Rad

Very nice. I haven't seen reports of folks going this late. For the uninitiated, would you generally recommend earlier in the season?

UKC article Nice work gents!!

Great shots, as always. Boy, those glaciers are looking thin.

Thx. We may look into adding another anchor at the top of p5 to ease the traffic jam of descending vs ascending parties. I'm still healing from hamstring surgery, so it'll be late fall at the earliest. If you have other suggestions please let me know via pm.

Wow! Great trip. Great weather. Great visibility. Great photos! Thanks!

Indeed. For me, the physical and mental challenges of the Pickets have induced a zen-like mind-set where we embrace uncertainty, focus on the present, not the past or future, and grind through epic suffering to reach the highest heights. More than any area in the US I've visited, the Pickets embodies the spirit of Wilderness that was defined in the 1964 Wilderness Act as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

Nice work!

Nice work. Thx for posting.

The park is monetizing. There are a few 10' x 10' bivy spaces left on AirBnB for $299.

Falling in a crevasse is only one hazard in the mtns. Loose rock is another big one. Moats is another. And vicious attack goats!

Lovely. This one has been on the list for longer than I'd care to admit. It seems that timing is key. Too early and the river crossing(s) are dangerous. Too late and the moat(s) are a problem. Congrats on finding the sweet spot.

Nice work. Maybe it's a motion-activated camera to look for rare wildlife. Or to spy on climbers. Did you test it to see if it clicked when something passed in front of it.

Fantastic! Great trip and TR. Thanks for posting. It wouldn't be a Pickets outing without some suffering. Glad yours was minor.

Wow. Impressive. Thanks for posting! Next time add pics? cheers

If you can't get a permit, do Forbidden E Ridge Direct car to car. No glaciers or nasty gully to navigate, fewer crowds (though an early start is advised). You can simul-climb most of it so it goes pretty quickly and the descent off the backside is not as bad as people make out. The position is unparalleled. E Ridge Direct TR Sahale via Sahale Arm is pretty casual and can also be done in a day. Ditto Eldorado. Yes, it's wonderful to camp in the alpine, but when you get old like me you realize life is better if you don't have to carry a heavy pack up thousands of feet. Free your mind and your ass will follow. Oh, and the chances of getting a last minute Enchantment permit are even lower than N Cascades, so forget driving extra hours for that. The Full N Ridge of Stuart, however, needs to be on your list. It's a bigger day car to car than Forbidden. Or go do Slesse, but fires and smoke and 4x4 vehicle... Ah, youth.

I knew about fact that if you were with another but not roped, you were ok in NPS eyes. My question is why is OK to be unroped in a team but not unroped solo? I suspect that they left this unroped teams as an option for their climbing rangers operations. Any safety requirements would be impossible to enforce. People need to use their own judgment. Should you be unroped on the Inter- Glacier? It has a few crevasses, but few rope up there. What about around Camp Muir? Below Muir? On the crater rim? On the Emmons early season? Depends, depends, depends. The last thing the NPS, or any other agency, wants to do is mandate safety practices and try to enforce them, because this implies if you follow them you'll be safe. And that's just not the case. The best they can do is encourage you to bring standard safety equipment and use it. That's very different from mandating certain practices.

Another vote for that Chopping Block NE Ridge route. It's stunning, but short. Love that area.

Gene, MRNP doesn't have rules about being on a rope. The "solo" thing is about going up the mountain by yourself rather than with partners. If you look at the forms, there is very little by way of rules. Sad about these deaths. Mountains are dangerous for many reasons. Be safe out there and have fun.

Far more memorable than a trip that goes off without a hitch. No major injuries or deaths, so on to the next one!

Boom!

Yes, a single 70 meter rope is ideal. Thx for the update. Sadly, I'm recovering from an injury, so I won't make it out there.

I haven't been up there this year, but the N face of Vesper melts out suprisingly early in the season. You may still find some snow on the ledges approaching RE, however. Bring an ax along and call it alpine climbing.

I know folks who have bivied on the summit. Haven't been there myself.

Great TR. Wonderful adventure. So cool to see a wolverine!

Crazy!