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Saturday morning was a little ugly, but by evening the wind had died down, and all the clouds were gone. The night was beautiful, and Sunday was perfect. Two guys at the trailhead were heading out super early Monday for a crack at Razorback, the ridge that starts at the Stuart Glacier and tops out just west of the West Ridge notch, finishing up the West Ridge route. I hope they post a TR.

I PM'd my info. For the record, let's put the last known contact with them at 10 am (which would be about the time those other guys passed them). If they had retreated from that location, they would have been heading either back down the way they came (standard ascent route, easy descent), or trying to descend the gully below LJT (which isn't very friendly). If they came over the LJT notch, and kept that pace, they would have run out of daylight before the West Ridge notch probably. As you probably know, there are all kinds of places to bivy along that route.

They climbed past us near our bivy site at 8,200' while we were lazily having another cup of coffee around 7 am. They climbed on, and then we caught up with them at the base of Long John Tower. We climbed up the gully below the tower, and they stayed back, trying to decide how they wanted to approach it, I think. We never saw them come over the notch (by the tower). However, we did see two climbers come through the notch, but it was different people. We talked to them at the West Ridge notch, and they said that the two women were still at the base of LJT when they climbed past them, although the two guys took a different route, so they didn't really interact with the women. They were definitely equipped for overnight, and the weather was really nice Sunday night, plus there is still enough snow to melt. So if they stayed another night, they probably weren't suffering. (Barring injury, of course) But then, you say they're still missing?

I was there and met them, I think. Names are Jen and Chris/Kris, maybe?

Second the Geko 201. Everything you need in a very lightweight unit that is just way too easy to keep handy. The extras on the 301 suck too much juice (and they're probably redundant, anyway, if you have a compass and altimeter watch, etc.)

Nice report. Interesting time you had up there. I was on the route last weekend, but under rather different conditions, apparently. So I'm curious: . What were some of these tricks? Also, not to quibble: But I'm pretty sure Baker's a dude. Congrats on your accomplishment.

Stillaguamish?

Yes, icy for sure. It surprised me that we didn't have more corn, even in the afternoon, but then again it's still only March. There were fingers of almost-corn on Heliotrope that could be exploited with tight turns. But then back out onto ice. The Coleman never softened. Good for crampons, though, as I'm sure Oleg and the vw master found.

Nice climb, and a pleasure meeting you. I was the one on skis that you met while descending the Coleman glacier. We talked--or yelled, with the wind like it was--while my GF worked her way up below us, trying to get more comfortable with the ski crampons. If I had know exactly which line you took when you mentioned you climbed the headwall, I would have made my "wow" much more pronounced. I almost took a picture of the mountain at sunrise that morning--you would have been on the route. How cool would that have been? (could'a, would'a, should'a....) And Dru, you'll be happy to know that we met a fine group of Canadian skiers Sat. night around 8 pm as they were descending the mountain after summiting shortly before sunset. They skied up to our tent after I turned the headlamp on after hearing them scraping their way down the icy slopes of Heliotrope Ridge. They were all smiles after a pretty long day, with more to go. Of course I'm just jumping to conclusions about them being Canadian, but with the core ski day, as well as all the "eh's" and talk of centimeters and beer, I'm just assuming....

If the emphasis is alpine, then the Carbon Fiber Black Prophet's super nice. The straight shaft keeps it from being the ultimate for WI, though. In that case, the Cobra wins it.

Found it Sunday, half buried (but no one was attached to it). If you lost it, you'll know who you are, 'cause it's real nice. PM me with a description.

Marmot Eiger Logged many miles on mine and it's been great. No board rigging, though. And the ski carry is set up to be diagonal, if you're OK with that. I think it works quite nifty.

What do you mean you "ran out of time"? Did you bail? (Did you die? )

I heard recently that the latest authority on this subject suggests that the optimal range is 50% to 75% (rather than 50%). Don't have a source to quote, though. I heard it by word of (reliable) mouth. Might be from BD?

Swiss hardman Martin strikes again.