Ponzini

In the meantime here's a really cool video of the NF of RR from a guy with a RC plane, great scenery.

Actually Environment Canada has a very useful service known as "weather one-on-one". You call a meteorologist and have a discussion with them on whatever you'd like to know about. It's $3 per minute and I have found it very useful in the past. They have been able to give accurate forecasts by climbing region, eg. Robson, Bugs, Adamants etc. Link below. https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=92CD8DE8-1

I skied/climbed Trorey back on May 3 via the lifts on Blackcomb. Snow conditions on the 3rd were very mushy and slow but that was after some warm weather. I suspect that coverage above treeline is still quite good. However below treeline it's almost all melted out so it would be a bit of a walk out. I think Blackcomb is also close to closing. There will be enough snow to find some OK skiing on the high peaks but snow quality is uncertain. At least crowds won't be a problem! I saw nobody on the 3rd.

Mighty fine trip! I have admired that route from points north for a long time, although it seems a bit much for a has-been (or never-was) such as myself. I imagine it would be a satisfying summit even via the scramble route.

Great trip, very nice style as well. The route from Zenith col to Tantalus via the N Ridge is indeed stunning. Only 8 hours from Sigurd to your camp with packs is hoofing it!

Great trip! I've been thinking of doing Bear for a long time, not by a north face route but instead just up the NW ridge, and I might actually get out for it this year. Is the final summit a scramble, or is it worthwhile to take a short rope? It's not totally clear from the guides or the trip reports, perhaps because the final summit may feel like a stroll compared to the big routes.

Awesome! Great timing with the weather, there's not much tree skiing back there for foggy days.

Flew over Slesse en route to Toronto yesterday. A bit more has peeled off, but the rest of it is still in place.

Well, I think there's a sign saying you're not supposed to, but with a bit of stealth.... There's a nice (short) run down the west ridge of the first peak. It's a bit out of the way and is not often skied. The turnaround point is fairly obvious - it suddenly gets quite steep and the trees thicken. Be careful not to ski down anything you can't skin up. Don't try to contour the SW side of the 1st peak back to Brockton Point - you will meet with a nasty gully.

Congrats! I've got two little girls now. Weekend was making pancakes and going to babies r us. Wouldn't trade it!

I thought I'd try give my truck a good home by offering it for sale to the outdoor community first (I am in the Vancouver area). - 1994 Toyota 4x4, xtra cab, 3.0L v6, 234,000km, aircared 'til Sept 2011 - 31" BFG All Terrain T/A's, Rancho shocks, bedliner, rear window tint - LoRider removable fibreglass tonneau cover to keep your gear safe - CD player, 4 speakers, sub with 150w amp - New muffler & tailpipe, new clutch at 188,000km, oil changes every 5,000km - Factory head gasket recall work done by dealer at 145,000km - Some minor surface rust and slow leak in rear differential oil seal The ultimate outdoor vehicle! Asking $6,000. Give me a call at my work number during the week if interested, or if you have some questions: 604-640-3195. Thanks! Todd

Cool! Do you know what grade it went free at?

Great trip! I've spent a couple weeks in the Adamants/Gothics, and we hiked in via the trail back in 2006. It took us about 8 hours to get to the hut, and it's not really that far, the difficulty lies in the large avalanche fans that the trail crosses between the standing timber down low and the start of the moraines. They are very bushy, and we also encountered large areas where mature trees had been laid down into an unstable jackpot of logs and branches, which was tiring with a big pack full of gear.

I meant drums... And I was wrong, I meant Territories, not Grand Designs. It took me a zillion tries to get Territories right.

Try play "Grand Designs" - tough!

One way to build up strength and balance is to take a pack and a shovel to the ski area, and fill the pack with snow at the top of the lift. Ski down with the heavy pack, and dump the snow at the bottom before riding the lifts again. If you can ski well with a heavy pack, you're ability and confidence will increase when skiing with no pack or with a day pack.

Check out Jeremy's post in the BC forum on the Crossover descent: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/839067/Slesse_Crossover_Pass_Descent_#Post839067 That's an example of super detailed but very useful (and welcome) beta! However, I would find the same level of detail on the climbing route to be overkill, and to "spoil" the adventure.

Keith Richards and Mick Taylor on the extended version of Sympathy for the Devil, from Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (1970), which is possibly the best ever live album - certainly the Stones at their best.

Did an exploratory hike up Fries Creek last weekend, which is on the "other" side of the Squamish River. Tons of ice on the north facing walls of Lapworth and connecting ridge to Conybeare, some avalanche threatened and some not. (The objective wasn't to look for ice, but to investigate an old approach to the Tantalus range). A bit of an approach hike but lots to climb:

Shit! Glad nobody was hurt.

Didn't even test the line with a ski cut! COMMITMENT!

There were snow plumes blowing off the north shore mountains yesterday, looked pretty neat, don't see that too often. There were also spooky windslabs in the seymour area on the normal windward side of the hills from the outflow winds, lots of cracking and whoomphing.

Seymour is recommended. Ski up the trail that starts beside the Mystery Peak lift (quite obvious). Once you get to Brockton Point, it's decision time. There is a nice run from Brockton Point down to De Pencier Lake that is almost never skied as it is not obvious from above. Start down from the low point on the trail about 100m north of Brockton Point. There is also good skiing in the basin to the W of the col between the 2nd and 3rd peak of Seymour. More adventurous lines exist on the east side of all 3 peaks, and on the slopes above Theta Lake, but these require very stable snow, good vis and a steep ascent to get back home. The ski runs are lit and provide a nice run down at the end of the day, plus a jib or two. Only gapers ski the trail back to the parking lot. Obviously, check carefully for avalanche hazard. Plus if it's foggy the entire mountain becomes very confusing to navigate. Have fun!

Awesome trip. It harks back to the days when people went into these remote areas to explore, climb, and just enjoy being there. Plus you got at least a few some sunny days! Any idea what peak is in the background to the right of Hoole? It looks mighty impressive!

Chartered accountant. Yee Haw!