Fairweather

That would be AWESOME. 👍

I took this in 2013 from the top of the moraine. A while ago, I know. Deception Basin is very beautiful.

He's been in place for two years now. All the restrictions/closures at MRNP started with him. Worse than Ubaraga; every bit as obnoxious as Bill Briggle. This is a big problem with the National Park Service. For varying reasons, they come to view the public as the other, and the parks they administer as their own.

https://mustreadalaska.com/controversial-park-service-supervisor-promoted-to-mount-rainier-park-post/

From late 2020: https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-great-american-outdoors-act-preserving-protecting-national-parks/ So, how did the new Superintendent spend the money? Mr. King seemed to be able to manage resources properly before he left. Why can't Mr. Dudgeon? He wore out his welcome in Alaska--and now we're stuck with him. And what did the Biden Administration do for four years? (I mean, besides give nearly $200Bn to Ukraine and billions more to fund programs for illegals.) But let's not kid ourselves, bureaucrats will always plead poverty when there's hard work to be done. Or hide behind a wall of indecipherable rules that they themselves get to write. No amount of money will ever be enough to "properly" fund this or that. Open the park, already.

MORA is going the way of the ski industry. Lost to urban elites--willing to pay top dollar for weekend escapades--and a bureaucratic class willing to cater to them exclusively. https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/news/mount-rainier-national-park-announces-winter-recreational-access-for-2024-25-season.htm

While the Psalms are beautiful, David was a supreme paradox. So too it is with climbing mountains. How to reconcile the beauty with the darkness? Just terrible. I pray for your brother--and you and your family. Continue your walk with God along whatever path He chooses for you, and find His favor as David did. We look forward to reuniting with our departed again someday.

Jim Wickwire

Ha, I didn't even know that was a thing. My bad, I didn't understand the motivation. Sounds like fun no matter what ends up getting skied.

Have you considered Cooper Spur? I've down-climbed it many times. It's also a big fall, but for whatever reason, I never thought too much about it. One of my favorite solo routes. Leaving your skis at the bottom of Cooper Spur's "Chimney," summiting, down-climbing, and skiing down from there would give you about the same amount of vertical on skis. Of course, it's a bit more of a traverse if you're starting at Meadows. But not much more than the traverse to Wy'East from Timberline. (??)

I never saw tracks or shared the route with another party. But that was decades ago, maybe it's more popular now. Re skiing the route, well, I'd say if you down-climb the chute and the traverse, and ski down from there then it's hard to lay claim to skiing the route. Still a great day on Mount Hood! But not a ski descent of the WyEast route, IMO. Laps on the Newton Clark would be more enjoyable for an old guy like me.😀

I've climbed this route four times, always in winter. Yes, the last bit leads you out in a rising traverse above the Black Spider before you enter the Wy'East Chimney and climb up to the summit ridge. The initial traverse is left arm uphill if you're kicking side steps--the weak side for most. Otherwise you can face in. I'd say the traverse is 40-45 degrees, and the chimney might even approach 50-55. (Probably just a bit steeper than the last bit at the top of Cooper Spur Route.) I recall belaying the upper chimney at least once when it was hard packed. The entire traverse and chimney are fatal falls as the Spider is just below you. I've never down-climbed the route; always went down the south side. IMO, the route is steeper than Leuthold and Cooper Spur. But not as steep as the upper part of Sunshine. But that big drop just below is intimidating, I recall. One more thing: Crossing the White River Glacier is no big deal. Well, it wasn't in the 80s 90s 00s. Crevasses were few and obvious. Not sure how much of that glacier is even left now.

Klenke. Seriously. Going tough places that nobody's ever heard of, where almost nobody goes, and coming back humble.

Cancer sucks, it tried to kill me a few years back. Still, at the end of the day, there is no "it." Just some bad code that never got edited and went to press. No malice; not even aware of its own existence. Condoriri! Time falls away But these little wonders These small hours Still remain

Black Ice Matters!