KaskadskyjKozak

yep, there is a fee. I guess it pays for the fantastic road conditions and TH accommodations

sorry I couldn't make it this time. I was down with something gross (flu? covid?) wed, thurs and fri. Next time!

What kind of exams are these of which you speak?

Much appreciate all volunteers that are willing to help others this way. It's good to know you are there when needed (but promise not rely on that as a given...)

Yum!

or just make tp brown/camoflaged, and quickly biodegradable

I carry out TP in a plastic ziploc. But I must hate the planet. Plastic is evil.

When I first heard about this accident, I only knew it was on Colchuck and not which route. It did strike me as an odd objective choice for this time of year - even if it was just the Colchuck Glacier route. Now, knowing the actual route, I'm still a bit perplexed. Maybe I haven't studied it enough, but I would expect this route more in the spring time. I'm not making a judgment - am just perplexed. In my experience N Buttress Couloir seems more popular (also has serious objective risk, especially in winter), and of course there's TC on D-Tail (great after some thaw and melt to fill in the runnels). Anyways, it's always said to hear about an accident like this. Life is short and fragile.

Is there a way to edit a TR after you post it and add the team members? I did notice this field as I created my most recent TR, but didn't know how it worked until I saw this thread. Now when I click edit, I don't see a way to add the "team"

This was my primary gym for years (up until COVID). Such a bummer that it's closing. I do hope they open at a new locatioin somewhere on the E side.

I guess it's just a matter of pick your poison. I do like the idea of an obvious handline, and option to retreat with minimal risk/effort. It's definitely bold of you to try for the ascent into unchartered territory (solo!). I remember even the trail has a tricky section around a cliffy area a ways up (4000'?)

I know, right? and it looks so tiny, but it takes more than a little effort to get up it as well

Trip: Mount Rainier - Disappointment Cleaver Trip Date: 08/16/2022 Team: @Stefan B @Thomas G @KaskadskyjKozak Trip Report: It goes without saying that Rainier is a rite of passage for many alpinists in the PNW. I myself attempted the Emmons route in 2004 with the Mounties, when I first got into climbing, and got AMS at 12500' and turned around. I headed back to the Emmons the next year (private party of 4) and bagged it. I returned a couple more times (2008, Fuhrer Finger, turned around at 13000+, 2011, summitted via the Kautz in late season conditions). Soon after I had moved on to bigger, better, and well, just different objectives and priorities. I vowed I'd only go back to Rainier to climb Liberty Ridge or the Tahoma Glacier routes, or maybe do a spring jaunt up the Gib Ledges. None of those ever transpired. It seemed every year they never worked out for one reason or another. The years flew by and I ticked off a long list of other peaks. My son had been itching for his own Rainier experience. Last year we went up the S spur of Adams - a good altitude trial. He crushed it. This year, I said I'd climb Rainier with him, but only if we could get up the Tahoma glacier. Once again the weather did not cooperate in June. And soon enough, the window had passed. Then my conscience kicked in. Who was it that had stuck with me for thick and thin, year after year, one shitty Bulger choss pile after another? Who suffered in the heat, smoke, wasp-infested bushwhack approaches, year after year? So, before my son had to leave for school, transferring to Boulder, CO, I committed. And fuck it, why not make it fun and relaxing. I pulled in a third, and planned a day off work and we set the date for a three day ascent via the good ole DC (which I had never climbed, but had descended back in September 2011 after climbing the Kautz). We had a perfect weather window, and conditions were reportedly still excellent on the route. We arrived noon-ish, with the multitude of tour-ons and a full parking lot at Paradise on 8/14. I dropped off my son and partner at the ranger station, then drove around and found a spot in the overnight lot and we registered for the climb. The ranger didn't seem thrilled about us for some reason, until I filled out my prior experience on Rainier. Then her mood changed ("nice" was what she said). We headed up around 1 and found a flattish spot at about 9000' on the Muir snow field in a few hours. We slept in and hiked to Muir early-ish (well after sunrise). I felt a bit nauseas and lethargic for the first hour or so, but perked up with a second wind at Muir. We continued on to Ingraham Flats, arriving mid-day. There was one other independent party at Ingraham from the East Coast who had made several annual attempts on Rainier with no success. The rest of the people there were guides and clients. We crashed early (6 pm) and set alarms for 1 am. However i woke up at 12:15 hearing the crunch crunch of the first party from Muir and the stoves from our neighbors. Time to roll, motherfuckers! I woke up my son and other partner, and we determined to get a move on. We were boots on the trail, roped up just after 1:30. The conditions were mild until the top of the DC, where it got windy and cold, but tolerable. The route was in good shape, with an obvious trail, and only a little sketchiness. Higher up (13000 and up) it got progressively colder and windier. It was in this area where we navigated some crevasses and used two ladders set by the guides, protected by pickets. As the slope mellowed, the sun came out, and the guided party in front of us stopped twice in a short amount of time for breaks, once for photos. I cursed them loudly and repeatedly, as well as the cold fucking wind, with half my face freezing from the prevailing wind. Overhead by a guide, he radio'd the party to step off the trail, and we passed on by. Moving faster, I got warm quickly and we soon were at the crater rim. My son and friend wanted a rest stop so we unroped and I continued ahead for the summit. They joined me within a few minutes. It was 6:40 am. We took pics, then dropped to the register and split a bottle of Rainier that my son had carried. I had more than my 1/3 share. It was so fucking refreshing. After copious time on the summit we knew it was time to go. The descent was smooth and without incident or problems. We got some cool shots of the crevasses, ladders, and views. My old body started to feel it after we got to camp Muir and I slowed down. I knew I'd be sore the next day, but it was more than worth it. What a way to end a season and send my son off to school! Gear Notes: Standard glacier travel gear Approach Notes: Mostly snow free until Pebble Creek

Start them young. Keep to reasonable (for them) objectives, but they can do more than you might think. My progression with the kids from age 3 on up started out with easy stuff like Lake 22 trail, Rattlesnake Ledge and Little Si, or Mount Scott (Crater Lake) and progressed up from there in steps year by year. Good luck and enjoy!

Yeah PNW Peakbaggers on FB does this. Tell you what, give me a stack and I'd leave some in the Mailbox on said peak, or some cool summit register and we could post for peeps to go pick 'em up

The grim reaper keeps following me around. I just move faster and tell him "not today, motherfucker!"

The Tahoma Glacier has been on my tick list for some time. But every year the trip seems to fall through. Last year I did do an unexpected run up the DC with my son, and I did hike up to Tokaloo Rock on an unseasonably warm day in October to check out the route (broken up AF late season). Father Time is not going to give me many more shots to get this....

Sell them for a small profit to help fund the site?

I'd like to see them improve their reservation system and permitting processes, and for some rangers to behave differently towards climbers. I would also like to see better trail maintenance (even allow WTA to do work on trails like the Boston Basin trail), and some repairs done (rebuild a bridge across Thunder Creek near McAllister camp)

Hey, awesome TR Kuato! I had the luxury of using a real bridge when I climbed Primus from this approach a few years back. I'd like to go back there and either do the Inspiration traverse, or just bag Tricouni. I was wondering if you considered backtracking N along the opposite side of Thunder Creek after crossing it? Other than backtracking a mile or so, was there a reason not to do that?

can't wait to see them!

Congrats on the Smoots dude!!

He texted me a couple of times. He wanted to go to Squamish to climb, and also was looking for info on the approach to the DC/Cool Glacier route on Glacier Peak. I met him at a Pub Club once somewhere in Ballard I think. I also saw him "in the wild" a couple of other times. One time he was headed up to climb something in the Liberty Bell group and my climbing partner lent Fred his helmet (we were headed out) because Fred had forgotten his. My favorite memories were him at the Bulger Party talking out loud during the presentations (he was hard of hearing and was speaking super loud). Such a legend!

Bulgers are a nasty obsession - good on you for keeping it at bay. But the Smoots... don't you have just one left?