scottgg

Anybody have recent pics of Dragontail's north face?

Hows Colchuck Lake looking? Can you still walk across it?

Nice Guys!

Wow, cool trip! How did Snow Creek Wall look?

Some thoughts on Alaskan Picks: -Climb snow/alpine ice to 70deg better than reverse curved picks -Dont climb rock near as well -The top of the pick forms a point that sticks above the axe's head. This digs into your palms if you use the tool much in a cane position. Good pick for moderatly steep routes

some spring freeze-thaw should do the trick on Triple Couloirs. Thanks for the pics!

I have the whole day free for some time in the hills; something big or perhaps a trip up the Tooth?

Alpine: Sunset on Liberty Ridge, Mt Rainier Bouldering: Aaron makin it look easy, Index Town Wall Scenic: Mt Stuart Humor: Beer Troll breaking into new lead grades, Index Town Wall

Anybody been back there recently? How far back was a trail kicked in? How's the snowpack? Thanks for the info!

Nice cfire, best thing I've read since Uncle Tricky! Reminds me of a story of my own.... It was a abnormally cold October, and when Halloween dawned clear and cool I decided to look for some early season ice around Snoqualmie Pass. I met up with my new partner off 405 at 2:30am , and was immediately impressed by his visage. He had a steely gaze, and looked to be hewn from a large oak tree. We made quick time on the icy trail, while Chris regaled me with tales of harrowing adventures in the Canadian Rockies, from Polar Circus to the East Face of Mt. Babel. Our destination was the classic north face of Chair Peak, and as we soloed up the thin ice below the NE Buttress I was both confident and optimistic. However, our first view of the route coincided with a sense of dread and a pressing desire for the fat ice I had previously experienced on this route. Chris was unfazed, however, and as he racked up he spun a yarn which was both hilarious and sad. His tale was of a adventure in the Bugs, complete with bluebird days, haulbags, mysterious cabins, and sadly not a whole lot of climbing. Stress and adrenaline combined to create a potent cocktail of delirium, and after our climb together I couldn’t remember the details of Chris's story. Thanks Chris, for writing down your tale!

I'm talking about winter/spring routes with ice and snow and other crazy alpine stuff Those psyco Euro climbers have competitions where they see how many quality routes they can climb in x amount of time. Well, if we had a similar contest in the Cascades, where would you set up your tent such that you could climb several cool routes?

What area has the best concentration of winter/spring routes in Washington? That is, if you had a few days to rack up as many high quality routes as weather/conditions/fitness allowed, where would you go? I'm saying Alpental Valley in the winter, and the Colchuck Basin in the early spring. Sure, there are much better routes in other areas, but the plethora of good routes in these two cirques get my vote. What say you?

Thanks for the pic Troger, that sure is a purtty pillar! I wondered if you guys could see us.

What did you guys think of this picture's central line? Looks sporty! After seeing the photo taken from Silver Mountain, it looks like there are some cool climbs further to the left, maybe even ending up directly on the summit... mental note made

Yeah, really fun climb! However, I was not able to fully enjoy it because I felt bad about leaving the pregnant hottie at home Upon reaching the west ridge, we unroped and I could feel the inexorable pull of responsibility and guilt turning us downhill. But despite Climbing(magazine)'s assertion that alpine climbing is about routes not summits, we followed our hearts and tagged the top. After stoping to pick up roses, I raced home and was pleasantly suprised to find the bun still in the oven! While pulling off my capalline, I was reminded why I love climbing in the cascades when all sorts of pine needles, bark, and branches fell to the ground...

Nice. Silver Peak sure looks far away from the summit of Humpback!

Nice Kurt, that first pitch looks spooky! Slothrop's excellent photo, and route overlays.

Edit: Thanks for clearing up the topo Dave.

:tup: Dang, nice job you two! I was hoping you'd make it off before the weather moved in!

Point taken; we were off the mountain and back to the car by 12:00. Great fun though!

I was up on Red Mountain earlier this week, and there was not much corn to be found... great condition for cramponing though.

Glad it all turned out ok. So how did your partner fall? Was he wearing crampons?

What the story Dave?

Marko and I climbed that central ice line on Kent on Saturday, and found stellar conditions. Took about about two hours in two long simul-blocks up thunker ice and rock hard neve. Highly recommended!

I'm pretty tall, and the Sierra Designs Black Ice Pants in size large are perfect for me. $90 on backcountry gear I think.