JoshK

Given the 5 hour approach (10-3) and described firm conditions, I would assume the road turn-off. Though if you actually can drive to the TH, i'd be very interested to know this...

Nowhere. That's why I largely gave up on lift skiing. I reserve paying for a lift ticket for those times where some friends want to go up who don't BC ski and I can chalk it up to a social event. Other than that, paying to get carried up the hill so you have your mountain experience crowded by other people isn't worth the money.

I'm sure you could find many VIs outside of the NW that "deserve" to be downgraded as well, so probably best to just compare their original ratings by the original climbers. Standards have changed everywhere.

it all V hey tyler, we should do the norweigian buttress this summer! none of the folks i know are fool enough to try it... Nothing like getting stuck epiced on some horribly hard rock wall with a group of meth addict teenagers watching below.

Sounds like it's time to dynamite that hanging glacier back a few hundred feet, add some bolts on that rock and TR the WI6! I'll offer my services to film it from well out of danger's way.

Yeah, A-Basin is still pretty non-resort. Eldora also promotes the non-resort, non-I70 traffic appeal as their selling point. Vail, Aspen/Snowmass, and Breck were all super resorty places that cost a huge amount of $$ and did nothing for me other than make me miss the real terrain and snow of the PNW and move back.

N Norweigan Buttress on Index? That is a guess off the top of my head - I'm not even sure if it is a VI?

Personally I wish they would leave the overdeveloped "resort" skiing to places like Colorado. There are plenty of areas there where you can get mediocre skiing at high prices with an emphasis more on restaurants and apres-ski. Crystal has better terrain than those resorts, sadly this is just going to over-traffic it even more. Do they have plans to widen or improve the road up there? They damn well better not ask for tax $ to do so...

ganj-o-la...LOL! Crystal really wants to think they are a destination resort. *shrug*

That beast looks like an "accidents in mountaineering" write-up waiting to happen. Just a tad bit of objective hazard.

OMGorgeous!!! Wonderful climb and incredible pictures. If that ice is really overhanging and britle, you might be sandbagging a bit! A damn proud effort.

Good trip! I've done Eldo many times, by many routes, anywhere from a day to multiple days and I can attest that the way down always feels like it's taking forever! In your opinion, was the snow pack reasonable to ski all the way to the bottom of the boulder field?

Yeeeaaaahhh guys, looks sweet! Seems like a lot of good climbing. Was the crux tougher due to steepness or just unsavory ice?

Drrooooooll... awesome pics!!!

Because paranoia about bears and meth heads assaulting you in the wilderness and the corresponding tough guy "i'll defend myself" attitude is obviously a fundamental topic in cimbling. Just carry a handful of M80s with you. You can scare bears and meth heads, perform your own avalanche control, and entertain yourself as a bonus. Not to mention pull a prank and blow up the mailbox on the top of certain local peaks.

Great TR-in-a-TR iron, I enjoyed the read. Proud trips for all 3 of the parties in that area at the time.

C'mon, is that not a perfectly reasonable excercise of one's "rights"?

Nor do many things based on ideaology ("it's my right to carry one, dang nabit!") rather than reality. Again, I feel sorry for people paranoid enough to think they have to carry around a gun in a national park to defend themselves.

http://www.pakrifle.com/CustomerPictures.html Complete with pictures of rednecks shooting some gorgeous cats as a means of compensating for their own shortcomings.

Agreed, but you're topic was more general, not just talking about the Ptarmigan Traverse. I guess the meaning of "ptarmigan traverse" has morphed through the years since nobody actually does the full original traverse. Language and meanings change, nothing new here. If you want to draw a distinction, do so. Trying to assign some set meaning to "traverse" in general is pointless is all I'm saying. If you have a problem with everybody putting the word "traverse" in their reports, just say that. I will be doing a U-district to fremont traverse home today, but I wont be summiting the true high points. I guess I'm just a poser.

Crass but likely true. I feel bad for people paranoid enough to pack heat in the wilderness.

Oh wow, well done! After getting your PM last week I was wishing badly there was some way I could ditch out and join on such an amazing trip. When I was on my wimpy day tour Friday I found myself wondering if you were somewhere out in the middle of the pickets. Maybe some day I can retrace your steps.

Just say summit ridge traverse if you mean going over all the peaks. "Traverse" is pretty general, trying to assign some set meaning to it seems pointless. Yes, most of us do the Ptarmigan Traverse as a glorified glacier walk. If I were to go out of my way to climb every peak and wanted to make note of that, I'd just say i did the "original ptarmigan traverse" or clarify that I summited every peak. CAll it what you want. If you are just looking to criticize somebody, come out and say it rather than beat around the bush.

Yes, it was a poor attempt at a joke. I see 8 threads about Chair on this first page of the forum.

Hi, I was wondering what conditions on the NF of chair peak are like? I haven't seen a TR in a while.