mughjie

Was up (down?) there July 20. Terrible Traverse is a challenge. There is snow across most of the face. In the AM it was very hard, not ice, but hard snow, definitely crampon/ice axe territory. One of us traversed on front points. I went up into the moat. The moat goes most but not all of the way across. Both of us wound up on a mini ledge on the far side and rapped off a flake to dirt. Coming back, we both traversed a little lower, and it worked ok. Bowling alley is free of snow and not a big deal, fun 3rd/4th class scramble depending on the route you take. Just make sure you take the right fork in the gully.

We thought you were 3rd-classing it on Cascade Peak, you were moving so fast! best regards, FOD (Friend of Doug)

I went up last weekend (7/7/12). Getting over to Boston from Sahale was awkward, loose and had significant exposure. Loose rock piled on loose rock. Once at the last notch before actually climbing up, one has to find the "key ledge" off to the right. Last week, it was level with the notch (meaning that when the snow melts out later in the season, one may have to scramble up a bit from the notch to get to the ledge) and led to a small clear patch where the actual scrambling began. The 100ft-long ledge was snow-covered with wet, semi-consolidated slush with nasty rock-bottomed gaps in the snow only 20-30ft below (i.e. difficult to arrest before going in). The traverse over the 45 degree slush slope to the clear spot was the crux for us. Once at the clear patch, the rock was actually mostly solid, blocky and had good positive handholds. 75ft up and trending right, left for 50ft in a chimney-like dike, back to the right for another 75ft of face climbing and you're on the summit ridge (never more than easy 4th class). 50ft traverse to the summit. 3 raps got us back to the notch (good anchors in place). This time of year, the notch below Boston is a great bivy spot for doing NF Buckner the following day.

Curious whether they were they on rock or on a mountain...? One was a highly respected professional ski mountaineering guide, he slid off a cliff, one was a climber/scrambler, unroped who fell off a typical chossy Cascade peak, the third rapped off the end of a rope. All three were totally preventable. It doesn't matter what they were doing that got them dead, it's that they were all completely convinced that they had minimized the risk as much as possible. And unfortunately, they were probably right.

I agree that this is one of the best threads in a long time. One thing that hasn't come up yet (I don't think) is that mountain sports are rife with negative reinforcement: we run under an ice cliff to get to the other side and don't die. We run under another ice cliff and don't die and before long we convince ourselves that running under ice cliffs is ok if "you know what you're doing". It's not. I only know 3 people who died while climbing but am fairly familiar with the details of all three accidents. In all three cases, they were doing what they'd done many times before and all three were convinced that they "knew what they were doing". I agree with Will, if you underestimate the risks inherent to climbing, you're only fooling yourself. On the flip side, statistics suggest that you should stay at home, eat high fiber foods, not drink, smoke or eat cake, and exercise a little but not too much. Oh and stay away from power lines, nuclear power plants, volcanoes and tall trees during wind storms. Pretty boring. We all choose the risks we take. I choose to climb, drink in moderation, drive wearing a seat belt and occasionally eat cake.

PM sent

Marmot in Bellevue has the Yates belay seat for about $20.

Not out in any format, as far as I know, but this one has a fab reputation and local flavor: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080869/

I agree with D32, I took a Canon Elph (4 megapixel) with a spare battery (Li-ion rechargeable) and a Nikon FM2 (mechanical shutter works without batteries, for the worst case scenarios). Stayed 18 days, temp dipped to -30F. I kept the Canon and its spare battery in a zip lock bag in my parka, and in a stuff sack in my sleeping bag at night. No other heroics. I made sure to let the camera cool down to outside temps before taking it out of the ziplock bag. One Li-ion lasted the whole trip (about 100 photos). It finally died when I was taking pictures of my beard back in Talkeetna. The Nikon worked like a charm too.

I beg to differ and I can't overemphasize this enough, redundant redundancy is overly redundant.

John, Actually, it was relaxed and very enjoyable. Traveling as a threesome is inherently slower but we managed to make it back to the car without head lamps--a moral victory. Mughjie

Hey John, I just looked at the photo I sent you pixel by pixel and actually he's reaching for the #5 Big Bro (18.4 inches fully extended). Mughjie

How did you guys bypass the snowfield above the pass? We were the ones on Serpentine and came down in the moat on skier's left. I can't say I enjoyed it.

Yepper, if you bought 100,000 shares at 52.65 for 5.3M (including commission), you'd have made $212,000! You blew it.

Gary, Are you trying to insult everyone on this site? As one of the tetragenerians (older folks) out on Shuksan that day, I'd like to remind you, you young whippersnapper, that 40 is not that old! There are plenty folks older than that (John Sharp, for one). Nice job on the NF. Mughjie

Mtnfreak, I second your opinion: don't pull the pickets! they get a lot of use. Mughjie

Mtnfreak, I was at the 14K camp a few days after the accident and spoke to park rangers who were on their way up to put in fixed lines. Since I was engaged in my own unsuccessful attempt on the Upper West Rib, I didn't go up to Denali Pass to confirm the fixed lines. If I'm wrong and there are no fixed lines only picket at Denali Pass, my sincere apoligies to all I have misled. That's the last time I believe anything a park ranger says. Mughjie

Just for the record, I'm pretty sure the fixed lines at Denali Pass were put in after the twins' accident. Still, they were unroped when the accident happened.

John, We did Sharkfin on Saturday. There was nooooone in Boston Basin, very surprising since the weather was fine. There were few groups heading to Cascade Pass. The road is clear and dry to the usual gate at MP22 or so (2300ft). There's no real snow until about 4000ft. On the Bosin Basin trail it starts in earnest just before the first avalanche crap crossing. The snow conditions in the Basin were great, but definitely required snowshoes. The snow on the North side of Sharkfin was awful, unconsolidated, air-filled fluff over skanky ice. Let me know if you want more. We did see some impressive slides off J'berg. One seemed to start high on the face just east of CJ col and span the whole face. Heard avalaches from that direction most of the day.

That would be the one.

Maybe a little less snow, but pretty similar.

Triple Couloirs looked questionable. The ice runnels section between the Hidden Couloir and the second couloir was pretty bare.

Climb: Colchuck Peak-North Buttress Couloir Date of Climb: 4/9/2005 Trip Report: Left Emerald City with Direct Doug at 5:30 heading East. Got to the TH around 8:30 and to Colchuck Lake at 10:30. The road has snow starting a mile from the TH but nothing a Subaru can't handle (souped up 4X4 trucks with monster truck tires may want to exercise caution, more on this later) the trail is in good shape with a boot track all the way to the lake. The lake itself is still frozen providing a welcome bypass to the 'round-the-lake trail. A few hundred feet above the lake we ran into two gentlemen climbers returning from the route who provided us with good route info and a hearty farewell. The boot track they, and another solo climber who followed them, left was priceless. Aside from a tricky but easily protectable 10 foot step--thin ice covered by soft snow over rock-- at the base of the couloir, the couloir was in fine shape. Once on the Northwest Face we did a running belay all they way to the summit. We stayed on snow the whole way placing various forms of protection along the way. It wasn't really needed since the snow was generally firm but since we brought it, we used it. The last step up to the small summit block was protected by a well-placed piton, the last piece of protection left. Thanks to the great steps kicked by those who preceded us, it took 4 1/2 hours to go lake-to-lake. The route is in fabulous shape, a fun alpine climb. Additional note: on the way out, we ran into a 400 horsepower, three-feet-off-the-ground truck stuck not in a ravine or ditch but in the middle of the road. This would have been more enjoyable had the truck not blocked our way home. 30 minutes of dedicated work with an ice axe got the truck out and us on our way home. Gear Notes: 30m rope 2 tools (handy but not required, ice axe is enough) 3 pickets 3 cams 2 pitons

Unless you plan to travel exclusively on snow, I'd consider a different light weight crampon. I broke 3 points (!) on my pair on Merchant last November and a friend broke one on DC last summer. These are not for use on rock at all. Even the Stubbais seem more durable.

I found it, but sad to say, left it where I found it. We were coming down the boulder field in the dark and got off the beaten track, as you must have done. I saw the boot and assumed it belonged to long-expired victim of foul play. About 200yds above the top of the trail where you get onto the boulders, in the slide alder, rests your poor boot. If you plan to go and retrieve it, here is the beta. From the end of the trail (elev. 4000ft) head straight up (don't turn right into the boulders), go past the lone wand with imaginative little flag and continue up. There's not much of a trail but you can get through. At around 4100-4200ft you'll find what you're looking for. Let me know if that's not clear.