Tom

You can park at the washout, but you may need a Forest Pass to avoid a ticket. It makes a lot of sense to take bikes and ride to the trailhead, that hike is BORING. Here is a picture of the washout... It's huge...

Finally have the trip report posted on my web site...

Going in from Flapjack - you have to register at Stairase because you'll be in ONP, and pay for camping. Not quite 8 miles in to the lakes, the first 4 a flat, bug infested slog down an old road, and then up from there - a little over 4 hours for me with gear. I've done it under headlamp without problems. The approach takes about 90 minutes from Flapjack lake to get up to Needle Pass. You'll probably need crampons/ice axe for the approach up the snow field. Then another hour over two minor peaks on the ridge to get to the beginning of Cruiser. To get to Mildred, you just need the parking pass for the National Forest. 4.4 miles to the lakes. The trail is more difficult, and you have to cross two ridges to get to the lakes. The trail would be tricky under headlamp due to many spurs, and there are some hand over hand sections, similar to or worse than the Constance Lake trail - again about 4 hours for me. There is suppose to be a trail from Mildred up to Needle Pass, but we couldn't find it - so we just headed up the best looking route towards the base of Cruiser. Due to the brush, it took a while (4 hours), but the viewpoints are really good. So what to do you like to do? We were interested in an alternative route, and trying something new. I think the asthetics from Mildred were nicer, but access to the ridge from Flapjack is easier. If the objective is Cruiser, Horn, Fin, Needle - go to Flapjack. If you want better views, and Cruiser and Alpha, go to Mildred.

Finally summited Cruiser this weekend, 3rd time's a charm... The first time was weather, the second time I got to the step at the beginning of the last pitch, but started puking due to dehydration. I belayed my partner up, but decided to stay down due to the ensuing light-headedness. This time was totally different - we decided to try the Mildred Lakes approach for a change of scenery (since the road has been fixed). Hiked in on Friday - the trail is up and down with some steep sections, and got to a great camping spot at the big lake around 3:30. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing some bouldering on some of the surronding rock. There was no wind, and the sky was crystal as we were above the marine layer. Saturday, we headed up on a bushwhack (or is that a bushthwack) towards Alpha. About 2 hours later, we made it above the avalanche alder, to some great outcrops for pictures and views. We traversed to the south under Alpha to catch the middle of the Cruiser route 1A. Up the remaining 5.4 pitch of 1A (which has a 5.7 crux by the way), to the step to finish at the traditional route. Spent about half an hour on the summit as there was no wind, and the late autumn sun just lit everything up. We didn't see or hear anyone else the whole trip! Instead of going down the same way we came up, we decided to just head down the drainage at the base of the second repel. There had been no rock activity the whole day - everything was stable. I headed down first while my partner manged the ropes. About half down, I hit a wall that required a repel. Instead of waiting for the ropes to catch up, I found a dihedral that had heather growing most of the way down. So I hopped in and pulled successive monkey moves to hand over hand down the 40 foot cliff! Very fun! Since we were pretty lazy, we decided to camp in Saturday night instead of headlamping out. The trail is tricky with numerous spurs, and the steep sections require attention to detail with overnight packs. So up early the next morning, and back at the car by 10:00 - and home for pizza and beer. An aside - there were numerous areas where people decided to just crap and drop their paper - come on, either pack it out or bury it!!!!

I wasn't on Glacier, but last weekend I had a pretty good view from Del Campo. It looked pretty open and gnarly...

I was up in the Goat Rocks last summer, here is some beta with links. We stayed up in the saddle next to the rocks for the 4th and lo 5th class scrambling available up there. Should be more remote than Old Snowy...

I took my wife up into Tull Canyon in the Olympics, where we got up at 3:00 am and watched the meteor shower until dawn. I know, not a real climb, but my wife thought it was!

Say Lambone, I'm heading up Glacier this weekend, once the cheeseburger is down, how bout some beta! Really... Glad you guys made it back down okay. [ 07-30-2002, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: Tom ]

My name really is Tom... The picture because it was one of the most fun moves that I've made while climbing, and also have on film. This was a repel down a chute after coming down from Cruiser. We didn't have crampons with us, so we repelled down the snow as far as we could before bailing off into the schrund to down-climb the rest of the way... My friend bet I couldn't stick the move - but I did. The brew was mighty tasty that night, since he bought -

I guess the first one technically was Angeles over on the OP. I started out by taking the mountaineering course at Olympic College. But the first one that I actually applied my knowledge by researching, organizing and taking a team up was Olympus - a very cool area to explore.

Loaded up content and beta for the Crystal Pass Traverse we made a couple weeks ago...

I use Delorme's Topo USA - less expensive than Topo!, and has more up to date info concerning trails and roads. The profiling features are easier to use than Topo! also. Plus, it has a 3D engine that will render the area you have selected. An example can be found on my web site for a trip up to El Dorado. I got my copy at Costco for $40, it included CA, OR, WA, NV and AK...

There are three passes to enter Avalanche Canyon from the Warrior side, a high and low pass between Constance and Desperation, and a high pass bewteen Desperation and Inner Constance. The approach to the first requires you to make a nasty notch adjacent to Warrior Arm, that would probably add an hour or two. The pass we used is higher (6800 feet vs 6400), but much morew direct, and had great snow. Just head up the standard approach to Warrior, and then turn right as if to head up Inner Constance. I bet though, when you get to the area we camped the second night, you'll want to stop for the night, the spot is that good! Have fun!

Thought I'd provide the beta myself then! Ths was a wonderful traverse, especially since we didn't have to decend the f-ing Constance Creek Trail... Started out Thursday evening, getting to the trailhead, excuse me, washout around 6:30... 3 and a half miles up the road to the Constance Creek trailhead, and then up about a thousand feet... I was getting tired, it was getting dark, so we camped in one of the few flat spots on the trail. On Friday, up at 5, and out by a little after 6, we made the lake by around 8. The trail is in pretty good shape, no snow until the lake. After a rest, we headed up Avalanche Canyon on terrific snow. Thankfully, the weather was semi-overcast with spot showers, otherwise it would have baking! We stopped for a bit to decide on which pass shelf to go to, and decided on the one on the left. Scrambling opportunities looked the best there with Desperation right there. We made the pass (6500 feet) about 1, set up camp, and just napped and baked in the now clear skies. The views of Constance, Inner Constance and Warrior are great. After dinner, a friend and I scrambled Desperation, and then scouted a place to watch the sunset. From the top of Desperation, the views extended deep into the southern Olympics to Brothers, Pershing, and to the west for the Gray Wolfs and Needles. After sunset, a dicy decent under headlamp, and some great sleep - no wind, and beautiful night skies. A lazy morning on Saturday, and we broke camp around 8:30 to head over to an alternate pass to drop down to the southwest of Warrior. We made this pass (6800 feet) around 9:30, and hung around to let the snow soften a bit for the steep decent. In the meantime, we were entertained by a two person team climbing Constance on route 1A. Roped, the leader looked pretty comfortable, the person on trail looked less... Having climbed Constance on this route a couple years ago - it's a wonderful approach, but a bit exposed for the squeamish. It was still in pretty good shape, just starting to open up in a couple places. After they made the notch, a little after 10, we decided to head down to the Warrior approach. Once down, we spot a shelf to the west, on the far north side of the Inner Constance arm, and decide, what the hell, that looks cool. So we head over there, and have camp set up by 1 again. We're about 500 feet below the wall we watched the sunset the night prior, and about 1,000 feet directly above the Home Lake valley. To play, we found a 30 foot snow wall where the upper 15 feet was vertical, and the bottom gradually rolled flat. So now it's an ice climbing contest with standard ice axes and boots! Then we turned out attention to some chutes, and had standing glissade contests (I suck)! The next day, we pondered Warrior, but decided to just head out. Down the standard approach, and then wrapping north around the west side of Warrior, we dropped down and met the Home Lake trail a couple miles from Boulder Shelter. The trail was mostly clear here, but still covered with snow towards Constance Pass. After a break at Boulder Shelter, a leisurely stroll out the Dungeness and we're done... I'll get some pics up on my web site as they get processed. That was fun!

Knowing you're over on the best (west) side of the water, try Cloudy Peak above Charlia Lakes. Then while you're up there, if he's cool with it, traverse over and take in Warrior. You'll have great views of Constance and Inner Constance, and the scrambling up there ain't bad.

Mt. Erie, south of Anacortes - ZigZag is classic, plus there are some 5.10s bolted routes...

Anyone traverse Crystal Pass from the Avalanche Canyon side? We want to do the Finger route for Inner Constance, and then traverse over for Warrior, and go out the Dungeness. Everything I've looked at on paper looks cool, looking for live beta though.

It's not free, but I got my copy at Costco for $40 - Topo USA. It has the west coast, including Alaska, allows profiling, and 3D rendering of the area. A bargain! I've posted some of the maps on my web site, for example the Enchantments..., and Eldorado.

Ron Judd wrote this article in the Sunday Times.

I've made some additions to my site, plus I've noticed new gapers floating around. Let me know what you think... Tom's web...

St. Helens is NOT in a National Park, nor are they managed by that agency. They are a National Volcanic Monument - and thus were able to basically make up their own rules as indicated by the managenment plan communicated to me by Mr. Gardner, the Deputy Monument Manager (see earlier post). Prior to the eruption, when the mountain was 10,000 feet plus, the area was a large recreation area with skiing, hiking, climbing... What is now the blast zone which was mostly forests managed for logging. The area was heavily impacted by humans... The North Cascade Nat'l Park and Wilderness was created in the 70's as the low impact area so many species could have an opportunity to re-establish themselves. When the top blew, the landscape was erased, and the monument was created to basically see what happens. The area of focus is the blast zone - where it is still very restricted. We climb in the impact zone (above 4800 feet on the south side) where access is "managed". Below 4800 feet, I think they tried to implement the same policy as was in place prior to the eruption.... My beef is above 4800 feet - I think the coexistence of sleds and climbers is unsafe. I witnessed a freewheeling sled run over 500 feet of vert. I think there is a chance of the noise and vibration causing an avalanche in certain conditions. It makes sense to me that sleds should be restricted to below 4800 feet. That's what I told the NVM. Communicate your views at their website, and help make a change.

I went through the NVM website pretty thoroughly, and at no point could I find fee structure for the sleds. However, it was very up front on how much it cost to park and climb - and where we had to sign in and out at. Now it may be they recover something from the Washington ORV sticker fund - who knows, but it does seem unfair. Like I said earlier in the thread, unless you complain in a measurable way, nothing will get done. The link is in an earlier post...

He should lose some weight, so he doesn't need sled to haul his fat ass up the hill!!!!!!!

Well kids, here is the response to my email to the NVM: Tom - Thank you for your interest in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. I appreciate you taking the time to comment about your experience to the Monument. In 1985 the Comprehensive Management Plan for Mount St. Helens NVM (CMP) was signed by the Regional Forester. This plan took over two years of planning and public involvement to complete. This document was an Environmental Impact Statement. The plan authorised over-snow vehicle use on the Monument with a few exceptions. The south side above 4800 foot elevation is an area where such over-snow use was authorized. This Comprehensive Management Plan was later incorporated into the Forest Plan for the Gifford Pinchot NF. The CMP also called for the area above 4800 foot elevation to be closed to climbing until a permit system was developed by 1987 to administer mountain climbing within the carrying capacity of the resource, and to provide the users with information on specific hazards. User conflicts between snowmoblers and climbers was not raised as an issue durning the development of the climbing permit system. During the development of the Marble Mt. Snowpark in 1988, it was recommended by the various user groups that the snowpark be developed in such a way as to allow for multiple use of the area. The feeling was that the area be used by all and that the Forest Service should not restrict use of the area to one use over another. This is how we have been managing the area since the CMP was signed. When the Forest Plan comes up for revision in several years, the Forest will take another look at the Management of this area. Thank you again for your interest in Mount St. Helens NVM. Reed E. Gardner Deputy Monument Manager (360) 247-3943 The bottom line is nothing will be changed unless it is perceived as a problem. It's easy enough to complain, go to this website link. There is an email link there, which is what I used, and a feedback form. I would suggest the feedback be constructive, and NOT anomynous. And please, don't suggest the use of deadly force...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a motorhead from way back, but on St. Helens yesterday, we had to dodge snowmobiles on the summit! One dweeb parked his sled 6 feet from the rim cornice! On the main trail they were using, we saw a sled, sans rider, freewheel down at least 500 feet of vertical before it went off the edge into a chute. What the F, there is no mention on the St. Helens web site about this crap - is it a secret or something. I had to pay my $15 plus chip in to the parking fund - how much these guys pay? I mean, come on - it's cool in the trail system below 4800 feet, but on the summit?