OlympicMtnBoy

No beta, lots o new snow, but I like the idea of this thread! Go ice!

Cool, I took it. I'd be interested to hear what your idea is. Your first question says check all that apply but only lets you select one. What type of cooking gear I take depends on a lot of things. Fast and light climbing with my bivy gear: jetboil and freezedried food Winter climbing where i need to melt snow: MSR xgk Backpacking where I want to cook more: MSR whisperlight plus pot, pan, mug ultralight backpacking solo: alcohol stove, ti pot, small plastic cup (whole thing with fuel is like 6 oz or less) I had a solid fuel esbit stove in scouts, haven't used it since.

I think Grivel made a similar product several years ago, a snowshoe that integrated with one of their crampons. Looked sweet and more refined than above but only meshed their crampons. I don't think it sold well, the real hardcore people ski the ice. Hehehe.

I always forget about that mountain down that way! Looks fun!

The Haireball used the word "cagoule", which means he's really old. ;-) Doesn't mean it's not good advice though (although the breathable stuff is much better now than it used to be).

Wow, a lot of topics up there but I'll stab at a few. If it's going to be rainy and wet, I don't bother with down. It's too much of a pain and you won't get the temperature gradient required to really push moisture out of it. I don't have any experience with any of the new hydrophobic fancy down stuff so maybe someone else can chime in on that, but in really wet weather just leave down behind. Just like you still get sweaty and damp under your breathable goretex jacket in the rain, you face the same problem sleeping in one. I don't think any sort of liner is going to solve your problem. A vapor barrier is by definition not breathable, if it's breathable it's by definition not a vapor barrier. In my limited experimentation that doesn't help much unless you are talking about REALLY cold stuff and then you have a different set of issues instead of drying soaked clothing. If I am planning on camping wet I would go with your synthetic climashield or primaloft or whatever quilt. Take your clothes that are soaking wet and wring them out and wear them to bed over some dry long underwear or something. Your clothes will dry if you are warm enough, the outside of your quilt will get damp but probably only a little. If your clothe are totally soaked, maybe it's better just to get a good dry nights sleep in your quilt with your long underwear on drying only the necessary inner layers. When you get up in the morning put on your wet stuff and MOVE. Use your body heat to dry those clothes out without worrying about soaking the other stuff around you. Honestly other than falling in the creek, you shouldn't have anything soaking wet that isn't easily dried while wearing or put aside and back on wet (rain gear). Look at your clothing system during the day as well. If you are getting wet from inside, you are wearing too much clothing, if you are getting wet from outside, wear breathable rain gear. If you are getting wet from both sides wear only a light synthetic t-shirt under your rain gear and this will dry out later (you have a dry inner layer in your pack too). Does that help?

Count me in if there ends up being some ice! I'm down to split gas/motel or bring along my semi-insulated camper if that's your style.

Thanks Wayne! I need to get back there and do some of these! That's a nice looking bolt in your last pic of Eagles Dance too!

CAMP used to make a "Micro" third tool hammer that is also similar and what I use for the occasional piton in the alpine. As long as you aren't planning to drill with it, but the Grivel version is too light for that really as well. http://www.summittosea.co.uk/camp-3rd-tool-micro-1-ice-axe-with-hammer-42cm.ir

Thanks, sounds like quite the experience! It must have been a big mental hit to find your cache gone on the summit push, way to keep heading up (and making it back down safely)! I love reading about these sort of big independent expeditions!

Woohoo, nice to see these TRs inspiring my shoulder season thoughts! Thanks!

We here at cascadeposers will be happy to sign on to a letter to the finance minister to support your project. Nice work (backcountry climbing and pics)!

Looks like a beautiful time to be up there! That was one of my first alpine climbs as well, many years ago . . .

Thanks Rad! Great to see this sort of stuff still so close to home. Reminds me i need to get out more in my own backyard! Thanks for suffering through (the TR posting, not the climb), hehe.

Ahhh sounds fun, someday I'll get around to this.

What they said. I'd just wear some light high top hiking boots. Strap on crampons are fine for such a classic route. Have fun!

That's awesome. Also I don't want to climb it. Nice work guys.

Always more memorable with the shiver bivy!

Looks like you had a good time and nice weather! One way to avoid the crowds is to use the super sweet bivy ledge, we didn't have a single party on route when we started climbing at 1 pm. Don't ask Steph about what happens if you don't stay on the ridge on the rap #3.

Awesome! I need to go there!

It kind of depends on your ability to climb rock in your approach shoes/boots. When I did the west ridge several years ago I opted for strap on crampons over low top approach shoes and climbed the route in the shoes. Low top shoes may get wet and generally kick steps poorly, but the trade off was not having to carry rock shoes too. In the Bugaboos last week I was happy with a light boot for all the glacier walking and then I carried rock shoes for most routes (5.8 and up). My feet were dry and the step kicking was chill (enough so that I didn't bring crampons after the first day). As has been mentioned though, ski boots, mountain boots, flip flops, it can all be done, they just have different trade offs. And make sure your crampons fit what you are using. ;-)

Woot woot! Thanks for putting up the TR Oly, it was a right fun climb up there! I should have a couple more pics to add if I ever figure out an efficient way to get them from my smartphone to here. ;-)

Or is it really just screwing over the community in favor of the individual? Kind of like going to cc.com (or any other site) to see "what" has been climbed lately is different than going to Facebook or whatever blog to see what "so and so" has climbed lately. Pretty different things. A deep water solo glamping trip makes for pretty photos but doesn't inspire me the same way a hardcore solo FA in Baffin might, even if the pics aren't quite pro. It's a loss. Now go smash computers and burn the microchip factories down so we can get on with being old curmudgeons by a smoky campfire.

Nope, wanna do Pershing? It's been on my list.

Go up Nada creek and the back side of Temple Ridge for fun and you can add that cute unnamed tarn to your list. I camped back there several years ago and then came out Toketie. The path down to the snow lake trail was long hot and dusty. Cool loop though! Although I might be free this weekend for the Olympics. :-p