Rad

At 19, you're still immortal. Hopefully you'll survive that stage. I'm glad I did. I recently rented a Sat phone for a trip and had a good experience. I called in from peaks twice to say goodnight to the kids (not needed, but nice). I met someone on a peak who borrowed it to change a boat pickup day, giving them an extra day for an added adventure. I was curious so we tested in several spots whether we could get a signal. It worked on ridges in all kinds of weather but didn't work in the forest. A recent party on Shuksan could have prevented a helicopter rescue/assist if they had phone or other non-emergency signaling device - but then it sounded like they needed the assistance anyway. I haven't tried SPOT and am not tempted to buy one.

I'm curious if most or all of the groups that go to Boston Basin are climbing. Also, I don't understand why the trail is so crappy (I haven't been in a few years so am just going from reports from others this year). If the rangers are going up and down a lot and this area is popular, why isn't the trail better maintained?

Buddy of mine did the Sherpa descent about a month ago and he said it was steep hard snow downclimbing and a PITA to get past the bergshrund. It has likely only gotten much worse. Boadman has the classic late season option nailed. Have fun! The 5.9 pitch on the lower NR is really fun.

Nice trip. Maybe start a thread on suggestions for North Cascades rangers and permits - try to include both good things to keep and things that need to be changed. I or someone else can steer this to the attention of the powers there.

Style points scored. That billboard could spark a lot of interesting conversations.

Excellent adventure and report. These two sentences nicely capture the Pickets experience: "As usual, the crux of the day was not what we had anticipated." and "...constantly being challenged, mentally and physically, by no fall zones, weather, steep terrain and long days, along with very little sleep in the same time period was starting to wear on us."

A harness is the first purchase for most climbers. Not owning one suggests you haven't climbed much at all, if ever. In that case, you should consider hiring a guide or staying on terrain that doesn't require roping up (e.g. South Ridge of Adams). To summit Rainier you have to obtain a climber's permit, which involves interviewing with the rangers, who will assess the abilities and experience of your climbing team. This screening may seem annoying, but it might help keep people off the upper mountain who seem likely to end up in trouble. So even if you get a harness and rope, you'll need to convince the Rainier climbing rangers that you know what you're doing. Be safe and have fun.

Heading out this Sunday afternoon. PM if you'd like to link for a tour.

"I thought about Colleen, who I would see very soon, and the summit, which I would never see again. There has to be a last time for everything, and enough time to bask in summer’s imperfect warmth. If this requires leaving the colossi to rage against the purifying wind on their own, so be it." Never say never. I never do.

It would probably be a good idea for members of the climbing community (i.e. you) to reach out pro-actively to the local Sheriff's Office and explain the history of this climbing site and its importance to the local climbing community. The Sheriff is likely to be more level-headed and long-term minded than the local press, and will have a strong influence on local mandates and projects. Seeing climbers act responsibly and pro-actively, perhaps by putting up warning signage or even erecting a cable with warnings, would send a strong, positive message to the powers that be. This is not a local thing so I can't participate, but engagement of the climbing community in a positive way could be valuable. Good luck.

Nice job, but it sounds like you missed the improbably traverse section, which is supposed to be the best part of the climb. Perhaps right out on the face when you went up the 5.9 crack? I haven't been on this route and descriptions have not enticed me to do it.

It's not the fault of these agencies they're put in this position. If they were given a budget they might not have to do this, but... Simple solution: park outside the parking lot on the road. I see more and more cars doing it at different locations. Problem is it still leaves the parks without any $

Yes, I'm all for self-reliance. In NOCA, registration for climbing is voluntary. Take it or leave it. Registration for overnight/camping permits is mandatory. The thing is, by registering for the latter you often give them a date when you're coming out, which can also trigger searches if you're overdue.

One of the things Kelly has said is that when you do the volunteer climber's registration MAKE SURE YOU SIGN OUT! They track down every single one of those cases. On mountain trips, which have sadly been less frequent since kids, I tell my spouse not to call for help until at least noon on the day AFTER we say we'll get out. That way we can bivy if needed and come out the next morning without worrying about someone calling in a rescue. SPOT and other systems provide a cheaper alternative to buying a sat phone. There are pros and cons each way. Climber 9-1-1 But I think people are starting to appreciate that these devices are not just used to bail you out of trouble. They can save a lot of headaches, allow you to reschedule a Ross Lake pickup (as a party did we met on the summit of Challenger), or allow you to wish your spouse a happy anniversary when you're on a climbing trip, which I did last time out. Gotta keep the boss happy. :kisss:

Wonderful! I hope to be tramping around with my kids as we all get older too.

If you get stung by a bee you may see something on your skin at the site. DON'T squeeze it as it may be a poison sac. Scrape it off with a knife or fingernail to minimize the chance extra venom will be injected into you.

Fun insect facts: Bees and hornets don't bite you. They sting by injecting venom from a modified ovipositor (egg laying tube) on their abdomens (butts). Bees (honey, bumblebee) have barbs in their stingers, so after they inject venom in you their abdomen is ripped apart. They die shortly afterward. Bees use their sting as a last resort defense. Away from their nest, they will only sting you if you step or sit on them. They will defend their next like kamikazes. Bees eat nectar in flowers. Pollen rides on their legs and backs from flower to flower to fertilize them. They don't eat or collect pollen. Wasps (locals include white-faced hornets and yellow jackets) do not have barbs and can use their stingers to hunt insects and other small prey. They are scavengers who love summer picnics. They do not die after they sting you and can sting repeatedly. They are often more aggressive than bees. Wasp colonies generally grow in size throughout the summer, peaking in September. This is why you're more likely to get stung in August than June. Not all bees and wasps live in colonies. Not all bees and wasps can sting. My dad studied bees. As a youth I went on a few collecting trips, moved some African bee hives, etc.

It's possible to rent a sat phone pretty cheap these days - either online or at a place on Westlake in Seattle.

Sounds like an amazing adventure. It's unfortunate the park got a chopper to rescue you when you didn't need it. That illustrates why carrying a sat phone or other device might be useful - it could have saved others substantial time, money, and worrying. Glad you came out in one piece. That's a long time to be in the firing zone!

I plan to write a TR, but life may delay its completion and posting. Here are a few comments about conditions that might be helpful to those considering heading to Challenger soon. Bottom line: There is still tons of snow up high. The Challenger Glacier was not challenging. Easy Ridge was not that easy. Consider traversing Whatcomb instead. We took three days to get to Perfect Pass via Easy Ridge. One day to summit Challenger. Two days to return via Whatcomb Pass and Bush Creek. Photos: One creek crossing close to the Hannagan trailhead was sketchy. It had several thinning ice bridges over a chasm. We elected to take the high route, which involved a controlled fall across hard mud to a small perch on a sloping wet ledge. Miss that and you go over the waterfall shown. This will change fast but may still provide some excitement. Despite snowmelt and rain in the hours before our crossing, the Chiliwack was no problem. The climber's trail to Easy Ridge is pretty easy to find and bushwhacking is pretty minimal. The trail, however, is annoying as it gains so little elevation per switchback. There was one steep snow slope on Easy Ridge that was 45-50 degrees with an unknown runout in the mist below us. This felt sketchy with heavy packs but we didn't rope up as we didn't have a picket to protect it. The top of it is a large cornice like the one near Easy Peak in the photo below. Shots from Bush Creek a few days later confirmed the overhanging nature of the cornices all along Easy ridge. Don't go near the edge! The long steep traverse is followed by a short steep section next to rotten rock: Thankfully this is short and ends at flats that run to Easy Peak and beyond. It might be possible to avoid the hazards mentioned above by crossing the first steep snow section low and taversing around the the right, but we don't know as it was socked in when we were there. Perfect Pass also has a ton of snow and a large cornice (not shown). The Challenger glacier is in great shape. The bergshrund is easily avoided by running around the right end of it. Either stay on the final snow arete or jump on the rock at a nice flat ledge down and left of it as we did. The summit block section has pins. If you want to augment them bring a few pieces in the 0.5 to 2" range. There is really only one 5.7ish move in a 30ft pitch. We elected to return by traversing below Whatcomb peak, across the Whatcomb glacier, and down Bush Creek. This was quite straightforward due to high snow conditions. Whatcomb peak is in the upper left in this shot taken from Challenger Arm. Traverse across the snow to the lower right edge of the photo below. We did not rope up on the Whatcomb glacier, and I'm a pretty conservative climber, but conditions may change there. The hike down Bush Creek was gorgeous and made for a nice loop.

The most straight-forward descent from Stuart is the Cascadian couloir, which puts you quite a way down the valley from Ingalls Lake and Goat PAss. It would take a while to hike back up to your bivy. Also, Dtail is a good distance from Cascadian. Kurt's suggestion is a good one. Here's a variation that may be a little easier, assuming it's easier to carry your gear over Stuart than to spend a lot of time hiking back up to your bivy spot. Two days: Teanaway trailhead over to the N Ridge of Stuart. Climb same, descend Cascadiand and return over Long's pass to your car. There are only two 5.9 pitches on the upper NR of Stuart, and they are both short. The rest is much easier. Two days: Drive around to Ltown, try to get a Colchuck area bivy. If you can, stay at Colchuck Lake one night. Climb Dtail the next, return to you camp, and hike out that afternoon. If you can't get a pass you might do Dtail as a very long day or bivy somewhere along the Stuart basin (not sure if that's the right name). You'd have to be quite fit and able to move swiftly over complex terrain to pull off this combo. You might consider taking 3 days to do the complete NR of Stuart at a more leisurely pace. Then recover in Ltown and go do Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall to cap off your trip. Good luck and have fun!

It's not secret. If you send me a pm with your email I'll send you the beta and you can go with or without me. You are right. More traffic would be good. The style of climbs is rather different from the rest of X38 so the people who will most enjoy this area probably don't climb at X38 much - at least not the Far Side. So this has been a way to attract them out there. And it's worked. And if you hike at a decent pace and know where you're going it's 15-18 minutes. That's less than WWI, WWII, and all of Index if you include driving times in calculation and live South of Bothell.

Thanks for posting. Fun to meet you guys at Copper Creek and share the trail on the last day of our trips. I'll work on our Challenger TR soon. cheers, Rad

Dru can post a photo, but unless it gets hot for an extended period, the pocket glacier will probably not melt off entirely this year. We were up in the Challenger area last week and there is still TONS of snow up high.

While you're at it with the pitons, can you make the crack big enough to fit my fingers? Then it would be safer because I won't fall. Yosemite here we come!