tanstaafl

I had an extra shirt, and fortunately another in our group had pants that I fit into. whew.

Gave my shirt, pants, hat, gloves, and jacket to a hypothermic naked person.

Because no one who learned to climb outside would ever overbolt anything, right?

Hey Blake, I have a Bugs guide you can borrow (two, in fact), but you have too many PMs. I live in Fremont. Let me know if you still need one.

yeah no kidding.

I like the comment in the summit register that said of the East Ridge, "Only a true Cascades choss hound would call that 'excellent' rock." I thought it was pretty good myself. The South Face did look pretty rotten. Nice storm shots. Did the rain at least keep the murderous bugs down?

Thanks, all. Selkirk and Rob: check your pm's.

Yeah, I found them online all over the place, I just wanted to get one NOW. Instant gratification and all that, you know.

Called REI, the guy had never heard of them, went and looked, said they don't have them.

Anybody ever buy one in Seattle? Where? I've just called about fifteen medical supply places, pharmacies, and outdoor stores, with no luck. Only a couple of people even knew what I was talking about.

Rat and I did this traverse in the opposite direction this weekend. We hiked in through thundershowers on Friday and bivied on the ridge above Jerry Lakes. The bugs are out in full force. Rat thought they weren't that bad, but I was really glad we brought a tent instead of a tarp, and hunted down every one that made its way into our sanctuary and slaughtered it with a cathartic "DIE, motherfucker!" The climbing on the E Ridge is super fun, and only 3 hours from where you access the ridge to the summit. We downclimbed the last little section of the E Ridge and traversed over to the N Ridge on steep snow, then downclimbed the N Ridge to a very cool cannonhole we slithered through, down more steep snow to the Nohokomeen, traversed across it and scampered through a little icefall. A lovely break on a sunny rock was followed by approximately 4500 feet of "straightforward" (if you're Rat) or "character-building" (if you're me) bushwhacking down to the Ross Lake East Bank trail. Spent the night there and had a pleasant hike out yesterday. We tried to hitchhike back to the Canyon Creek trailhead, but ended up just walking the whole way along the highway, which didn't actually take all that long. Excellent alpine scramble with gorgeous views, and we didn't see a soul until we hit Roland Creek on the way out yesterday.

FW there are a few spillway pics in my gallery.

FW, did you do the traverse over to Icy as well? It was a beautiful day but oh my word there were a gazillion people on Ruth. Only ran into two folks over on Icy.

A leisurely three days. Day 1 hike into Boston Basin, laze around in the sun all afternoon. Day 2 climb the route. Day 3 sleep in and hike out.

Sorry Jim, I took no summit shots and my one shot of the rock is lousy. Maybe Fern has some good ones. Off, yeah we downclimbed and rapped the West Ridge. I was swearing a lot as I rapped six inches, threw the ropes, rapped six inches, threw the ropes....hah.

Here are a few pics for you: Washout on the hike in Fern chilling out in Boston Basin Rap down to Boston Glacier Crossing the glacier NF Buckner Ridgeline

Try Northwest Garment Repair on Fremont Ave. Word has it they're cheaper than Rainy Pass, and they did a great job repairing my pack and tent. 206-545-8683

Tercel.

doood, it's a turkle!

email sent.

From yesterday's PI: Off Limits: Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road closing this week By GREG JOHNSTON P-I REPORTER A gate was scheduled to swing shut this week on the controversial Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road, permanently closing the last 7.6 miles of one of the roughest, nastiest forest routes in Washington -- and eliminating easy access to spectacular highlands of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. The U.S. Forest Service decided to gate and close the 25-mile gravel road at Dingford Creek, about 17.4 miles in, as part of a long public process to develop a plan for the picturesque valley of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River outside North Bend. It's a popular area for kayakers, hikers, climbers, anglers and campers, but for decades it also has been known as a party and "kegger" spot and remains one of the worst areas in the state for trailhead theft and vandalism. The upper end of the road has also been troublesome for the Forest Service, since it is a slide-prone, four-wheel-drive track that gets blown out virtually every winter. The final 7.6 miles of the road was scheduled to be gated Wednesday and then managed as a trail open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, but closed to motorized vehicles. The road closure remains controversial among hikers, climbers and "peak-baggers." Environmental groups and many hikers support the closure as a way to increase the wilderness quality of the upper Middle Fork valley. They also point out it will save the Forest Service thousands of dollars each year in maintenance. But others argue it will turn premier off-trail scrambles to such places as Big Snow Mountain and its several lakes into overnight trips. They contend it will reduce access to the high country for those with limited mobility and eliminate sublime backcountry spots such as Dutch Miller and La Bohn gaps as potential day hikes. They also argue that the road itself will be a low-quality hike, being a road and with limited views. However, the upper valley also can be reached via the recently completed Middle Fork Trail, a pretty forest path on the south side of the cascading river. "I'm going to have some misgivings about the loss of easy access to some fantastic high country," said Bill Sobieralski, longtime trails coordinator for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest's North Bend District. "But on the other hand, it puts places like Dutch Miller Gap in the heart of the Alpine Lakes. It will be something like 15 miles now to get to Dutch Miller Gap, so it will be a different sort of hiking experience. It will be a remote area." The Forest Service plan also includes several other elements -- all accomplished last year -- including a new campground, completion of the 14-mile Middle Fork Trail on the south bank of the river and the closure of all side-roads and spurs off the Middle Fork Road. Sobieralski said the parking area just before the gate will now be known as the Dutch Miller Gap trailhead. Previously it was called the Dingford Creek trailhead, the beginning of a trail along the creek to Myrtle and Hester lakes in the wilderness and also one of two access points now for the 14-mile Middle Fork Trail, reached by footbridges across the river. However, a few owners of mining claims and other landowners up the valley, as well as the non-profit group that operates Goldmyer Hot Springs, will be allowed to maintain it minimally as a road and will be given keys to the gate to continue accessing their properties by motorized vehicle. Sobieralski noted that a significant amount of work was completed this spring on the Dutch Miller Gap Trail, since Forest Service crews will not be allowed to drive the road. A new footbridge has also been built across the river to the trail for the hot springs, which will now be about a five-mile hike. He added that members of the general public will not be given keys to the gate, not even general members of the group that operates the hot springs, Northwest Wilderness Programs (goldmyer.org). Gobieralski cautioned hikers that parts of the Middle Fork Trail upstream of the road closure suffered consider storm damage last winter, including large slides and many downed trees across the trail, none of which has yet been fixed. Trail crews from EarthCorps will work on the trail this summer. Meantime, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is seeking public input on the future of some 220 other recreation sites, including campgrounds, trailheads, lookouts, visitor centers and picnic areas. The "Recreation Site Facility Master Plan" is designed to identify sites important to the public so the agency can better allocate its limited funding. Three workshops will be conducted, all 6 to 8 p.m.: July 9 at the REI flagship store in Seattle (222 Yale Ave. N.); July 10 at the Mount Baker Ranger Station in Sedro-Woolley (810 state Route 20) and July 11 at the Algona-Pacific Library (255 Ellingson Road). For more information, see www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/rsfmp.

Some route or other in Vedauwoo: "Bomb-bay chimney. Tape your belly. Protection: none. Landing: jumbled boulders."

I'm one of the hordes who learned in the gym, and allow me to assure you that the transition to climbing outside, climbing cracks, and placing gear was NOTHING like you seem to think. It was just not a big deal. It wasn't hard, it wasn't scary, it wasn't complicated. It was fun and while I wouldn't necessarily say "easy" it was just part of a continuum. I read Climbing Anchors, I followed some pitches, I borrowed a rack, I went climbing. I found partners, sometimes ones who knew more than me. I started buying gear and assembling my own rack. I quit my job and moved into my car. All the standard stuff. None of it was a big deal. Really, what did ya'll go through when you started climbing in the big bad outdoors that makes you remember it as so fucking hard? And would *you* have stuck with climbing if you were "required" to do this or that? I think most of us like climbing because it's *not* regulated by a governing body.

I didn't have any trouble turning around. There was space for me to pull off and park though not much for anyone else at that *exact* spot, but with a little more clearance you could get through the little gully I was bottoming out on.

I was up there on Friday and got my 2wd Tercel a decent distance past the pullout for Three O'Clock Rock. If you had a 4wd with a short wheel base you could go further but the road was an easy walk. There's a tiny bit of bushwhacking after you cross the stream (good log just a bit upstream of where the trail comes out) but it's negligible by Cascades standards. Have fun.