jonthomp

We figured the odds were low with the rain from Friday and Saturday, but decided to go see what we could see. The answer was not much since the fog was thick and snow was falling off and on throughout the morning. This led to an error on the approach where we headed up and right at Source Lake rather than straight ahead as we should have. This led us to near the base of the ridge that divided the north and east aspects, the same ridge one pops out on top of if going the correct way. We found deep snow--about 10" of new on top of water soaked mush on top of a breakable crust on top of a couple feet of granulated sugar. It seemed stable enough to continue, but certainly was a nagging concern and it was nice to be near the crest of the ridge for most of its ascent. We found the route and weren't too excited by what we found. Warm temps and the fact that the bottom rock slabs were exposed due to avalanche activity left us concerned that the remaining hanging snow field leading to the ice might be suspect as well. Given that this was to be our first ever outing on ice, we played it conservative and headed back for the TH. A picture of what we found is below. Perhaps we should have pushed a little higher, but who knows?

Reasonably so. 40-45 degrees, though one can push toward the edges of the couloir for brief moments that push 50. The chute on the left would go to. A little steeper and certainly narrower.

Take a listen to Ween's song "Tick" on their album Satan for Gean's and Deaner's personal insights into dealing with a burrowing tick.

I second the vote on not needing crampons and generally not needing an axe or boots. For most routes down running shoes are fine. A good option if it concerns you is ship the crampons and put them on your running shoes if needed. I did this on the N. ridge of Stuart (a climb you should put on your hit list) and it worked fine for both the snow to get to the route and snow coming off. Hit some of the multipitch stuff while in Leavenworth as well. Outerspace on Snow Creek Wall, the Regular Route on Careno Crag. Deception Crags are okay though World Wall 1 at Little Si is a more interesting cliff while riding back over the pass. Sounds like a fun trip with bikes and all.

Years ago I was doing one of my first leads on Diedre and was screwing around trying to get a piece of gear placed. I was getting a little gripped being a ways above my last piece and not being able to find the right size for the next placement when I heard some noise behind. I looked back and saw someone coming up from below. I thought it was a little odd/rude that someone would just climb right through me while I was midpitch, but then I noticed that the person was soloing. I looked back, looked over at the blank face to my right, and the guy said, "Mind if I play through?" I chuckled and said go ahead then asked what he wanted me to do to get out of his way. He said to stay where I was then danced out onto the friction slab and motored on up and out of sight. I looked at the piece of gear I was struggling to make fit, reracked it, and took off up the crack thinking, "What the hell! If he can solo it, I don't need this piece." I was impressed and climbed much faster after that and with way more confidence. I don't think I've been passed since. I don't think his question though was really a question so much as a statement. He was going to "play through" and asking just gave him a sense of how far away from me he should scamper as he passed. His friendly attitude made the whole experience better for everyone.

It's an interesting point of discussion. We as a society never seem to question the $ impact of people's stupidity when it comes to providing emergency services for say the person who smokes in bed and lights up their house, the hunter or hiker that needs rescuing because they entered the wilderness underprepared with say a storm forecast to move in, and so on. Yet there seems to be more and more places that will charge for rescuing climbers.

I thought Chelan County was in the habit of charging for rescues? Maybe it's only that they charge climbers for rescues and these guys while climbing, hardly sound like they qualify as climbers. Are they sure that lighter was for a cigarette?

Rushmore Needles is a riot for sport climbing though I can't recall any specific routes I climbed. All were fun with many being pulls on various sized quartz crystals. Even a couple multipitch ones worth hitting. Custer State Park is also full of excellent lines and formations as well. Climb there expecting a solid ground-up ethic with bolts widely spaced but generally there for crux moves. One crack that is definitely worth doing is the 5.9 "Sex Never Did This To My Hands". It's a fun left-angling crack that accepts pro and arms up to your elbows. The story behind its name is that Paul Pianna cried out after completing the first ascent, "That was better than sex!" His partner upon completing it commented, "Yeah it was, but sex never did that to my hands" and the name stuck. The boulder problems are fun (and challenging) and it's cool to feel a part of the climbing history that was created here. If the brewpub in Rapid City still exists they serve up pretty good brew and buffalo burgers and the free camping (if it also still exists) is a nice contrast to the tourist trap of Mt. Rushmore just around the corner. On Devils Tower many good things as well. Durrance route is an obvious low-end climb more fun for it position and scenery than the actual climbing. Even the sport routes along the base are fun for awhile though quite short.

I have been happy so far with my Arc'Teryx Theta LT. Very lightweight (G.tex XCR, laminated seams/zippers) and has performed well (breathes and protects) in a variety of conditions from snowy, windy days to rainy, windy days. I haven't had it long enough to know it's durability. The only disadvantage is the price--spendy--though I found a pretty good deal through Sierra Trading. And if the jacket lasts as long or longer than the N.Face one I just retired (15+ years), I'll feel it was money well-spent.

Did the same as you with the family but up the Mt. Forgotten trail. With the ice on the trail, it would have almost been easier to go cross country. Running shoes didn't help much either, though ski poles would have made the footing fine. We're skiing on Pilchuck today or at least that is the plan.

Ice axe and crampons should be fine. I would expect mostly good snow conditions with maybe some firm patches in the morning and slushy spots later. I took my son up it shortly after he turned 5 and while it was summer (so more bare trail and firmer snow than what you will ikely find), we encountered few real difficulties. Fun mountain! I'll be up on Pilchuck Wed. after work and will repost if conditions look any different from across the valley. Enjoy!

We skied up to Muir on Sat. where we chatted with other skiers and the two climbers involved in the accident while they chowed some freezedried calories. Sorry to hear of their misfortune. They seemed well-prepared and knowledgeable with a good game plan for this outing as well as the ones they had planned in the future leading up to Denali in the coming year. As far as snow, from about 8500' down it was snowing lightly in the morning and heavier in the afternoon. By the time we returned to the car, upward of 4" of new had fallen. Above 8500' the sun was shining and the wind was howling. With the latest storm that is supposed to move in, I would expect that all but the biggest rocks will be covered down low with significant amounts of windblown accumulations higher up.

Didn't think of the descent. The only reason we camped directly below the east ridge is to make for less travel if we decided to do more summits like the Needle and Klawatti. Bivying near Triad col would be a great idea. Agreed on the reading up...any wandering you might do will be above or below the gendarmes. We only rapped once as well where there was at least one fair and many iffy pieces of webbing. Climbing off the first one is fun anyway. It is surprising how long the climb is. It just sort of keeps going and going. A car to car would be cool as well. Ditch the heavy pack and go light.

It's worth being stoked! Clean Break is a great route. The TR brings back good memories of one of my first alpine-feeling rock climbs.

In retrospect your plan might be better. It seemed like a long way to wrap around the mountain from Triad col. There are some cliffs and steep snow to negotiate once through Inspiration col, but there should be some way to the route. Be most wary of rockfall as you approach the west arete from this direction. It seemed to be the only place that routinely was letting fly big chunks of rock coaxed down by nothing more than gravity. Have fun and I'll be curious to know if your approach makes better sense.

We saw couple bivies scratched out here and there, none of which I would have been terribly happy to spend the night in. For as much as the route seems to be on an arete from all photos, it's interesting how there is so much space for wandering. Easy to get off route.

Climb: Eldorado-west arete Date of Climb: 6/26/2004 Trip Report: A couple weeks ago my friend Dan and I set off for a three-day stint around Eldorado with our primary objective being the west arete. In the back of our minds' was the summit of Klawatti and Eldorado Needle (maybe even Austera) just to bag top 100 summits. The approach however is certainly as the books say--grade IV, steep and tiring carrying technical and overnight gear. Thankfully, the clouds held until treeline so the slog remained cool at least. We passed many people coming out but only one other party heading in. We made one routefinding mistake by climbing toward the top of a ridgeline rather than descending to the glaciers below, but were rewarded later when on our last stop to pump water, the cliff above us (and fortunately above a flat space as well) climax avalanched sending chunks of ice cascading down the steep rocks and out of sight which gave us a few seconds of wondering what might come rocketing over the hillcrest above. After depositing our gear at a campsite below the east ridge we assembled a small pack and headed off toward Klawatti by about 5pm. Not much of a surprise, but the snow was soft and slushy and the prospects of traversing the basin, summitting and returning was more than we felt like doing. Camp won out and we returned for dinner and sips of tequila and scotch. The wind kept the tent flapping all night so getting up the next morning was in most ways a relief. We even got out of camp a half hour ahead of schedule at 6:30 which was good since another routefinding error led us down about 800' of great boot skiing in the opposite direction of the west arete. Slogging back up our track we found the correct notch to the Triad Glacier after a bit of scrambling and began the lengthy traverse to our route. Finally by noon, we were roping up and heading into some steep rock. The first part of the climb is through gullies and much loose rock, loose enough that random falls crashed down to the glaciers below and Dan shortened many pitches to avoid dragging the rope across the rubble which from my perspective below was a nice thing! Passing the gendarmes is definitely the highlight of the route. At this point the rock becomes both noticeably steeper and more solid, though that is not to say solid. Most holds were worth thumping and at one point I stepped up onto to a block that began to shift the pile that reached from foot to neck. In a couple sections one plays peek-a-boo with the route as it winds its way through the knife-like ridge and at these times the exposure is quite spectacular, the best climbing of the route. With the day dwindling as it approached 8pm, we made it to the top of the technical climbing. Between us and the final 1000' feet of 4th class, a steep snowfield stretched. We switched from rock shoes to boots and gators and began kicking steps across and up the 50+ degree slope. I plunged up to my knees and sent the top several inches of slush hissing off into the cliffy oblivion below. This was no place for mistakes! Several steps more and I was in no mood to continue as my mind flashed back to the climax avalanche we saw the day before. I decided it would be safer to travel the shallow moat along the rocks at the top of the snow which we did until it was necessary to drop down to a notch. We kicked out to a small rock outcrop, set up an anchor, and Dan belayed me across the steepest snow for a rope length. We were then free to scramble to the top. The final scramble to the summit while easy and enjoyable did require attention as we wound our way through some 1000' of stacked blocks and flakes. We didn't linger long at the summit as it was already 9:30pm. In the twilight we walked down the east ridge and were back in camp by about 10pm to enjoy food, water, and more tequila and scotch before sleeping pretty well. The length of the west arete and the prospects of a long grind to get out, left me uninspired to do much of anything the next day and certainly not Eldorado Needle. Dan packed up a small pack and set off again toward Klawatti. I decided to just enjoy the scenery and rest against some boulders. A need for a little activity and the fact that we had no summit photos made me decide to pack up my blueberry granola and head back up to the summit of Eldorado via the east ridge. 45 minutes later I was back at the summit enjoying a delicious breakfast and amazing sights, snapping a picture or two that still need to be developed. Dan and I met back at camp, packed, and set off for the car. Going out we decided to traverse to the far col (Torment col?) and descend from there. The ridge traverse to the col was spectacular with views of all the surrounding hanging glaciers. This was a great trip! The west arete is well worth the effort. Even with its moments of not-so-good rock, it's a classic alpine route with a great feel of remoteness and commitment. The east ridge from camp: Looking back down the west arete: Looking across the steep, scary snowfield with fog covering the final scrambling beyond: Jon swimming in clouds and snow at the start of the hike out:

Right on, Donnelly! I was only half serious when I suggested the raft on that line. Way to go actually doing it. That's some screwball fun that I'll have to try!

Definitely was Mt. Thompson, though I wouldn't say for certain we were on any established route as both the rock quality and what we were seeing didn't really match up with the description. Anyway, sounds like if you stay on route, you should have fun. I might just have to get back up there.

Took my 6-year-old son for his first "hike for turns" outing up at Pineapple Pass. A great father's day gift from me to myself and from Eric as well. He gave me an awesome, positive attitude the whole way!

It wasn't recenlty, but many years ago my wife and I went up to climb the 5.6 route, I forget the exact one. We bailed because of encountering worse and worse rock, the kind that pulls off in your hands, crumbles beneath your feet, and gives you no faith in you protection. When I completed the last rappel, I was standing on a rock and thought, "I should move." I stepped up to a rock a couple feet away not a moment too soon. A rock the size of a small wheel slammed right through the spot I had been standing on! I am sure you will encounter some snow patches both on and off trail (quite a bit still depending on exposure). If you are doing the 5.6 route, tread lightly and watch for the rain of stones. Better yet, do all the leading so no one is above you.

Way to get your summit, Donnelly! And, yes, Skinveen, I am certain he was in his full-on, beastly alpine boots just like always. Sort of like training with ankle weights.

Climb: Pineapple Pass basin Date of Climb: 6/19/2004 Trip Report: I can't think of many better ways to spend Father's Day (or the day before) than with my six-year-old son introducing him to the world of hiking for one's turns. And what a job a kid can do! Alan, Peter, Eric, and I left the Snow Lake TH a bit before 8:30. We strolled along at a leisurely, short-legged pace, enjoying the sunshine, waterfalls, and glistening patches of snow above us. Eric and I swapped out lowcut hikers for boots at Source Lake and made a close together, ascent up the steep, snow-filled gullies to the basin below Pineapple Pass. There we had snacks, chilled the beer and rootbeer, and set our sights on the saddle at the top of the basin. It didn't take long to march up to the top where we put on out skis and set off for some turns. Eric seemed to forget how to turn (it had been a couple months since he skied last) and chose to traverse across the hill away from the easier line until he was in steeper terrain above rocks and a couple holes. After speeding over to get him going the right direction, he linked some great tight turns down the central part of the basin. Alan and Peter hiked back up for a second shot while Eric and I skied down to our stash of gear, snacked up again, and began the hike back down to Source Lake. We plunged stepped down hand-in-hand while Peter and Alan skied around us. I passed Eric off to Alan once out of the steepness and hit one run down to the lake. Eric, Peter, and Alan got a head start down the trail while I loaded up the skis and watched thunderclouds billow overhead. Catching them awhile later, it was clear that Eric was tired, his vocabulary reduced to one word, "Yeah," which he used to respond to everything I asked. Through the entire 7 miles, 7 hours, and 2000' of climbing, Eric kept a great attitude and enjoyed his first turns in the backcountry. The rest of us enjoyed our turns as well. What a day! Eric hits the backcountry: Eric finds his rhythm: Jon (dad) enjoys sun and corn: "Uncle" Alan does the same: Jon finds a jumpturn or two: Gear Notes: more beer, more time Approach Notes: trail and snow

Not to try to derail this thread further (I think all our thoughts are with the climbers in trouble) and maybe we should start a new thread to explore some of the issues raised by this spate of accidents, but here I go anyway. The radio is a good idea however knowing the weather patterns over the previous weeks is much more significant in determining snow conditions, avy danger, etc. Enough said, play safe and smart, and positive thoughts to the two still alive and doing well and to the third if he's lucky enough to be hanging in there.

While I'm skiing in Scarpa T3's, I recently was looking for crampons that would fit and the only thing I found was the lightweight Stubai, 10 pts. I tried the BD sabertooths, the Grivels, and a couple others. To get any of the others to fit would have meant altering the crampon or chiselling the sole of my boot. There is a thread somewhere where people said the BD's and the Grivels worked well, but not on my boots. Take your boots to the store before you buy anything and try to fit different pairs. The stubai will probably do fine for me as I don't see myself climbing any water ice in my duckbilled tele boots!