Juan

I think you are right on there. Juan

I agree that the last 100-150 ft. on the Cascade Pass side is really exposed. I had one of those brief "what am I doing here" moments part way up. But the rock is good. On the other side, we were fine going down, but I can see how going up would be a bit nerve wracking as it is loose. As you know we didn't go back that way because we are so fucking smart that we decided to go down to the Middle Fork trail, otherwise known as "Hell's Asshole" after the fire last year. Never again! Live and learn. I appreciate your thoughts here. Maybe no one climbs the Triplets for good reason . . . Sharp

I am one of those average Joes that puts too much stock in the media version of events, and I have no clue about the history of climbing up there. Thanks for starting the debate to set this straight! I didn't realize that the climb was in April. A friend of mine (female) wants to sleep with Marko, by the way. Sharp

I think that is the one (Beckey 1945). Doug thought we should run up it in July once we had agreed to bivi below the Triplets (on the ill-fated J'Berg trip) but I argued for whiskey drinking, and won the argument. He did it in 1974 and said it was easy. Cascade looked much worse for sure, and I know from experience that rockfall is a huge problem on Cascade. Did you rappel down Doug's Direct on your way out from J'Berg? I wonder if I should take something to set one up as my wife can cruise up that stuff but is really careful downclimbing such terrain. I recall that the last few hundred ft. up to the ridge was on nice clean rock. I called it fourth class; I think you called it third. But I am a whimp. Worth noting is that fact that Fred describes Doug's Direct in the Triplet write-up. So for some reason it is a known but seldom used way to get over the ridge. Go figure. About the only reason to do Triplets, I think, is that it probably doesn't see that many people, and would afford good views of a few things. Thanks for your thoughts, Sharp

Given that we already have three little boys ages 1-7, that is the LAST thing we need! Given that I am now fixed, that is the LAST thing I would expect! Phew. Scary thought. Has anyone climbed this piece of shit? Juan

Has anyone climbed this piece of shit via the Beckey 1945 route or the Fries 1977 route? The 1945 thing didn't look like much from our bivi below it in July. Maybe 3rd and 4th class? My friend Doug Walker did it in 1974 and said it was O.K. Looking for a day trip with my wife once the rain stops. Thanks for the beta, Sharp

Klenke -- you crack me up. Zip it up Michael! But don't snag the twig or the berries along the way. Sharp

Ranger Kelly Bush told me the group was moderately hypothermic. Sounds like they got wet, cold, and lost, but were otherwise O.K. Good thing. Sharp

I third it -- good job. If Winnie's slide took an hour, the summit pyramid would also have taken too much time for some in your group. Sharp

It seems to me, Colin, that N. Twin is ripe for the picking and should see not only a second winter ascent, but a first "all-booty-only" winter ascent. Steve House kind of cheated by dropping just one shell, up high, don't you think? In fact, why don't you just solo the thing in Tevas? You're up to it, of that I'm sure. =;-) Sharp

I'm open to discussion on this as I would like to get back there to make up for a trip that didn't work out two years ago. If you e-mail me at jsharp@windermere.com we could take it from there. Thanks, John Sharp Bellevue

Erik may think this is a big fat bowl of Mexican Brown. You'll need one really big rolling paper, amigo. Sharp

Phil may well be right about this; I am just being overly conservative in my advanced age. We almost took aluminums on Fisher Chimneys last weekend. Had we done so, we probably could have skirted Winnie's Slide to the far left, but wouldn't have been able to charge straight up it like we did. Have fun either way and send in a report! John

Dan learned about this money back guarantee thing when he was in sales with Men's Warehouse. The guy could really move product. Har, har. Sorry Dan. I would say that if you do Shuksan by any route, leave camp early. There were quite a few groups on both Fisher Chimneys and the Sulfide last weekend, and that summit pyramid is not the best spot for a traffic jam (though there are many ways up and down it -- right, left, and center). If you can outrun the bigger groups, you'll be glad you started early. Have a great trip. I believe there is a new summit register placed by a group that was behind us last weekend, so plenty of room for you to write. Sharp

I concur with Blue Morph here. I am very surprised this year by the amount of alpine ice showing in places where, even this time of year, it is often soft neve requiring no crampons or, at most, aluminum crampons. To be honest, I would take steel crampons on pretty much any snow route this year, even if the terrain is not that steep (for example, Sahale and Daniels). They are kind of heavy, but if you do hit any ice, you'll have the requisite comfort to get through it. There is no sense in slipping if it can be avoided, right? That's my two cents. John Sharp

Amen. This horse is "dead" by which I mean "dead." Sharp

My wife Kirsten, nephew Terry Ahern, friend David Fox and I did this last weekend. It was my third time down it and second time up it. This one is not overly hard in any one spot, but is a full mountaineering 101 package. Especially now. Winnie's Slide is solid alpine ice for just over two 30m rope lengths. We had no screws and the ice was too hard for pickets so we just ran it out and found a little moat half way up on the right from which to belay. The upper Curtis is accessed higher on the left than normal, via a rock scramble. Look for crampon marks on the rocks. We didn't rope the chimneys themselves, but that is a judgment call. Same with the summit pyramid. Based on the description of your crew, I would do Sulfide. If nothing else, Winnie's Slide could present an obstacle. To get down it we rapped from a bollard that was there but that we improved, and from a mystery rope hanging out of the ice half way down. It passed the bounce test, but who knows what it's attached to. If you need more info, e-mail me at jsharp@windermere.com. Have fun! John Sharp

ChucK: What is an ass monkey? Is it the same as a butt baboon? Sharp

So your intent was . . . ? Sharp

Isn't it nice to know that there are people out there ready and able to help in places like the N. Ridge of Forbidden and Mt. Stuart. Not sure why their efforts or the injuries sustained by this climber have to be mocked by putting the word "rescue" in quotes as above. Do the injuries have to be life-threatening before the extraction can be called a rescue? John Sharp

Way to go with a full diet of Pickets classics. Is Fury not the coolest peak of them all, sitting as it does in the middle of the alpine kingdom? About Terror, I guess the route description will have to be amended now that Jim has climbed it. Apparently it was all "3rd class" to Ed Cooper. The route sounds, from all descriptions this year, a little over-rated. What do you think? Worth it on position alone? Keep up the good work Michael -- you're killin' it this year. Sharp

For those considering this fun route this summer or fall, it may be worth noting that as of yesterday (8/15/04) Winnie's Slide is solid alpine ice from bottom to top, for the majority of its width. If you cross low-angle ice to your left at the bottom it appears you can hit snow on the climber's far left. We opted to go straight up the right side ice near the rock wall. The angle never exceeds 45 degrees. A steel-headed ice axe and steel crampons sufficed; we had no ice screws and the ice was too hard for pickets. Aluminum crampons would be worthless. We did it in two pitches with a 30 meter rope, and on the descent rapped from a bollard at the top and from a piece of rope that is frozen into the slope half way down. It passed the bounce test, but is worth checking as the summers wears on. I'm sure many people would solo this section, but it would be a bad place to take a spill. Who knows whether this section of the route was icy when poor Winnie slid, but it certainly adds spice to an already great moderate climb. John Sharp

Colin: You're killin' me. Terry Ahern says "hi." Your name came up this weekend on Shuksan. Sharp

Nice TR Tom. Two questions: (1) When did you shave? and (2) what were you thinking bringing Stubai aluminum crampons on that route? You are a hardman. Sharp

Is this the Brian Miller who went to Lakeside? If so, he was one year behind me. Did he fall on the upper part of the ridge after the snow climbing, or on the ridge somewhere below the snow crest (i.e., they stuck to the ridge the whole way from the base of the ridge)? John Sharp