jport

Nice TR P-Town! Sounds like an adventure, alright!

SEE KBHR's previous post about the same topic...

Another discussion of the Reid Headwall can be found here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Main/58271/Number/782697#Post782697

Does anyone know if the logging roads to the road closure are snow-free right now?

Sweet! Didn't have to take your skis off?!?!?... I'm jealous.

Ahhh... the Power of Positive Thinking!

Nice TR PTown! I'd call our route the "Southeast Buttress"... seems appropriate, eh? Here are my photos: http://flickr.com/photos/11863105@N04/sets/72157605418058259/detail/

Canon G7: 10MP and 6x optical zoom. I've had my G7 for over a year and love it! It's constructed very solidly. Some reviews comment about short battery life, but I've never experienced that. Another downside may be weight (it's relatively heavy), but great image quality is definitely worth a few extra ounces.

Ditto on the multi-directional note made by Pink. I use a single piece of gear below the equalized point to counteract any upward pull generated by a leader fall.

Not sure what current conditons are like...? It's definitely worth scoping out, though. Yee Ha!

Nice work! Way to capitalize on the recent stint of clear weather. Wish I was up there yesterday, too! Looked great!

Check out these links regarding the massive rockfall off of Little Tahoma in 1963: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/geology/publications/bul/1221-A/intro.htm http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/geology/publications/bul/1221-A/sec6.htm

Would it be foolish to climb with one Evolution pick and one Goulottes pick? It looks like their geometry is close... Will they perform similarly?

I'm using Grivel Alp Wings.

What are the main differences between Grivel's Evolution and Goulottes picks? Which would you recommend for moderate Pacific Northwest ice? I will not be mixed climbing with these tools... unless it gets spicy on an alpine route! Any recommendations/advice/suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

The bottom line is: There are numerous variations on that face of the mountain. Lot of opportunity for moderately-steep snow routes! Get it now while it's good!

Nice job Arabianice! Fun route, eh? I agree, it's kinda "spicy" right now through a few of those slots... lots of rotten rime! Even with two tools, that kind of ice doesn't inspire much confidence. Hopefully this experience will psych you up for more routes like Reid!

Man, too bad about the road! Having been up to Staircase this past summer (August), I could understand why the Park is struggling with the impacts of weather. Not much can be done about it up there, though. We're lucky to even have a road that accesses that area, IMHO. We hiked into Flapjack Lakes and climbed Mt. Cruiser. As noted, the first half of the hike is relatively flat. The second half gets quite steep. It would certainly be a workout switching back on skis or even blazing trail with snowshoes. Snowshoes on more dense snow might not be too bad, though. Above the Lakes there are some nice faces that are absolutely skiable... just be aware of the different aspects and how that effects slope stability.

Come to think of it, we climbed on Saturday, too. We never encountered any clouds on-route, though...? Left the top at 2pm and were back at the lot by 4pm. When was that cloud photo taken?

Nice work fellas! I saw a few faint tracks up at Illumination Saddle on Sunday... must have been yours. We lugged our skies up Reid Headwall and skied the south side. All the way from the Hogsback down to the groomers was chunky/icy snow... bummer! Nevertheless, the climbing was awesome!: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/780236#Post780236 Cheers!

I agee with JohnGo... the lower portion of Wy'East can easily (and fairly-safely) be climbed without protection. That face, though steep in sections, has a safe runout. The final pitches are more tricky. I was up there two years ago and bailed down a couloir to Devil's Kitchen. If you recall, that season there wasn't a lot of snow coverage. So we scoped out mixed climbing above the "step" and the traverse. Since we had a few less-experienced partners, we opted to not risk the thin snow. With good coverage (like this year) I would consider climbing those last pitches solo. Do keep in mind that the sun hits that face first thing.

Wondering which routes at Pinnacles Nat. Monument are must-do... any recommendations?

A less-technical option: Pyrenees Mountains- "High Level Route"

Thanks for the confirmation. I'll have to scrounge up a copy of Oregon High.

There was a dominant couloir that we could see (from Illumination Saddle) at the base of Yokum Ridge. I suspected that it was probably Leuthold. Our original plan was to hit Leuthold. Although that soon changed as we traversed below the Reid Headwall routes... conditions seemed ideal for climbing that face. Both of us quickly agreed on a route and went for it! I only had limited knowledge about the "route"... which gully?, steepness?, top-out location? I knew there were lots of options, though. Weather was excellent and the snow was in good shape (with the exception of some short sections of knee-deep powder. Our route began climbing the face before the largest rock outcropping at the top of the Reid Glacier. My understanding is that in order to reach Leuthold, you have to traverse below that outcropping... is that right? We also topped-out along the ridge of West Crater Rim. We followed that ridge upward, approximately fifty yards to the point that Yokum Ridge intersects. Regarding the "Green Route", it was sustained steep snow (up to +/- 50 degrees) and ice (up to vertical). There were two steps of ice that we had to negotiate. Each step came at distinctive "hourglasses". The first was a 10-foot section of +/- 70 degrees bare, dense ice. The second was a 15-foot section of vertical, nasty rime. That second chute was about 4-5 feet wide, so stemming solved the problem. In all, we climbed through three "hourglasses". Keep in mind, the majority of the route is exposed to ice and/or rock fall. Even with cold temperatures, there was a constant shower on us... nothing bigger than maybe baseball size. This route is definitely a "no fall zone"... especially if you're climbing solo, like us. Run-outs are long and usually lead to drop-offs. If there is any doubt or lack of confidence, those slopes should be protected by pickets or screws. Otherwise, it's pretty exhilarating climbing... lots of fun! Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863105@N04/sets/72157604080114354/detail/