Farrgo

Mike Libecki is doing a free slideshow and movie presentation, this Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 in Fraser Hall 2 at Western Washington University . It's on Franz Josef Land, Russia and Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. There's a big gear raffle after the show, gear hounds!

I think we have been having a good freeze/thaw cycle, but how will the lack of snow affect things? anyone have an opinion or information?

ya, went up saturday with a group.... long story short, after five hours of hiking, we eventually SAW the glacier, no ice to be had that day... but there was a bunch of new freshies.

I just went up there this morning. The road WAS snow free in the early morning and I drove all the way to the trail, then it started to dump. The trail has a dusting of snow in the trees and four+ inches in the open, closer to the glacier. The seracs are open, just a little filled in. When I headed back to B'ham at 9h30, there was about four inches of new snow at the trail head, and it kept snowing all the way until you meet up with the stream (glacier creek?).

frosty, having done the route, I don't think I would even finish the last two pitches, if I did it again. It seems that all the fun was in the first two aid pitches, and the rest was just there. something to think about.

We'll I haven't got much choice about going or not, at least i'm getting paid. I think I might run up there friday morning just to make sure. I will post a tr and probably pics as well.

I have to take some people out on Saturday to do some ice climbing and I was thinking that possibly the only ice within an easy day trip of Bellingham would be the seracs on the coleman glacier. Does anyone know if these things are opened up? I'd assume they are because of the lack of snow, but does anyone know for sure?

when i did it last spring, i linked the last two pitches easily. i would think that if you linked the first two, you might run into a lot of rope drag?

town crier is really pretty easy. especially if you bail before the crux after the hanging belay. theres a tensions traverse/pendulum that is pretty fun. you really only need a couple sets of nuts and some cams for that climb.

me and a buddy of mine are talking about possibibly doing either of these trips this summer. does anyone have any suggestions as to which is a better area? i've been researching the cirque a bit and seems that its actually pretty crowded and dirty which are two things we definately want to avoid, or else we'd plan an expedition to rocky butte. does anyone know how crowded these areas are?

Long's books are the authority on anchor building. i also like the self-rescue book by Fasula?? and middendorf and long's big walls book. both are falcon press.

fern, we ended same place as you. i took a look at the last curtain short curtain visible from the top of the wi4 pitch, the ice was super brittle and we had run out of daylight. so we called it a day. i didn't realize that the ice went further than that, you guys saw some above that?

Ya, me and my buddy Tim went up to do JLT rightous the day after you guys. too bad we hadn't gone a couple days earlier or we probably would have gotten the FA. the ice on the leftist was definately more appealing than to the right. just out of curiosity, did anyone ever go check out JLT rightous? As it appeared from below, i don't think it touched down??

Brad Johnson's book is definately the one to have. That is all I used when I was there last summer and actually, I ended up giving the photocopy of the route description from Johnson's book, to some guys who got lost using the one by that english guy, sherman or something.

atomicboy, if you don't find anybody... it is really easy to hook up with partners in Huarez. My partner got hurt in quebrada ishinca and two days after i got back i found a partner and had a couple other potentials lined up. just put notes around town.

thanks for input, i had heard there was a high pressure system moving in and i wanted to take advantage. the stuff around hope has been good for a while and more cold means its only gonna get fatter! thanks.

Wondering if anyone has seen the north side of Big Four? Wondering if any of the routes are in condition?

When I did TC this spring, I was definately thinking about the potential of freeing it. I'm not up to the chore, yet, but if someone was motivated and strong I think it would go. I'm kind of surprised it hasn't been sent yet, especially with so much of the route having fixed gear.

I got a pair of MEC softshells with leather palms, I believe they were about 30cad, Ive just them ice climbing a couple times and alpine climbing once, they work great.

Climb: Mt. Baker-Coleman Headwall Date of Climb: 11/11/2004 Trip Report: My buddy John and I left Bellingham at 6am and we started hiking at 7h30. The glacier was very firm and we reached the bottom of the headwall at 11h30. The route is in awesome condition. We started out on a 40m ice flow that was 3+/4. The whole headwall was either ice or very firm snow and we frontpointed up the entire thing. We top out just before sunset and after getting lost in the crevasse fields several times, made it to the car at 10pm. Stellar route. Gear Notes: 6 ice screws. 3 rapid runners. 2 screamers. 2 pickets. Could have used a couple more runners, the pickets could have been used in spots, although there was a bunch of ice and screws were the safer bet. Approach Notes: Almost no snow on trail or route. The past days of warm temps and sun have turned it to ice.

I definately agree, do some tr'ing until you understand how to swing effectively and efficently. Than either start doing really easy leads and build up or go out with people who can climb. I starting doing really easy three's a couple years ago and I'm finally starting to climb decently. It is definately quicker to go with people who know their stuff but that requires some networking.

Well not that there's any snow now but... they have a message up on their snow report which says they'll update it weekly starting Oct.1. It's Oct. 18 now, that's one hell of a week.

Ya, my dad was on the summit of Hood that same day. Pretty intense I guess. I would rather have been on Hood than Adams for sure, much safer.

The one at the MBT is only a sneak peak. The real show is gonna happen in Nov.

Ice Cold, I got quarks from them last season and they got them to me in like three days. just in time for a trip out to banff. this year i ordered a pair of double ropes from them and they said there was some delay or something for about a week. eventually i just cancelled the order and went to outdoor-walmart. not sure whats up with them this year.