peas

Some of the aid routes are described in the new guide (I forget which ones), but many were left out. The out of print McLane guide, especially the one with the yellow pages in the back, has the most info on aid climbing in Squamish that I've found.

hmmm. wrong answers. I was hoping for more along the lines of "actually better than July and August, despite what the guide book and common sense say".

Does anyone have first hand experience with Bugaboos weather in mid September? I'm planning on heading there this year and would like any input I can get.

Holy smokes. That's a big rack! Sounds like a fun climb. How did the Labour Day Buttress look?

The 2001 revised McLane guide is out of print so can be hard to find. The new one is much more worthwhile.

Just in case you're thinking of hiking in and using the cable car crossing, the Squamish First Nation just recently gated the spur road that leads to the cable car.

I was at Cheam last weekend and there were a number of dirt bikers around. We came to the meadow first and there were signs of past off roading activity in the meadow, but nothing on the scale that you describe, and nothing all that fresh. We waited around the meadow to see what they were up to, but they just seemed to want to look at the view, then turned around and went home. Maybe they were conscious that the tree hugger hikers would defend their meadow. It's too bad to see that some people are willing to destroy such beautiful places.

Just if anyone is looking for info, we decided to go up Brohm Ridge, rather than the Elfin Lakes approach. Continuous snow started about 1/2 to 3/4 hours after leaving the car(just past the lodge), so skis would have been nice. We wandered our way up the ridge in the clouds and finally set camp where we thought was just past the end of Brohm Ridge. Brief clearings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning gave us some nice views of Dalton Dome, what was probably the Table and the whole Tantalus Range. The weather never improved and after a few hours of wandering around on the glacier on Sunday, we decided to head back.

Great News!

Sounds like a good time to me.

Upon reading my post again, it wasn't quite clear that I am planning to go up Garibaldi, via the Elfin Lakes approach. Do you still suggest going on foot?

Does anyone have any info on what the snow level on Garibaldi/Elfin Lakes approach is? I'm debating whether it's best to bring skis or just slog on foot at this time of year.

Any comments on useful gear to bring?

Anyone have any beta on this route? First hand, second hand, lies, slander. Any info is useful.

Jeez, what did you have to do to get that deal?

Yup, that would be the one. Thanks. I don't know how I missed it.

I was recently up in the Phelix Creek area and noticed a mountain to the South with a large gash running up its north Face. I checked on bivouac, but couldn't ID it and haven't had a chance to look at topo maps or guide books yet. For a little more specific, but still vague, description of where it is, from standing on top of Aragorn, it is just to the left of Gandalf, and across at least one major drainage. Anyone have any idea of what this peak is?

Looking again, I don't think it will be open in the winter. Views to the contrary are welcome though.

Does anyone know whether the Hurley River FSR gets regularly plowed in the winter or what condition it's in right now? I tried bivouac.com, but there was no recent info there.

Bad news. What's with the quantum mechanics reference in your location?

Does anyone have any solid info on when the new Squamish McLane guide will be out?

Holy! That ramp looks steep from the photo. Not so steep closer up. I guess that's how it goes though.

John Howe?

I had one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life on U-Wall. I decided to bring up a camp cot and use it like a portaledge. But without lateral support, it crushed me all night long. Just as a kick in the pants, in the morning, the side tubes broke in half and I got crushed both ways. Not fun. My parnter slept upright in a patio chair with his head jammed between lines that went up to the anchor point. He had a relatively pleasant sleep compared to me. We bailed that morning however. The tree would offer one place to bivy, but it won't be very comfortable. Especially with two people around. I can't remember a belay bolt there, but there may be. In any case, a bivy on the wall without a ledge will be uncomfortable. I'm with fern on the 3'x6' piece of plywood, but not so sure about launching it into the forest. If you come down the same way you went up, you could always retrieve it on the way by. Fixing the first couple pitches, or doing it in a day are also good ways to approach U-Wall. To each their own though. Good luck.