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Right back atcha... Thanks for the great photos and company.

Thank you for the photos. It's healthy to maintain a strict policy of not touching any rock on North Sister.

I was curious if it released on the widespread surface hoar reported in the Stevens Pass and Methow areas in the days before the storm.

I have the Lithium and an older Pinnacle. As far as I can tell the Lithium is bare-bones compared to my other Marmot bag. Things like a watch pocket near your ear are not there on the Lithium to save weight. It also might be cut a little smaller to save some additional oz. I am satisfied with it.

Nice pictures. Last time I was on the cowdog there was a fixed rope in the gulley to the left. But we ended up rapping all 2.5 pitches since we couldn't see a smooth pull happening. Felt the first pitch was a little scuzzy but maybe it's cleaner now.

Unlikely. ODOT is not planning to plow McKenzie Pass this year. Pole Creek TH is definitely open for business though.

Here's mtnhigh on chopper. Will eventually kill/maim someone but until then it's a fun one. Fun to watch the cams creak in the upper part.

The cleanest descents from near the summit pinnacle on N. Sister are Thayer Glacier Headwall and Early Morning Couloir. Unfortunately they don't lend themselves to moving south. You can expect some steep snow/ice and rock with significant exposure to top out on these routes that time of year. If you descend via the standard s. route downclimbing into the bowling alley w/ ski boots and skis could be engaging if there is ice. It would be possible to pick your way down the west face in a southerly traversing fashion but it might not be as satisfying as the above and you'd be skiing it on-sight. It would put you in a good position for moving on to M. Sister. If you are game for the above descents you might consider Diller Headwall on M. Sister. The SW ridge is the classic descent. I would plan the # of days not for fitness level but to be skiing the routes at the right time of day.

I like how Beacon was somehow worked into this.

Just wanted to throw in another vote for the Canons in general. Nikon makes a mean SLR and lens but their coolpix series leave a lot to be desired.

Labor Day is a rad time to be in the City. I've been there at that time with great results. I've also been during 4th of July and it's way too hot unless you have the discipline to take a mid-day nap and climb in the evening.

Strange arguing going on here. Some stuff is cast, some isn't. The original Jumar is a cast frame. The Petzl Ascension is stamped. Every carabiner out there is probably forged out of aluminum bar stock, as that's the right way to make something light that has to catch a big fall. Smart rescue units have dumped their old steel carabiners as "unnecessarily strong" or set them aside for training only. If you want some I'm sure I can get a good deal on them.

Here's the one I remember. It killed one person and injured a few more. Conditions were exceedingly unstable though. The crown extended around all of West Crater Rim. I've set off size 1-2's of windslab from the bergschrund before. It's definitely something to pay attention to. Unfortunately you're often on it when you realize it. Also, this photo really illustrates the changes over time to the terrain up there! This was back in 1998.

Standing at Luna Col should be on every Cascade climber's bucket list. Just an amazing place to spend a night!

Rodney you are tearing it up. Triple C's is looking fat