tshimko

Sinister Lloyd did it on May 29, 1939,, with Clint Kelley and Jim Crooks

Climb: Isolation Traverse- Date of Climb: 7/25/2004 Trip Report: Here's one I've wanted to do for years, the Isolation traverse, from Cascade River Rd. to Hwy 20 via Eldorado north to Pyramid Lk. I'm not even sure where or when I first heard or thought of this. Drove over Sat evening and started on Sunday, as Sat was WTF hot. Still too hot Sun, but got up to the ridgeline between Torment and Eldorado basins. Left there next morning, crossed Eldorado and Inspiration glaciers (climbed the easy rte on Eldo along the way), through the notch on Tepeh Towers and descended slightly into Marble creek basin on the glacier just south of Dorado needle. The only place to camp that evening was on some flat rocky areas at the base of glacier. Cold air kept falling from above producing a cold "glacier breath" wind all night. Was calm and warm just out of this area, but no place to camp. Next day traversed just below Backbone Ridge. Did you know that this is the ridge you see as you are crossing the bridge over the Skagit, on the road from Darrington to Rockport, just before Rockport? Turned the ridge just south of the N end of Backbone Ridge, headed north, and crossed the ridge east of Pt 6885, rhen descended to a glacier in the upper reaches of McAllister creek, only to climb back out to get to the ridge above the remnant glaciers above Wilcox lakes. Next day, spotted a possible route over Isolation Pk, heading up game trails before traversing right to an obvious steep, broad heather gully, which brought us to a shoulder, curiously marked with a plastic bag caught in a small snag, near the top of Isolation Pk, . Dropping packs here, did a long scramble along a ridge to the summit of Isolation Pk. Not often climbed. After getting back to the packs, found our way around the east side, to an apparent cliff. A short search found a way down this, and we descended to the kidney shaped lake just to the north at about 5760. Camped just above this lake. Next day north to ridgeline, and got to the saddle between Snowfield and The Horseman. Up Snowfield, then traversed Neve glacier to camp at the saddle between the Neve and Colonial glaciers, just west of point 7505. Down to the lake at the base of the glacier, thence to the ridgeline just below the east side of Pyramid. Camped here with incredible views all around, but mostly to the south from Pyramid all the way around to Colonial. Next day followed the climbers path to Pyramid lake and the short trail to Hwy 20 and the car. This is an incredibly beautiful, distinctly alpine traverse in a seldom visited part of the N Cascades. Now that I know the way, will definitely get back for some more climbing. Could see alternate routes that would offer more interesting travel.

Yow Saw Scott's name and a shiver went through me. Scott was on a plane (from Haines to Juneau I think). There were actually two planes going, one turned back. Scott's plane was never heard from or found. I never knew Scott, but do know many of his friends in Haines. They tell me he was a great person and a good friend. I've done that flight (Juneau to Haines) and the ferry ride as well. In bad weather. There really is nothing but water, trees, mountains. Plenty of places to not be found. tshimko

I too have done the Bailey many times, with a few variations. I agree with all above...4-5 days is minimal, especially if the weather goes bad or you get lost (not that there's anything wrong with that). If you knew what you were doing, had been there before, you could see a lot in 4-5 days, but with it being the 1st time, you just do not have enough time. Regarding Cream Lake...just say no. The worn path runs around the ridge line, turns left, and the just fades into nothing. Prior to the huge avalanche a few years ago, it was merely an ugly 2-3 hour bushwhack to the lake from where the route dissappears. Last summer I ran into three guys coming down from Mt Carrie who were doing the Peggy Goldman "scramble your way along the Bailey Range" who were planning on going to Cream lake and the scrambling Stephen Pk the next day. I tried to talk them into going via Stephen lake, but they did not know where that was. I instead (and so should you) went over the ridge to Stephen lake, soaked in a nice warmish tarn that night, and then took 45 minutes to scramble up Stephen Pk on our way to Ferry basin. Never saw their name in the register. Two days later, at the saddle between Pullitzer and Ferry, ran into a couple who had seen the three guys the day before. According to the couple, apparently these three missed Cream lake, might have made it to a lower lake, but were in fact on their way BACK out, dragging ass, looking like they had been beaten. Ms Goldman does a great disservice by telling people to go to Cream lake. I've never seen the avalanched area personally, but did speak with a friend who tried it about 3 years ago. It was unpleasant before the avalanche, and is much worse now. My favorite version is Soleduc to Soleduc, via the Catwalk, the Bailey range, over to upper Queets basin, to the Humes glacier, thence Hoh glacier on Olympus, traverse all three summits, the down to the Hoh, up to Hoh lake, back down to Soleduc. It's one of the best alpine traverses anywhere. Let me know if you need any other specific info. The Elwah snow finger is also a nice trip as well, needs no ropes (which are needed if you do Olympus) Tom

Thanks mtngrrl The pop can might be a good idea, but please do be careful. I've never done that trick before and I'm certainly a bit wary of handling open containers of flammable liquid around fire (or in fires in this case). Half full sounds like a bit much, maybe do less. The can should work to control the release of vapors, which is good. Be careful on the start, don't spill much getting it in place, and get away from the whole thing BEFORE it gets going.

Or go there like we did, in mid July after a high snow year (about 4-5 years ago?)......the "Impasse" was literally full to the top with snow....we walked right over it!!

I'm sorry for your loss mtngrrl. While CBS (and others) are correct, that burning might not go so well, that you have blood stained clothing from the accident calls for something better than the trash, or even encasing in concrete. Fire has a visual sense of finality, and the materials are reduced to ash (ashes to ashes, dust to dust....). Perhaps a fire is worth the small possibility of problem. Make it a good one and burn on. I've also felt loss recently. My parents, Dad less than 4 months ago, Mom two weeks ago. Sort of puts a greater sense of mortality upon me.

Grand Canyon...Those who have experienced it know of the tremendous power of the place. It's much more than the 24 hour a day, 360 degree orgasmic view, the deafening silence, the pleasure of finding water, the smell of the desert after rain...I figure I've spent maybe 13 weeks total down in the canyon, and they were some of the finest moments of my life. An night spent on Booker Mt. was also one of the finest moments of my life. In view of some great climbing.. Buckner is right there, and I think from nowhere else does Johannesberg seem so massive. Logan, Goode, and much of the rest of the N cascades. There's magic there. Most anywhere along the Bailey Range in the Olympics...a special camp near the catwalk (well actually two now that I think of it), Mt.Carrie, a camp above Stephen Lake, upper Ferry basin (well almost anywhere in Ferry Basin), along the crest betweem Pullitzer pass and uppre Queets basin, a camp almost anywhere in upper Queets basin, Camp Pan, a place on the west side of Olympus overlooking Mt Tom A night spent on the summit of Goode. You can see most of the world from there. A special place that my partner AJ shares with me is as powerful as any of those.

Bonanza is indeed the highest non-volcanic peak in the state, at 9511'. It gets tagged quite bit. Heck, even I've done it. How about Sinister, or Agnes?

Like everyone said, it's a walk-up until things go bad. Crevasses, weather, AMS/HAPE/HACE.... How's your skill with crampons on modestly steep hard snow? Not much room for mistakes in some places. Now that you've slipped, how good are your self arrest skills? Are you practiced enough to do it right now? Remember that accident on Hood? The one where a relatively inexperienced person fell, pulling the other members on the rope along, flossing-off more people on the way.... It was a bad day for a lot of people.

Propane/butane burns way cleaner than liquid fuels, and thus less CO. Regarding the guy with a propane burner is a tent who died...there is another problem with ANY combustion process..that being production of CO2.... AND reduction of oxygen, which in a close space with poor ventilation would also present a problem...that being suffocation. I've never experienced singed sleeping bags, tent walls, etc..all the more reason not to cook in a tent. Even during 22 days on Denali including a 7 day storm, never did I cook in a tent. Just say no.

OK if it's propane/butane, but liquid fuels will give you CO poisoning for sure unless the ventilation is really good. I've seen it happen. Symptoms are similar to altitude sickness...headache, nauseau, dizziness.

For those in the South Sound, Touching the Void has been playing at the Grand Cinema in downtown Tacoma for a week now, and will play for yet another week. Just came back from seeing the 9:10 show tonight... A powerful flick....very real, very well done...worth seeing

Did the Ptarm' last year, was in good shape even in mid Aug. If you can do it, bypass Kool-Aid lake, often too crowded, get just past the Red Ledge. Camping above there with OUTSTANDING view of north side of Formidable. Formidable is a good climb, even from the south side (take rope for possible raps, not needed if on-route, but lots of 3rd and some 4th class climbing). LeConte is good scramble(great views of S Cascade Gl), as well Old Guard, Sentinel. Plan a rest day at White Rock lakes (more outstanding scenery and just a darn nice place). You can get to Dome by descending and then keep traversing left almost directly to Dome Glacier. A nice alternate to the Batchelor/Downey creeks exit is to head east from Dome across the Chickamin Gl, cross ridge between Gunsight and Sinister (both worthy climbs btw) to the northernmost notch, then head south to Totem Pass, canyon lake, image lake (stellar views of N side of Glacier Pk) then out via Miners Ridge. If road is closed at Downey Creek, its only a two mile walk from the road end to there. Unless doing technical routes on Formidable, Gunsight, Sinister, only need ice axe and crampons. Dome is quite exposed for the final 50' horizontal traverse, but quite easy, could be done w/o pro. One easy 3rd class move (fairly exposed) then 30' of severly exposed class 2.

Regarding stuff falling down in the Sickle .... I've been on the Tahoma mostly in mid June (+/-), once on July 4. Have seen stuff falling usually early to mid morning, having left camp at around 10,000' at first light, when I was ascending the glacier across from the Sickle. Don't recall if I ever saw stuff in the afternoon on descent, or if I was even paying attention to that then.

Thanks Dwayner for you memories of Jim Andrues. Everything you metioned about him I saw as well. It's all true, he was a good man. I first met Jim nearly 20 years ago when he was involved with the Tacoma Mountaineers, when I was a beginner of an alpinist, went up Olympus with him in 1986. Worked with him on a couple of climbing related projects in the next few years, and again later in TMRU. Jim was originally an audiologist, left that late in life to get into law enforcement. He was a serious road cyclist, a veteran of at least one RAMROD. My last brush with Jim was this past December, in the parking lot at Longmire. I saw a lot of old TMRU acquantances in the dark waiting for the gate to open. I'm sorry to say I missed Jim that day..... but a friend later reported to me that Jim had seen me and was glad that I was still active in climbing. All who knew him hold him in strong regard, and will keep his memory. Thanks Jim

Remember Alex Lowe? Alex was a pretty smart guy and a darn good climber. He once said that the best climber was the one having the most fun. It fits no matter what your level of ability...

I've been on the Tahoma glacier, the main part, several times. That slope between 10,500 and 13,500 is about 40 degrees. Easy travelling, but coming down is not for newbies, if they have never done that kind of slope. It's the coming down that is the "in your face" or more like stepping off into air kind of experience. I've seen modestly experienced people be intimidated by it. Oh, and The Sickle...never been there, never want to. I've climbed the Tahoma maybe 4 times...have seen BIG stuff falling in The Sickle each time I was there. Take them to Baker, to Adams (Mazama), even to glacier peak (sitkum).

I have lots of friends in Haines AK who live off the grid. Most use solar panels, some use wind, one uses hydro (seasonally). All have storage batteries, and invertors for 110V. None attempt to sell back to the utility, but of course they are off the grid. The ones that seem to have energy to burn (mind you all are pretty carefull with their use of electricity) are the ones with wind generators and solar panels in a very clear area. These folks also do wood heat, collect water off the roof, some have propane delivered for kitchen stoves, fridges, water heaters. They live pretty comfortably. Unless you are going to wind in a big unit, and can sell back to utility, wind is really only practical in areas where there is no possibilty of connection to the utility. It's pretty expensive to set up and then there's maintenance. Let me know if you need recommendations on small units. I can't find the info just now, but have it somewhere.

Climbed the NE buttress of Goode in August a few years ago and chose to spend the night on top. Did you know that you can see most of the world from there? Anyway, woke up about 2:00 am to see a thunderstorm way to the south. One of my partners was already up, had been watching it for about an hour. After a while I convinced everyone that it would be a good idea to be packed up and ready to go in case....well, you know. The wind was coming from the SE, and eventually the cell was about due west of us, seemed much bigger (but could have been because it was closer). It was about 50-55 seconds, 10-11 miles away. One of the things I had forgotten about t-storms is not only do they move...as in toward you, but they also coalesce around you. All of a sudden there was a coalescence above us, followed by a lightening strike on Logan, Muuuuuccchhh lower than our altitude, close enough that I could see that the strike had set a tree afire. Immediately the ice axes/hardware/whatever started crackling and my words were "We gotta get outta her NOW". Now we are downclimbing wet, downsloping, 4th class rock, in the dark, get this, ROPED ( we had originally, before mother nature gave us a greater sense of urgency, planned to down climb using running belays, there were three of us, and we were roped and ready). It's still dark but lots of that lightening type stuff happening around us. I noticed a vague sense of there being a lot of light around me, even though it was obviously still dark. One of my partners reported a "blue aura" around me. We thought we were toast, either via lightening or one of us peeling off the wet rock, taking us all down. We eventually got down far enough, and the lightening stopped, and it began to get light. The relative lull allowed some more deliberate descent and traverse over to the east and the descent route. I'm sure glad I was out there with competent climbers who could handle that type of descent and still keep their wits.

Kucinich was the Mayor of Cleveland back in the 70's sometime (when he was about 30), when I lived in that part of the world. He was popular because he cared about people. Take a look at his positions on corporations, crime, free trade, etc...he is still a man of the people. Comparable to Nader (whom I voted for in 2000) in many ways, except not as well known and probably even more un-electable. Too bad, but there are not enough people willing or able to recognize that major change is needed in this country, change that Bush and his fellow republicans will never accede to, and change that even democrats will never admit to. Face it folks, barring revolution, or some other cataclysm, we're due for 4 more years of Dubya, and as much as it wrankles the bejeesus out of me, it's just what the country will tell us it wants. The common man (and woman) just cannot recognize that Dubya's actions and policies will beat the crap out their future.

Every time I've come back late from climbing Rainier in the winter the ranger has left the combo to the gate on my windshield

What, no pantheism??? Or maybe that's now neo-pagan. 1. Liberal Quakers (100%) 2. Unitarian Universalism (97%) 3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (94%) 4. Neo-Pagan (94%) 5. New Age (88%) 6. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (82%) 7. Mahayana Buddhism (77%) 8. Taoism (74%) 9. Secular Humanism (69%) 10. New Thought (68%)

Although I'd never vote for him, I also am certain he will get re-elected . Excellent article in the PI that explains why: The S factor explains Bush's popularity Neal Starkman, guest columnist: Millions of words have been written as to the motivations of voters. Particularly in close elections, as in the 2000 presidential contest, pundits and laypeople alike have speculated on why people voted for whom. The exit poll has been a major tool in this speculation. * Read the full article at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/155107_firstperson05.html

Thanks to all, especially Lowell, Geordie, Paul (with a PM). Matt's got it spot on, this is cc.com at it's best. In less than 12 hrs I've gotten all sorts of valuable resources.