Good2Go

Ha! They're most terrible when the snow is almost completely melted out. Should be back to normal in a week or two.

Nice! We did the 5.9 version of the Lib Traverse that same day (Overexposure on LB, to Directissmo on Concord, to NF of Lex (each as a single pitch) and then NW Corner of NEWS and finally SW Rib. We spotted you guys on Lexington, but never again. The NW Corner slowed us down a bit, and then we "kinda epiced" on SEWS. Took a lot longer than expected to climb it in the dark!

True:

Wooden ladders have historical precedent, so they're acceptable

It's paramount to honor the ethics of our forefathers when stewarding a sacred place like Index

Well said! Dogs are the best thing at Vantage, after the bikini tops. Complaining old guys are the worst thing there. They should all go to Darrington, where they belong.

Those are some of my favorite climbs. Totally badass presentation! Thanks for sharing.

Sounds like an adventure! I've been out there several times this season on my snomo. Not sure when you'll hit continuous snow coming in from the west, but you'll be skinning past miles of good skiing options before you make it to the spires. There is no plowing on Hwy 20 yet and that peak will still have snow when it opens. Believe it or not, that area has an average snowpack right now. Here's a pic from a week ago:

I think the easiest way to access the middle/right side routes is to climb the trail all the way to the upper deck and rap in from the top of ROTC. Wild Traverse also gets it done, but wouldn't be as fast. Pretty sure the L-town locals access that crag from the backside road, which would optimize the rap-in strategy.

Mountain Project is the best source for new Index routes. Also heard that the sheriff caught one of the main break-in culprits. Haven't heard of any new incidents in a while.

Rappelling sport routes.

Looks like ninja shit to me. Mission is probably top secret.

Mid June would be early-ish for it to be open IME. It's definitely the fastest way to go to Trout Lake though.

Funny, that's exactly what I thought when I was trying to deal with Graham after my packs fell apart after just a few uses.

I've found them useful for carrying the duct tape and seam grip you'll need to repair that flimsy POS after each trip. Of course, YMMV.

I was one of the skiers you met on the summit. Here's a pic of you guys I took on the traverse over from the false summit. We were wondering how long it would take you to get back to your car. I think you guys took off around 4:30, so making it back by 10 is pretty fast IMO. We were drinking beers at the trucks at 7-ish (w/ a snomo assist, of course), for frame of reference.

Great pics and nice send. Nothing about those conditions makes me want to go skiing, but I'm guessing you weren't in it for the joy of the turns. In that last pic you have a biner added horizontally between your rap device and attachment biner. Did that work? I thought the trick was to use the extra biner in parallel to the attachment biner, thereby doubling the rope contact at the "pulley" point, as it passes through the device. Your method would seem to just raise the device slightly from your attachment biner. I usually just add a wrap or two to my backup loop, if I want more friction, but I'm sure there are many ways to achieve the same result.

Ha! Didn't even notice the dates. I climbed DHLA a couple times last year before July. Never had a clue about the closure, and based on the number of people I had to wait behind, nobody else did either. The birds didn't seem to mind. Wonder if the base jumpers are aware.

How about the Naches slide? Seems pretty analogous, at least with respect to the quarry and river at the bottom.

You know you're old when. . . you're worried about muscle detachment! As I recall, he had that muscle surgically reattached a few months prior and started climbing before the specified rest and rehab period identified by his doc. And, the climb he was doing doesn't have any gear for about 20' off the deck. Basically a perfect storm. You'e golden dude, solo on.

Don't forget about bees! Gotta have a bee escape plan, even when you're using a cord. Those fuckers can ruin your day.

Sounds like an accident to me. What are the police supposed to do? Were you hurt? Most sledders have liability insurance, if you're hunting for a windfall.

11 hours for the N Ridge of Stu is smoking! Was it an onsite for you and did you bring any pro for the "crux"? The fastest guys I know routinely do the complete N Ridge in less than 18 hours, so I'd say your time for the shortened version is on par with their pace, maybe even a little faster.