Matt_Alford

Solid. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Matt

Cascade Blue Collar Tour: NE Buttress of JBerg, North Face Nooksack Tower, Index Traverse. Not the most technical routes out there, but bring your full mountaineering bag of tricks for the fun.

Well done on ticking off one of Cascade Blue Collar Tour Climbs. High on the list for this guy! Thanks for the right-up! Cheers, Matt

Solid. Thanks for the photos!

This is a pre-Black Diamond USA made Bibler Tent. Fitzroy 3-person plus vestibule. Awesome Alaska, Coast Range, or Rainier Tent. Retails for $1000 for new with Vestibule. $450.00 firm. Thanks for looking. Message me here if interested. Matt

Black Diamond Bionic Crampon. Technical Ice Climbing Crampon. Used, good condition. All hardware for dual point adjustment included. $35.00. Messsage me on CC.com if interested. Thanks, Matt

Size 101/2 Scarpa Inverno Double Plastic Boots. Well used but still a good volcano boot. $20 or a six pack of something decent in a can. Thanks, Matt North Seattle

Aliens?...Desert Sasquatch? Looks Rad D...way to get after it. M

Nice work fellas. Getting 'er done the hard way. Cheers, Matt

The Blue Collar Tour of the North Cascades. Index Traverse NE Buttress of JBurg North Face of Nooksack Well done fellas. You almost make it sound fun. Cheers, Matt

Trip: Lover's Leap - Various Date: 9/10/2013 Trip Report: A month layover in South Lake Tahoe on our bike tour across the United States allowed me to finally get on some of the classic routes at Lover's Leap. I can't say enough about the variety and quality of routes here. Excellent rock, beautiful scenery and plenty of moderates for mortals like me! Can't wait to get back here and do some more cragging! Deception Crack 5.6 Great clean intro to climbing at the leap. A couple of committing 5.6 sections on good gear. The Line 5.9 An off the ground crux on thin gear leads to crack-protected face climbing bliss for two full pitches of sustained 5.8 climbing. Classic. The Haystack 5.8 Another Leap classic featuring mostly steep and featured 5.6-5.7 climbing. An exciting, exposed and well protected crux roof sequence is the the highlight of this climb. Knapsack Crack 5.5 Awesome climb and great for kids. My nephew Caleb is 4 1/2 years old and sends 5.7 sport on a TR and has no trouble with multi-pitch crack climbs. He will undoubtedly be dragging me up hard stuff in a couple years. Wheelwell VO- Travelers Buttress 5.9 Uber Classic long route up the prominent feature of the Main Wall at the Leap. The wide crux is one of the burliest 5 feet of off-width climbing in my recent memory. Way harder than Castleton, Backbone on Dragontail or the East Face of Lexington. http://frontdooradventures.blogspot.com Gear Notes: Standard rack of double cams, lots of nuts and summit treats. Approach Notes: Pedal 1700 miles southeast from Seattle.

Well done Steve! Got me missing the NW Alpine Summer!

Dr. B stikes again. Any Satsquatch back in the Green Creek Valley? Nice job D!, I bet you know what your little Red Headed Buddy is thinking? Banner trip report. Cheers, Matt

...but who's got the biggest balls of them all?!?!

Rad fellows! Thanks for the TR!

Agreed. We chose the Sibley approach simply because neither of us had been in that way before. The Triad-Eldo col involves a pitch of mid fifth class climbing as well. We got completely socked in while climbing and ended up trying to navigate the Marble Creek drainage in the dark/fog. No beuno! Eventually resigned ourselves to a night of cuddling atop our packs!

Oops! Thank Lowell! Will edit. Cheers, Matt

Trip: Early Morning Spire - SW Face and Upper South Ridge Date: 8/23/2012 Trip Report: I have been wanting to tick this one off for a long time. Outstanding mountain route on good rock in an exceptional setting. Great camp on the South side of the Triad-Eldorado Col and a cold bivy in in Marble Creek Basin. Sitting high over the Cascade River contemplating adventures of years gone by with so many friends in the surrounding mountains brings a deep sense of contentment and satisfaction to my soul. Something special about climbing in the Cascades. Tease of Marble Creek from Sibley Ridge Terrible camp site below the Triad-Eldorado col Spectacular pitch two, like a low angled Outer Space. Unfortunately this is the last interesting photo of the route as we were soon to be shrouded in clouds for the next 20 hours. Short bus summit shot The end of long cold night in the Marble Creek Basin. I don't recommend trying to climb this route from the Triad-Eldorado Col. It is a long way from the base of the route and complicated figuring out your way through Marble Creek in the fog/dark. Clouds lifting out of the Cascade River Valley Decent sunset-Boston and Sahale... Johannesberg and Formidable... Dome... Glacier Snowking to the sun. One of the best views in the Cascades. Front Door Adventures Gear Notes: Standard Alpine Rack to 3" Approach Notes: Sibley Creek Pass to Triad-Eldorado Col. (1 pitch of mid-fifth class climbing)

Yes, that is exactly what I am referring to Rob. As much as I dislike carrying heavy and awkward bear canisters, If it helps in reducing the chance of negative bear-human interactions I fully support the policy.

Plenty O' bears, just not quick enough with the Canon. I must commend the NPS for their effort at keeping the bears wild in the Olympics. At Ferry Basin a bear approached 150 meters to camp, had a sniff and wandered off. That night he returned and took a big dump on right next to the food cache and again about 50 meters from camp. Didn't f*** with us and still weary of people. I like it that way!

Trip: Bailey Traverse - The Anniversary Route Date: 8/4/2012 Trip Report: Among my many marital duties is planning Jenny's and my annual anniversary adventure. While it is true that this trip has historically included a sufficient amount exercise, I hardy think it deserves the "Jenny proves she is tough enough to be married to Matt another year trip" designation it has come to be known by among Jenny's co-workers and friends. I guess that time Jenny got a moderate case of Rhabdomyolysis while descending from El Dorado and hobbled around work for a week left lasting a impression. That which does not kill us make us stronger. I am left to conclude that either Jenny somewhat enjoys the pain or has a really short memory as she continues to let me plan a week-long trip every August in celebration of another year of our union. I promised Jenny outrageously beautiful wildflowers, plentiful wildlife, outstanding campsites and a full on adventure. The Bailey Traverse didn't come up short in any of these criteria and also featured plenty of side-hilling on exposed terrain, gully-hell, the most robust populations of mosquitos I have ever encountered and a fair dose of good old-fashioned bushwacking. My wife is tougher that she knows and showed some real character on this trip. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my marriage than wandering through such beautiful terrain for week in the company of my wife. Gear Notes: Bug Juice and a 5th of whiskey Front Door Adventures

Nice D! Another classy adventure in good style! Cheers, Matt

That's really cool. Nice job!

Trip: Mnt. Olympus - Blue Glacier-4th of July Route Date: 7/30/2011 Trip Report: A while ago I packed a pair of boots and a bucket of calories and headed off on my bike to climb Mnt. Olympus. Not the fastest trip I have ever been on, but undoubtedly one of the best! Front Door Adventures Gear Notes: Lot of Chamois Butter Approach Notes: 220 miles West of Seattle

Trip: Snow Creek Wall - Orbit Date: 4/30/2012 Trip Report: A bit older, a little fatter and a lot balder; Orbit is still a classy, diverse and exciting line. It is totally 5.8 d. Front Door Adventures Gear Notes: Bike lock Approach Notes: Over the river and through tick infested undergrowth.