westernbackcountryskier

we could have puff daddy fly in on a helicopter and throw "ice" at us from 300 feet up. Then we could order pizza and have someone hang glide off and pick it up while drinking 151 from a camelback.

I was up there yesterday (sat. 1st of june) and everything looked to be melting fast, hiking in shorts and no shirt with 70 degree weather. The snow was great for skiing, but only looked at the cracks, did some gaping.. I'd say go for it, parking lot was full of climbers so people are definatly out climbing. I'd suspect that the crack is dry

Shit is hitting the fan

I called the ranger last week, they told me it was open to mile 19, leaving 3 miles to go. but after reading the previous report who knows who's right, your best bet would to call them personally. or go look for yourself. Good luck

FUCK THIS FRENCH SHIT!!!!!!

Did anyone climb Baker this weekend, I'm interested to know what the conditions are like on the coleman demming route...

The conditions this past weekend, 4/27-28 were firm in the morning to very soft in the afternoon. The lower avalanche chutes, were filled, and the trees were buried, this made travel fast, I've been there before when the slide alder makes it nearly impossible to trudge through. There was snow last week i think and this made for a lot of avalanche debris in the chutes. The snow was firm and made for good cramponing. We headed back down at 10:15 to find very soft snow, and it balled in my crampons. So we ditched the crampons and glissaded about 1200 feet to the avalanche slopes at the bottom. The brothers camp is fully under snow, so be prepared for camping on snow, as we were not. A few more weeks of warm weather will melt this out though. Beautiful views of rainier and peaks to the south. Saw a pair that were camped near us and headed out as we were coming in. They claimed to have skied the East face, said it was good. It seems that ski/snowboarding the south chutes would be more work than it is worth right now with all the fresh avalanche debris. Wait till that settles and it should be much better. Good trip, great weather.

is anyone going up this weekend? I was also wondering if anyone had made a midweek attempt this week with the nice weather. post any info you have. Thanks

quote: Originally posted by freeclimb9: Because TNF has supported many expeditions.[/QB] But they also sell their gear at nordstrom

TNF gear sucks ass, it's not cut trim, it's trendy, heavy, and overall ugly, the old stuff looked good, the new stuff....looks like someone shit on you, but since all of you probably just sit around in town and wear your TNF gear to look hardcore, so that someone will see it and say..."Hmmm I wonder if has been to the top of mt. rainier?" you are stupid, obviously out there to support a well known name because of their marginal expedition support

no one has a picture of the routes on a webpage, or a digital picture they could send me of the area, so I can get a feel for what it looks like. I think you guys should stop whining with eachother about who has more testosterone and just fucking climb. Cut the B.S. it doesn't matter.

when does the new guidebook come out?

Found a jacket this weekend at leavenworth, see my post on the climbers board to contact.

If you lost a jacket while climbing in leavenworth this weekend, and you think you can identify it, email me at brownc9@cc.wwu.edu and I can send it to you, I know your name and what campsite you stayed at, so contact me to get it back.

Does anyone have any beta on pearly gates in leavenworth, I've only heard rumors of it, and just wondered where it is, what the ratings are, that kind of thing, had a good weekend climbing givler's crack and Bo derek. Good weekend at leavenworth despite thousands of mountaineers.

quote: I've done the route once before and don't remember finding it very difficult except for one semi-steeper section close to the top, I remember a rock gully on the right side of the snowfield as you look up that we scrambled up, not a big deal though pretty straight forward. Have a good trip, and be safe, definately wear a helmet though, they don't call it the hourglass for nothing.

have you done it before? which coulior are you talking about? I am looking to do it on the 27th and 28th, and I was looking for some beta too. let me know of anything abnormal or that I should know about. thanks

I was on the top of baker in a whiteout and it sucked, all that work and I got sunburnt and no view, I want to climb shucksan, maybe a better view of the picketts, and I can bivi during the summer, BIVI=GOING LIGHT

I think I'm going to go up the weekend after, so let me know how it is. Is there still snow at the bivi site along the creek...is the avalanche gully full of snow still, and the slide alder, because that stuff is a bitch to climb though unless it's covered in snow. I hope the weather shapes up by then. Keep me posted though

I really like my Mtn. Hardwear Trango 2, it's not the lightest, but it definately performs well in high winds and provides an ample amount of living space for two people in a full day or days storm. Two vestibules, six poles, for lots of strength and stability. 440 dollars, but weighs around 8 pounds. I like it though. I was looking at the Bibler or I.D. but could not afford it, and I heard they get very moist inside when below treeline, since they don't breath as well. But if what you like is big mountain climbing or winter mountaineering, I say go for the I.D. but if you want a tent you can do stuff in all year around I'd look at a two wall tent.

Has anyone been in to climb the brothers yet, just via the south gullies. I'm interested in doing it sometime this month and wondered how the conditions might be, this will also probably all change since it is going to snow a foot this weekend, but any insight would be great, thanks

How about this weekend, does anyone think that the snow will melt out to climb by monday? Or is it a lost cause and to go to vantage?

We always turn off at shasta city and go east from there to Susanville, and then all the way down through reno, carson city, and to lee vining for Toulumne Meadows, then bishop's right around the corner, have fun. I wish i was going!

I think that Bellingham lacks a certain element to their climbing scene. I agree that the shops are small and the selection is limited, but I think what it is, is a gym. The Y? give me a break, and then there's the "LEADING EDGE"!! Piece of shit. It's small, and you have to compete with the 6 year old tumbling class for time with the mats. I think that the gymnastic team has a rock climbing problem and they should give it up and get a real f*cking rock climbing gym here. Something that you can lead on, that has routes that people are actually inclined to use ropes on because the walls ARE tall enough and has some good cracks to climb so that we don't have to dig up squamish and move it down here. There really isn't a place in bellingham where a climber can climb all year round.

I was wondering what the impression of most was of the Wild Country Forged Friends. I picked two of them up at MEC last weekend for 25$ american a piece. A hell of a deal compared to a tech. Friend, or a BD camalot. I realize that when placed in a horizontal crack you need to tie it off closer to the cam lobes, but is that the only disadvantage?