Chriznitch

Iain--good to know. However, we were going to meet some cheerleaders over at Cooper Spur, but thanks for the info. Here's an Elliot photo:

we checked out the CGI on Saturday. Went up about 1/3 of the way after a late start and wimping out with the weather blowing in--some gusts up to 30mph or so. We stopped at a large crevasse that seems to span most of the glacier, so be prepared for a rappel into it and vertical climb out--30' feet or so. Enough to feel committing! It was interesting backing down this but went pretty smooth. Made one rap off a super-bollard. As far as rock climbing goes, hmmm...There seems to be some nice solid rock in spots that could be fun, but might not be worth the trip out there for it. I knocked down a biggie--500 lbs--climbing back up the loose gully on the morraine. Seemed bomber but gave way when I stood on it--at least I got above it. Here's a couple pics:

glad you had a safe trip, but never say never! however, having a good talk with potential new partners beforehand about experience and skills is the lesson I take from this one...

don't let this happen to you! Climber Rescued By Paul Boerger Updated: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 6:33 PM PDT link After being airlifted off Mount Shasta by helicopter, Katlin Jones of Redding is listed in stable condition at Mercy Medical Center Redding after sustaining injuries while climbing on the mountain. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department reported the 22 year old Jones had fallen on her ice axe and punctured her trachea while climbing above Lake Helen. A US Forest Service team led by climbing ranger Matt Hill started hiking up to the accident site, and Sheriff's Department Sergeant Dave Nicholson began an air rescue operation. Helicopters from the California Highway Patrol and California Department of Forestry were dispatched to the scene. Hill's party reached Jones and stabilized her until the CDF helicopter arrived and transported her to Lake Helen. A paramedic crew from the CHP helicopter attended to her injuries. Jones was flown from Lake Helen by the CHP helicopter to Mercy Medical Center Redding.

thanks buddy

Hmmm. Sounds like only a short section that could be led with your buddy's snow axe if necessary...

awhile ago I surfed a great web site with spectacular photos of Mt Hood and its many flanks. It featured high quality, black and white photos of all aspects of the mountain, shot from the air. Now I can't find it. Anybody know this site?

well, tennies are ESSENTIAL for the Hoh river trail. Once you get to the lateral morraine where that latest picture was taken (nice one cj001f!) it is 2+ miles on hard glacier ice and soft snow. Your call. I carried my leather boots and was glad I did, but we were on the glacier for a few days... Should be a great trip!

you don't need raps for Mt Tom. For Olympus's west peak, there are (at least) 2 raps stations on the summit. One takes you down the rock side (south side)--this is what I used. Since I didn't have 2 ropes, I had to place a sling halfway down (it's a little over 200') so that should still be there. From the north side (standard route) a single rope rappel will easily reach the 45 degree snow slope where you can downclimb the rest... The pinnacle has plenty knobs to place your own stuff. Slings provide ample protection.

there are some issues with heat shielding /wind screens as well. DrCrash--what were you using? There are ways to insulate the canister stoves--such as the system that hanging kits utilize. Maybe this would make it more efficient.

bummer dude

I was heavily in favor of Oregon High not long ago, but the recent events have really made the included opinions stand out...I think I'm more neutral now. Perhaps the Falcon guide is the best for beginning climbers & peakbaggers looking for the easiest way to the summit. And although opinionated, the ratings do offer a way to compare route difficulties. However, certainly the descriptions in Oregon High are superior and are basically copied in the Falcon guide (in some spots the falcon book uses cheap sketches instead of showing the actual photos!! Copyright issues?) Here's a pic of the Middle Sis from the NE last August:

there are lots of quiet & free spots to be found on forest service roads bordering the park

burly

yeah--we checked out the seracs about 1/2 way up, and then decided to traverse under them heading uphill towards Point Success. We came out on the plateau directly above the major crevasse, maybe 200yds, that was spanning the plateau south to north and trudged over to CC. You guys were long gone by that point!

not in my opinion. Last month we started at like 9am and had no problems with the snow conditions. It's not like Hood where you are subject to rockfall later in the day. Your call, but it's a beautiful area and the more you can see the better. Anyways, I suppose you've already climbed it at this point!

as long as you approach from the west you will be okay. Coming from the east involves crossing the Hayden glacier--which has some open crevasses at this time. I climbed the north ridge about a month ago and there was still some lingering snow, but it's surely gone by now. If you just bought the axes and are unfamiliar with handling them, maybe you should bring 'em and practice self arresting on the Renfrew Glacier during the approach. You'll have a blast

crazy--yeah I remember you guys on Saturday. I did see some tracks below the ice chute, but that was it. You guys must've gone low up the upper Kautz? We ended up going way high above the broken area with seracs, and came out even on the plateau. No tracks at all.

I would assume that the North Ridge is completely melted out with a scree trail from Prouty Point to the summit. Cake.

yeah

it's an extra made by granite gear. Really light nylon that resembles snakeskin--amazing what these guys come up with

we descended it on Sunday (8/8/04) afternoon and found it straightforward but slushy. It must've had some fresh snow on it that morning but was "well established" by the time we got on it. There were a couple open crevasses that surprised me--somewhat hidden on the sides by the snow pushed over from all the hikers. Also, there is quite a bit of exposed rock/dirt above camp muir. Good luck ==>

now that I've spent about 10 nights in the new bag I must say it's a pretty sweet summer sleeper. Combined with the air-compressor stuff sack it packs down to about the size of a cantalope. Have yet to test in really wet weather, but in the standard snow camping I've done with a tent it seems great so far. It's rated at 15 degrees, and was plenty warm for Rainier and Olympus. The 900 fill down fluffs quick, but it is pricy...

well, that would account for 1 of the 4 parties we camped with. We met 3 guys at Columbia Crest who climbed the Emmons--sounded like it was in great shape

Climb: Mt Rainier-Kautz Glacier Date of Climb: 8/7-8/2004 Trip Report: My buddy Nate and I climbed the Kautz Glacier route from Paradise. We crossed over the Nisqually and climbed up to the Wilson Glacier. This was straightforward and efficient--we were glad that we went this way instead of starting at the lower trailhead. The approach we used avoided the fan. After starting in the rain we quickly climbed above the clouds and into a beautiful day. We camped at about 10500', and there were 4 other parties camped nearby. No running water was found--it was all buried under new snow. The views from camp were pretty good: That night we watched some large ice chunks break off the Kautz ice cliff and realized that we'd better get an early start and move quickly. We left camp a few minutes before 5am, dropped down to the Kautz and climbed through the ice chute leading through the cliffs. The top layers of ice were poor quality and shattered off in sheets, but the understuff held pretty good. We used a running belay here and placed 3 ice screws--the only protection used on the whole trip. After getting through the chutes we climbed up the Kautz, traversing under some more seracs before getting to the summit plateau. This route was direct and simple, but was still long. I'm not sure what happened to the other parties that were with us at camp, but we ended up breaking trail the whole way (ugh!) through the foot of fresh snow on the upper mountain. This was brutal! The summit offered spectacular views with hardly a cloud in the sky. We lingered for a while: Descent was by the DC route--well broken in by the time we got there. Being my first time on the mountain I was amazed at the chaos of Camp Muir but glad to descend this side and get to see some more angles of the mountain. Time: about 7 hours to camp at 10500', 7 hours to the summit, and 5 hours on the descent. Overall it was an excellent trip and great introduction to what the mountain has to offer. Gear Notes: used 3 ice screws & 2nd tool Approach Notes: crossed Nisqually directly below Glacier Vista and followed a waterfall to the Wilson