genepires

the wife lets you have a man cave? Damn you are da man.

damn, another route to put on the "to-do list". Good looking line.

mr eric murphy? that food looks good, the tire does not.

used lightweight crampons on way up (9am) and did use them on way down but could have gone up at noon without poons. Not sure if it is typical for time of year as I have usually gone there in the spring or fall. Comparing the starts to the dragontail routes, it seems the snow is softer.

wait, you need a permit for the blue lake trailhead? Which permit is needed?

another way to rationalize the 50m length is to have the ability to be able to rappel to your partner if he/she is unconscious or requires other medical assistence. Assuming that you want the span between climbers to be large enough to be able to span the largest expected crevasse (I usually give about 40 feet), this means that there are 3 lengths of rope, one of 40 and two of 60 feet on each climbers shoulders. This amounts to 160ft not including the rope used for knots. Without a 50 m rope, you do not have enough rope to be able to rappel to your partner. Unless you tie in 20ft apart, but this is entirely to close for our typical glaciers. Now if you had 2 rope teams on 30m ropes, it could work out.

I have always appreciated the "free"ness of the NCNP. Especially when they decided not to care about the parking pass at cascade pass. It always seemed like the park was more about enjoying the wilderness than trying to make a profit from the public. I also never had a hard time with the rangers at the permit office. And my one run in with a field ranger that dealt with camping permit issue (summit of buckner needs a camping permit) was resolved in a respectful manner.

thanks for taking the time to give that detailed descent info. That is something that is really lacking in the Dougherty "selected canadian book of lies" sandbag guidebook. To bad there isn't a kiosk at the base of that mountain that someone could post this info on.

wrong time of year for a down jacket sale. Suggest that you wait till november and your earlier price. just saying.....

I used to work for that company and I seriously doubt that they are staying in a hotel. My guess would be that they are camping in one of the many campgrounds in the icicle canyon.

I have heard many negative things about the descent the way you guys went. Could you eleborate more on how it goes? I heard about rap anchors of just rotten piles of rock, technical downclimbing on loose rock, and navigation issues. When Alex and I went up, after hearing about the AA col way, we decided to go the opposite way and head up towards the columbia glacier, eventually coming out the way the busses go up. It was long and times the crevasses were "interesting" but we got down 7 hours earlier than another team who took the AA col way that same day. You obviously made pretty good time coming down the AA col way. Just by looking at the photos from the guidebook and recollection of being there, it seems like a good way down is to rap via v threads down the n face bowl. From your photos, it seems there is a cornice hanging over that right now but I think that is unusual. Without the cornice, what is your opinion on this descent? Nice job avoiding an epic in the rockies!

I have used the same dromedary for over ten years. Sun faded but still works like a champ. A couple crampon holes patched with small dab a seam grip still leakless too. I took off the little flip top spout thing and put on a regular cap though. Always felt that something would open the flip top during walking motions. never really got into drinking hoses though.

CeCe's nickname is E=MC squared ( the M in mortenson and two C in Cece) due to her over abundance of energy. She is a great gal and a guide. Well worth the course.

All this negativity and energy expended about one bolt. Endless arguments about really trivial matters is pathetic. Sounds like a married couple in a heated argument. We all like climbing, wether it is bolted or not. Why can't we all just get along? No wonder why certain people got into mixed, big wall and bouldering. To get away from this nonsense bickering.

and they got 2 hybrids too.

wildlife ruins my wilderness experience.

I believe that the local swelling is a natural reaction to a bee sting. I thought the people who are allergic to bee stings actually get swelling throughout the whole body. This swelling closes off the airway and hence the danger. If you passed out on your childhood experience with bee stings was due to this swelling, you prolly would not have gotten up. Maybe the passing out was due to hyper exertion? BTW, I am no doctor but I used to play a wilderness first responder for a while.

correct me if I an wrong, but I thought the epi pen was for people allergic to bee stings. If so, why do you carry one since obviously you are not allergic to bee stings. where were you climbing at? That is an objective hazard not really thought about much.

did it on sunday and was all good. snow free to the base of serpentine arete and great neve to the saddle. Snow free to the top. 10 hr car to car. Lots of walking.

no permit needed to camp up there. Plenty of places to pitch the tent up too. I heard the parking area is buggy. Not sure if it is buggy below the spires too.

Going for the snow/glacier walkup of colchuck sunday. PM me if you want to share the ride and hike up

got the hall pass and would like to get up to wash pass (e buttress of SEWS? or others) or snow creek wall (outerspace and/or orbit). open to other suggestions too. Otherwise I'll hike up colchuck pk.

have a atc between the prussik and pulley. works great and no need for heavy single purpose ascenders.

you cannot drive to the base of the route. there is some uphill walking but the road is open to the trail. Our small car was fine getting there. Actually one of the better dirt roads around. (as of a couple years ago)

WI or mixed or alpine tools? I have one pulsar charlet tool I could let go cheap. Unfortunately I do not have a pair though. BUt if you are looking for a alpine setup, then this tool and a regular al[pine axe will get you up most stuff.