KirkW

I'm wondering about the condition of the lower glacier and any errant leftover snowfields in regards to making some turns. Im sure there's still skiable snow in there but curious how much and how dirt covered it is. Looking over past TRs I'm not expecting to shred any sickgnar this time of year. Mostly just wondering how high I'll have to get to have a good time. A recent Pic would be sweet if anyone's got one! WINTER'S COMING! (Sorry, I know this is a climbing site)

Trip: North Sister - Collier Glacier Date: 8/28/2013 Trip Report: I went hunting for skiable snow on the Collier this last week in my quest to make turns in Oregon every month of the year. I found a little bit, lower than I expected, just above our cozy bivy spot at the start of the moraines. At least 87ft of glorious turns just after sunset! Plenty of it up higher, though I didn't get the chance to ski this shot I did a quick write up on this trip and a little bit about my new addiction if anyone is bored and needs a little bit of stoke. http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=29095.0 Of course, if you're reading "The Freshiezone" in August, you're probably also an addict and saw this all ready. In that case, sorry for the cross post. I got a really good view from up there this week and I could see it...WINTER'S COMING!!!!!!!! Gear Notes: Water 20 lbs of resort gear just in case you run into ice while shredding Water A "light" rack and some of those springy clippy things in case you decide to climb to the top Rope (in your partners pack) Water Approach Notes: Don't cut yourself on all the broken glass lying everywhere.

I shaved my beard off yesterday otherwise I'd be raising my hand right now. Everything you'll ever need to know to survive in the wilds of Siberia right here.

It looks like there's lots of options out there for Improving the way it looks...

You had me at... Thieves suck. Sorry.

And the rains haven't even started yet. I hope you guys keep this trainwreck going. It's hilarious and kinda makes me want to start climbing again. Not really. It'll be fun to read this winter when I'm not skiing though.

Obviously Strong work though! You must really like that sleeping bag. Thanks for sharing!

If you're planning on descending the S side I'd leave the board at home unless you like riding suncups, boot pack and icy glisade chutes. Its definitly summer skiing up there right now. We skied it yesterday morning at 10:30 from the lunch counter. It was alot of "fun". We intended to ski from the summit and were hoping to descend the SW chutes, but the condition of the slope up to Pikers gave us a great excuse to take a nap and wait for the snow to soften. Reports the previous day from exiting skiers regarding the condition of the SW chutes were varied from the entire bottom half is beat up "adventure skiing" to "f$&king awesome!" We erred on the side of caution and bagged it at lunch counter being it was my brothers first "back country" trip and skiing steep groomers in the Alps definitely didn't prepare him for the erratic mogul field of suncups that the south side of adams is right now. We had a blast but that didnt have much to do with the quality of the snow! If you're camping at lunch counter there was water running everywhere with plenty of people drinking it straight out of the dirt. At least 200 people up there on Sunday. Looks like business is booming for the NFS!

Thanks for the PSA about how some of us are having fun the wrong way. It never occured to me that my choice of personal footwear was any of your business. And ...everyone knows that ski boots are the best footwear for volcanoes.

Thinking about trying the Adams Glacier route in a couple of weeks if its still good to go. Anyone been up there recently? Thanks!

These two photos were taken last Tuesday morning. We carried skis for about 30-45 minutes from the trail head and the tree skiing was getting pretty thin on the way out. It's been warm since then.YMMV

While skiing the South Sister on Tuesday we saw a bird. It probably had a nest nearby. So naturally, I've instituted a voluntary climbing closure until October. Thanks for your cooperation.

Umm, no. Not a necessity for MOST climbs.

Right. Censor any dissenting voices. Enjoy your echo chamber.

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever read on this website. Which guide service do you work for Kurt so we all know which ones are hiring the best and brightest? Perhaps you can click the link in his signature. It seems you might need a guide to help you along during your journey on the internet. I'm available to help if you'd like, though perhaps you feel that because you don't have the requisite skills in html and css you shouldn't be allowed to use it... Yes, yes, i see your point. Using the interwebz is exactly the same as climbing a mountain.

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever read on this website. Which guide service do you work for Kurt so we all know which ones are hiring the best and brightest?

Couldn't agree with this more. Total racket if I've ever seen one. ANY fee to climb that gravel pile is bullshit but Water has it right that not only is this practice unethical, it's illegal. Not that the FS has shied away from illegal activity in the past. I don't suppose this works real well with the story you've got in mind though.

Yes, but, I'm an American, and my exceptionally exceptional exceptionalism will surely get us out of this mess. Plus...Liberty and Freedom!

This is the "official" route. Ya know, the one sanctioned by the forest service complete with fence posts and signage.

I couldn't agree with you more Bill. The FS should just stay the hell away. Considering they charge anyone who wants to "climb" that slag heap $22 for the privilege and they employ a ranger who allegedly patrols the upper mountain watching for poachers I was simply hoping that would mean they had some minuscule amount of beneficial knowledge. I was mistaken. Fees for that hill are total bullshit. Especially considering $7 of the climbing fee is funneled DIRECTLY into the pockets of private organizations.

Yeah, you'd think that for 22 bux per climber the FS would have their shit together and be a little better aout reporting conditions for that hill. I called them 2 weeks ago a couple of days before our climb. When I asked the woman that answered the phone and offered to answer my questions about conditions on the upper mountain her only comment was that it "is still covered in snow and might be icy or slushy" Thanks. Things were very loose for us and we set off many small point releases on our descent but we were slow and late in the day. Of course freezing level is supposed to be well above the summit of St. Helens now so you probably couldn't leave early enough to get it when it's frozen.

You are ready to do this when you no longer feel the need to ask random strangers this question. Ask the person who's been taking you out and teaching you. They are the only person besides you that really knows what skill level you are at. Also, setting a TR anchor and rapping off it isn't exactly rocket science so unless your gym friends are total idiots I wouldn't sweat it. If they are that dumb then you've got to ask yourself why you're taking them climbing with you.

That rumor is false. They moved some of it to china. They still have a facility in Salt Lake. They are also building in their own factories and not just contracting the work to China so I'd think its a bit disingenuous to try to lump BD in with the likes of ClmbX.

Yeah, that there is some real classy journalism. Their linked source is a thread at rocknoob.com full of unsubstantiated conjecture, claims of testing and pics of a couple broken hangers. I'm thinking invading china and stealing everything would be a perfectly reasonable response to this earth shattering news.

That's nice work! Still catching fish two weeks later.