Dustin_B

After hearing a story about a proficient downhill skier struggling on AT gear their first time out, I'm thinking I might need to be more concerned about the descent on AT gear. I'm a relatively proficient downhill/resort skier (blacks and doubles), but does the sloppiness of AT gear 'level the playing field' between proficient downhill skiers and never-been-skiers? Is Adams a good place to learn? gracias

I assume you actually mean 'above' Schurman as in on Steamboat Prow / Camp Curtis. You could find a bivy spot there off the snow for sure. We took a break there on a nice large level spot that was mainly dirt.

I was thinking about renting some AT gear and skiing Adams this weekend. Never skied outside a ski area (and local backcountry there). Is this a good mountain for my first time? How is the snow on the south side right now for skiing? Never rented AT gear, is it pretty easy to ascend? Not worried about going down, only up. Thanks.

Tony, Mark, Dave and I hiked up to Emmons Flats on Saturday, 14th. Left camp at 1 AM Sunday for summit. Pretty cold and windy at camp, only got worse. On summit at 7:30 AM. 1 other team of 2 on summit, which was cool for Rainier on a Sunday in June (what gives?) . Back at Emmons Flats at 11:30 AM. 1 hour nap. Hike out. Route fine, no dicey snowbridges, bergschrund can be avoided by heading to the notch between Russell Cliff and Columbia Crest and passing on the right. Basically to top of Whinthrop Glacier. A little out of the way but safe. It was so cold and windy up there we were climbing in down parkas, shells, balaclavas, hats (all our clothes) and were still cold. Nalgene froze every 15 minutes or so even in semi-insulated holster. Full moon was awesome, cast shadow of Rainier to the north. Estimate 40 mph winds at top (conservative) and probably 15 - 20 degrees. It was nice not see anyone all the way up. Sort of alpine-experience like. Different story on the way down. Clear and beautiful at the top. Pit toilet at Schurman nice and clean! Coming down around 11:00 AM (almost down at camp) we passed a couple groups starting up! With the slop we were coming down in I thought those guys were nuts to be heading up so late. No reason to rope up on Inter Glacier as the 2 or 3 crevasses are easily avoidable. Anyway, that was my second attempt of Rainier (same route) and my first summit. Yeehaw!!

I agree, it is a nice pleasant walk and it keeps people away. I hope the bridge doesn't go up.

I have the ArcTeryz Khamsin 52. It is as big a pack as I need for a 4 day glacier climb. If I'm on a long trip or I need to take more, the helmet, crampons, sleep pad go on the outside. If on a shorter trip or need less, than these items can go inside. Picket, axe, shovel always go on outside. This system works pretty well for me.

We took the Squak Glacier because it is a more direct line from the trailhead than going up the railroad grade and then onto the Easton. I don't know about a new trail making it shorter because we lost the trail and just followed a tree-lined ridge up to it. The Squak Glacier also starts higher up so you can rope up later (if you're roping up). It seems like it is less crowded too as we didn't see anybody until we joined up with the Easton around 8500 - 9000 feet, after which we only saw skiers.

Cool, you put your axe inside!! Now that is a versitile pack!!

Found trailhead at 1:00 am Saturday morning after oversleeping for half hour and bushwhacking for half hour . Went up Squak Glacier until it joined the Easton, on summit around 10 am, hang out (take pictures, drink, eat), left summit plateau at 11 am, back at trailhead at 3 pm. 14 hours round trip (about what we assumed). Great views and weather. Snow was perfect for kicking steps going up. Crampons on beneath slope that leads to crater. Pretty windy on summit although not real cold wind. Knee deep post-holing going down for first 1000 feet or more. Saw probably 6 to 8 skiers but no other rope teams. Steam vents in full force (smelly). Really, really, really envious of skiers going down. I'm now 1 for 3 on Washington volcanoes. That was my first (successful) Washington volcano!! (not counting Little Tahoma). Good times.

I'm not even going to touch that one... So many possible answers I'll just stick with this one: Yeah, I'm 6'2" and about 205 lbs. I need to the wider cut.

I need to get another sleeping bag and I have pretty much decided on a Feathered Friends bag. Here is my dilemma, I can't decide between the 0-degree Ibis and the 10-degree Raven. I'll mostly be using it for winter climbs/backcountry trips in the Cascades but I'd like to have the flexibility to take it to Canada, Alaska (non-winter), and maybe some mountains in S. America (non-winter) at some point. I'll have to get a size long so that adds weight. The Ibis weighs 6 ozs more than the Raven (per catalogue). So I ask "Which one should I get," and then you say "Well it depends on how warm you sleep, where you'll be using it, how high, time of year, the weather, what you ate for dinner, alignment of the plants, etc." So I guess my question is this: have you been cold in the 10-degree bag; if so where? Do you have one bag and wish that you had the other? Sounds like a stupid question but I guess I'm trying to get someone to push me in one direction or the other. Any complaints about either bag? Anything you wish you would have ordered differently? (I'd get the 800+ upgrade and Epic fabric). Do I ask too much from one bag? Maybe I'll get the 10-degree with overfill. Thanks in advance for all your thoughtful, helpful opinions....

I'll tell ya what not to get if you have wide feet: La Sportiva Trango S. I have wide feet and it has taken me a while to break them in. They are really light though, probably one of the lightest full shank, crampon compatible boots out there. They are also NOT waterproof. Can't stretch the toe box because the rubber rand just holds the shape. My heavy Nepal Extremes are plenty wide, plenty waterproof, plenty comfortable, and plenty heavy. Good luck!!

Full length guidelite on snow (or car camping ) some sort of foam pad when on dirt. Yep, blow up pads are heavy (2 lbs) but I won't go on snow without it.

I would if I had AT gear and if I felt comfortable skiing on a glacier . That will have to wait until next year

The technical difficulty is not the issue. Climbing it car-to-car in one push is our goal. I heard the area is closed to snow mobiles for the season now. When I was out there last weekend this snowmobile had broken off the only snowbridge going over the river there and was sitting on his snowmobile in the river. We laughed and took pictures and keep going, while his friend helped him out We wondered how the other snowmobilers would get down and how/if the others would make it past somehow.

How long does it take to get from the Schreibers Meadow trailhead (assuming one can drive all the way to it) to the summit via the Easton glacier? Summit to car? Assume firm(ish) snow and average mountaineer endurance. I know you are going to say things like it depends on this or that and what not, so just tell me how long it took you and what time of year I'm thinking 8-9 hours to the summit and 5 back; does that sound resonable? Thanks Also assume you don't get run over by a snowmobile or one of the armies of people that are bound to be up there.

From above link: "On May 14, 1922, seventy-five members of the Seattle Mountaineers started up the eastern slope of McClellan's Butte" Holy shit!

BOEALPS will be up on the Easton too, although I don't know how many they will have. 2 smaller groups I think.

Given the cattle industry, how many rivers were safe to swim in before? Ya wouldnae catch me swimmin in any Texas river Bush or no. I've swimmined in many Texas rivers and I came out oK.

CBS - where did you hear/read this? Do you have a source?

No, I couldn't.

CBS - sorry we missed you at the NB B&G. We'll catch ya next time. After Tony got through sport-aiding then top-rope-aiding that 5.8 we were ready to go home

Good work TT. What time did you start climbing and what time did you get back to the trailhead? I would have much rather been on the Tooth than with the 100+ people that were at exit 38. Although there were some ladies.... "watch me!". "huh?" "I said watch MEEEEEEE!"

Erik, where is it? We parked by the bulletin board (per the guidebook), walked up a couple hundred yards (per the guidebook), then at a low point in the cliff band bush whacked up to a trail. On the way down we follow the trail until it disappears?? and then we retrace our bushwack?? We were very confused and cussing the guidebook. Where do you park and where does the trail start? Saw one tick crawling on me but we didn't have any 'dig in'.

I was at Der Sportsman Sunday morning, saw 6 or 8 copies, bought one (and used it on Sunday). They have it, tell them to check again. It is $26 bucks and has photos of all the walls not sketches like the 1st Ed. Please don't buy Smoot's book, that thing is garbage.