Rad

Lovely. Such good memories. That crux pitch is out of this world.

Wow. Nice. Sounds like a scary adventure on questionable rock with sparse and sketchy protection. You seem to have acquired a taste for those lines and ticked off a good number of them over the years. Glad to hear you had another grand adventure and came back to tell the tale.

I don't know of anywhere where group size limits are less than 12 persons/stock (am I wrong here?). Getting a weekend permit for BB or the Enchantments on the other hand..... Yep, 12 is what sticks in my head too. I was assuming the group would be larger, but perhaps I'm wrong.

Some areas, including Boston Basin and the Enchantments, have limits on group size. It may be best to avoid super popular areas and go mid-week to mitigate the impact of your group on other users and vice versa.

Fabulous! Can't wait to visit!

Road to Monte Cristo is toast due to landslide. How about Dosewallops in Olympics? Not sure how far back it goes past washout.

Gaia is great in foreign countries too. I've used it in Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Czech Republic. I've used it in cities and in remote outdoor settings. It's a way to have map functionality without an expensive roaming data plan or dedicated GPS.

Good piece. Climbers have been begging for sponsors for their adventures for 150 years. Social media is just the newest part of the marketing machine. There is nothing new or bad about this dynamic. Some people go out and climb/adventure without seeking attention. Some seek attention for various reasons. Neither is more or less worthy. They're just different. IMHO we should encourage those who seek adventure and are willing to fail. Adventure, in my book at least, by definition involves uncertainty. If the outcome were a foregone conclusion it wouldn't be adventure any more. If you don't like the media around these things don't click on it.

So I've heard, which is why I'm not thinking too hard about anything more difficult than W McMillan. This trip is mostly about getting outside and chasing and maybe even some nice views and a summit! Then you've got the right attitude. Have fun and be safe!

From my experience, the Pickets make their own weather. You can run into rain there when the rest of the state is clear. I'd hold out for a 100% chance of clear skies if your schedule will allow it. Thrashing through the brush and climbing on shattered rock is hard enough when it's dry. When it's wet it's a whole other animal, but perhaps part of the quintessential Pickets experience...

Sid's right. There seem to be high density of folks in a few places. Mailbox on I90 and Lake 22 on Mtn Loop come to mind. In both areas there are plenty of other nice, strenuous outings you can do that won't be nearly as crowded. Scrambling is a great way to get some experience. Don't be fooled though, sometimes the unroped 3rd and 4th class can be just as dangerous as any roped climbing. Pay attention and be careful and you'll be fine. Learning to move quickly and safely over this terrain is key to being successful on bigger outings.

That's the spirit! Gorgeous pics.

One solution is to carry an energy storage battery with you and recharge your phone as needed. They come in different sizes and even the big ones that hold 6-7 phone charges don't weight much more than your phone. Edit to add that I LOVE Gaia. I have not used Strava and can't comment on it.

No more water bars?

Thx!

Way to get 'er done! How was the trail coming down from Rainy pass? NCNP reports had said lots of trees across it. Thx

Great send, great story, and great history. Thanks for sharing.

I'd look carefully for damage from rodents, rockfall, or rubbing on edges in the wind. If no visible marks and I'd say it's probably good to go.

I think the river x-ings are going to be raging right now. Should die down in a few weeks.

So is Sherpa worth doing as a stand alone? Seemed like a long slog for a short climb. I like your linkup.

Nice! The forecast is for 6" of snow on top of Vesper in the next 24 hours, so it might be even more alpine tomorrow...

I haven't been there but some on here have started on the E Ridge of McMillan Spire as part of a Southern Pickets traverse. I suspect the best way to go us to approach via the old road and then climber's trail for Goodell Creek to the South Pickets and then hop over the ridge S of Mac Spire to get to Azure. If you dig on the interwebs I bet you'll find someone who did that. Coming up Stetattle valley would be truly masochistic and likely unnecessary.

NCNP trail conditions report is not encouraging - Park Creek trail closed due to fire damage, many trees down on the PCT near Rainy Pass, and impassable high water on several creek crossings. Between these and our narrow time window we'll probably save this one for later in the year. Just wanted to say I appreciate all your helpful comments. Thx. Rad

Thanks for the great beta and heads up on creek xing. Hopefully we'll find a log or snow bridge. If not, we may actually use the rope in the crossing. Also, we'll be crossing in the early morning, which is typically the lowest water time.

Great. Thx. Our plan is to bang out some miles on the PCT in the evening, cross creeks early am and climb the NE Butt, bivy on the summit, and descend and return to the car on the following day. Def psyched. Do we need 60m for the raps off the summit? Debating whether to bring twin 60m 8.7s or a single 70 that we'll fold in half and use like a twin.