conglomerate Point.

I remember seeing her in person many years ago and thought she was a very attractive woman--my sighting was of course before the job. I don't know why she went ahead with the job......