chris

Dude, nice work - everyone here has been waiting for it to dry out!!

Climax avalanche events from higher on the mountain can end up in Source Lake, and several slides this winter reached the lake too. I recommend taking the time to hike up and camp on the Snow Lake divide (45 minutes) or even down and on the south shore of Snow Lake (another 30 minutes) instead.

Very much so. A week ago the north aspect snow line started soon above the Pearly Gates, which was still running with water. I'm pushing back my typical spring climbing agenda by a month.

I think its completely weather and climb dependent. I hate putting on cold, frozen boots, so if I can't keep my leather boots dry the first day I'll go with plastics instead. With plastic boots I sleep with the liners in my bag to dry out, and they're warm in the morning. I also think that most of the time they need to be insulated leather boots. My leather Rainier climbs have been done in a pair of La Sportive Nepal Extremes - my plastic Rainier climbs in Scarpa Alphas.

I agree with DPS.

I'd also recommend going alpine ice climbing before going water ice climbing. Alpine ice typically happens mid- to late-summer, and can be on easier terrain than mid-winter waterfall ice, but uses the same techniques. So you'd get to be introduced to the same skill set on easier terrain and in warmer temps, and can step up to waterfall ice the following winter. So, intro to rock -> intro to alpine rock -> alpine ice -> waterfall ice

I'll put another vote in for the BD Covert. It fits a longer back than the Outlaw (I did a comparison check to make sure), and I prefer a diagonal ski strap system. I'm able to fit everything I need for a full ski-mountaineering day in the pack, including rope, harness, and ski and boot crampons as needed. Like its been mentioned, I can fit my "wet" gear - shovel, saw, and skins in the outer zipper, everything else in the "main" zipper. My BCA probe barely fits in the outer compartment though - maybe the probe dimensions are a bit longer than a comparable BD? So my probe ends up in the main compartment, where I end up using it more often anyways for snow/weather observations. The "goggle" zipper in between the two works better for small things - cell phone, gps, thermometer, bits and bobs. Two small pockets on the hip belt are great for skin wax, ski wax, diamond file, scraper and sunscreen. I've skied 40+ days with this pack this winter, and I'm completely satisfied with it. The only thing I'd re-consider is getting an avalung version.

Supertopo offers an "ultra-classic" select guide book for the Valley and a seperate edition for Toulumne Meadows - those alone would probably take up your whole trip. IF you insist on passing up miles of great climbing to drive down to Mt Whitney, then I'd really recommend climbing the Premier Route (aka the Beckey Route) on Premier Buttress in Whitney Portal (5.8), listed in Bishop Rock Climbs. Anything away from the road is in Sierra Peaks and Passes, which is kind of like all three of the Cascade guides in one volume (and about as heavy!). For comprehensive roadside guides, from Whitney to the Valley there's 7 guide books, an 8th alpine guide book, and 3-4 select guidebooks that I can think of off-hand. Good luck fitting all that into one week!

There will be some great alpine ice climbing to be had later this summer, and keep an eye on Pro Guiding Services website next fall - they're talking about trying to expand their ice climbing opportunities!

You don't have to carry enough gear to replace the entire rappel route - on the most popular routes around here, there's been enough traffic that you're maintaining already existing rap anchors by REMOVING old, ugly, untrustworthy tat and replacing it with a bit of your own, newer, trustworthy stuff. That's what makes 6 mm and 7mm cordelettes so perfect: they're cheap to replace, you'll always have one or two for anchors on the way up, they're cheap to replace, you can cut them into smaller pieces for rappel anchors on the descent, and they're cheap to replace! Having a couple of quicklinks or "leaver-biners" is wise as well.

My goto alpine pant is a pair of OR Credo [ur]http://www.backcountry.com/outdoor-research-credo-softshell-pant-mens[/url]. If the weather's threatening, I carry a pair of MEC goretex pants (bought on sale, never seen again), that DON'T have a powder-cuff and DO have a 3/4s zipper that I can fit a crampon-ed boot through. I'll add long underwear if and only if the temps are in the low 20s or less.

There is a great gully to the east of the parking lots that is perfect for what you're looking for. Typically the only lot to the right of the road (as your entering) leads straight to it.

I'm trying to determine where mile marker 11.5 is geographically on the Suiattle River Road (FS Rd 26). My work is mostly stumped because I can't tell on my maps where the FS Road starts and the county road ends. Can someone give me a geographical marker - campsite, creek junction, etc?

I agree - spray is great fun but forgettable. Let's delete everything more than a year old.

Well, in the picture of House it looks like a pair La Sportiva Nepal Extremes.

So the bottom line is that we need to determine some sort of legal parking outside of the gate, right? Can we park even if it blocks the gate?

I have climbed AI3+ with a Grivel Air Tech and an Alp Light hammer. And really, I don't recommend it - the Air Tech doesn't have enough heft to swing well. Really, if you're looking for an alpine tool, you're better off going with a leashless tool.

OK, I just emailed Freeman Keller, the WCC's point-man for Peshastin, the following:

Agreed, instead of closing the park, let a non profit manage it. The state is already overburdened with all the other services they provide..... Hmmm - this sounds like a WCC Project to me!

Those photos settled it for me, I think. I'm going to try to do a trial run in the hybrid Cyborgs I already own, and if they aren't adequate, I'll bump up to a toe bail version. I'm also going to try to climb more in my lighter Scarpa Charmoz boots and use the Nepal Extremes only when the cold demands it. Thanks for the opinions - it helped solidify my decision.

Hmmm, has anyone climbed WI4/5 in pair of hybrid (toe strap, heel bail) lately? I'm with Bob right now - I'm comfortable and solid on WI4, and challenge myself on WI5, and I've been using these Rambocomps for years. I got a pair of BD Cyborg Clip crampons (toe strap, heel bail) for my summer climbing and wondering if I really need a second pair, but with the toe bail for the winter. Right now I'm leaning toward that second pair, but thought someone might be able to tell me different.

Along with getting a new pair of tools this winter, I'm rethinking my crampons. This isn't a mono v dual point, but strap/hybrid versus clip-in/automatic/pro. For years I've been using strap and hybrid (toe strap, heel bail) crampons for summer alpine ice, and clip/auto/pro (toe bail, heel bail). Now I'm wondering - do I really need a separate pair of crampons for winter ice?

I don't think its that simple either. The USFS seems to immensely top-heavy, and the man-hours spent "administering" programs seems grossly misspent. Its notably challenging for the USFS to organize or manage volunteer trail crews, and good samaritans who do the work un-authorized and caught get slapped with a significant ticket instead. This top-down, heavy handed mindset causes a lot of the inefficiencies, in my opinion, and so they have to charge things like parking fees. This is nothing that will be solved quickly, because the government is a big organism and change takes time. So we will be speaking about this for a long time to come.

I don't think its that simple, Scott. Whatever the court decides, the Larry on the ground is going to keep issuing tickets until the USFS brass tells him to stop. Until the USFS makes and announces a formal policy change, I'm going to keep looking over my shoulder.

There is no longer a parking fee for "day use" in Washington State Parks. The question also needs to be asked, what exactly does "mothballing" look like at Peshastin Pinnacles State Park? When this idea came up during the legislative session of 2009, those parks proposed to be mothballed would still be available to public access. There would be no services (garbage, restrooms, mowing, etc.) and the gate would be locked with a ranger "checking in" less frequently, but you could still access the site. Thanks CPOly- that tells you how long I've been gone! I think I would have no problem with "mothballing" or "suspending amenities," providing that there was roadside parking permitted near the gate and access was allowed.