chesterboo

Hey, Take it easy guys. I don't need to be insulted by people who don't even know me. Meet me and then insult me if you still want to. I was asking for some advice on good light weight packs. I am trying to lighten the load I take up the mountain. I think 8 lbs for a pack is too much.

Hey phantom. we went in there on Monday. left parking lot at about 32 degrees under firm snow conditions. we got off road towards lane and were psyched about firm snow until we got to base of climb. We postholed for 1 and 1/2 hours up lovers lane and finally turned around. We kept thinking it would get harder but never firmed up. The snow was just not consolidated underneath. We felt it needed some warming and or a good rain and then some refreezing. I suppose we could have forced it but much of the way was up to thighs and then ankle deep for a few steps and then knee deep etc..... We did the south gully on guye last week and was much firmer and nice. hope that helps.

Man, I have been proud of getting my load down to 35-40 lbs. IN past doing rainier I have carried 60 plus. IN fact, 5 years ago on Rainier I had 70. How much do you guys carry with a 2 man team on a 2-3 day ascent of Rainier or you pick the peak? I just feel that I could shave my pack weight pretty easy by about 3-4 lbs. thanks for all the suggestions

I am looking to get lightweight alpine pack under 4 lbs to hold around 40 lbs plus or minus . I have looked at the black diamond shadow 55 and the jansport endeavor 50 that look pretty cool. any suggestions? I have Gregory palisades that is nearly 8 lbs and a 6 lb arctreryx 55 liter

Thanks Mike, When I was saying that I did not think anybody had been up the SC 'lateley' I was kind of refering to within the last few years not this last winter. I tried to google some previous trip reports of that climb and did not find any. Oh well, it just adds to the intrigue for me. It looks like a good line. Do you think June is the best time? Can you go in from the west side road or should we go in at Kautz creek?

I may just do that sweatonliquor Last year coming down from the DC route I ran into a pair that just finished the cleaver and carried over. They were not too interested in talking about it or they were just really tired. That was in mid August.

Thanks Matt, It just seems that reading Mike's book makes it sound like a neat alpine environment, devoid of crowds and with some cool exposure.

nobody has ventured up this cleaver lately? The lack of response makes me wonder about the route.

Considering this trip in June. Has anybody done this route and have information to share? Pics? I have read Becky's description as well as Mike's book. My search for trip reports is sparse. Seems like a long route and allot of work and just wondering if it is a worthwile undertaking. In past I have done the ID, DC and Emmons routes. Thank you for any information you folks may have. Jeff

thanks vw. I looked at the blog site and it said 7 or 8 am. I called the park service and they said 9am is what you can expect. I am not sure that they say 9am just so people won't get upset at closed gate or what. Has anybody been up lately and have experience when gate opens?

Does anybody know what time it will open on Monday morning? Looking to get early start on Lane Peak. thanks

hey can you pm me if you still have the bdbp tools and how much you want for them?

I had a friend with an old dodge power wagon with canopy that had open pipes etc.... a real redneck rig. Bumper sticker: "don't laugh, your daughter might be in back"

EPIC!!!!!

Pink Floyd is the best! I saw them in London in 1992 (minus Waters). I am going to see the Australian Pink Floyd tribute band on Nov. 14 at McCaw Hall in Seattle. You should check out their website if you have never heard of them.

Good Job Zoroastr. I think I also saw you when you were starting the West McMillan spire single day trip as my partner and I were coming out. (I think I recognized you from the picture) Anyway, my father and I are planning on the Ruth Icy traverse tomorrow. We are planning on camping high on Ruth or just over the top more towards Icy. I was wondering if you could draw some arrows on one of your pictures that would help us not get onto the wrong spire when we go for Icy. I have read Becky's description but he describes several turns and "obvious gullies" that may lead me into making a wrong turn. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

I am thinking of going up Colchuck glacier and doing the scramble route up Colchuck and then over to Drangontail and down Asgaard back to Colchuck lake. Is camping at the Colchuck Col on the first day and then doing the 2 peaks in the am a reasonable plan? Or should I just camp at Colchuck lake and go light the next day and do the whole circle and back to the lake? Any suggestions would be helpful. I have done Dragontail in past up Asgaard and the scramble route so I am relatively familiar with the area. thanks all.

Thanks Wazzu. I think I saw your picture in one of the trip reports I looked at. What is the water situation like as you hike in on the first day. Is the trail easy to find and how long did it take you guys to get to camp. Is the area suitable for a small tent and are the bugs bad? Thank you for any information you have. also, great picture.

I thought I would put my questions out to the group. I have read several trip reports on the web already. Has anybody been back into the southern Pickets lately and what are the conditions like? Is the glacier section of the climb in need of rope? Or is this just a scramble

I have a pair of Scarpa mountain boots that are 4 years old. They are in good shape on the uppers as I have cleaned and waxed regularily. It seems as if the sole is starting to pull away from the upper and leave some tiny cracks where the upper and sole meet and letting some water slip in. Now when I am wearing them I will get some wet feeling in my toes like water is seeping from below. I can also look at those cracks and weight my foot and see little water bubbles blowing out of the cracks. They are great boots and I would rather have them repaired than buy new ones. Has this happened to anybody out there and can I get some good reccomendations of coblers who do or specialize in mountain boot? In the south Puget sound area would be best but I would go to Seattle for somebody good. thanks

Thanks Mr Mo for the beta. You sound like you know the area very well. I think you know where we were when we made a wrong turn. We were walking up to the crest saying things like , "ok, this is awsome, now lets eat lunch here and it will be a strait shot and then we get to the edge and were like oh, f.... After some expletives we went down and then around and to head of proctor creek. We traveled another hour and 15 past that and got a pretty good view of the rest of the climb. Is the Perfect Place that pretty lake with the rocky walls around them? We were 20 minutes past that when we turned. It seemed to be a brushy ridge top traverse over to INdex from there that we felt we would mostly stay on the R hand side of the ridge. Am I right? How many times have you done the traverse? How often does it get done It is a beautiful trip but not entirely strait forward if one is not familiar with the route. anyway, thanks for your help.

We were on route counting our misdirection for 9 hours and 20 minutes and were moving most of that time. When we turned we figured 2 to 3 hours to go to the summit. It would be best to do it we think with a bivy the night before on top of Persis and then a very early start, but the challenge remains to do it in a day and if we got to the trailhead early enough and could get back to top of Persis before it got dark we could do it. Buckaroo, how long would it take do descend from top of Index to Lake Serene and the trailhead there via a scramble route, and is that route hard to find from top of Index?

We went for it today with the great weather. Our start time 7 oclock was too late. We went up a gully too soon on the traverse and got cliffed out so we had to go back down and traverse farther and then found the correct route. We got to the flank of the Index portion and we had to turn back to get it another day because we were running short on time etc...Now that we know the route, it should be faster and more straight forward for us. At any rate, it is a long trip and a warm one. Thanks to Mr. Mo and Tread Tramp for the help. cheers.

My partner and I plan on doing the traverse this weeks that starts up the Persis west ridge route. I have been to Persis that took approx 2 to 2and 1/2 hours. I would like to know if anybody has done the traverse and how long it takes going light. Also, is there water on the Index section and if anybody has been up there lately is it snow free at top of Index? Thanks for any info.

Has anybody heard how the groups faired that were doing Lib Ridge last weekend? I was waiting for their trip report but have not seen yet. They said they would post when they got back. I wonder if the force was with them.