KaskadskyjKozak

If you go in a couple of weeks there is likely not to be a lot of ice. Last year I was up there in September and I brought 2 22cms and 4 16cms and it was fine. The ice is a bit rotten so you'll definitely want to chip down a bit before placing each screw. Enjoy!

Trip: Colchuck - South Route Date: 6/17/2012 Trip Report: My friends IW, KL, and DS were planning to climb the NW Arête of Argonaut this weekend with me, but had an anxious eye on a weird weather forecast: Sat had a high freezing level and 50% chance of precip. Sunday had a much lower freezing level (8500 feet), less precip (30%), but high winds. We decided to give it a shot anyways, as it beats mowing the lawn. We hiked up from the Stuart Lake TH and found the spur trail before the switchbacks. Soon we were at the same log crossing Mountaineer Creek that I have used in the past, and ascended the benches following cairns to the talus fields. Here we opted to drop immediately to the creek and followed it upstream until we thought we were right below Argonaut. Following Mountaineer Creek: We then found a suitable log crossing and began moving up hill. We soon hit a second stream, and then came into the open - with a view of a sea of bushwhacking hell ahead of us. Feeling crafty we skirted the trees we just left behind before heading up and minimized our damage, finding some talus patches before ending on talus and snow fields forever. View up bushwhacking and beyond: The whole approach offered up great weather - warm but not too warm, and sunny, with some clouds. The peaks were in clouds most of the day, however. Winds were light. Was NOAA again full of crap, like so many times this year? We ascended the N basin of Argonaut looking for camps at 6000 or 6400 feet and never found them. At 6800, on a nasty moraine we finally gave up and cleared a few very small bivy sites. As we prepared dinner, the weather came in - first fog, then rain, then wind. NOAA was right after all. Suckage was high, and melting snow was agonizingly slow. Eventually we finished our preps and retired - not too optimistic for the next day and a possible rainy retreat. KL bracing against the weather: KK and IW embracing the suck: It rained much of the night and the winds were high. None of us got much sleep and we worried our bivy poles would snap. In the morning the skies were more like the previous day - mostly clear with clouds floating by quickly and the peaks sometimes obscured. View up the gully to the NW Arete: Another morning view: We hemmed and hawed and finally decided that the NW Arete might not be the wisest decision with the weird weather. We also agreed that packing up and retreating blew. So we opted to pack up our stuff and head up... towards the ridge above and hopefully the Argonaut-Colchuck col. The slope increased to 35 and 40 degrees with firm snow. It appeared to dead-end, so I took over kicking steps leftwards onto rocks and loose class 3 scrambling intermixed with some snow patches and icy parts. Eventually I sniffed out a way to the ridge and we were at the col! Carrying the full packs did suck a bit, that is for sure. KL at the Argonaut-Colchuck col: From here we dropped about 400 feet, rounded the toe of a ridge and headed climbers left towards the S Face of Colchuck. We encountered more slopes in the 35-40 degree range which then mellowed as we approach a serious of false summits until the real summit finally came into view. KL on the South Face: KL looking for the summit: KL at the summit: At this point the sun decided to take its leave, the summit became cloudy and cold and windy as hell. Perhaps we had made the right call to forgo the NW Arête... Argonaut less clear now: We shivered a bit up there in the cold as we ate and drank, and then made our way down the standard route towards the Dragontail-Colchuck col and sun. From here some nice glissading brought us to the lake, the trail, the car, and München Haus. Gear Notes: Ice axe, crampons. Approach Notes: We took the faint trail along Mountaineer Creek.

said the Joker to the Thief.

JayB is right; j_b is wrong. All is as it ever was.

I'd buy cc.com then ban you forever

Looks like rime from hell (as I would have guessed). Glad to skip this one until the nice loose rock is exposed. ;-)

For Canadians it only takes about a thousand posts to reach the douchebaggery index of the highest post count holders.

+1 Seriously, boner, could you drop it already?

Nope. I've only done it twice, and both times I went up the chimney. I'll try your route the next time I am up there.

Why? I find that quite fun...just led it again that way a few weeks ago.

The ridge is not as bad as people complain about it being. There is only one place where routefinding is tricky - you move from skiers left of the ridge over to skiers right. We were never tempted by the shortcut... every way off the ridge seemed unsavory (mid-July). Good luck with whatever you do.

Your Mom?

Hollywood is even making a movie about Bill's targeting by Barry: Kill Bill vol 3: this time for realz!

whatever the circumstances of Jordan's custody of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it has no bearing whatsoever on the legality of Israel annexing territory occupied during the 6 day war. Annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel is null and void said the UN, repeatedly. J_B your timing is as impeccable as your understanding of “international law” is flawed. In any event here is a film you might enjoy: Come watch me! Or this: [video:youtube]6c_5Sn3D6BE

Nice job Ben! Sorry you can't find partners... if I lived closer I'd join you on a few climbs. :-)

[video:youtube]bmMG2P5EcBY

now we've cycled through the normal bullshit: can you lock the thread now, Porter?

There's nothing "new" about that slogan. The left has done it for years, and so have cc.com pseudo-intellectuals. None have any clue what the president knows, how he makes decisions or what is reality and messy about leading the world's most powerful nation. Period.

j_bot voted for a steely-eyed killer wielding death from above like Zeus with his lightning bolts. How does that feel - are you proud?

And here comes more cheese-infused spittle! Wanna bet it ain't WI cheese?

As if that is exclusive to one side of the equation.

Kill 'em all - let God sort 'em out!

the behavior of a bot is always deterministic

Cuing up America-hating rhetoric by j_bot and prole in 3...2...1...

Yeah, it was the $ - that did it. That's why 'we' lost. Somebody call the waaaaaahmbulance. Quick!