lazyalpinist

I seem to remember someone this past Spring (before the closure) posted something about a descent off the other side. It involved one or two raps and seemed to be a much nicer option. I did a few searches and couldn't come up with the info. But there was a thread about it a while back and I cannot find it...

Trip: Three O' Clock Rock - Silent Running Date: 8/3/2009 Trip Report: More of a note of conditions. Route was in good shape. Seemed a touch dirty after t-storms probably hit the area. Nuts on the top two anchors were loose. (A few nuts here and there were loose on lower anchors, but not as obvious.) Tightened the nuts on the top two anchors as best I could with fingers, then nut tool, but they could use a legitimate tightening with a ratchet/wrench. Just a note if you are going up there. Gear Notes: Nut tool used as wrench. Approach Notes: Great shape.

I have a pair of Venoms. (64 adze, 57 hammer) First, I'd like to say that the 64cm Venom is not lighter than my 75cm Raven. So take that into consideration. I'm 6'3", and the 64cm(longest) Venom often won't touch the snow on mellow angle glacier. (If I just want to use it as a cane.) Not a big deal, but might be a factor. I often use a 57cm Venom for ski mountaineering as I hope never to take it out, and it is lighter than the 75cm Raven. Also doesn't stick off the pack at all. Like said earlier, the classic pick is hard to remove from ice. If you plan on doing any alpine ice with it, they are a little nicer with the tech pick. Also, I noticed they recently changed the design. Don't know if the new design is lighter, but they definitely modified the grip. After only a few trips, my grips started getting a little beat up with just walking. Hopefully the new grip cures this. If you don't really plan on using them as a pair and for ice, I'd also recommend looking at (if you can find it) the Grivel Air Tech Evo. Similar shape, forged steel head. (one piece) And it is lighter than the Venom.

I think CCW makes a nice pack, but their standard sizes don't fit me. (I'm 6'3") FF and Marmot usually stock them if you think they might be the answer. Anyway I'll agree with other posters about BD packs. They're fairly light, won't break the bank but are not built to last. I have a few and they take some punishment, but do have a shorter shelf life. But I'm not complaining as they cost me around $100 each. I use a slightly older BD 50L Predator for up to 3 days. I don't really go out climbing for longer so can't help you with larger size. It fits me well and climbs and skis good too. For day climbs I usually use a smaller 40L pack. And for BC ski trips it is an old NorthFace.(37L) Straight up backpacking over 3+ days I have an Arc'teryx Bora 65. Super comfy, but weighs twice the 50L BD pack. No personal experience, but I know some people who have the Wild Things Andinista and rave about it.

Trip: North Twin Sister - West Ridge Date: 6/19/2009 Trip Report: Too much rain and we turned around at 5000'. No pics either, but wanted to update peeps on approach conditions etc. The Mosquito Lake road bridge over the Middle Fork Nooksack is closing Monday 6.22.09 until April 2010. Judging by the equipment in place, it looks as if they are building a new bridge. So plan accordingly. (Come in through Deming, not Acme.) The logging roads have been freshly graded. (They were doing it while we were there.) They're in really good shape. Someone noted last year that they regraded the turn off road at 2.5 miles. True. There is also a nice newer bridge over the creek on the regraded road. Everything else seemed status quo. Gear Notes: Goretex Approach Notes: Freshly graded roads.

Ivan, you don't need to cloche. I can't be bothered, and I can pull jalapenos off the plants 1-2 everyday once the plants get going. Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And while the plants don't appear to be growing this year, I got flowers on the cayenne already. And for the rest of my garden report: Already have pea sized cherry tomatoes on the plants Beans are calf high with leaves the size of my palm All the onions (NY early, Cippolini, WW) are doing grand Leeks just plugging along, but not like the onions I should be able to start harvesting carrots in 4 weeks or less Broccoli coming along fine Potatoes (all blue) are out of control and knee high! Tvash: How do you know when to harvest the garlic? We planted some back in October, and it just put out bulblets last week (which I promptly cut.) I can't tell when to harvest without actually harvesting them to see what they're up to.

Don't know who stole your food, but around 2am Friday morning we saw a cascade fox above 9000' near the Fuhrer Finger. Must be critters up there to keep him fed.

I know the Mountaineer's Bookstore (Magnuson Park) usually has some copies.

Trip: Gold Creek Valley - Gold Lake Drainage Date: 2/15/2009 Trip Report: On Ground Hog's Day my friend Steve and I were headed out to find the route Josh and David climbed: "The Conquering Floormat" However, we didn't locate it as we headed up into the woods too early. After crossing several avy chutes/gullies we came across one that had climbable ice. However, temps were high that week, and it was already late in the day, so we climbed the first pitch and bailed, as it was a major terrain trap. It wasn't until we skied the gully back down to the trail that we noticed how close we were to "The Conquering Floormat." Looking at it then, and having read Josh's trip report since, I can say that I wasn't up to leading it. So, I went back this Sunday with Peter, and we gave the Gold Lake Drainage route a go. The route is short steps interspersed with flat 'pools' and snow gully sections. It had a alpine flavor the higher up we went. We were able to muster four pitches out of it, with the potential for more. We made an unfortunate decision where the gully splits around 3800' to take climber's left branch which went up one more step and stopped in 25° snow. The right branch had at least two or three more ice steps in it. I would bet it could be followed right up to the lake about another 500' vertical or so. Ice was variable, and mostly thin. Plenty of hollow sections, plenty of sections with water running underneath. Chandeliered at times. Some sections with bomber ice. Lots of sections with a snice coating over better ice. Deep wallowing powder in the pools. Decent was some down climbing (hiking) and two raps(one 30m, one 60m) off skier's right of the top. I would say the route was WI2, about 200m. Probably a grade I If you were bold enough to try out the right branch to the lake, you would be looking at a grade II. The route: (February 2 photo) Top of second step looking down: Gully split: Gear Notes: Screws and screamers. You had to look hard to place anything longer than a 19. Upper pitches we could tree belay. Two tools. Approach Notes: Park at Gold Creek SnoPark. We followed the trail/road in past the houses, then turned right just before the "no fishing" sign on the trail. Ascend the gully until you reach the icier bits.

A jacket. Email me a description and we can work out the return.

Beta here: http://mountrainierconditions.blogspot.com/ (Although I couldn't find Muir specific.) Possible better beta here: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=10896.0

Better than what you got so far, but not great. I haven't been that way, but this is from the DOT mailing list Monday morning: The first day of fall brought snow to the North Cascades. While the air temperature at Washington Pass at 1 o'clock this morning was 37 degrees - it was below freezing about a thousand feet higher and the precipitation that started falling came down as snow. By 6 a.m., the freezing level had dropped to 5,000 feet and the temperature at Washington and Rainy was down to 32 degrees - low enough so the 2 inches of snow that had fallen in the previous six hours started sticking on the shoulders. By 10 a.m., it was 41 degrees, but still snowing off and on, according to our maintenance crews. The pavement temperature is still 46 degrees, so nothing has stuck to the driving surface, but there's some slush. The forecast says we can expect an inch or two of snow today, but it will turn to rain on the westside by tonight(none on the east) as the freezing level starts rising for the rest of the week (up to 9,000 feet by Wednesday). Telemetry indicates that the temp at 6600' was below freezing on Tuesday, but above freezing the rest of the time. I'd be willing to bet that snow will melt in the sun, but probably will remain on routes that are shaded.

Called a Flemish Bend. (Essentially a rewoven figure 8.) Supposed to be easier to untie after loading than a double fisherman's. Also supposed to not get snagged as much. I haven't used it enough to determine the snagging, and how much are you loading a rap rope anyways?

Uh, I doubt it. The earlier part has huge berms that would be motoX doubles if they were built correctly. Dirt was loose on them. My partner (a former MTB racer) was not interested in riding the big berms. I think the rest of the overgrown part would work fairly well for bikes if it was cleaned up. Some of the drainage crossing might be portages, but the rest is a roadbed.

Was there this 09.13.08. Road is stopped much earlier than previously. Hike has been lengthened maybe 30%. (All on road with some interesting berms.) This looks to be permanent as the berms have been seeded (with grass?) If you haven't been there before, the trail off the overgrown road is obvious. Try not to take one of the rabbit trails earlier on as they don't lead to Static Point. The correct trail is by a pipe that is 1/4 full of dirt and there is a cairn marking the start.

Goat Island scramble.

Pic of dining table/chairs?

Thanks. Once we arrived out our high point the PC slabs made sense as the approach. I think we were still 2-4 pitches below the ramp up from the slabs though. We'll try again next year.

Earlier this month Julie and I set about to climb the SE Ridge of Argonaut. A small paragraph in Beckey is about the only beta on the route. (Some additional stuff on Summitpost.org is mostly a repeat of what the CAG states.) Didn't seem too difficult, but who knows? Route is upper right skyline Because of limited beta we figured on a 2-day climb. Saturday was spent hiking in over Long's pass and down to the Fourth Creek intersection with the Ingall's Creek Trail. The afternoon was spent scouting an approach. This involved leaving the trail north about 12 minutes east of the Fourth Creek trail and following a dry creek bed north for a bit. The dry creek soon became wet and the SE ridge started forming on our left so we gained the ridge. The lower ridge was full of game trails that we scouted to 5000' or so. Satisfied that we had found an appropriate approach, we headed back to camp and dinner. Ridge visible through the trees Sunday came and we were at our previous day's high point in less than an hour. Things were moving smoothly. Then there was some 'shwacking, followed by some boulder hopping. Then things got a little 3rd/4th class on us. We roped up for a short pitch only to see we were a touch too far east. We rapped from our location and started scrambling again. The terrain got 4th/5th class on us, so we roped up for 3 full belayed pitches. This is when we got a decent view that we were apparently doing "the complete SE Ridge" and not the 6 pitches to the SE Spire that Beckey describes. Above us we could see the route, and between us and the base of the route still had 2-4 pitches of technical terrain. It was noon. We knew to climb another 10 pitches was going to be putting us in bivyland. We bailed off the ridge to the west (6 raps) and hiked some meadows and 'schwacked our way back to the Ingall's Creek Trail. We got back to the car before dark. Bailing from our high point I've looked at so many photos of this peak since then to get an idea of our route, and have an idea about where we were, just not a great concept of how to start the route that Beckey describes. "~from the east flank take a left trending ramp to gain the ridge..." Does that mean taking the Porcupine Creek drainage up through the slabs to about 7000'? Not sure. Has anyone done this route? Did we miss some easy approach element?

Found a purple 5.10(spire) rock shoe on Guye Peak, just a little way down from the North Summit. Left it in the permit bin at the Snow Lake trail head.

OK, so low grade. I'm sure lots of stuff that is south facing is dry, but R&D usually has a decent drip higher up that may or may not be present.

Looking to get on some mid grade multi pitch in the Icicle. I was wondering if anyone has done R&D this season and how wet if at all it is on the upper portion? Thanks.

Judging from current live view of Icicle Junction (in town) it doesn't look like that water is flowing. 27° is current temp. You might get lucky up the creek. http://www.iciclejunction.com/minigolfwebcam.htm

Retails for $280. Selling for $220. bivy is new and unused. GoreTex. Spring '06 model. Blue in color. For more info: http://tinyurl.com/ykopgq Bivy is not Respiration Positive.

I am looking for one permit for the day of Friday August 4. Do you have an extra? Know a buddy who has an extra? Thanks.