Off_White

It could be argued that we'd all be better off if more of them followed this example. Best wishes to the Mayor.

Ho man, what grim news. It was with great pleasure that I met one of my long standing heroes at one of Matt's legendary Christmas parties some years ago, he struck me as such a great guy with so much love for the game. What a reminder that any one of us, no matter how many years we've spent, are just one momentary lapse away from death. I feel really knocked back on my heels by this one.

It's been a few years, but I've been to the main summit on Dragontail at least 3 times and I've never done anything but walk off, including once in the dark. Rapped off from where the NE Butt tops out, sure, but the main summit I thought was a walk off. Sheesh, I hate, like really hate, sketchy rappels. I figure Backbone will be my next trip to the top, thanks for the TR and pictures.

So, are you going to go back and give it the IB treatment for the rest of us? Fine job, and just the dream team to get it done, applause to the both of you. I agree with Spionin, I think that's the first Rat grin I've seen in a TR.

Rob, if you're trolling for Kimmo, he hasn't been back since I spanked the both of you for spraying in the Fitness Forum (in this very thread) with a 3 day ban. It's a pity, since the only thing wrong with the spray was the location and the both of ya'lls failure to stop when asked, and I've always enjoyed reading his posts.

Even a rugged outdoorsman's got to make an occasional trip to the city to rustle up a little filly, and this stuff is the ticket to get yourself all presentable... [video:youtube]Lmy9R_WtPbg

I'm an ex-pat californian from way back, and I made a few long hikes in search of a sierra style summer ice gully before I figured out they just didn't exist up here. You could get by without axe or crampons on the gerber-sink. The route will be dry, and while you'll find snow on the descent, you can most likely get down fine without tools. There's a thread on this subject in the Alpine Lakes forum. Pete's right that the Serpentine is much more popular, I just preferred the Gerber-Sink as a whole. Potaytoes, potahtoes, whatever. Direct East Ridge of Forbidden is a great recommendation too, if the access gets cleared up. I thought it had much more quality climbing and much less traffic than the West Ridge.

Choada's advice is spot on, so I took the liberty of removing your info. Folks should contact Jenny directly. You might add to your resume, as shown in Steph's Vesper Peak TR, that you've got a cool head in a tight spot. Best of luck with the lodging.

Are you perhaps from California? The Cascades don't make the late season gully ice that you'll find in the Sierra, things just melt out or stay snow rather than transforming into water ice. For that time of year, the best alpine climbs will be rock routes in the North Cascades or Alpine Lakes regions. The southern part of the range is generally mellower, and its offerings are better in early season. Hood in September is an ugly and dangerous horrorshow, and while I don't know much about the other Oregon volcanoes to the south, I'd guess they can be equally unsavory when the snow and ice that hold the choss together melts away. If you're in the Seattle area, given your 1 bivy 5.7 and under criteria, I'd head to the Stuart Range near Leavenworth and either do the North Ridge of Stuart from the Ingalls Pass trailhead or the Gerber-Sink on Dragontail from the Mountaineer Creek trailhead, you'll find plenty of info on those peaks here. If you're in Portland, sheesh, I guess I'd climb the SE Corner on Beacon Rock, or spend a couple days hiking and 3rd class peak bagging in the Goat Rocks. Maybe a rock route on Illumination Rock on Hood if you've got your volcanic choss merit badge. best of luck

Great TR Mark, the two of you have come a long ways since you first showed up on this board. I edited the tag for the "here's what tries to kill you" photo so it shows up, what a great shot down onto that dying pocket glacier. Sounds like with all your research you neglected to looks closely enough at Doug's Direct, there are some pretty good photos with lines to show where to go, I think its not all that obvious. One could also descend around the other side of Johannesburg, which involves a bunch of off trail side hill up and down and then a long steep timber descent. I've been that way and would definitely take it over an afternoon descent of the C-J couloir, I think you guys made a good judgement call in avoiding that.

Thurston County has never opened those falls to public access since they acquired lo those many years ago, so legal access doesn't change much with the new rules, but you're right, there is a lot of stuff that belongs to the citizens of this state locked behind their gates.

Thanks for keeping the faith and posting TR's here, I really like 'em.

Great TR. I like the horsie packing idea, my mind has been running the same way, though I think I'll coordinate a little family extended packing/climbing trip into the Sawtooths as a multiple graduation celebration next July.

I thought I'd read you guys did Westward Ho!, what's your rope doing over there? Still, pretty lucky having that happen on the bottom pitch, makes it much more tempting to walk away.

Thanks for the first hand report FW. Granted, you're not a slab climber, but what 8 roads took precedence over Clear Creek? I wish I'd heard about this before hand, I'd have made the trip. Oh, and the Mountain Loop Highway or Crystal Blvd are in play? WTF?

No tactics are too extreme when dealing with people who clearly hate America.

That is a bivy site, but there's a more easily accessible site for two just above and under that flake up and left from the visible site, right at the end of the hand traverse. Great wind block too if you've got wind from the west and north.

Glad to see Steve could break out a smile on the summit, sounds like a pretty somber outing. Great TR and photos, congratulations on many levels all around.

3 words for you: midnight cutting torch

I had birthday greetings on Facebook from Sobo back on July 8th, so he was okay then...

Great TR and outing, thanks!

Now that's some real mountaineering. Thanks for the TR, though I'll admit it makes me sort of glad I'm not list oriented myself.

Trip: Vail Tree Farm - various Date: 7/6/2013 Trip Report: Went out climbing at a new quasi-secret crag in the Vail Tree Farm in Thurston County. Tall crag, there are some two pitch routes out there. There are also a couple other formations in addition to this one. I don't think I'm supposed to post directions on the internet, but feel free to PM me if you want more info. These routes could use more traffic and cleaning, but the climbing is really fun, a little similar to exit 38 and not at all like the not too distant Fossil Rock. Its choss to be sure, but very entertaining, and there are ample new route opportunities for the vigorous landscaper/climber. This crag is going to face the same access difficulties Fossil will with the new access restrictions and expensive permit Weyerhauser is proposing starting this August 1st. That'll be a damned shame. Gear Notes: all clips and solid bolts, thoughtfully placed. Approach Notes: You gotta park somewhere and go out past the whatchamcallit.

Nice work Kurt! Reminds me that I have some chain sandwiches to replace too.

Trip: SEWS - SW Rib Date: 7/14/2013 Trip Report: My son was in town visiting, and I wanted an opportunity to remind him how lovely it is around here. He's been living in Ann Arbor MI, and hadn't been climbing in almost two years, so we didn't want anything too hard, and a day at Darrington and a day on this route was just the ticket. There have been plenty of reports on this classic outing, so I'll just add some notes and pictures. We were using Whitelaw's "Weekend Rock" as a guide. Linking his pitch one and two were easy, ending with a belay below the white flake crack. We thought the 5.8 hand crack around a bulge presented the hardest moves of the route. The flake went fine, but then we went awry, mostly due to overdoing the beta research. Reading up on the 5.9 lieback and 5.10- finger crack alternates, I'd somehow gotten it in my mind that these were alternates to the 5.6 friction pitch WHICH IS NOT THE CASE. Consequently, we thought we were at the friction pitch, and traversed right in search of it. I think the lichen on the footing should have clued me in, but we went right and around the buttress, past another good looking 5.10ish thin crack, onto ledges above the SW gully, and all the way over to another great looking 5.10ish pocketed crack. None of this was on our menu, so we had to traverse all the way back, effectively adding 4 pitches to our route and wasting a bunch of time. Just because you have beta on a trade route doesn't mean you can't still get lost. Eventually we wound up on the nice low angle wide crack, which lead to a great ledge where I was entertained watching a fellow lead the Boving Roofs, which look like a really great pitch. From here #1 son dispatched the friction pitch handily, making the shorter appropriate right traverse. The bear hug was fun and secure, the next pitch was short, and I determined that you can't make it to the rabbit ears in a single pitch even with a 70 meter rope. We missed the ramp down bypassing the rabbit ears, but the short rap was no big deal. The last bit was clean and fun, and we snapped the traditional summit selfie. We fumbled our way down the South Arete which I hadn't been on in probably 15 years, and started to rappel at the top of the chimney. Three half rope raps, which seemed completely unfamiliar, led handily down to the ground. Taking in the surroundings, Ben remarked, "Its nice here, yes?" and I knew my mission was accomplished. We scampered back to the packs and down to the road. There was someone leading the bear hug pitch in the golden light at 8pm, but we were happy to be headed down. Got back to Tenino just before 2am, quite aware of where the risk in this outing really lies. Gear Notes: Single set small cams to a small purple c4, doubles up to #4 c4, and a set of nuts were fine. If 5.8 is your leading limit you might want a #5. We carried RP's, a couple tricams, and some small wired hexes but should have left them in the car. Drink up and leave the pack at the base, you'll have more fun. Approach Notes: Shortcut through the woods cut off the trail bit that parallels the highway and offers the bonus of permit free parking.