Big B and I were up on Chair Peak yesterday. We saw Dan and the other couple folks (Brian?) up in the basin by Thumb Rock (thanks for the trail!). The wind was indeed howling, but we elected to do the climb anyhow.
There was ice on the first steep bulge and ice on the steep shot below the corniced ridge at the top. The rest was changing snow. It was solid enough to climb without much trouble, but pro was pretty difficult to find until we got to the trees. We brought one picket and I was wishing for another one. Where the snow wasn't burying the ice, screws worked well.
Having done this face twice now in two weeks (the earlier climb was 2/14), I'm psyched about this climb. It's a blast.
We didn't have any problem with the descent, on either trip. Two ropes is a breeze. One rope isn't a problem though (there should be a sling around a little horn now in the first descent gulley). We found a rap ring at fifty meters down the second gulley also. Contrary to an earlier report, I thought the descent was cake.
