wfinley

I think the question should be: do you prefer rain or choss? Sounds like one of those damn compromises again. I am cynical because my only impression of Squamish was 6 days sitting in the Sunflower Cafe looking out at torrential rain and devising a new slogan for British Columbia: "British Columbia - Where it **cking Rains". That said... the sausage rolls at the Sunflower Cafe are worlds better than the sausage rolls at the cafe in Lake Louise.. although the cafe in Lake Louise has a nice day old bread selection that, if you get there early, will keep you well fed for a day.

I think the question should be: do you prefer rain or choss?

Sorry... forums will do that to you. I agree $500 is too much. However - how do you start a campaign against a rumor? If you contact the NPS all they'll say is it's a rumor. Any NPS proposal change follows a detailed procedure (comment period etc.) - campaigning against the possibility is meaningless in a bureaucratic sense.

I think people care but there seems to be a lack of discussion anywhere -- most likely because this is considered a "reliable rumor". How do you mount a campaign against a rumor? As for the $200 fee... it's not too high and even for dirtbags it's an amount most can afford (I've yet to meet someone who didn't climb Denali b/c of the cost). I've never understood why people have such an issue with the NPS or their management of the Buttress. If it bothers you so much climb elsewhere (did you know there are other peaks in Alaska besides Denali?). The NPS presence is necessary... without them the WB would be trashed zoo. (PS - FWIW I think $500 is way too high and if this proves to be a real tactic someone is pulling then I'll be happy to write letters in protest.)

Guess I'll stick in my $.02. He ventured out on a glacier solo - but doesn't everyone in the winter? Virtually every weekend we're out skiing on glacier's that we won't go near after May (without ropes and crevasse gear). Alaskan alpine history is full of winter solo ascents. Some successful - some not. This one is somewhere in-between. As for the question - "Does it count if you're rescued?" Depends on who's counting. I doubt the folks in Juneau and Petersburg care. They're just glad that the coast Guard did what they do so well: picking people up in hair-ball situations.

Just saw the below post on another board. Anyone know anything about it?

I recently read Seth Kantner's Ordinary Wolves. The book really brought home how much has changed in the past 35 years. The author grew up in an igloo north of the Arctic Circle before snowmachines, before the oil wells and before snowmachines and bush planes made travel simple and fast. The book chronicles the rapid change in Bush Alaska and in doing so shows how that change has affected both the people who live in rural Alaska as well as the land and wildlife. It's a very compelling read. That said... one of the things that struck me were the Q&A's published at the end of the book. Here's an excerpt (emphasis added): Q: How authentic do you think the popular image of Alaska as the wild, rugged, uncharted West is? SK: Depends on your perspective––in the Brooks Range in a storm in midwinter, you could say it's pretty rugged. But a lot of folks come in the summer and fall; they have GPSs and often now satellite phones. For $3.95 they can buy detailed USGS maps of every bend in every slough. Alaska, that I knew as a kid, is gone; the land is still here but planes fly over it relentlessly—from my perspective—carrying everything that Americans have too.

Ade - email me at wfinley (at) couloirgraphics.com and I'll pass your contact info along to a friend who climbed Fairweather a couple years ago. I can't recall who he flew with but he'll be glad to answer your questions.

That's hilarious! I once spent 2 weeks in the Alaska Range with an old college roommate who had gone the way of the darkside (he 'worked' as a campground host in Heuco). It rained for 10 days straight (rain on a glacier SUCKS) and he spent the whole time getting baked and talking about Portreo Chico. When TAT flew in to pick us up he literally dove into the plane. I think he sold his crampons when he got back to Texas. These days when I fly into some place to practice my shoveling I usually start thinking about Mexico and wonder if my old roommate knows something I don't.

A few people have emailed me asking for more beta so I put some pix online of the mountain / route taken from the plane: http://www.couloirgraphics.com/images/misc/wse-blackburn/index.htm As for route descriptions... not much to say - choose either the N ridge proper or NW ridge and go up. Try to avoid getting crushed by serac fall, watch for crevasses and go fast to avoid the inevitable storms. 2 high camps would make for a kind summit day but realistically it's doubtful that you'll get a weather window that will alllow this. Likewise choose your camps with caution - at least one team has been flushed off the N. Ridge by avalanches and we came very close. A fast acclimatized team could go from 9500 to the summit and back in a day. If the weather had cooperated we could probably have gone from our 11 camp to the summit and back in around 14 hours.

For snow conditions check Matt Kinney's site at: http://www.alaska.net/~chalet/in/ski_report.html and this thread: http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13144 If you're looking to ski consider picking up Kinney's book - you can order it from him directly or grab a copy while you're in Anchorage.

Check out this guys web site for routes: http://www.geocities.com/frankenclimber And this thread for conditions: http://www.alaskaiceclimbing.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=10 As for must dos... there are dozens in your range. Just drive through Keystone Canyon and look up! However - watch the weather; late March in Valdez can be hit or miss. Bring your skis for backups.

No it wouldn't be... but if the gaitor sale falls through I'm intersted!

I am intersted in the super gaitors and the pot - depending on the size.s How large is the pot and what size boots do does super gaitors fit? (However I am not local)

What size? And which ones are the Penguins? - the 40 Below web site has zero info. (Pics would be great.)

Oh yeah - you're right. I didn't look at the code close enough. Cool script... maybe I'll use it somewhere.

Too many people rag on the WB. It's a beautiful route in a beautiful setting and hundreds of people every year have a wonderful experience on the route. If you're too cool to do it that's great, but don't rag on a quality route. Besides - where else can you wake up on a glacier at 14,000' to speedo sun bathing Germans lounging next door? When you do the WB it is assumed that you'll be with hundreds of people (people who don't know this - and I've met many of them at KAH - are usually clueless). If it's not unsafe and if it's not environmentally harmful then why argue for fewer numbers? If the crowds bother you there are thousands of other mountains in Alaska where you won't see a soul. PS - Just out of curiosity - how many people climb Ranier in the summer months?

Thanks sitandbefit for the news. This wouldn't work because for many an ascent (or partial ascent) of the WB acts as a training / acclimatization route for other routes. Likewise b/c of the nature of the mountain many people will often fly in hoping to do one route but end up on the WB because of conditions or other issues. If you cap users on the WB then you increase the risk involved with, say, a party that is not properly acclimatized (or physically prepared) attempting the Rib or Cassin.

I let my dog sleep in the tent this past summer and he snuggled up next to me and his nails popped my Prolite Thermarest. When I took it back to REI the customer service rep told me that Thermarest warrenty does not cover dogs sleeping on them. After a bit of argueing (I was polite and told them my dog had been sleeping on my old thermarest for ten years) they ended up sending it back to the company for repairs and didn't charge me anything. I was kind of bummed that I didn't argue for a new one -- but more pissed that companies sell gear they bill as light and fast when in reality they're made of cheap fabric that will last maybe 2 seasons.

I seriously doubt the Denali Rangers just pulled the number out of tin air. Most likely the numbers have to do with the fact that more and more climbers are attempting other routes besides the West Buttress, and knowing the above, that the West Buttress can handle it's current load plus a few more people. I'll be one of the first to agree that the crowds on the West Buttress can be insane at times. But that said - I've climbed the route and most likely will not climb it again. If I had not climbed the route and was told that I couldn't due to numbers I'd be pretty peeved. I imagine, as the popularity of climbing grows and equipment gets better, that down the road we will begin to see some sort of permitting process similar to what we see on rivers now (like the Grand or Selway). While that might seem like a great idea keep in mind that currently close to 80% of all users on the Grand are guided; private boaters have to wait years to get a permit. As far as environmental protection -- if human waste is handled properly (which the NPS is addressing) then the route can handle a large number of people. There's nothing living up there and as long as garbage and waste is removed there is no environmental impact. Aesthetically it might suck to hang at 14 camp with 200 people, but environmentally there isn't much damage you can do to a glacier. Finally RE the fixed lines. If the fixed lines were removed the first guided group heading up the route would fix lines. Because of liability issues they wouldn't let anyone else use their fixed lines. Thus every guided party would have fixed lines and most likely a number of other parties -- thus turning the headwall into a mad house. Once again - if the fixed lines bother you climb something else (however - that's not saying that there aren't fixed lines all over the place on Denali). Fixed lines might not be hip but until climbing expedition style is made illegal and routes are limited to only cool people who can go alpine style with just goo and hot tang, they'll always be around in the big mountains.

Now that looks FUN! Only place I've climbed in CA is JT. I need to check out those mountains!

Hi W - thanks for the info. One quick question --how cold is "very cold"?

Integral Designs MK1 Lite! I love this tent and can't say enough about it. I also have an old (15 years) NF Aerohead that I love as well (I try not to use my ultra expensive single wall all summer). It is dying though and I'll soon have to start looking for a replacement.

Wow... that's a beautiful photo!

Sounds like early September is good everywhere... I guess the thing to do would be to start in Canada and keep working our way south as it gets colder. How late are people climbing routes on peaks like Forbidden Peak or Mt Whitney? PS -what is the "larch" season?