jordansahls

We found the roads to be poorly marked. We had to turn around a few times due to confusion. We drove from Seattle to Randal and took forest service road 23 to the Killen creek trailhead. What I failed to look up was the fact that there is another way to get to the Killen creek trailhead, our way was blocked by snow and would have required an additional 6 or so miles round trip. We almost gave up when we ran into a skier who informed us about the Divide creek trail, which was a short jaunt up the road. Divide creek starts a little bit higher, and is a shorter approach. However it is under snow and took a little bit of careful navigation. All in all we found it to be extremely manageable and fairly pleasant.

Trip: Adams - Adams Glacier Date: 7/30/2011 Trip Report: After tasting success on Rainier via the Kautz the previous weekend, Brian and I decided to try and keep the streak rolling by knocking off yet another Volcano. Neither of us had attempted to climb Adams so the choice was easy. The route was good, but a lot more involved than I anticipated. It was a much more "interesting" climb than the Kautz. We had a combination of unconsolidated snow, ice, and neve. Also, the barren nature of the terrain and the general lack of people give the mountain a bit more of an ominous and remote feel, pretty cool. Anyway, here are pictures. Approaching the mountain: Home sweet home: Acting like fools (I have wicked air guitar skills): Climbing early in the morning (Rainier in the background): Higher on the route: Summit plateau: Brian on top posing like a gangster. What the image doesn't capture are the 40mph winds sucking the snot from our nostrils. Strolling: Route after the descent: Gear Notes: Brought all the basic glacier gear and a picket and a few screws. We could have used both the screws and the picket but we opted to leave them in our packs for the whole climb. Approach Notes: Back roads into the north side are a disaster. Ended up taking the Divide creek trail.

I climbed the Kautz on July 23-24th and there was no ice in the chute. There was, and probably still is a massive amount of snow in that thing.

What about Mount Baker Coleman-Demming route? Or the Easton glacier on Baker? Both routes require roped glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills, but they are fairly moderate and offer good access during the late spring.

So I'm planning on climbing Ptarmigan ridge this weekend and I have a question regarding water on the approach. So last weekend I climbed the Kautz and there was running water on Wapowety cleaver that saved my partner and I from having to bring a stove. I understand the importance of a stove on this climb but I'm hoping to move as fast and light as possible. Does anyone recall running water on the approach to ptarmigan ridge or at the 10k bivy? I'm just trying to suss out my options.

Hey, thanks for the answer. I realise it's a subjective question. I have been looking at the N. ridge route for a while now. Maybe I'm being too picky, but I really want to hit it in "classic" conditions. Still, mountains and conditions change, so "classic" is also subjective. whatever, thanks again for the info and congrats on a great climb!

Awesome! Great report. I'm hopeing to climb the N. Ridge this upcoming weekend. I know it's a shot in the dark, but how long do you figure until the ice becomes a bit more solid? Your description of crappy ice is making me think it might be more prudent to wait a few more weeks to climb this route.

Thanks for the clarification. It's an interesting subject no doubt. In my limited expirience, I have been led to understand that determining a patients INR can be difficult which is why, when a safe theraputic range has been reached, it is highly unadvisable for patients to switch their eating habits (example, no large kale salad if it's not your norm, to much vit k, ect). It seems like a major difficulty with these studies is using the INR since it seems to be such a moving target even under "normal" cirsumstances.

Thanks for the clarification everyone. Just to scratch a curios itch, doesn't it make sense that travel to altitude would decrease INR? I would think that the hypoxic response mechanism would cause an increase in RBC production. However, coumadin works by inhibiting the vit K pathway. I would also think that the INR wouldn't change much at all because vit K is the rate limiter in the response. So is there more research out there on this subject?

You may want to exercise a bit of caution. Travel to altitudes of over 2400m have been shown to lower patients INR's below theraputic levels. It sounds like bleeding out isn't so much of a risk as forming a potential life threatening emboli. Here is a link to an abstract: Warfarin and altitude

What kind of blood thinners are we talking about here? Are you taking a small blood thinner like aspirin, or something more serious like coumadin?

If you want the full-on glacier/crevasse mountain expirience go for Baker. Shuksan is a worthy goal but lacks the "big" feel that you get with something like baker. Of course, I may be biased since I have grown up in Washington around mountains.

Right on, looks like a great trip!

Nice work! I was up there Saturday-Sunday and had to turn around at camp Hazard due to the killer winds and whiteout conditions. A couple of friends stayed Sunday and summited Monday and told me that there was absolutely no wind on Monday. Crazy how the weather comes and goes on that mountain.

Ha! That video is awesome.

Ha. Actually, I think it's easier to climb with no sleep than to try and get a few measly hours in before starting. Nothing sucks more than trying to wake up while hitting the trail. Did you guys end up climbing CBR?

I just got off the phone with the ranger station and they say that the road is closed 5 miles from the Killen creek trail head.

Trip: Colchuck ski - The night shift Date: 6/29/2011 Trip Report: Brian (BCross) and I decided to get a climb and ski in Tuesday night. We settled on Colchuck. We left the car at 12:30am and made it to the summit around 4:40am, just in time to watch a killer sunrise. It was a bit of a trip leaving work, climbing, and driving back to work the next day without any sleep. When all was said and done we did the climb C2C in 7.5 hrs, not bad. Night climbs are awesome! I plan to get a few more in before the summer is over. Pics! (courtesy of Brian) Climbing up the Col with the sun just starting to rise at 3:30am Yar she blows! On the top Stuart in all its glory! Sea of clouds Starting down The lake Gear Notes: skis, headlamps Approach Notes: Stuart lake trailhead -Snow starts at Colchuck lake but is melting out fast.

So I'm planning on climbing Mount Adams via the Adams glacier this upcomming weekend and I need some thoughts on potential ski routes. I am by no means a great skier, but I can handle myself on most stuff. With that in mind I was thinking about just skiing down the adams glacier, but that could depend on the condition of the route. Is the North Ridge a possible ski route? Basically what are some good alternatives that wont put me on the other side of the mountain?

Any pics of the rock? I just looked through the pictures and there are non that really show the rock in the area, sorry.

Yeah, the meadow was really nice. I was looking at all of the granite walls in the area and kept wondering about the climbing.

Epic!

Cool, I thought I might have recognized one of you from previous TR's on this site. What did you two end up climbing? We passed beneath a large rockfall on our way up the drainage. Later in the day we could hear and see stuff coming off of little Annapurna. I'm glad we were not down in the valley during that time.

Trip: Enchantments - Little Annapurna and McCllelan via Ingalls creek Date: 6/19/2011 Trip Report: This last Sunday (the 19th) marked another day among a string of many spent questing for more obscure routes into the Enchantments. Brian and I have now been in via hook creek,rat creek, Nada lake, Toketie, and now Ingalls creek, or more precisely, crystal creek. The approach via Ingalls creek would be better than most any other approach if it wasn't for the seven, flat, mind numbing miles it takes to reach the crystal creek drainage. However, once to the drainage the route goes up fast and brings you to the saddle between Little Annapurna and McClellan peak. Once to the saddle things went quick to the top of little Annapurna. I spent a good half an hour napping in the sun trying to recover from the previous nights "festivities" and subsequent lack of sleep. The ski down was awesome and seemed to do more to wake me up than my nap. Brian and I quickly booted up to McCllelan and scrambled up the back side. We realized that we could ski off the back side of McClellan and save ourselves a few miles on the way out. The skiing was good for a few thousand feet but soon turned into classic tree burn and shrubbery. Minimal shinannigans got us back to the Ingalls creek trail. The 5 miles or so on the way out went slow, or at least felt slow. All in all a good day out. Brian brought his Garmin forerunner watch and it showed that we did just under 9000 vertical feet for the day, which explained why I felt so damned tired at the car. pics: (courtesy of Brian and his camera) Ingalls creek: Crystal creek drainage: Booting up lil annapurna: On the top, looking down at the crystal creek drainage and our way in: summit nap: Prusik peak, temple ridge and more: This is what it was like all day: Brian getting his turns in: Booting up McCllelan: At the top of McClellan looking back at Little Annapurna (our descent was down the snow field in the left of the photo): Gear Notes: skis, tunes Approach Notes: Take Ingalls creek 7 miles until you reach the obvious drainage (crystal creek). Go up until you reach a saddle between L. Annapurna and McClellan peak.

Here are a few videos that help to illustrate the structures of the shoulder that may or may not be bothering you. This just shows the suprascapular nerve. You can see how entrapment of this nerve could cause some shoulder problems. However, you said the pain was lower and under the shoulder blade, correct? [video:youtube] Here is a video explaining how impingement of the long thoracic nerve can cause shoulder blade pain and other problems. This video illustrates the structures really well. [video:youtube] Its also very likely that you could have scapular bursitis. The following video is talking about a condition called snapping scapula. It's probably not your problem, but the illustrations and animations do a great job of showing the structures and how they work together. [video:youtube] Also The common symptoms of scapular bursitis are... Pain around or under the scapula. Tenderness. Swelling. Redness (sometimes) over the affected bursa. Fever if infection is present. Limitation of motion in the scapula area, including the shoulder. Source Basically, It could be a few things. If you can, get to a PT or Orthopedic specialist as soon as possible. I have dealt with Thoracic outlet syndrome for 6 yeas, and besides just sucking in general, It really messes with climbing. Deal with it not so you don't have to deal with it later.