JoshK

It gets done later than this. Just be prepared for some steep and hard ice/snow. -josh

That trail is the antithesis of the Cascade Pass trail. I give it . Nice job guys!

Then it is settled, to each his own. The reality actually is, if you can afford more than one bag, you'll always be carrying something a little more well suited to that particular trip. It is hard to find a true "do it all" bag if you really do like to concentrate on always going the lightest as possible while also being outside in adverse conditions at times.

OK, since you would rather just debate it on an armchair level, I'll just cut to personal experience... Wayne and I both took 1 POUND down bags on a traverse of the northern pickets. We were out 5 nights, we got rained on 3 of them, including HARD and all night one of them. We were in a BD lighthouse tent, made of Epic, and pitched with ski poles to save weight. It got wet. we STAYED WARM AND DRY. If we can managed to do it for five fucking nights in the middle of nowhere with the thinnest ass down bags on the planet then I think somebody can backpacking. If you can't manage a down bag in the wilderness, that's your fault, not the bag's.

Go with down. It's all about learning how to use your gear and the techniques required to keep it dry, etc. I have yet to find a synthetic bag that is remotely comparable. I've been rained on plenty but with setting up my shelter correctly and being careful to not overheat, touch tent walls too much, etc. I have never had a problem keeping my down bag warm and dry. If you like carrying extra weight and taking up more space, go synthetic.

Isn't it quite late for that route?

I found this on a climbing gear retail site: " Lightweight Gear - If your interested in getting some gear to lighten the load on your back, email us or give us a call. We have plenty of items to help you achieve "light and fast". From Ice Axes to crampons, stoves to pots, sleeping bags to sleeping pads, we've got the gear that'll take your from a 60lb glacier backpack, down to 45lbs! more info " Since when is 45lbs light or fast!??!

Hey, imagine doing about 50 of those in a row -josh

You two didn't bring your skis? Pussys.

I know I have asked this before, but the search feature is pretty useless when your four search words are about as common as "the". Anyway...I think I remember TRs stating that this glacier is extremely gentle and would make an acceptable solo. Any first hand experience somebody could share? thanks, -josh

1. Mt Adams, North Ridge. Without snow this thing is just hideous volcanic bullshit. Unlike Glacier Peak, the views aren't even that interesting. 2. Ripsaw Ridge, between Buckner and Sahale. This isn't a climb but me and a partner stupidly descended this thing. It is the loosest scariest pile of shit. We rapped off a bollard and then some other sketchiness. Freaky. 3. Glacier Peak, Sitkum Glacier w/o skis. God, the boredom. The trail up to boulder basin is steep and sucks and the climb is boring as hell. At least the views are great. 4. Mount Stuart, Cascadian Coulior - I did this when I first started "climbing." I thoguht Stuart was a big cool mountain and it would be fun. Instead I baked my ass off in the hot sun while slogging up 4000 feet of nasty shit. 5. NR of Baker. I gotta agree this was pretty damn boring. For supposedly having "ice climbing" we didn't even find anything worth protecting really. I also forgot my sun glasses and near went snow blind. The saving grace was we had carried skis up and didn't have to slog the C/D down.

Wayne and I both thought that the double rope rap (50m of 7mm perlon + 60m 8.1 ice line) off the west side of west fury on our n pickets traverse was one of the scariest things either of us had ever done. I can clearly remember the feeling of looking up near the end of that rappel at the endless amount of super stretchy thin rope and thinking of what it was attached to. Shuuuuuder...

PLOP... another PP turd drop.

Where are "Tillie's towers"? never heard of them. great pics!

One of the best TRs I have ever read!

It looks quite scenic.

How often has the traverse from Nooksack tower to the summit pyramid of shuksan been done? That looks like a fun alpine trip that would also avoid going back down the not-so-fun-sounding descent of the tower. -josh

I guess if I was getting a new one, all things being equal, i would get the lightest one I could find. I do like that built in biner one tho.

Thanks, I have. And I care to listen to more of the issue than what is in one article. I am sick and fucking tired of people bitching about us being dependent on middle east oil and at the same time supporting administrations like the one we have. NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE WITH THEM IN POWER!!! Vote in people who actually see the point of doing long term work to reduce our dependence, such as, again, fuel efficieny standards, alternative energies, etc. rather than giving oil companies more money. So you're saying oil dependence is a new problem? So you support drilling in ANWR to reduce our addiction to Saudi crude? More Gulf drilling? Wind? Your Kennedy clan friends stopped an offshore windfarm that would have interfered with their ocean view. Enviros have shut down windfarms in CA because of bird kills. You support more nuke plants? How will solar be stored? Are you the guy who wants to tear down hydro projects? Face it, Josh. You're a victim of hysteria politics, angry prof's, and junk mail...or maybe you're just mad that your rich daddy gave away half of your inheritance trying to get Kerry elected. I really don't know. But just because someone points out a flaw in a single idea, and jabs at someone like AlpineK who has bitten down on it hook/line/sinker, does not mean they don't support change. In the meantime, get a grip junior. It is *you* my friend, that is so extreme to one side or another that any chance of being in some way "liberal" will make you dismiss an idea. You seem to really know what I think. Do I support Nuke plants? Yes, actually I do. Hydro? Yes, indeed. They are both fair trade-offs, I believe, for getting rid of much of our fossil power. I am not somebody who believes that we can get something for free. I know we can't. I just happen to believe in doing *SOMETHING* which you and your bushCo buddies don't seem to. Also, ANWR is only going to make us more dependent on oil in the long run. I could waste my time explaining why here but I dont need to waste my breath. It is fairly easily illustrated using basic economics and readily available energy predictions the energy dept churns out. Mad profs? No, only had very friendly ones actually. Mad about losing inheritance? Not really, i don't have one. In fact, if you cared not to stereotype me you'd know that what money I do have is self made. I started working in high school and figured out how to save and invest. And amazing enough I did it all while our oppresiive communist liberal government was trying to hold me down! I come to my own conclusions based on what I learn. I don't buy into "liberal" media or spin like you would like to think. I'm not the one constantly posting tired re-churned conservative "think tank" articles and what not. If you want to insult somebody's intelligence, you've picked the wrong person.

OK, back on the list it goes Sounds like I'll have to bivy at that knob mentioned by Matt as I doubt I could sleep worrying about getting pegged with a rock all night. I'm sure the rasta bivy was much required.

sweet guys! Great TR and glad you got it. I think i just kicked this mountain off my "want to do" list

This is a very hard concept for the pro-oil folks to grasp, but well said Dru.

Thanks, I have. And I care to listen to more of the issue than what is in one article. I am sick and fucking tired of people bitching about us being dependent on middle east oil and at the same time supporting administrations like the one we have. NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE WITH THEM IN POWER!!! Vote in people who actually see the point of doing long term work to reduce our dependence, such as, again, fuel efficieny standards, alternative energies, etc. rather than giving oil companies more money.

Good post jkeller, and welcome FW, I again ask you as I did in another thread...when are we going to start moving away from oil? Do we wait another 50 years until the technology for alternate energy sources is absolutely perfect or do we start working towards that goal now. The technology will get better and better and more cost effective as it enters in the market. YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!!!

That is a pretty interesting story. I wouldn't mind visiting the site some time.