curtveld

It's possible that munge has alot to do with your timing, coming on the heels of a long cold winter. My last visit was in November and it wasn't bad. But I agree that Peshastin is way underused, overall. There are just a lot more dry-side crags to choose from than in Peshastin's heyday, and they have a lot more bolts to clip. So enjoy the quiet for now.

+1 ...figured out how to lay on the rope to keep my butt off the cold rock! Glad to hear that tradition is still alive. Great pics Lisa (and Chris)!

So many classics (and plenty of crap too)! A couple not yet mentioned: O'Kelly's Crack 10c - steep splitter hands Solid Gold 10a - impeccable face climbing I Can't Believe it's a Girdle 10a, 4 pitches - as unusual as the name Fote Hog 5.6 - steep jugs at the crux The Eye 5.1 - best easy route in the Park

Good preparation plan. Being solid on 5.9 trad will open up a LOT more aesthetic climbs, especially the longer ones. I like Bobinc and NTC's suggested route - go south for spring then hit the mountains for summer. A great planning book is the Climbers Guide to North America - West Coast Rock Climbs (and/or the Rocky Mountain volume) by John Harlin. The presentation is pretty dated, but gives solid seasonal and camping info for a bunch of classic cragging areas. Looks like you can pick up a used copy pretty cheap on line.

Beautiful! Looks like you guys got into some of the smoke. Our Sierra trip wrapped up just before it kicked in. What is the alpine route - Cathedral Peak?

Much as I'd love to see you succeed, you'd start with problems attracting critical customer groups. Hard-core sport climbers: Most of them either have their own bouldering wall or a friend with one. School kids (classes, birthday parties etc.): You've got to convince the parent you've got a better or cheaper venue than the Y. This will take time. WWU students: See previous posts.

All this in a day, Darin? Doing foolish things with enthusiasm indeed! Woodchips: Good question! I haven't done it but have contact info for the FA team. PM me if interested.

Hmmm...anybody else see a resemblance of the "background skyline" to the shadowed left-hand skyline in Paul's pic: Works nicely with the Lowells topo...especially if the crag is lower on the eastern flank of Lundin.

Pretty spectacular what we have in our back yards! Thanks for the reminder.

Amazing trip and TR - the kind of full-blown adventure that keeps us dreaming in the dark of winter! Intended, a few years back, to travel the same route north past Triumph and Despair, then west around Mystery Ridge to Blum and out. Figured that gully descent to get around the east ridge of Despair would be the crux but got turned around before we got that far. Looks like it wasn't all that bad with the snow cover you had?

There will be snow all the way from MLR unless it's been plowed. Call up the Mt Baker Ranger District (360 856-5700) and ask them what they know about the 38 road.

Agree that ski areas will give you the most turns per day. And if you're really just beginning, go somewhere you can ride a rope-tow for free, like Baker.

Yeah, though technical and forged friends are as good as ever, Wild Country doesn't seem to have much of a distribution network in the PNW. In Bham, our three gear stores all carry BD and Metolius cams, but none carry friends.

...or maybe a lot less? Heavy on the analysis for my taste, but definitely worth reading.

Did that west face about 20 years ago and agree it is a neglected gem. The hand traverse is classic and longer than it looks in the photos. Sounds like your your TR may inspire more traffic!

Not surprising. Maybe next time, someone can ask him where that thinking fits into the agency mission statement that hanman dug up!

I raised the drinking water issue, Matt, in response to ongoing posts suggesting that without endangered fish there is no legitimate reason to keep dirt out of creeks. As Rat and Dru have pointed out, any logging road with stream crossings puts some amount of dirt into the stream, and much more when they fail. Despite the skepticism here, my years of dealings with DNR suggests their primary reason for abandoning roads is not to obstruct walkers, but to avoid annual maintenance costs. And they do have cost numbers to weigh those alternatives.

Perhaps. And I wonder if the fact that Spada Lake is the primary drinking water source for most of the humans in Snohomish County was also a consideration.

Bump. Anyone want to make me an offer? You could go buy the towers that fit your car and get a good deal on my bars and locks, maybe?

Comb access update: Matt is right, the trail over from 3 OCR is pretty much gone. The direct trail is pretty sketchy but a better option. Hard to follow the thread due to downed branches, but as long as you stay under the timber, 'when in doubt - go uphill' works out OK. Watch carefully for the turnoff from the road - it's none too obvious. But either way, it's worth it. Great climbing up there.

...and if you live elsewhere in Washington, here are some other venues and dates.

Sencha a PM

Wow, awfully purty country! Nothing like golden trees (and a little photo-shop?) to make the sky look even bluer. Very nice.

'A1 Rain-gutter Towers' with locks and 48” bars. In good shape and fully compatible with Yakima ski, kayak and/or bike add-ons. Bought for an early 90’s Corolla, but fits other small cars with gutters. Asking $75 (+ shipping). In Bellingham, but will be making trips down I5 (Seattle, Portland, Eugene) and could arrange a handoff. Reply with PM.

Koflach ‘Viva Soft Lady’, Size 6½. Ideal for glacier or snow climbs (more enjoyable with warm & dry feet!). Worn just a couple times and in very good shape. Asking $50 (+ shipping). In Bellingham, but will be making trips down I5 (Seattle, Portland, Eugene) and could arrange a hand-off. Reply with PM.