Lisa_D

wow. And he and his wife climbed that as part of their honeymoon!

Sorry if this topic has already been posted elsewhere...I was too lazy to search.. A question to all you Index experts - In general, will things at Index be climbable after a week of rain? I know routes like Toxic Shock stay damp for awhile, but what about the lower town wall area? I'm thinking of routes like Roger's Corner, Godzilla, and Princely Ambitions.

ha, good point! Hopefully Rainier remains intact..

I'm more of a "the mountain will always be there" person. I put off my Shuksan/Sulphide glacier plans due to avy conditions. Go cragging instead!

With 2-4 feet of new/recent snow likely in the southern cascades, the high winds on Rainier (and thus wind loading), and the prevalence of 30-38 degree slopes along your climbing route (most likely for slab avalanches), I'd say you made a good call.

sure looks like it. love those "winter" ascents! (I had a few myself this year, though nothing as impressive as backbone)

any pictures of backbone or serpentine arete?

I had done a lot of glacier climbing, mountaineering, and been up Baker twice before doing Rainier this past winter, but was struck by the increased need for mental toughness and patience on Rainier. I thought I was pretty good at the rest step, but my boyfriend (who had been up Rainier more than 5 times) had a lot of advice for me about how to really walk efficiently and I improved it a lot throughout the climb. When I get above 10,000 feet I get lazy and apathetic, and I remember saying at 13,000 feet, "well, we've done enough, let's go down." It's a very mental climb, and finding your own rhythm is really important. The rest step can be pretty slow and mind-numbing, but it's a good way to slog up the mountain and you can find a sort of zen in it. Sounds like you're doing a great job training, and if you continue to work hard you will be in good enough shape not only to succeed, but to enjoy the trip...Especially if you acclimatize well and have a good group and guide.

major jealousy! Snowshoeing to the Garibaldi hut and watching people on randonee skis inspired me to get an AT setup. This trip is a dream of mine. Beautifully done!

looks like some great conditioning and a beautiful trip.

the bloodcurdling scream I let out seemed to do the trick and they backed off.

The pitches the falcons are protecting are long and only take a limited range of gear.. I was running it out a bit between pieces and was 15 feet above my last cam when I realized they were after me. I put in as much gear as possible after that, but only had so many #1 and #2 camalots and one big hex... I am sure I would have fallen off had the birds actually attacked me!

The fish/wildlife representative I spoke with (who is also a climber and has been all over Snow Creek Wall) couldn't yet tell me any specifics about how they'd go about protecting the birds. I expect we'll know more in a few days.

While leading the first crack pitch on Outer Space this past Saturday, I was dive-bombed by a pair of falcons. Fortunately they didn't actually claw me. When I reached Library Ledge, the female falcon charged over and threatened me with outspread wings, sharp talons and beak. I was able to put in a gear anchor, and when the bird realized that I intended no harm she backed away. She has an egg on the ledge, and is really protective. I brought Jon up and we quickly climbed away. It was pretty spectacular to see such a wild and beautiful bird up close, but a little unnerving! I spoke with someone from the ranger station and she thought that the route will likely be closed until July 31. The ledge is small, and falcons typically lay up to 3 eggs per season. Climbing through their nesting area is not only distressing for the birds, but dangerous for parties on the route. Angry mama bird: But the good news is: the stream crossing is clear, and Snow Creek Wall is dry and ready to be climbed. Even the walk off is snow-free. - I guess this season people will have to explore Orbit, Mary Jane Dihedral, Hyperspace, and many of the other great routes! To add insult to injury, a final objective hazard was found in the Snow Creek Parking lot outhouse. Shit really hit the fan for some unlucky soul... I have to give photo credit to Jon Toner, as I didn't have the stomach to take this one myself.

Nice! We saw you in the parking lot the morning you went up Wild Turkeys. That Tunnel Vision route looks like fun - we'll have to get around to that next time. I love Red Rocks!

another good idea for winter climbing... thanks for the TR!

Stewart!! I also thought that you looked familiar, but you were wearing a hat and sunglasses. That is TOO funny. We did indeed run up Frogland on Friday. re: solar slab descent.. we found out about that walk off from another party who had a better guidebook, AFTER our epic struggle. Definitely plan on doing that next time.

Trip: Red Rocks - the trade routes Date: 3/30/2009 Trip Report: We wanted to escape rainy Seattle. We found cheap tickets + car rental in Vegas. Red Rocks it was. Our first night in the desert brought a violent windstorm that filled our tent with dust, and then RAIN AND COLD. So, we vowed never to stay at a campground again and made this first rainy day of our climbing trip a rest day. We found some sun at Lake Mead. Then we explored the Strip, attired in camelbaks and approach shoes. We did some gambling. Venice? No, we're indoors. Finally, it was time to get ready for climbing. Sorting gear in the free parking garage. After our miserable night at the campground, we decided that it was ridiculous to pay for a patch of dirt. We folded down the seats in the compact car, which gave us sleeping space. For the next 6 days it was our home-away-from home and we lived in parking lots. First objective: 10 pitches on the Solar Slab. Early morning sun on Red Rocks. C'mon, do we actually look like dirtbags? Our 10 pitch linkup involved 2 routes. We started out with Johnny Vegas (5.7) and finished with Sunflower (5.9). The rock is amazing here; beautiful hard sandstone with lots of positive features and great gear placements. Some pitches, however, were a bit exciting and run-out. Lisa leading a fun pitch. We were expecting an easy day. This route is really popular and we were stuck behind a huge, slow party. But we didn't worry, just took our time and enjoyed the sunny climb. The descent, according to Swain's guidebook, was a simple walk-off down a gully, involving 2 or 3 rappels. Figuring we didn't want to wait behind the slow party as they rapped 10 pitches, we decided on the gully. We'd scamper down and be back long before them! But it was not to be. The gully was horrendous, with tricky route-finding, sketchy down-climbing, and scary rappels into nowhere. It got dark. In the casual preparation for the climb, I had forgotten my headlamp and had to depend on Jon to light my way. He was great, never losing patience and keeping me safe as we soloed down low 5th class rock into the dark. We gave a new name to the Red Rocks climbing guide: "SWAIN'S BOOK OF LIES." As fate would have it, we ended up re-joining the rap route with the slower party. For some of the group members, it was their first multi-pitch and they did great, but were a bit slow. We helped them speed up the rope management a bit and zipped down on their ropes. So, our warm-up day turned out to be an 18 hour adventure. We stumbled up to the parking lot at 11:30 PM, boiled some cous cous, threw in some cheese and Sun Chips crumbs. Surprisingly delicious. We slept in the next day and became tourists, laying in the sun, doing the scenic drive, hiking, and taking pictures. The biggest objective still lay ahead: Epinephrine, a 14+ pitch old-school 5.9 chimney route. This time, we planned carefully, set the alarm for 4:30 AM, and packed everything necessary for a serious climb. After braving the bumpy dirt road to the parking lot, we slept and arose early, well on our way before sunrise. Black Velvet Canyon at sunrise. We soloed the first low 5th class portion, and then Lisa led the first pitch, a 5.8 wake-up call with some exciting slab moves and run-outs. Then came the heart of the climb: 5 pitches of chimney. Jon leading the start of the chimney pitch. more Chimney and even more. Jon loves chimneys and had fun leading these pitches. He made good time. Lisa hauling the pack up the chimney. Much slower going than Jon's chimney climbing.. We topped out on Black tower and climbed one more pitch. With 8 stiff pitches and a long walk-off to go, it was clear that we'd be out past dark if we continued. I (Lisa) was really drained from hauling the pack up 5 pitches of chimney, and it actually made Jon a bit worried. Epinephrine had gotten the best of me and we chose to descend with another party. This is the first time a route has made me too tired to go on.. humbling, but we want to give it another go next year and this gives me something to work toward. Double ropes are required to rappel this route, so we were fortunate that the other two climbers came along. I think we're going to get a set of twin ropes sometime soon. After Epinephrine, we were both feeling a little thrashed. So we slept in, went out to breakfast, cragged in Pine Creek Canyon, and went out to Caesar's Palace for a legendary casino buffet. While cragging, a familiar face came around the corner: Blake Herrington, just back from Patagonia! Our final day in Red Rocks was a lot of fun. We climbed the popular 7 pitch Frogland, a fun and varied 5.8 climb. Lisa on pitch 1. This route is in the shade almost the entire time, and it was cold! Jon leading the crux pitch. Staying hydrated. We made quick work of the route and spent an hour laying in the sun on the summit. The walk-off from Frogland was quick and easy. We got a good look at Epinephrine in the background. Reluctantly, we hiked out and packed up for our early morning flight. We didn't really want to return to UW's rain and responsibilities after such a great week. Goodbye, Red Rocks! We'll be back. Gear Notes: 2 ropes are handy for climbing at Red Rocks.

Beautiful writing - I want to go there now. I'm waiting for a tendon issue to heal up and this made me even more anxious to get out!

We brought a tent and used that, figuring that the hut might be full on such an outstanding 3 day weekend, especially given our late start from Paradise. It was definitely one of the most beautiful times I've had in the mountains- such clear air and great temperatures. Such a contrast after weeks of dark rainy Washington winter!

NICE!

Trip: Mt. Rainier - Cadaver Gap-Ingraham Direct Date: 1/20/2009 Trip Report: Jon and I went up Rainier Sat-Sun. It was a beautiful trip with perfect conditions. After forgetting the way to Paradise, stopping to buy a Jetboil at Fred Meyer, and picking up that randonee rope I'd always wanted, we finally arrived at the parking lot around 1 PM. 53 degree temperatures and beautiful clear skies greeted us. Sunscreen in January: yes! Leaving the parking lot at 2:15 PM, we skinned up to Muir, walking in a few of the steeper parts. Neither of us has done much backcountry skiing, but this was a good experience for us. We quickly figured out how to skin efficiently, and found it much more fun than hiking. I had a little dynafit frustration and got nervous when my skis started to slip on steeper/icy snow, but worked through it! Arriving at Muir around 6:15, we quickly set up the tent. We spent several hours melting snow. Both of us did a good job of staying hydrated on this trip. (Drinking enough water is Jon's New Year's Resolution. Mine is to do more pull-ups. Let's just say he's doing a much better job on his resolution than I am!) Sunset on the mountain: We departed from Muir around 3:45 AM. The snow was perfect styrofoam and our ski boots took crampons well and were comfortable for hiking. We went up through Cadaver Gap and got onto the Ingraham Glacier. The glacier is in great shape - a few crevasses to hop over and some good snow bridges. Sunrise: This was only the second 14er I'd done, but the altitude wasn't too bad. I had some anti-nausea pills left over from my wisdom teeth extraction, which I used throughout the trip. They must have helped. I began to find a strange zen in the rest step. It took discipline to put one foot in front of the other. Over and over and over. We got to the crater around 11 and found the steam vent caves. I was grumpy at Jon for making me crawl around in steamy, sulphury caves, but now I'm glad. There was evidence of past epics/survivals. Then we made our way to the summit and arrived about noon. We tried to fake happiness: But really just wanted a nap after hours of slogging at altitude! Quintessential/cheesy summit poses We descended back to Muir in 2 hours, napped for a bit, and then skied all the way to the car. This was Jon's 4th time EVER on skis, and he did an awesome job skiing through variable snow with a full pack on. Most of the snow was crusty, but there was some great corn a bit above Paradise. We arrived at the car by 5:15, making it out before the road closure. Perfect! I had been meaning to try Rainier for some time now, and this was a fun first time up the mountain. It's the biggest slog ever, but I'm already forgetting the monotony. Approach Notes: Fred Meyer in Olypmia sells Jetboils, in case you fill your whisperlite fuel canister and then leave it on the porch. Road closes at Longmire at 6 PM - plan ahead for your descent.

nice to see you guys up there. What a beautiful day!

Nice, you guys, that looks fun. Great pics too!

Hey goatboy, yeah, I remember meeting you guys! Maybe I'll see you out in the mtns again sometime. Here are two pictures of said mountain, taken that afternoon. We were definitely checking it out too. Who knows what it looks like now!