Stefan

This last weekend we were hiking out from the NE Buttress of Goodde back to the Bridge Creek Trailhead and here is my report..... 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. That man is either tough and stupid or is running a meth lab.

Access to buttress is good. No problem with moat for several weeks. Glacier could be the problem though becuase it was breaking up fast. Some snow up high right now on route but not a problem at all. DO NOT COME DOWN THE BEDAYN COULOUIR!!! IT REALLY SUCKS AND TAKES MORE TIME THAN THE STANDARD DESCENT!!!

thanks smokin' joe!

It is true that the Rangers will remove the summit registers. However, they do and have not removed several registers within the NCNP which I have seen and have been there since the mid 60's. I can attest to 3 different peaks where this is the case. I will not divulge the name of the peaks because I fear then the rangers might then set about to remove them. But I would like to know that removing the registers becuase they are "permanent fixtures" or becuase they are seen as "trash" wouldn't the same logic then follow for trail signs? Trail signs are permanent fixtures.

If rapping down the SW Couloir of Goode, is it possible with one or should I bring two ropes for the rappel?

What about the approach from Mountaineer Creek? Has anyone done that one? Or is the approach from Long's Pass more ideal?

I looked at all the alpine packs for what I do. Ice Sac, Nozone, Cold Cold World, Alpine Attacks, Marmot, Black Diamond. I do not ski or snowboard and I wanted something light. I knew that going light would mean lighter loads so I was looking in the 4000 cubic inch area. The best pack I found is the Climb High Jackpot. They only make limited ones becuase Climb High's supplier doesn't make enough. It works well for weights under 30 lbs. I would not trust it for weights over 30 lbs because it does not have any type of frame--it uses the foam pad for support. I am not an expert on cloth types but it feels like that spectra cloth used on the Kelty's. The Climb High Jackpot has tool tubes, crampon pouch, removable top lid, side compression straps that have buckles (a must on any alpine pack), removable bivy foam pad, inside pouch to hold water bladder, and extendable main compartment that goes to my hips if I need to bivy.

Here is how to avoid the masses but take advantage of platforms at the half way point. Go ONE DAY after the masses. Instead of doing Liberty Ridge on Sat/Sun/Mon do it on Sun/Mon/Tue We did this one year where July 4th landed on a Monday. There was absolutely noone on the route--they were all one day ahead of us.

Even though it may not be in the "Cascades" the best glissade is coming off of Mt. Shasta. It kicks ass off of Mt. Adams.

I never met you smokin' joe. Don and Natala speak highly of you--in fact I was out last weekend with them on Jordan Peak. I heard you were out skiing. Anyway, I will respond to the NPS. I know the rescue fees are a result of "lack of funding" from the government. Does anyone know if the Coast Guard charges for rescues? If the Coast Guard charges for rescues (which are A LOT more expensive than mountain rescues) then the federal government should charge for mountain rescues. I do know that the Coast Guard is in a different branch than the NPS. It would be reasonable to make the federal government be fair all the way around in charging or not charging for rescues.

To jblakley I suggest people face climb only if they can do it on their own by any means except leaving markings behind. They can do it via top rope or free solo—whatever their choice is. The rope, bolts, biners, and slings are only there for safety—they are not there to enhance the experience. If people are putting up bolts just to protect themselves from a potential fall, then they should not be there. A wacky analogy: people shouldn’t be putting their heads in alligator jaws if the jaws were going to potentially shut on them. In addition, there is something aesthetic about climbing a route and not seeing any sign of a previous person being there. I guess the compromise is to allow bolting in non—wilderness areas because people are going to bolt anyways. It would be the same thing with roads. People are going to build roads—but do we need to build roads everywhere? A bolt ladder could be seen as a road…… I will never understand the need to bolt anything anywhere. I see bolting the same as putting up a ladder on a route.

I still want to know. Why do people have to touch every section of this earth? Why can’t people climb rock under their own abilities—i.e. without bolting? Is there nothing sacred?

I know I am in the minority in this thread, chatroom, website..... I do not agree with any type of bolting. My bolting opinion has nothing to do what the Forest Service says or what people refer to as "development of the sport". I believe man does not have to touch every section of this earth. It is OKAY to leave places, or rocks faces, untouched. If you can not get up a section of rock on your own human ability and be able to remove the stuff you left behind, then you should not be there.