Rad

Martens are much larger than squirrels. Maybe 20-24 inches in length, 10 inches at the shoulder. Sort of like a mini fox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_marten If you saw something that looked rather similar but was smaller than a typical gray squirrel it may have been a red squirrel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_red_squirrel

@Alisse that sure is cute. Looks like he was hoping for you to hand over some Pringles or Doritos.

You're on a roll. Even a partial southern Picket traverse - say West Mac to Inspiration to Degenhart - would be spectacular.

Sounds great. Other amazing adventures await you out there if you have a taste for Pickets suffering. Enjoy!

Amazing report! I've never been up Luna cirque at all much less headed to that peak. Gotta get there. How would you say late season is versus when there's more snow? So you never saw the couple? Hope they are OK. Everyone gets to decide what success means to them. It's part of the fun of climbing. Thanks for posting!

Such a lovely route. Glad you had really clear weather and views. And a bonus bear!

Wow what fantastically detailed beta. Thanks. Brings back memories of a wonderful trip of my own via Easy Ridge and Perfect Pass.

A wonderful adventure! Thanks for posting.

Dynamic ropes are needed for lead climbing, but it sounds like you have more of an ascending the rope thing in mind. Static rope is better for jugging. Regarding protecting the tree from the rope, look at this thread for some ideas. It's what I found in 5 minutes of Googling. https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/112825859/peterskill-tree-anchors-protocol You'll probably find more if you look under static line set up or maybe arborist rigs.

Holy catfish! Looks like an amazing adventure and extraction. Your positive attitude and reflection are ones I hope I will emulate when my turn comes - and I expect someday it will. Best wishes for a complete recovery.

The stories that Ax could tell. Congrats on yur adventure!

Wow! Thanks for posting here

Do you climb or hike in the Mountain Loop area? Got opinions on trails there? The Washingon Trails Association wants to hear from you about how to improve/maintain/change the Mountain Loop trail system. This WTA survey gives climbers and hikers a chance to be heard. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it. Thanks! Survey

Fabulous beta and photos. Thanks. I still vividly remember my trips to the Pickets, including being scared by a midnight crossing of Terror Creek on our hike out. Look forward to reading about your next adventure

Age? Price?

Wow! Congrats on completing your mission! Reminds me of Goran Kropp. RIP GK.

Sweet! Welcome! My pack also looks bigger on the way down, probably because I don't pack as carefully for the descent, so everything looks bigger and feels bulkier.

@Alisse great job getting after it this year!

Sweet! Why no pic of the duffle or crystals? Did law enforcement ask you not to post them?

Is there a resource that has river volumes so we can see when the big spring melt has tapered? I was in Stehekin last week and rivers were raging. Thinking about Goode but worried the 'creek' crossing will be way too hairy now. Thx.

Ooh. I'd like to see that. Reviewers totally panned it.

There is a toilet at the Eldo bivy, which might save you some blue bagging. Check w rangers or others on whether or not it's currently available. The Eldo bivy also has running water relatively close, though perhaps not this early in the season. On the flip side, the Eldo site can be a high traffic area and won't feel as remote as northern reaches of the glaciers. It can also be harder to get permits there. My very limited expereince in the zone you're talking about was a couple of years ago when we went to/from Early Morning Spire. We decided to camp at Eldo for a variety of reasons. There were several flat spots past Eldo on the way to our target couloir that would have made fine campsites. Some were more protected than others. I don't recall any having running water near them, but I wasn't really looking. If conditions are good and your permit allows, you could just go walk out there and stop at the spot that seems the best. Theh further North you go the more wild/remote/private your experience.

What a lovely report and historical quote. Thanks so much for posting! Cheers, Rad

Yes, and we should ban TRs from people who carry SLRs into the back country with the express purpose of making my iphone 6S photos look like shite.

After long deliberation, we have come up with a solution: DON'T CLICK ON THOSE TRs. We want more TRs on this site, not less. Enthusiastic noobs are welcome and I think we shouldn't make them feel unimportant or small. Colin, Marc-Andre, Blake, and many others started out as enthusiastic noobs here. It was awesome to watch them develop into amazing and inspiring climbers. Thanks for the soft ball. You can come out from under your desk now.