rat

That right-hand start looks much better than our attempted direct up the lower left. Congrats. Glad to see the French grades getting traction. Now if we also started using the Scottish ones in winter.....

Nice one. There look to be a couple other lines on the west side of Spectre for those willing to brave the runouts. Very disappointing to hear of the new NCNP permit fees.

Agree w/ Jason regarding conditions.

Much of the large overhang near the junction of the upper ramp of the Improbable Traverse & the variations above Lunch Ledge fell off in late November, 2021. Most of the ramp near this junction is missing & has perched blocks, the roof variation above Lunch Ledge looks like it is now talus, there appear to be scars near the traverse itself, & the entire lower face is covered in loose rocks. Apologies if you have already been fed this on #outofmyfuckingfacetwitgram.

Here are some specs that I found after ordering: http://www.qualityfoam.com/docs/Minicel_Type_T_T200_T300_T380.pdf T300 may be worth the minimal extra price & weight depending on the thickness you want.

Reasonably inexpensive source for eva foam: https://www.foambymail.com/minicel-type-t-foam.html I just received a sheet of T200. It appears identical to the yellow hardman pad of yore.

Found in the brush next to our house: 1 rope (appears to be gym-length). 1 Metolius PAS. 1 Butora rock shoe (size 8.5). We looked around for the other one but couldn't find it. Send me a pm describing the pertinent colors & I'll get it back to you.

Thanks for the history & your efforts. Perhaps thankfully, we didn't see any of your bail pins. I suppose it's rated about the same as other routes on the NW face, however one wants to rate those, but is of a slightly different character & pretty run out on the first pitch. Since then I have seen photos where that pitch looks like hero WI3. I'm surprised that it wasn't done before & I haven't heard of an ascent since. It's a good route with plenty of opportunities for new variations with a summit at the end.

Thanks for the info. Yes, that west facing wall has 3 multi-pitch sport climbs (5.9, 5.8, & 5.10 from right to left) put up by Leland Windham & Co.

Nice find. I have wondered about that area over the years. How did the large gully immediately west of the TH look (probably lower angle than it looks head-on)? There is also a rumored ice climb up the west facing water streak not far south of the TH but catching that in condition might be tough.

Lots of work for Drew.

That is an outstanding trip up an amazing valley. For future reference, there is a direct line to Phantom camp via a brush-free Picket Cr. trib with only a couple short cliff sections to negotiate.

Cuz they're lazy sods that don't want to take the risk of killing a "guest" or have a "guest" kill them. This guide-produced climb had many of its pins, next to perfectly protectable cracks, disappear some years back https://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/topic/53230-fa-of-n-arete-of-varden-creek-spire-6222007/

Man, you get after it. Your winter ascents of the Bulgers, while just bumps on the map compared to your summer achievements, seem to have stood you in good stead. Congrats. How many country high points to go?

Sorry, found a home for 'em already.

Only placed a couple times since buying it in the late '90's. Photos on request. Will not ship but will deliver in Seattle area or along the I-5 corridor up to Burlington. $100 cash.

Kind words but hopefully made tongue- in-cheek. We are for the most part just the cleaners for many previous greats and, in our case, often for Mike and Wayne (cue the Winston Wolfe clip). Mannijo, I can't honestly say it was worth the approach and certainly not a classic in any ordinary sense. Onward....

WHAP....well at least he didn't inadvertently use an acronym that the snowflakes would redact. I mean who's against whaps? Yeah, he probably shouldn't list it on his CV. As one who works in the woods, I have a lot of respect for how fast a fire can move. Luckily, the start zone, wind, & overnight showers were in our favor. The Baker River deproach would have been an adventurous cake walk if necessary but someone, not gonna say who, thought it was nuts. Thanks for the info, Mark. If one wanted to roll the dice with falling snags, the fire might improve the approach to Bear Mt. until the brush returns. However, I bet the NPS closes it next summer due to safety concerns.

"Classic of the range" that just needs a little traffic to clean it up..... IV?! Only because someone is pretty damn slow, not gonna say who. Gotta say that Mike's & Wayne's ascent of Spectre, while not directly up the SW buttress, was a very impressive feat.

way to put it together....that's a lot o' walking. has your son caught the bulger bug?

gneiss.

as darin alluded to: June 24 at 10:13 AM HAMPTON FOREST CLOSURES: We are sorry to announce that due to increased risk of wildfire in Oregon and Washington, all Hampton forestland will be closed to the general public until further notice. With state resources for wildfire response already stretched thin, we feel this temporary closure is needed to protect forest health and public safety. We understand the inconvenience this can create for those who use our forestlands in the summer. We intend to resume public access at the end of fire season. For more information on other private land closures in Oregon visit: https://ofic.com/private-forestland-closures/

i climbed it in the early 2000's. two points supporting removal of the added protection bolt are: 1. the bolt does change "the character of the route"; and 2. previous retro efforts did not feel the need for an added bolt. at this point i don't really care whether you remove the added bolt but bear in mind that just because you think you're doing a public service doesn't always mean it's so. rock on...

i'm not surprised you couldn't reach steve risse as he is dead. not sure about his wife. http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199432900/Steven-Craig-Risse-1952-1993 it was clearly not so much of a "death route" that you couldn't rope solo it & the route has been retro'd 2x already. http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Washington-Pass-North-Early-Winters-Spire-Labor-Pains the internet is such a hard place to find info.....

not sure if dustin is referring to oregon's spring mt. or washington's but as of yesterday, the other side of the tracks was not "free of moss and debris". that said, it climbed better than it looked. someone has re-grubbed a good portion of the approach trail, perhaps as a covid clampdown project, so maybe a renaissance is in the works.