Stefan

Try Mt. Angeles. I heard it is a great winter outing!

I want you guys to all love me. Love me tenderly.

Does anybody know of any rock climbing potential on the island of Oahu?

I scrambled up Hurricane Peak and Boulder Peak just SW of Buckindy. Great views of the Cascade Range from Baker to Glacier. Snow was pretty good, as we did not have to use snowshoes.

About 2 years ago I went in there and they wouldn't give me a key. There was a guy at the guard station on the south side. He would only let me in after 6:00 and no earlier. Then I was stopped at the gate somewhere above Howard Creek. I would like to know if they also give you the key to that gate beyond Howard.

Has anybody on this board ever climbed "The Triad" above Sibley Creek? [ 11-12-2001: Message edited by: Stefan ]

Here are some scrambling peaks (maybe one or two 4th class) with potential options for November 17th or 18th. Betty's Jug/Mortons Neuroma (west of Chaval) (Suiattle)Bluegrass/Independence (Silverton up Coal Creek Road)Crosby/Bing (Money Creek)Grasshopper (Lake Wenatchee)Gunnshy (west of Gunsight)Helen Buttes (Marblemount)Hurricane/Boulder (Suiattle)Illabot (Suiattle)Infrared/Red/Big Red (Money Creek)Lennox/Cannoe (north of North Bend)Little Bulger/Sorcery/Galleon (Middle Fork Snoqualmie-west of Dingford creek trail)Morningstar/Lewis (south of Sperry)Price (Middle Fork Snoqualmie)Sopa (Lake Wenatchee)Spring (North Fork Sauk)Triad (by Eldorado)Watson (Baker Lake) Remember, I am definitely open to other ideas too. Let me know.

G2 was overall great. The Karakorum is a very intimidating place when you look at the mountains. However, you do not get that "wilderness" feel because there are people everywhere--especially porters. I had to return about midway through the expedition due to my wife having an uplanned surgery--so I did not make it. Quite an impressive place. Some mornings you could hear the bombs exploding way far away.....

Haven't seen you in awhile Marek. Good to see you are still out and about in the mountains.

I think I would like to do Voodoo peak. Not many people ever climb that thing. Especially not in the winter.

James F., Alton W. and I headed out from the Colchuck lake trailhead at 7:30 under clear skies on Saturday and found ourselves atop Aasgard Pass 4 hours later. This was my first time to the Enchantment Lakes Basin and my first time up and down Aasgard Pass, and I have vowed to never come down Aasgard Pass again unless that route is filled with snow. We continued on from Aasgard Pass to Inspiration Lake and camped at the scenic north end with nobody around. Some of the smaller lakes along the way had frozen and there were sections of the trail that had snow drift accumulations. The larches had pasted their prime but they were still beautiful to see with their colors. Prussik Peak is quite impressive to see as you approach it from that angle. Soon after camp was made we headed up Prussik Pass and to the base of the climb, under sunny conditions, hardly any wind, but still mildly cold. I lead the first pitch and we think we were off route due to its different complexities compared with the description. James lead the second and third pitches because I know how much he likes to lead-and he always does a great job. When James made it through the 5.7 slab he let out a hollor that startled me because at first I thought he was falling. The slab was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be, but I was really fascinated by the remaining pitch traverse on the direct ridge-awesome! The three of us then headed up on class 3 and class 4 to the sections to the highest ledge and did the final pitch as described in the guidebook. The part of my climb that was the most favorite was the lieback flake. This route was solid. Soon after we made it to the top we did two double rope rappels and one single rope before we traversed back to our packs. Alton lost his disposable camera along one of the rappels, so next time you are out there, be on the lookout for a camera! We made it back to camp sometime around 6:45 and went to bed around 8:30 under total clear skies. The next morning we awoke to cloudy, windy conditions and my goal was to go off and do Cannon. Alton and I headed off at 7:30 up over Prussik Pass and did the traverse over to Cannon. Sometime around the lakes it started snowing lightly. From these lakes until we got below Aasgard Pass it was snowing lightly the whole time. Wind was blowing but not very hard and the cloud ceiling was around 7800 feet. We finally made it to the plateau below Cannon. Weird place. Really weird landscape. We couldn’t see the summit block from the clouds but it was eerie walking across that plateu. Alton and I scrambled to the top without any views and came down immediately through the snow patches and rock. Prussik Peak does not look as impressive from the north as from the south. We made it back to Prussik Pass without incident and now I headed up to do Enchantment while Alton went back to camp. I scrambled up Enchantment without incident without any views and made it back to a waiting Alton at camp at 11:45. My bonus peak for the day was going to be Dragontail. However, the weather prohibited me from accomplishing that task. As we were coming up the basin back to Aasgard pass the wind was whipping hard and the snow felt like scree hitting my face at times. No one was in sight-but it wasn’t that terribly cold-just very windy and cloudy up higher. I have windburn on my face as I write this. Dragontail will have to wait for another day. Down we came over Aasgard Pass and the wind became even stronger! There were whitecaps on Colchuck lake we could see from the pass and the whole time we were coming down. There was one time I was knocked down on my arse from the wind-but I was loving it! Except I was NOT loving coming down that pass. Ouch! My knees! The remaining trip was uneventful out and we encountered sprinkling showers off and on. Back to the car at 4:30. Great trip, especially the climb of Prussik Peak!

So Cpt Caveman you interested in Prussik for real given the weather forecast?

Kyle, thanks for the info. How much snow was on the rocks or was it scattered? When you said "it" am I to assume you mean "it" means Prussik Peak? Caveman, I am interested in the west ridge. So far there are three definites and I am trying to find out if we have a fourth. The fourth is a strong "if" at this point in time. I will let you know.

I am thinking of climbing Prussik peak this upcoming weekend. How much snow is up there in your estimates?

Boston Peak. Higher than Forbidden or Eldorado so you can see over those peaks. However, I think Mt. Buckner might take the cake with having over 3000 feet of prominence--but I haven't been up to the top of that one. Mt. Goode is fabulous but a little too far east to appreciate the snow and ice in the Cascade Pass area.

Was anybody up in the Enchantments this past weekend (Oct 13/14)? I would like to know how much snow was up around the Prussik Peak area.

Do you know Tim Bombaci?

I did Double Peak on Friday September 14. Don't do it now. Wait until spring. Here is my brief trip report: Double Peak 9/15/2001 Did this peak in 5.5 hours round trip. Beckey says 5 hours one way to the summit. The route description is right on as described in CAG, where to park, where to cross the stream, when to go up, and how to go up. If you come to a way trail off of the Chinook Creek trail leading to Stafford Falls then you have gone about 100 meters too far. One recommendation: do not go after the snow has melted-as I did. I had to go through a 50 meter swath of small sticker bushes. Because I was wearing shorts and no gaiters my legs look like I went through some type of pleasure torture chamber. I was asking myself constantly why I subjecting myself to such a ludicrous hobby. Other than that it is typical cross country travel until you reach the basin at 4600 feet where the brush becomes almost nonexistent. Last entry was from Fred Beavon who had sent me a good route description earlier.

Best time of year is sometime after they open Cayuse Pass. When Beckey says there is rock work he means there is some class 3 stuff--which there are only two sections on the higher of the two summits. I did not do the lower of two summits. Timing would be tricky on this. You don't want snow up high on the rocky sections but you want snow below to avoid the bushwacking crap I had to go through. That sounds like mid May would be the best time. Don't worry about the Chinook Creek crossing. If the creek is really high, my recommendation is to go back to the trailhead and walk the trail for a mile becuase there is supposed to be a bridge over Chinook creek.

You need to be more specific in the location. It could have been Silvertip. It could have been Mt. Blum too.

Pope, Maybe you should put together your own magazine for cascade climbers.

I have done it in a full day from car to summit to basin in the month of July. I remember leaving the car 1 hour after sunrise and getting to the basin just when we needed headlamps. I can't tell you times becuase I can't remember that many years ago......

Would I take rope if it was fixed to large rock wall? No. Why? Becuase it is traditionally found that someone is probably using it as fixed line completing a route. Would I take a fixed line in the Cascades and no one around on a moderate route? Once again, I will say yes, because in the Cascades it is traditional that no one leaves stuff behind--coming across a rope hanging there on a route in the Cascades is highly unusual. Mattski if you are a guide, then you definitely have pencil and paper to leave a note--it is part of your first aid kit. This discussion would never happen in the Alps. If you leave anything behind, you will never see it again--wether you are a guide or not.

Let's say I came across a rope hanging there with a picket. I see no one around--and nothing to indicate the person will return. Here is what I assume: The lameass who left it does not know how to rappel and left it behind for the retreat off of the mountain. Therefore I will take it. No I did not take it, but if I came across this situation, you damn well better know I will take it.

Holy Mother of Jesus! I was just there last Saturday!