Rad

What?!? How is that possible? I plan to attend

Third Wednesday would be Dec 16th. I can do that. What time are we talking about? 7PM to be post-traffic but not too late for those of us that aren't night owls?

I'm in N Cap Hill and can go in any compass direction. Don't know much about bars. If you come to Roanoke Tavern on E 10th (free parking nearby, easy access to freeways nearby, two blocks from my house) everyone's first beverage is on me. It does have a bunch of sportsy screen action but should be OK. Also close to me is the Eastlake Zoo Tavern. Apple maps describes it as a "dive bar". I could buy you cheap macro beers and your feet might stick to the floor. Good times coming!

Ditto. But I installed the app, logged in (I already had an acct) and then went back and scanned QR code again and it allowed me to donate to cc.com. Mission accomplished. Oh, and PLEASE come out to pub club so it's not just old white guys

Will def try to attend.

We can create a Zoom link and put a camera behind a cutout of your smiling mug. Or something

So many great things here. Congrats!!!

Way to get after it! Just getting out there and back is a huge win. I saw a ton of moose in Maine, have yet to see one West of the Tetons. Glad you saw one.

Either way is fine w me. I'd be glad to donate. More important to me is getting Jon to hand over the nuclear codes so you can fix some longstanding issues. Until that happens, I won't be investing time in writing more TRs as I can't share them across platforms. Fix these issues, share access to the admin privileges across the team, and create a more sustainable long-term plan that allows more people to keep the site going and perhaps even improve it and I'll put in $500. There is a place for cc.com in this world. It is a great place for route conditions.It is a great place for adventure tales and FAs. Social media platforms and MP aren't so good for that.

Love it. Thank you. It doesn't suprise me that Fred's reach extends beyond the grave. "No condiment left behind"

Thanks for posting. As said above, this trip sounds like a resounding success. Did you come back safely, have fun, maybe have some personal growth? In my book those are the hallmarks of success, not whether or not you tag the summit. Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you otherwise. Come back again as we have lots of wonderful wild places to explore out in this corner of the world!

That 'kid' is now 38. Still rockin' it too

The projections I saw are that the Olympic glaciers will be gone within a few decades. Their low elevation is a key factor. That will have a devastating effect on the forests and environment as snowmelt provides water through the dry months. We will likely see more fires and changes to the natural environment.

Get any pics?

Cool story and photos For those that don't remember, this is the route where Steve House fell 80 feet onto a ledge and probably would have died without a quick helicopter rescue.

Way to get after it!

Looks like a lovely outing. Cool to see bears. A while back, my wife and I did a day hike that involved hiking up the S ridge of Rainbow Mtn, traversing the ridge toward McGregor, dropping over to Rainbow Lakes, and returning on the endless trail back around. Twas a lovely outing and a very long day. The only grizzlies I've seen have been in Yellowstone or the Canadian Rockies. Lots of black bears of all different hues around the upper Stehekin valley. I'm not going to challenge you saying you saw a Grizzly. You might let the NPS rangers know about your sighting as they get up there and would be very interested to see one.

I'm out next week, but feel free to carry the torch. I have fond memories of hanging w Fred, Wayne, and many other luminaries and mortals at past events.

Holy Mossy Choss Buckets! Nice one! I love that in the Cascades there are a significant number of new lines where I think, "I'm NEVER doing THAT!" - but so glad you did. Thanks for posting. You've got the spirit. Keep going!

Yeah, like when I was 25. That ship has sailed

Sweet! I've never been on that trail you took from Defiance back to the TH. How was it?

One of the nice things about this ridge is that you have cell service the whole way and can jump off at many points. Ideally, you can get a spouse or friend to pick you up and shuttle you back to the Mailbox TH as we did. SO much better and more flexible than stashing a bike or car at a specific point.

Can't speak for Joshua, but I've made luggage tags from sections of old rope. Slide out the core and the sheath can be pretty flat and works in water knots and other flat knots generally used for webbing.

You captured several elements of the Pickets experience nicely in your TR. Thanks for posting. I also agree that it's an early season game wrt glaciers. On every Pickets trip, I have found myself having to move over sketchy 3rd/4th class terrain = loose/slippery w high consequences. The rock is generally either choss or compact and difficult to protect. Good cracks are so noteworthy they get names. That said, it is a wild, rugged and beautiful mountain wilderness that touches the soul in a memorable way. Maybe the hazards are part of the whole mystique. At some point, I may decide that the risk reward ratio isn't right for me any more. Then, I'll be delighted to read reports like yours and recall my own meager adventures. Thanks again for posting.

I can't comment on that glacier, but based on observations of glaciers in the Forbidden/Sahale/Eldorado zome a bit further South - and phtos from the Pickets a bit further East, I would say you should expect seasonal snow is almost all gone and there will be bare glacial ice to contend with. FWIW, the Price glacier is one that most people stay away from due to the objective hazards of falling seracs. That's not my cup of tea, so perhaps others will have comments to add.