ScaredSilly

Nice write up. Got lucky, really lucky.

I received an email from WSDOT seems they were under the (mistaken) impression that the west side electronic message sign at Newhalem went into operation about the same time the one in Winthrop was parked on the shoulder by the ballpark and programmed. That was about 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon (6 May). As a result of my email, they checked and found that the Newhalem sign was in use at another project until it was placed Friday morning (7 May), so Thursday westside visitors didn't see (or have the opportunity to ignore) a sign. They assumed it was a Westside group of climbers who were up in the spires on Friday. The signs weren't the only method they used to let people know of the planned 3 hour closure the next day - By about 1 p.m. on Thursday, a statewide highway alert was issued to the media. The USFS, NPS and NOAA Radio were notified along with WSP and appropriate county officials. The NCH website was updated. The WSDOT Traffic and Roads and our Mountain Pass websites were updated. 5-1-1 and the roadside Highway Advisory Radios (HARs) at Twisp and Pateros were updated. They also send out the e-mail to those of you who are signed up to receive the personalized North Cascades updates (almost 3,000).

Read the second (currently the most recent) comment: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2011810216_northcascades07.html?prmid=obnetwork Sounds like the climbers were dawn patrolling before any signage was put up.

Kinda of interesting. Around here, the Cottonwood Canyons in Oootah. They just close the the roads and start shooting. That said UDOT does sometimes give some warning a few hours ahead of time. However, if you get out in the BC before they are shooting well you are fair game. It happens now and then because of folks doing dawn patrols (been there down that). So I have to ask what kind of signage was out? Was there a chance that the "climbers" would not have seen the signage? If the signage was that obvious then why not issue a citation - obviously there must have been a vehicle. Again in our canyons there are sections that are no parking or stopping during the winter months.

Great write up!!

Done: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/04/26/international/i220605D58.DTL&tsp=1

Sheeeeeet, you boys need come to OOOOOOtah. We ain't got no silly bestiality laws, you can have your wives and uwes too!!!!

If you are not a museum guy you are probably not a flower guy either. My Grandmother just loved the Tulip Show I would probably head south into Belgium and drink beer. Antwerp has some great bars. I do not know of any WWII site in the Netherlands but there are some in Belgium such the Battle of the Bulge. Which for me holds some interest as my Great Uncle was a specific target for the Nazis. He was second in command of the Quartermaster Corp. and to disrupt the war machine they went after him and those in his charge. BTW The Anne Frank and Van Gogh museum are quite nice and are certainly worth seeing.

What he said, all depends on the weather. I have had rain during a May attempt. Seen dry very dry condition over M-day. Roll the dice and pay the man. In other words hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

I doubt many have been over recently. But for this time of year I would start at T-line and ski over to the route via the Newton Clark then descend the S. Side.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23113628/detail.html?hpt=T2

Dane, why not make it full strength, the cost is in fab not the metal?

The one person I can think of who around at that time but not sure if was guiding was Alan Kerney. I climbed with him a bit in the mid 80s no pony tail then.

What is happening now will make a little but not a lot of difference come June. A cold spring could mean things could be good until July, a warm spring and June is blow out.

Another posting: http://www.ktvl.com/news/shasta-1194521-down-climber.html?hpt=T2

Passing of an era, especially as Jay is gone as well.

If you can find a WIld Things pack and you like it buy it as they are not making packs right now/any more. I have two of their packs - Alpinista and Guide. I like both - light weight and functional. Carrying heavy loads is always a problem with such packs. I think Cilo would be my next choice ...

Given that my std axe is a 60 cm and my ice tools are 50 cm if I think that I am going to need a second tool I would just take my ice tools so that when needed I can move fast. That said given the amount of low angle glacier travel I would bring skis poles as one can move pretty fast doing axe-pole shuffle.

With all fucking booby traps the pot growers are setting up I can see why they have gone this route. And of course if ya ain't doing anything illegal then wtf. However, I can just see it now - some family goes out camping and their 5 year old runs out of the tent naked. Now we got the FS making child porn. As for smoking wacky tobacco - unless you are showing the leaves in all their glory ain't a chance in hell the AG is going waste their time as many people still roll their own tobacco cigs. Perhaps the cameras should be id'ed and then publicized as geocaches.

Hehe, That is me leading in the third picture. Brian Smoot who did the FA in 85 was belaying me on the last pitch. The ice was pretty picked out so lots of hooking. We got a good dump of snow this morning so the ski in / out should be good. Some good photos from the FA and more recent. http://www.mountainproject.com/v/utah/wasatch_range/santaquin_canyon/105881407

All those jokers are clown hill skiing at the resorts. When they go OOB it is darwinism. Not to piss people off even more but states like Utah, Colorado, Montana have a greater avalanche problem than the PNW. In the time I spent running around OR and WA in the winters avy danger was that not much of problem and fairly easy to predict. Whereas the mountain states it is more problematic. As such resources, are dedicated where there is a greater need. BTW If you are curious this year in the Wasatch avalanches have been quite problematic: http://utahavalanchecenter.org/services/avalanchelist Numerous rides by very very seasoned people some of which are friends and forecasters.

I would carry over to the DC. Once you summit you can follow the cow path down the hill. The Kautz will have cracks and cups which will make for a slow descent. It also avoids the ice fall which does have a habit of calving. This route we took for mid July and it worked out great though we took a very leisurely pace and camped along the way.

bring clear plastic bags, shovel dense snow into them, place in the sun, let melt while you work on your tan ...

I did the same Blue Cross... lots of options.

Sure glad he had those fancy dancy curved tools with reverse droop picks for climbing 45 degree ice .... hahahahahaha.