Old_Man

Looked reasonable as of yesterday. Hit it in the AM, before the donuts start rolling. Zipper and Fly both looked "in," but didn't happen to look at Lover's Lane. Probably still OK for a bit longer. Avi's w/injuries have happened in the Zipper at this time of year when newer snow is hit by warmer weather, so wear a beacon, dig a pit and avoid climbing when it's warm until things really firm. All three are great climbs. Fly is on right leg of the "v," Zipper on left leg, and Lover's Lane is the narrow gully that comes out of the Zipper, about half-way up, and drops down and to the left.

As of 5/24...the route's in great shape at the moment. Lots of snow...some pockets of slab in the chute, but with current cold temps, was solid and we didn't experience any ice/rockfall. A few holes leading up to the chute. No route marked above Gib, but there are some old steps. Took the Ingraham Direct down; was in good shape. A few bridges around 12k were somewhat thin, but OK. Standard route is direct and marked well. Made for a great 9+ hr climb from Paradise. Had one of those little foxes from around Alta Vista follow me up from Paradise...and it ended up mooching food from around tents at Muir. Bummer the weather changed for the weekend...

Sure, Michael, glad to assist. Wish I had a photo...it's a nice looking peak. If you arrive just after daybreak at Narada, you should be able to see the peak (and 3 different routes)clearly from the road (a turn or two before Narada). Sorry that bit of info won't help convince your friend to go, but when he sees the peak while in your rig...listening to some tunes...it won't take any convincing. Have a great time! --jason

Only at the steepest parts. Not even worth taking a second tool, but it's a fun day anyhow. LL looks steep from the road, but isn't bad once you get on it. There's a comfortable ledge at the top of LL that leads into the Zipper. Temps are suppose to be cooler for a couple of days, and the road is open 24/7.