jared_j

I too have rocked the Cascadias for a long time, and these days feel the sole is too soft for a lot of talus-hopping (or maybe I'm just getting older). I currently use the Scarpa Zen Pro which is a little slow to dry but provides a nice amount of stiffness / support. Back in the day I swore by the 5.10 Camp 4, and it fit the bill as "kinda burly" but still runnable; the Zen Pro feels very similar. I see more TX4s on the trail than anything else and my brother with a similar build / shape as me puts in high miles on his with no complaints, so there's probably some "there" there on that recommendation.

Snaffles chewing on your tires?

Thread necro - any thoughts on best way down if you get up to the North Brother and have a change of heart about the traverse? Just reverse course back to the notch of the South Brother?

Smoot has a dotted line in his book suggesting one could do a direct traverse from Big C to Snowgrass by climbing the snowfield, and I've considered trying it but haven't seen many pics online that made it seem doable. Looks like it'd be crazy steep no matter what season, like the north side of Sperry.

I've never been further back than Eldorado up this way, and am trying to assess my options if the walk-up permit situation doesn't give me the flexibility of getting a permit in the Eldorado backcountry zone. Is bivying somewhere in the "Inspiration" backcountry zone gonna totally suck due to the topography, wind exposure, etc? Maybe somewhere near that col at the end of the Eldorado's North Ridge and Tepeh Towers (as it's labeled on the topo map I'm looking at, the "southwest-most" Tepeh Towers immediately ESE of the Dorado Needle). Is this gonna suck? The goal is to spend a couple of nights and wander around (Eldorado, Dorado Noodle, Austera, Tepeh Towers, Klawatti, maybe Austera).

Do tell...?

Thanks @JasonG and the Cascadeclimber lords for facilitating this. I'm hoping to pluck a couple of interesting / different outings from this book as new workouts when conditions permit but time does not. This thing is halfway between a "select" style book and the encyclopedic Beckey books. To use a metaphor that is drastically losing relevance in a digital world, I implore you all to share your favorite "deep cuts" from this slightly rough Cascade "box set". This book is like some thrift shop vinyl.

I want a hard or soft copy of this book. I appreciate any help.

The three times I've been up there, the snow melts out on the northern (skiers left as you descend eastward from the col) aspect first and there's been a way to avoid the snow hugging that northern aspect. Snow is only mandatory if you're heading south (e.g. to Rebel Yell).

If you don't mind camping on snow (since it'll be snowy as a MF around Wing Lake during your timeframe), then one of the ridge routes on Black Peak would have nice ambiance and views if weather allows. On paper this doesn't look like a huge / difficult mountain but I feel like it's a good "toe in the water" alpine environment in the way that Sahale is. Another pretty cool place is Gothic Basin. On paper not as ambitious or high altitude as a lot of the options described here, but there's aesthetic scrambling on Del Campo. This could be a good back pocket alternative if you want something that has less snow or a lower level of effort than some of the bigger alternatives.

Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough reply.

What is the scoop? I haven’t hiked in to see the aftermath of the rockfall incident from awhile back. Are people climbing there again? Categorically avoiding the area? Which route(s) were affected? I don’t know how to think about the risks beyond the generic quip about geologic time including now.

There's faces and couloirs all over the range, some with easy access, some not. I've been on a lot of the standards, and want to hear from the experienced pros on this site about your favorites that aren't necessarily in the "Selected..." books/lists. I'm not a good skier so I'm asking more from the perspective of having a fun climb experience.

I'm looking for a winter / spring outing in this neck of the woods that is sufficiently mellow enough to be done unroped, and done in a long day from the road. Probably not on skis. I know about hard routes around here, but other stuff not so much. Suggestions? Looks like Ruby Mountain across the way is mellow and may fit the bill.

The Black Diamond Speed 40 pack has a plastic sheet and stay. Their fabric is nylon; not the bombproof cordura of the CCW. They're about half the cost of Cilogear and HMG (usually can be found on sale for $130ish). It's a little smaller volume than the Chernobyl but probably adequate for winter daytrips. I see a lot of these in the hills, and think they fill the market niche you're in (threading the needle between affordability, durability, light weight). The older I get, the more convinced I am that I don't need a "cool kids" climbing pack for the majority of Cascade rambling where there's 0% chance of hauling a pack up a belayed pitch. If you're after some comfort, you may want to look at a Gregory Zulu 40 or Osprey Exos. The narcissistic elitist in me wants to carry a pack that signals that I'm more of a "cascadeclimber" than a "nwhiker", but it may be worth taking a look if you're seeking something that can give you some comfort / support (and maybe a pocket or three).