John_Scurlock

Do me a favor & send me an email or post a comment on the site if it isn't working. I've noticed other people complaining in pbase's forums about the red x's. I haven't had any problems with it personally but it's impossible for me to check my whole site very often. I just checked a lot of it now, everything seems to be up. Best wishes, JS

http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/53643362 There's some other newer images there also, in the 'Inbox'. JS

Hey Darin -- A little more info on the ones I know of (besides Dome): Silver Star -- a small hole in the Wine Spires, formed by a chockstone. I don't have a photo of it. Another below SS col, high on the 'wrong' gulley on the south climbing route. This is more of a short tunnel, found unintentionally during a climb in the early 1990s. Jack -- More of a 'slot' hole, on the ridge N of Nohokomeen Gl., at about the 7 to 8k elevation. No pics... but it is big enough to see down into forest to the N when flying over it. Bear -- High on the E side of the 'Diamond', visible in this pic: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/47111504 - a tiny hole below the ridge, down from the L summit. Mike Swayne has told me of another one on the W pk he found during a climb. Arches Pk - I learned of this one from John Roper. I have not seen it. It's the basis for the pk's name, I believe. Nooksack Tower - A small 'hole' below two of the pinnacles to the NE below the summit. Also probably a 'chockstone' situation. I have seen it but have been unable to photograph it. Cloudcomb pk (Saska/Cardinal area) - a small hole in the pinnacles on the south summit ridge area, seen while flying in that area, but no photographs. Snowfield E ridge - the big one was noticed while reviewing pics from a flight. On return to photograph it, the small one was spotted. The pics are tipped, the ridge is actually a lot steeper there than shown. It is also visible here: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/38018930 A friend of mine, Jim Lane, tried but was unable to see this on a climb earlier this year - too steep & no rock gear. JS

Please be careful, my friend, about dis-respecting folks who have, by & large, dedicated their entire adult lives to the care and well-being of the NCNP, with the express intent of assuring its preservation for the rest of us to enjoy. Everybody, including those from NPS who have posted here, knows that Mike & Erik were being a bit sarcastic with those comments, and nobody is holding it against them. Kindest Regards, John Scurlock

Let me clarify a couple of things -- both flights (8/31 & 9/1) were, in part, for the purpose of photographing glaciers (in this record low-snow season) for Jon Reidel, NCNP geologist. But I was fully aware of Mike & Erik's plan, I was concerned for them as any reasonable person would be, and I was anxious to get by there to check on them. I had no part in any permit/non-permit decisions. I totally respect the position the rangers are in, believe me, because they will be the ones busting their butts & risking their necks to bail the rest of us out. But I think the actual permit thing is between climbers and the NCNP, and in general I do support the permit process. I would also say here that Mike & Erik knew fully the seriousness of their undertaking, and I know they left a detailed plan with others as well as myself. By the way, I had considered loaning them an aviation-band hand-held transceiver so I could talk to them but in the end decided not to, not wanting to generate a self fulfilling prophecy. The 'red flare' was sort of a half-serious gesture, but I DID have a plan had I seen it -- climb up to ~15,000 ft & call my friend & personal guardian angel, Kelly Bush!! (I have successfully used a cell phone while in flight at that very location previously, to call Karen Nolan, my other PGA, to tell her of an alteration to the flight plan). Everybody knows, of course, that actual rescue in that situation would have basically been damn near impossible... Personally, I would apply the term 'sacred' to virtually the entire NCs, in a non-religious 'conceptual' way - and I have yet to meet climbers that don't feel the same way, deep down. As mentioned by Kelly, that's the fundamental reason we have the park today. and for the record, no, I don't need much of an excuse to go flying. Again to both of you, congratulations for an amazing accomplishment. This is the overriding message from this TR. I feel the same about it now as I did when you called to tell me you had succeeded - totally awestruck!

Wonder if this is the same uninformed quite-holier-than-thou 'gentleman' that accused me of committing a crime by flying over the Pasayten Wilderness - in a comment posted on my site a few months ago... anonymously of course... a tactic which doesn't sit so well with me...

I'm a teeny bit confused. Do I need to get back in there & photograph the E face of ESE Mox?? & also the E face of SE Mox? Because that last one would be REALLY tough, getting in there between those pts. We're talking 90 deg. bank here, 50 ft above the col. YIKES!

Doug, check your pms.

I have searched the 'full' version of this image pixel by pixel and cannot see them: http://www.pbase.com/image/48582368 However, I did spot Mike briefly, using binoculars, on the morning of Sept. 1. Both days it was very turbulent at pk altitude as the weather was in the process of changing. We had discussed the 'red flare' so I was definitely apprehensive about possibly seeing it. It was a great relief to spot them, if only for a moment, high on the face. Those were the only days I could possibly have flown in there, weather wise. There was new snow on Spickard's summit on the 31st, an indication of how shitty the weather was in the days before. This is not an easy thing to fly close to; it is guarded closely by the ridge to the SE, and Spickard to the N. The photographs do not do it justice; the immensity of seeing it straight up is unbelievable. It has taken me many tries to get some decent photographs of it, after the first suggestions from John Roper & Darin Berdinka. At this point I have seen just about every big face in the NCs and SE Mox beats all. I am not qualified to give much comment on the technical aspects of climbing such a thing but I will say I am in complete awe of this FA. A fine accomplishment by two individuals at the top of their capabilities. Harry Majors predicted this climb to JR & myself after seeing the winter shots of it, but I never imagined it would come true so soon. Hats Off to both of you!

Your description is exactly right. I did end up posting a pic from Aug. 8 here: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/47627665 This is cross posted to the Baker gallery too. The center section looks like a suicide death trap... and that's from 12000 ft.

Check your pms.

I went by there yesterday morning, you can look at a couple of shots of it here: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/47493612 http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/47493615 I'll leave those up for a week or two.

...and then of course there is the broken leg part... a 'photographic difficulty' I have never had to deal with. Hope you have made a good recovery & and are back at it. JS

Hey, from where I am sitting, those are great! I especially like & prefer the evening light, which also makes for tricky photographic conditions. I also note that for what sounds like a relatively brief opportunity you made the absolute most of it, especially considering you were shooting through plexi and came away with few reflections - something I am in a constant battle with. Best Wishes, JS

The TTs are NW of Austera, part of 'Austera Ridge', and SW of Primus. Note Eldorado & Klawatti in the background of today's image. Here is a winter shot, from a little farther W and also higher up: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/35623014 See p. 303 (green CAG, '77 ed.), also which has a good Austin Post area pic. Local relief on these is much less on their S sides.

I have posted a few shots of these after getting requests recently. They can be viewed at: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/ncsummer The posted images are from a flight this morning under clear but turbulent conditions. My old friend Dave Adams (Wallingford Alpine Club) served as co-pilot. I will add to this gallery sporadically; I have no current plans to systematically photograph the NCs during 'non-winter'. I am, however, maintaining a 'wish list' for next winter which includes both Bear & Primus, among many others. If anyone has questions or suggestions please send me an email. Regards, John Scurlock

You are right, there is significant limestone up there; after digging around in my cerebral cortex, I also remembered the following: Halliday, W. R., 1963, Caves of Washington: Washington Division of Mines and Geology Information Circular 40, 132 p., 9 plates. (out of print) I recall reference in this to one of the longer limestone caves in Washington being located W of Dock Butte/Wanlick pass. (I don't own this pamphlet - probably read a copy at the FS years ago). So I was wrong in questioning Dock Butte's dolomitic heritage! No one can accuse me of being a geologist...

Dock (or Dock's) Butte is known locally as an easy hike to a great viewpoint for the S side of Baker. Access is off the Schreiber's meadow/Wanlick Pass rd, stay to the L (do not go to Schreiber's), then L again at Wanlick p. on the Blue Lk rd. I do not know any climbing history on it but from flying over it I would say it is not exactly Yosemite-esque. Blue Lk has a black fly rep as I recall. I would be a bit surprised to know that it was limestone, as I thought those deposits were concentrated near the lower end of Lk Shannon.

I might have some closer shots of it than this: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/39972561 Won't know until tomorrow when I get home, will check then; send me an email if you are interested. Regards, John Scurlock

I found a (flawed)shot of the direct N (NW?) face from Feb. 3 '05 and posted it here: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/44807561 Both times I have been over to Robinson the wind was howling which, because of me getting slammed around, has not allowed lower altitude flight... This perspective diminishes its huge & dominating bulk. This shot also shows the minimal snow pack, after the warm weather of mid/late January. I think JR's pic more accurately shows the potential for skiing one or both of these couloirs, "real" winter avy conditions notwithstanding. The view looks sort of SE, with Robinson Cr on the R, I believe. JS

That scar was still visible yesterday. There were new slabs coming off everywhere, Baker & other pks. This morning I was over at Spider and could see foot & ski tracks into Kool Aid Lk, a big slab coming down covering them about mid-way back to Cache col. There's a few fat cornices perched still as well, in various places.

http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/43881817 From late yesterday (5/24/05) -- it was obvious that the wind was abolutely screaming across this mt., also at Glacier pk. Those poor chaps at Muir were pinned against the anvil IMHO. Sorry about the link. One of these days this commodore 64 is goin' out the window...

As there are no secrets, a brief explanation of how the photographs were taken. I was not completely satisfied with the shots from April 12 so immediately thereafter began planning another effort. Darin's intriquing suggestion led me back to the first photographs to consider how I might obtain definitive images of the route and, particularly, the crux. Weather seemed perfect the morning of the 19th, so I left a detailed flight plan with Karen and departed. Once aloft it was evident that strong wind out of the NE would be a factor. I flew to Mt Larrabee and circled just south of the border at 8500'. I then contacted Vancouver Center (air traffic control), requested and got a clearance into Canadian airspace, to remain in contact with them for about 15 min., then proceeded NE while descending, crossing the SE ridge to begin circling N/NE of Slesse at about 7500', clockwise. (I would normally circle CCW but decided to go CW to stay to Slesse's N, out of turbulence downwind of the pk). Once in position, I verified that I was at an altitude that would provide safe clearance over the N ridge, since I would cross it each time I circled. I set power to provide an airspeed of 100 to 110 MPH, since the route is in the shade and I knew the shutter speed might be a little slow. Faster speed can mean blurry shots in these situations. With everything set up and stabilized, I began photographic passes. The camera was set in 'burst' mode, shooting off ten or so images in about five or six seconds. I was also using telephoto mode to provide some distance away from the N/NE face. A left bank is required to get the wing out of the picture. This results in a turn towards the mountain, another reason to stand away at a safe distance. Using this technique I made about eight or nine circuits. This is the same method I have used many times in the past to get shots of certain geological features or other climbing routes. I then moved farther to the N in order to get images of a wider perspective. Once I had a hundred or so shots I climbed back up and proceeded south, bidding farewell to ATC and Slesse. At this point, results were still uncertain, needing review and confirmation at home on the computer. So now I give thanks to Darin for presenting me with a most interesting little project that generated some quite useful images. Having successfully photographed 'Heart of Darkness', I leave shortly in my quest for that 'Everest' of aerial photographs, the mythical Mt. Britney Spears and its fabled Kid Rock Buttress. It is a sight I fear to see, yet cannot turn away from. I believe Mt. BS lies near the center of that mist-shrouded 'blank on the map' to the N of Big Bosom Buttes - a region feared by aviators perhaps more than the Bermuda Triangle. So wish me good luck, and, Oh Yes, if I return safely I WILL post pictures. Kindest Regards, John Scurlock

As you can see I don't quite have this upload thing down yet (at least not here...) - http://www.pbase.com/nolock/inbox the three images are posted at the bottome of this page. Judging from the hit counts a number of you are already there! I am hoping to get DSL up here in fifty yrs or so! That will take care of part of my problem.

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/uploads/7060/Slesse041205-57aeh.jpg