tanstaafl

Huzzah! Thanks Bill. Such a fun route; more people should get on this.

Fisher Chimneys was one of my first alpine climbs and I remember it fondly; especially the bear we surprised in the chimneys who rocketed upwards and out of sight at a speed that was extremely impressive. Congratulations on getting out with your wife; and condolences on the passing of your grandmother.

Indeed. I feel lucky to have climbed with him.

Thanks a million! The only other time I've tried that approach we did not find the trail and it wasn't pretty. Definitely don't want to do THAT again.

Seano, how was the creek crossing/where was it vs the "trail" up to Crescent Creek Basin? Got a gps point or photo or just info if its upstream or downstream and how far? Hoping to get in there this weekend.

I was up at Cascade Pass last weekend to do Buckner and Sahale; the road was closed at MP 18 when we came in on Wed night but open to MP 21 when we left on Sunday. Fortunately one of our party was an attractive young woman who had no problem getting a ride down to MP 18 to fetch the car. Seems likely it will be open to the end very soon. The ranger we saw refused to commit but just said repeatedly, "We're very close." Planning on the PT in a few weeks but we're doing an extendo version and going out via Spider Meadows because we are such rule-abiding folk, plus it gives us the chance to tag Bannock Mtn on the way out.

Anyone tried to get a permit on a Friday at Marblemount lately? I've heard horror stories about waiting for hours and still not getting a permit because the WIC closed before you could get to the front of the line. I'm not worried about the permit availability, only trying to figure out how early I need to be at the ranger station the day before my trip starts in order to get a permit.

16 years later, Rolf is still using those same skis, skins, and helmet.

ha! I'd forgotten about that. Way to get out with your kid btw; that's golden. I started climbing too late in life to take my dad out, he was already in his early 70s by then.

Static Point

You can't drive up the spur road at all anymore, so it's ~1 hour on the "road" and then 30 minutes pretty much straight uphill.

Absolutely. I blame Jason G.

Trip: Static Point - Lost Charms, 5.9, 5 p Trip Date: 08/30/2020 Trip Report: Did a search and the last TR for Static Point was from ten years ago! Rat and I climbed Lost Charms yesterday; beautiful day and we had the place all to ourselves. If you're looking to avoid the Vantage/Leavenworth crowds, this would be a good place to do it. Beta for Lost Charms can be found on Mtn Project or in Sky Valley Rock if you are or know an old coot who has the book. Fun route; more route-finding necessary than most slab routes as you're not just following a line of bolts. We agreed the 5.6 finger crack was a particularly fun pitch. Trail is in stellar shape and Online is sporting shiny brand new bolts and rap stations. Go get it. Gear Notes: Rack to #3 Camalot, slings, double 60m ropes Approach Notes: US 2, north on Sultan Basin Road to Spada Reservoir, take the right fork after reservoir, park in first pullout on left after you cross the bridge, hike up blocked-off logging road directly across from the pullout ~1 hour, then turn left at massive cairn and go uphill ~0.5 hour.

Upper N Ridge solo is still impressive! And just covering that much ground in a day is impressive -- to me anyway. Sad to say, but having climbed in the Cascades for 20 years, the number of things that I am capable of climbing that are close enough to a road to not qualify as a slog are getting to be fewer and fewer, and the number of those that my primary partner, who's climbed in the Cascades for 40 years, hasn't done are infinitesimal.

Noice! Thanks for the stoke. And for reminding me that I have yet to climb Argonaut. That does make the south side look appealing. If it's any consolation, I just returned from a nine-day climbing trip on which I took not a single photo. I will just have to remember that very large marmot with not a whit of timidity about approaching closer, and closer, and closer, until we started asking ourselves, "Is it rabid?"