Juan
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Posts posted by Juan
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Wed. Buckner N. Face in a day or J'Berg E. Ridge via Doug's Direct in a day? We got rained out Friday on a Buckner attempt. I assume you've skied Buckner -- would it have any appeal to you as a climb?
I'm at (425) 765-7747.
John Sharp aka Juan
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Way to go guys. Your pictures have bumped this route from being in my top 20 to maybe the top 12.
Michael: Glad to see you back in action after the twins arrival.
Sharp
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Well, it's really obvious from below, and I have slide of it. In this picture, it might be at the top of the green stuff that goes pretty high up the ridge. Truly, when you are in that basin, the green "tongue" of heather is easy to spot.
Not sure if that helps . . .
Juan
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These guys got it right. Much better trail now than in 1987 when I went in the first time. No trail then. Steep trail now. Have fun and give us a report!
John Sharp
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Hey Ivan -- good going. That peak is a real mind fuck.
Want to try in a long day from the car using Doug's Direct? Do you think we could do it?
I'm trying to get out Thurs.
Sharp
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Who wants to climb N. Face of Buckner Thurs. Maybe sleep at the car Wed. night for a few hours. Forecast is good and route is still in shape.
I may have work complications, but am trying to weasel this one in.
C'mon.
Sharp
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Too clean and no steep snow. Do I look like TimL?
Juan
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Alex is right again. Once you turn Cascade Peak you'll head up and across heather slopes into a big basin of sorts. In Fred's green book, it has the words "alp slope" in a drawing (pg. 250 in the 2nd ed.). The basin might still have snow in it, otherwise I remember it being kind of rusty scree. You can walk along the lower edge of the scree on heather. Keep looking up at the ridgeline, and you should see a kind of long "tongue" of steep heather that swings down from it. If you go too far toward Gunsight, you'll be crossing rock ribs and will have gone too far. Slog up this tongue of heather -- it becomes lose scree at the top, maybe the last 200 ft. Follow your nose there and you should pop out at a notch where you'll see two big cairns. From there, pick a path down the 3rd/easy 4th on the other side. Eventually you'll hit scree and can see the objective snowfield. Look at the N. Ridge picture of Mix Up in Fred's book (pg. 251 in the 2nd ed.). The crossing is somewhere above or to the right (in the picture) of the words "No. Ridge."
Of course, all of this can be avoided by down climbing the CJ gully. Just get an early start, especially if it's hot. Rock fall is huge in there. It's not that bad, though when you first launch over the lip, you might think "why am I here???"
Good luck!
John Sharp
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I named this cossing "Doug's Direct" because Doug Walker insisted it would go, and upon inspection we learned that he was right. I doubt we were the first to do it -- very unlikely -- but it was not mentioned anywhere that we could see. We did it last July 2004. Since then, it has become the host of at least two huge cairns, one by MVS and Theron, and one by me in Sept. when I hiked up alone one day. I've not done the Gunsight Notch shuffle, but Doug's Direct seems superior from what others have said.
Did you do the E. Ridge of J'Berg or the N.E. Butt. or something?
John Sharp
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Anyone else???
Juan
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I am looking to get out this Wed., with a Tues. night trailhead bivi. Work could interfere, but I will know by Mon. Something at Cascade Pass would be preferred, with strong preference to N. Face of Buckner or E. Ridge of J'Berg in a day via CJ Col then out via Doug's Direct. PM me if interested.
Thanks,
John Sharp
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I concur. Stay right and you'll have no problem. I've climbed it in mid-July and late Oct. and never had a problem with cracks.
Have fun -- it's a fun route. Long day or nice two day.
John Sharp
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I completely agree on all points, Sky. And I'll bet it's much more interesting of a climb when it's actually icy. Either way, though, it's a nice place to be.
Way to go on the ski, Paul. Were you with Sam A.?
John
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Sorry Morph. I must have missed the lesson on what can be written on a thread involving a climber's death. I thought factual info and questions related thereto were fair game. My bad. Thanks for setting me straight, whoever you are.
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Hah hah, hah, hah. Hah.
No, her name is Kirsten, you buttmunch. The comma is there for a reason. Had I written "my wife Erik Snyder, and I, did it in 1999," or "my wife (Erik Snyder) and I did it in 1999," or even "my wife Erik Snyder and I did it in 1999," you'd have a point. As written, it's a series, like "red, white, and blue," or "red, white and blue."
We like Erik an awful lot, but not that much. Nice try though.
John
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I understand your point Couloir, and no offense taken. I have read that others watched him fall, which made me think it was a pair or more on the route (including the deceased), who were climbing unroped (which I don't believe was the case), or that he was in fact without partner, but not alone on the route, which is what the media implied. I believe a pair of brothers watched him fall, according to the Seattle Times obituary today.
In any event, for what it is worth, I consider it soloing to be without partner even if you are not alone on the route. If complete solitude were required to be considered solo climbing, then we'd have to go pretty far afield to truly solo.
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A couple more thoughts: The cornice is much smaller than it was two Thursdays ago when I went up 7FJ. Sergio and partner watched a piece come off the right side the following weekend, I think. We were on Jens' tracks at the very bottom, then saw no tracks in the middle of the face until the very top where two sets merge. I mention this only because we went up the debris channel directly below the remaining big chunk as the snow was much firmer. It seemed cold enough that the big guy would stay put, which it did. But it is possible that stuff is still coming down and erased the majority of Jens' steps. Jens could speak to this maybe. Anyway, be careful and enjoy! It's a fun route.
John
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Does anyone know who he was with? Someone told me they were going there to solo that route on that day or the previous. Just curious.
This is very sad news.
John Sharp
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Climb: Mt. Maude-N. Face
Date of Climb: 6/26/2005
Trip Report:
Kurt Hicks (Wazzumountaineer) and I climbed the N. Face of Mt. Maude yesterday after camping Sat. night in Leroy Basin. Jens K. and partner did it on Sat. in a day, and Sergio V. and partner did it recently too, as a day climb. Undoubtedly others have done it in the last few weeks. Needless to say, there are tracks to follow.
The snow conditions are getting firmer, making it slightly less of a slog. As Kurt noted, the route is almost steep enough to be interesting. In a month it should be firm enough for crampons, maybe sooner. Right now it's helpful to have a second tool for double plunging, and rope and crampons may or may not stay in the pack depending on one's comfort level on moderately steep snow. There is more snow on the face (and traverse to the face) than when my wife, Erik Snyder and I did it in a day in early July 2001.
Leroy Basin is snow free and flowers are blooming. We poked around for the summit register in the snow, but it is either buried or missing.
Gear Notes:
Ice axe and second tool;
Short rope, pickets, and crampons currently optional.
Approach Notes:
Don't miss the uphill turn after the big river crossing (Leroy Creek?)!
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J'Berg N.E. Butt. looks perfect right now, much like mid-July many years. But it's hard to tell whether the gully up high has enough snow to be continuous, or whether you'd have to move left to the rock and up as parties have done of late.
Awesome job TeleRoss. You fly.
Sharp
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Hey E-Dog:
I'm runnin' out of easy slogs up here! Can't we just sit in your hot tub and talk about climbing if I come down there?
Are you married yet?
All is well here -- my wife can still out hike you too, or so she thinks.
=;-)
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Thanks very much MaryLou. Sounds like you can drive to the TH, which is great.
Cheers,
John
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I will call the ranger tomorrow, but does anyone know whether the road is still gated as of this weekend?
Thanks,
John Sharp
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Hey Matt:
I know you advocate downclimbing the route. I may have this wrong, but I think Forrest et al. topped out at 1:00 recently and reached the glacier at 9:30, after downclimbing. That seems like a fairly involved descent. Maybe because the route had snow?
Anyway, you are right about the potential speed without overnight pack.
We'll hope to find out one way or another.
Cheers,
John
Need Partner
in Climbing Partners
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I'm cool on the home front -- I'll know whether business will allow by tomorrow. Are either of you able to have that kind of flexibility?
If it's a go, do either of these routes sound appealing?
John