Dan_Miller

I climbed Cashmere on last Thursday Sept. 1st, and camped at Little Lake Caroline, and can truly attest to the ferocity and numbers of the mozzies at the lake level at least. I raced up the peak so fast from my camp that I didn't really encounter much in the way of bugs from 6300' on up. But back at camp I broke down quickly and hurried down to the car in an effort to avoid them at all costs. For what it's worth, the Eight Mile Road was as horribly washboardy as most any road I can recall in forty years of climbing in the Cascades and elsewhere in North America. And, I have a great vehicle for driving such roads. A real teeth rattler! 10mph at the absolute max, a little faster on the way down. Thankfully it's only 3 or so miles to the Eight Mile Lake Trailhead.

Sherpa Glacier and environs on 09/01/11 from below Cashmere Mtn. Pete, I stand properly corrected here. All these years I thought Sherpa Pass was the low point between Sherpa Peak and Mt. Stuart (above the Sherpa Glacier). The CAG clearly indicates Sherpa Pass to be the low point between Sherpa and Argonaut Peaks. Sherpa Pass is well depicted from the Ingalls Creek side by Alpine Dave.

Great photo of your partner Martin and the Western Anemones gone to seed, or as some call them the Tina Turner, or Cousin It flowers.

Perhaps Kelly Bush, NOCA Wilderness District Ranger would care to weigh in here. She'd be the knowledgeable one with regard to our concerns regards Boston Basin.

Great 'human powered' adventure!

Good job gents! First trip out with the Salewa's Juan?

Excellent work Josh! Very fine photo of the NE Buttress of Goode and the swirling clouds. The summit of Mt. Logan is a fine place indeed. "It doesn't get much better than this" I whispered to myself as I descend onto the slope below. You've got that well sussed out at this early point in your climbing career, tht's for certain. Keep at it!

Great work gentlemen! Hands down the best set of photos from a climb of this route I can ever recall seeing. Kudos to all three climber/photographers!

Mr. Pantilat. All I want to know is if your billable hours quotas are where they're supposed to be? Another good job on as you've told us, a quite remote Sierra Peak.

This link from today's Seattle Times. Seattle Times NOCA Grizzly bear article. This is extremely cool to my way of thinking! Perhaps it's time to get a 'Bear Bell' concession going in the Park.

A brief message from WSDOT's Jeff Adamson concerning ongoing Hwy 20 repair work. Hi all, Here's the schedule for the chip seal project for the next two weeks - no tar and gravel any earlier than the third week of the month - and likely, later than that. Jeff (note: I'm on vacation next week...) Have a happy (and safe) 4th of July! SR 20 (MP148-178) North Cascades Highway Chip Seal Tuesday - Friday 7/5-8 and Monday - Thursday 7/11-14, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., expect up to 10 minute delays with flagger controlled traffic where crews are raising guardrail to standard. They will also be repairing damaged pavement with asphalt to prepare the surface for chip sealing. In this $2.7 million project, Central Washington Asphalt Co. crews are resurfacing 30 miles of highway over Washington and Rainy Passes. The construction begins with several weeks of work bringing guardrail up to current standards. That will be followed with pre-level (Hot-Mix-Asphalt) patching of damaged pavement sections. Chip seal resurfacing won't begin until after the 4th of July. Work began June 8 and will be complete by October. Project Engineer: Eric Pierson (509) 667-2870

At long last the Chiwawa River and Phelps Creek Roads are driveable!

Thanks a ton RafalA, I was concerned no one else had hardly even heard of them. My internded principal use is as a mixed boot, with some snowslogging at times. I'm hoping reasonable for the approaches here in the North Cascades and up in your neck of the woods. A little more rigorous boot than the Trango S Evo's I use most of the time and a replacement for the older La Sportiva K5 S's (a very heavy, but incredibly warm single boot). I'm following your link over to Grav Sports right away!

Soliciting comments from anyone on the Scarpa JORASSES PRO GTX Boot. Great deal from Zappos on the boot. I have it and have worn it around the house for days now and I believe it fits well (this is always such a stressful endeavor in determining if it fits properly before one takes it out into the mountains and climbs with it; and it becomes yours rather than returnable). I can't recall any previous comments, opinions on the boot on CC.com previously. Anyone out there have any (hopefully well reasoned) views on their experience with this particular boot?

I'm with DPS in favor of the Pocket Rocket by MSR, especially for your intended use. Keep firing us questions. As you've already encountered we all have plenty of (if at times caustic) opinions.

I just tossed out 6 packets of another brand of energy gel with the expiration date of 10/08 for whatever that's worth. Based on exactly what I really don't quite know other than a habit pattern concerning all potential perishables. A year or perhaps a year and a half I might well consume it, but greater than two years, why bother? I'm assuming since they placed the date on there the manufacturer hopefully has a reason (generally liability) for placing such a date on the packaging. Perhaps I'm unnecessarily wasteful.

I have perhaps thirty old Bonatti D biners (no lockers) from the mid 1970's. Still have them in a box in the garage. 'Heavy' best describes them. I've left some at rappel stations on occcasion. Most had blue gates, a few with red gates. The were state of the art in their day.

Mont-bell calls it the Frost Line.

Try clinical strength antiperspirant (for climbers this is not uncommenly done) on your feet coupled with a high quality wicking polyster such as the Thorlo's.

They may have to wait quite some time for the weather on Devils Thumb to cooperate. It doesn't see much summit traffic, even in these days of 'smash and grab'. And as others have mentioned Mount Logan's Hummingbird Ridge will be a real challenge as well. No question this is a very cool project for a couple to become interested in, Best of luck guys on those routes that remain to be done!

In the olden days we just wrapped skin tails with some medical tape and called it good. Works surprisingly well in lieu of a tail fix kit. The quality of the skin glue will (as you might guess) be crucial as well to tail adherence. It should be noted that all my most recent skins have had effective tail fix however.

Here's the take from this morning's NPS Daily Report: Mount Rainier National Park (WA) Climber Perishes During Liberty Ridge Ascent A party of three climbers departed White River on June 10th for a summit attempt via the challenging Liberty Ridge route. During the climb, one member of the party, Rob Planker, 50, of Olympia, Washington, became severely hypothermic and possibly frostbitten. On June 13th, his partners were unable to get him walking from their camp at 13,600 feet, so left him to seek assistance. They contacted a ranger on Emmons Glacier at 5 p.m. that evening. Two teams of climbing rangers headed to his location, one team from Camp Schurman and the other from Camp Muir. One of the teams had to turn back at 12,100 feet due to winds blowing at 55 mph. Members of the second team spent the night in a snow cave and resumed their efforts to reach Planker at 5 a.m. the next morning. They found some of his gear at the point where his partners left him, but were unable to find Planker. Air searchers found a 2,000-foot-long slide track leading down a 50 degree ice- and snow-covered slope over some of the steepest and most inhospitable terrain on the mountain. The track indicated intermittent airborne periods and ended at an icefall below Liberty Wall. No signs of Planker were found during a thorough visual search of the slide area. A Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and an MD 530 from Northwest Helicopters assisted in the search, which was called off at 4 p.m. due to high winds. Limited visual searching from the ground will continue. The operation is now considered a body recovery, as the risk-to-benefit ratio is not conducive to extensive searching. Liberty Ridge is one of the most technical climbs on Mount Rainier. Members of the climbing party are experienced climbers and were well equipped for the climb. IC on this incident was Brian Hasebe. [submitted by Patti Wold, Park Information Officer]

I lifted the language directly from the Forest Services' website. It sounds like they are indeed making us pay to park just about anywhere they choose, doesn't it? I have no idea what the criterion are to be considered a bonafide NW Forest Pass parking area. Hopefully something more whan a wide spot in the road. In brief here's what the USFS says concerning the NW Forest Pass: All USFS trailheads in Washington and Oregon with developed facilities (toilet, picnic table) charge a user fee - this includes most trailheads in the Cascades and Olympics.

Here's what the Forest Service has to say on their website: I did note that someone did ascend Mt Dickerman (NW Hikers.net) the other day however, so people are getting in there, at least away's. Monte Cristo CLOSED Currently inaccessible due to Mt Loop closure at Red Bridge and snow. Downed trees, snow and icy conditions likely. This road is gated at Barlow Pass, 4.0 miles one-way to old town site. No bridge at Sauk River crossing. Northwest Forest Pass required to park and walk or bike into Monte Cristo or other trails accessed from this closed road.

Mt Rainier rescue currently underway, likely on the Liberty Ridge. Seattle Times, Rainier Rescue