danhelmstadter

i wanna get into ice climbing this fall, i remmmber some cool tr's from colfax mid october last year. are there any other cool early season areas with relatively easy access, highway 20? thanks

Pete, I totally agree with you, I think there is definetly a place for fees regarding the NPS, being the gems that the parks are, the fees keep matinence and manegment healthy, and somewhat reduces traffic -- although I would like to see some kind of reduced price or free 3 day pass available to people/families who financilly qualify. It would be cool to develop a volunteer trail crew group program with a few paid supervisors, and reward their work with park entry benifits, that way needed trail work gets done (e.g. ipsut creek trail), and the people involved in the work have a rewarding and qualilty exprience. I have often wanted to spend a few days volunteering with a pick and shovel to help maintain trails, clean trash etc...

i've been surprised a couple times how effective RICE, massage, and streching is. maybe a wrong arch or somthing in your shoe is agravateing your foot. good luck getting it taken care of.

rockin!

Trip: Mt. Rainier - double barrel Emmons ski Date: 8/19/2009 Trip Report: After hearing a few reports of fresh snow high in the hills I couldn't resist the seductive seed of an idea -- and if you are going to go this time of year -- you might as well go high - my option was obvious... Climbing the snout of the Interglacier was somewhat intimidateing as rocks shot by (mostly small ones) the glacier was smooth hard ice for at least a thousand vertical feet, a fall needless to say would have severe consequenses as one would gain high speed on the 30degree tougne. I set up camp around 530 at Curtis high camp, and enjoyed the incredible views sweetened by solitude and dark chocolate. Got going around 6 in wensday morning, and enjoyed low traffic low down on the route -- most of the climbing parties had left Camp Sherman much earlier and were already high on the mountain. There were several sections of exposed glacial ice in this lower section -- but the way was never hard to follow. I put a foot through into a hole on the corridor -- as I strayed from the pack a little tacking up... As I ascended - evidence of the snowstorm began to reveal itself --first in tinny patches here and there >>> until elevation brought me to a thick carpet of perfect white. Above 13,000' the snow got a little icy - in various forms, rime sustrugi, ice crust, frozen ocean wave sustrugi mildly remeniscent of mid-winter Shasta... But the sun and windless warmth of the air did it's work, and much of the ice softned as the day wore on. Columbia Crest was crowded, it looked like the DC was seeing quite a bit of traffic too. I survival skiied down the ocean wave sustrugi off the cone -- and I actually hit a stash of shin deep powder hidden in the waves of ice... Then I choose to take a bit of a traverse to the upper Winthrop to gain better snow quality -- snow here was as good as it gets -- infact the snow for the entire upper and mid portions of the route was excellant. I skiied with a smile down to about 10500 where the first sections of exposed glacial ice were, packed the skis and headed up for another lap. The snow and snow bridges were softening, but not to the point of becomeing a major concern. All of the people I met en-route were polite and aware of proper ediqutte, it was nice to exchange a few words with people so stoked to be on the mountian. The second time I gained Columbia Crest I only saw a couple climbers, and they soon departed leaving me alone on the summit in the wayneing day. I skiied down pretty much the same way I did before. Unfortunatly my helmut camera ran out of memory, or the batteries died... Some shadows were creeping up from the depths of the ice, and I skiied in a pleasant mix of sun and shade. I was able to "ski" the ice sections -- and skiied down to the camp Curtis area. Quickly packed camp then skiied the upper third of the Interglacier, then switched to crampons for the focused descent of 1000+ vertical feet of ice -- and mostly ice it was, a few patches of snow or snice in areas, but for the most part the interglacier sported hard smooth ice. My weapons were dull mismatched aluminum crampons (I broke one of my camp nano-techs on Baker last month) Not used to downclimbing low-mid angle ice - I played around with several tequniques, finally setteling on reverse front pointing useing my axe as a cane. Fortunatly very little rock fall occured as I downclimbed the ice. Enjoying Dusk at camp

holy crap! badass. [video:vimeo] Steph Davis - Castleton And Diamond Free Solo from Andrew on Vimeo.

nice tr, too bad Dan's boots were so ill fit.

nice trip and effort!

i skiied the headwall 2 dayz before, before that huge avi you describe and your picture depicts - i remmember thinking about potential avi danger - esp. if it had been warmer -- scary. looks like the snow/ice interface lubed up enough and slabbed out - prolly triggered by a slight cornice fall - i experienced a few on my climb back up.

Nice climb, thanks for stoke. I (one of many) worked for the FS in 04 in the Bob Marshel Montana area on a grizz survey project - best job i've had, anyway we got edjumacted real good about the differances between blacks/grizzs. Grizz have a dished in face, blacks have a sloped forhead/head, grizz have small rounded ears, blacks ears are larger/pointier. Too bad you didn't see the tracks - that is is the easy giveaway - blacks have small claws and their toes form sort of an arc/semi circle around there foot pad, while grizzes claws are fkn HUGE, and they have a fairly straight toe profile relative to thier pad. I'd be stoked to see grizzes make a comeback in the cascades - this place with all its rugged and raw wild deserves to be gaurded by the king of beasts.

Wow! Looks like an awesum trip - thanks for reminding me to think big

Trip: Mt. Baker - Park Headwall +... Date: 7/16/2009 Trip Report: I left the trailhead around 7pm on Wensday and hiked up to "high camp" in the cooling evening air. I set out around 6 the next morning, packing up camp and bringing it with me. The boot pack up the Easton was easy to follow, there were maybe two sketchyish snowbridges, but I had been forwarned by an attractive, nice, female guide - a leader of one the few roped teams I encountered on the otherwise monotonous ascent - which would have been a lot quicker had I not toted my camping gear, rope, ice screw/picket, skins, and two tools up with me. (I brought rope and pro for possible glacier shenannegins on the Coleman Glacier.) The summit was cool and windy, orographic cumulous grew and rolled in from the west. I downclimbed the intimidateing Park Headwall several hundred feet as to get a feel for snow conditions. What I found was a little discomforting - there was good snow on the Park - a lot of it - but there were also many patches of ice - thick ice crust that is - lurking a half inch beneath a friendly facade of soft snow. Hmmm, I almost bagged it - but instead came to the decision to ski it slowly with care. I climbed back up for a snack. Lunching on the summit mound - I noticed two figures equiped with skis ascending the upper Boulder Glacier - I know that goofy sun hat and whippets! Amar! is that you? - you and Dave Brown? what - I can't hear you said the wind, but sure enough it was them. A very pleasant, unexpected and welcomed surprise. We snacked up the summit mound but quickly parted ways as the clouds were begining to thicken and brush us with their foggy chill. I watched Amar and Dave elegantly dissapear down the Boulder Glacier, while I buckled my boots alone in the eerie air that precedes an extreme descent. (I would not consider this an extreme descent if powder or quality corn conditions existed.) Park Headwall video: The ski was a little scary because of the ice - I could not open up and slay it like I had wanted, there were a few sections of unedgeable ice crust barely hidden by snow. I was glad to have two tools for the climb back up. (I used my whippet a few turns from the top, this was just a velcro move of precaution in auto-reaction to hitting an icy patch - it wasn't a desperate attempt at self arrest. [video:youtube] After reataining the summit, I skiied the Roman Wall down to the Coleman/Deming Col - where I set up camp and unwound a little from the icy scare scar of the Park. I woke around 6am, and skiied down firm snow on the Coleman Glacier, winding around mazes of huge crevasses to the base of the Coleman Headwall wich was the days ski objective. After makeing the short traverse through the crevasse junglejim at around 8k - The coleman Headwall appeared in full view - clearly melted out beyond the point of worthy skiing. Another one for the wish list... I must admit I dropped my ski pole into a massive crevasse as I was putting on my coat, the wind did it... the pole slid by itself... no exuses, it was my fault - my first such dropping I am proud to say. I had to do some funky vertical climbing to retrieve it - glad I brought two tools and some rope/anchors. I climbed the 1500v' or so back to camp - packed it up and skiied the Easton - which was in fairly good ski condition - a little runnled midway - but the upper and very lower parts were smooth as can be.

nice work!

Trip: Mt. Rainier - Central Mowich Face from 12.5k Date: 7/4/2009 Trip Report: With food reserves, and my dog prepaid for another day in the kennal, I could not leave the camp from wich Eric, Ryan, and Sky had left for job commitments early that same morning. The Edmunds Headwall had been a great ski, too good, I wanted more; after all this is July - the month when winter finally withdrawls from all but the highest elevations of our latitude. I slept in, knowing that the northwest faceing slopes would not ripen fully till a late hour, unfortunatly waiting for a later climb also meant dramatically increased exposure to the rockfall that likes to fall in sunny warmth... Stretching my legs up the lower glaciers to the base of the route felt good, maybe because stoke was high. I had to cross a significant icefall zone, but all the debris seemed old, a legitimate enough reason to maintain a minimal worry attitude while in such a place. The snow bridge over the Bergshrund was fairly thin, but the snow was still solid in the earlyish hour, so I crossed with haste instead of an alternate and longer rock option. Rocks were already comeing down - rocks falling fast enough to easily rip off a limb... The snow lacked the slightly feathered quality that the Edmunds Headwall had the day before, instead it seemed harder, with a thicker ice crust, and less granular texture on the surface - Making for slightly more treacherous and less forgiveing cramponing. Perhaps twelve softball to basketball size rocks bounced past on my climb, I tried to keep my head up so I could attempt to dodge or "protect" or even just quickly anchor my harnessed axe so that if I got knocked unconcious I would at least not fall to my death. The slopes steepend to 50+ degress up high, and the last several hundred feet had areas of water/glacial ice shallowly hidden under the snow surface. I waited for an hour or so under a partial protection of a cliff band at 12.4k or so for the north side of the slight suncups/runnels to soften like there southern sided brothers. A luxury of time I could afford. I recorded the descent with my "helmut cam". It is easy to see I was being cautious for the first few hundred feet because of the ice. Slopes below were ripper. At the bottom of the main slope and at around 4 minutes time on my video, I recorded a rock careening towrds me (one of many on the climb/ski) Fortunatly I was able to doge it. I put my helmut on instead of my headcam for the last couple hundred feet to the bergshrund. The snow bridge at that afternoon hour was rotten by sun, so I detoured around on some rock to gain the glacier in a safer location. [video:youtube] The lower slopes were sublime except for the icefall debris which took patience to negotiate. I packed camp, skiied down, and climbed Ptarmagain Ridge as quickly as I could so as to get back to my truck, and possibly grab a beer for a likely Fourth of July party in Carbonado. As it went, I made the crest of Ptarmagain Ridge with plenty of time to get back, but I decided it could be really cool to bivy there near O'rock and watch the fireworks go off over the Puget Sound. It was worth it, and I made my way back admireing the cool forests the next morning - very content with my decision to spend the nigt on the ridge. Zoom for tracks Dusk from Ptarmagain Ridge

Trip: Mt, Rainier - Edmunds Headwall Date: 7/3/2009 Trip Report: The west side of Rainier draws the eye of any ambitious ski mountainer; steep, technicaly demanding, a large approach and plenty of objective hazard - all ingredients for a large scale adventure. The experience of my ultra epic a couple years ago on the same route left me with a dormat reserve of motivation to get up there again and do it right. Last week the right elements came together so Ryan and I headed up to meet Sky and Eric for an atemptt. I will not touch too much on the details of the approach other than that the road was gated 5 miles before Mowich Lake, Ptarmagain ridge was a biatch, and we brought skins for easier snow ascention and to mix up muscle usage. By late afternoon we found Sky and Eric, comfortably loungeing on the soft sands and jagged rocks of a shelf overlooking the HUGE Edmunds drainage in increasingly pinkening light. They only half expected us, as even though we mentioned we planned on a rendevous - the nature of the approach does not allow for certain passage. Rainier occupied the entire Eastern horizon, The Edmunds Headwall an impossible idea, Much of the upper headwall glared dark and streaked - evil evil ice, but there was a thin ramp of white on lookers right - we shall see... Sky contemplates his future - The morning came windless and warm, and we quietly made a few last minute packing adjusments and began our ascent up 2k of low angle glacier. The promise of quality ski conditions through this section was sealed, a slight stroke of comfort to our minds faceing the stresses above. Once above the bergshrund the slope angle and exposure increased steadily. Needless to say - there was no room or place for fear. The climbig was quite enjoyable, and there was no rockfall! I made the switch to double axes as I gained the very steep upper slope just past the bergshrund. The next section was a relitevly narrow VERY exposed chute holding mostly ice, with an option of snow on the extreme left. The ice felt secure fun and fast, so I got groovy on the ice. The upper chute ramped out towrds the top. The top was very narrow ridge seperating the Sunset Ampitheater from the Mowich Face, the views opened up and we sloged on over the low angle 13k+ terrain to Liberty Cap. We Skiied off Liberty Cap on slightly Pentinetentified snow to the thin Ridge overlooking Mowich Face. I remmember thinking - Holy shit, that exposure is absolutely terrifying as I looked down on our planned ski descent as Sky chuckled acknowlodgeing what must have been my obvious expression. We worked our way down the upper chute, skiing sideslipping, and downclimbing a little. At the bottom and to the South of the chute there was a flat bench - Ahh safety, yes, for a little while. The exposure down fall line face was extreme. Sky and Eric decided to head down, while Ryan and I thought it best to wait for a few minutes to soften the slightly crusty slopes, as it grew direct in position. We had concerns about the glacial ice under the shallow snow... Our concerns were valid, and meticouls skiing was nessecary for the very steep 500' or so above the bergshrund. Below the Bergshrund The slopes were ripper! Although a fall would probably sill have resulted in death from a long slide over cliffs. I brought a "helmut cam" and recorded our descent. [video:youtube] This is a video of the lower glacier back to camp, with a bunch of gerneral TR pics and some music. [video:youtube] It is hard to describe my experienced elation that afternoon in camp. I felt we had done something pretty cool is the best way to describe it. The slopes turned red and pink as the sun lowered and we admired the mountain, it was obvious to tell that we were all very happy and loveing life. The slAy Team - Ryan " L " photo by Eric Sky "The Sickness" Photo by Ryan Eric " E$ " photo by Sky Thanks Bros, this is one I won't forget.

sounds like a fun trip. nice pictures!

Trip: Shastina - North Face Date: 6/25/2009 Trip Report: I tried to ski this line in winter a couple winters ago, and found nasty ice. It felt really good to ski it in good corn. The road to the trailhead was pretty knarly, rocks - sand, ruts, etc... I am surprised my beater made it there and back. The trail to ~ treeline was excellant however. Really cool desertesk ecosyestems. The trail petered out near treeline, and I traversed through easy trees and some moraines/drainages for several miles to the base of the Whitney Glacier. From there - I was nearly at the base of the route. I think I hit it at about the right time, earlier - and the snow would have been harder - tiny suncups which can be shreded and as smooth as corn can have icy shady sides in the early morn. Although cool but pesky orographic clouds rolled in out of clear skys, and played on the north sides of Shastina and Shasta. This helmut cam video is pretty cool, although my waist belt unbuckled itself a few turns after the steepish roll up high, causeing me to break the flow, and there were a few tiny suncups down low. But all and all, a really great ski. The video lost quality with the youtube upload. [video:youtube] Good turns were to be had... And a cool hike through dwarf subalpine pines. I had a great time - thanks Shastina!

Hi Collin, - you should definetly learn to ski! try second ascent in Seattle. I got my learn to ski again set up for 20$ total at a thrift store in Jackson, Deals are out there!

Trip: Mt. Shasta - H/W ridge Date: 6/23/2009 Trip Report: I drove down to Shasta the other day after recieveing word from Sky and Amar that the corn is ripe - Thanks! Hit the trail around 3:30; dawn found me on suncupped snow, I met several other ascending skiiers, and we found increasingly smooth snow as we ascended. There was only one incidence of rockfall, not a close call at all, but it would have prolly been a killer. We summited around 9:30, and hung out for a long time on the summit rocks, many avigulch climbers came and went while waited for the snow to soften to perfection. I caught several rude comments about my skiis from jealous climbers as they began their aurdous descent. Several of the skiiers I had ascended with skiied down around 12, Steve ( a firefighter/ski patrol) and I waited for a little longer. I took some shots of him as he dropped in around 1230 - I was soon to follow, and skiied it without stopping down to the sun cups 3k+ below. I recently borrowed a helmut cam - but the damn thing DIED halfway down (batteries I think) - just as I was opening up on the good corn halfway down the ridge... [video:youtube] Tracks - mines are the big ones on lookers right: Steve stoked: We then made our way down suncups, and good corn off northfaceing morains down to about 7.5k, then a short boot back to the TH. I would be up on the hill again today if my dog hadn't rolled in a filthy carcass, requireing much washing/cleaning.

sick, nice work

mostly one butt cheek clencher steep, with a section of duel cheeks

Trip: Hardy, open fly couloir + Goldenhorn, south face - Date: 5/24/2009 Trip Report: I was ready to give the Open Fly another look after turning around at the top of the couloir last monday due to avi danger. Pic taken from Golden Horn I left Easy Pass parking area around 430, hiked a little ways south on 20, then entered the woods and shwacked (eastside shwack = easy) up a ridge to the entrance of the open fly - located on a sub peak of Hardy. The Open fly is NNE faceing, but so deeply incut into the rock that sunhit in early morning is questionable. As it was - the snow in the couloir proved to be quite hard when I first found it, so I waited a couple hours for the day to heat up, while the entrance caught some indirect sun. The couloir overhung by large peeling cornices which I stomped through to gain access. The upper couloir had some excellant steep turns on proto-corn + mank. I unfortunatly found a deep icy runnel through the constriction. This runnel ran most of couloir, requireing mostly survival skiing, but there were good turns to be had in places on the sides of the runnel, and the lower couloir and aprun which were deviod of this nasty feature. The snow in the meat of the couloir was VARIABLE, I even found powder in places, but ice and everything inbetween too. The sun looked high enough to allow a ski of the south face of Goldenhorn, which is across the valley of the Methow River from the north side of Hardy. I skinned my way up through a fresh-this-year avi path through obliterated trees. The snow began to get manky, allowing for a full pole depth stab fairly easily. My skis kept me on the surface of a weak corn crust - which was easy to bust through to iso-mank below with a stomp. Veiws from the summit were very cool, the north and east sides of Goldenhorn are sheer cliffs. Views of the Open Fly were good. The ski off the south side was very good - I did trigger several small wet sluffs, which were predictably cut. Heres a shot of my tracks - To get back I climbed back up Hardy -- (the slope is visible to the lookers right of the open fly in both open fly pictures.) Then I skiied down the south side until the snow ran out (quite a ways from the road). I had more ambitious plans for today, but I decided instead to ski 2 laps from Blue Lake Peak to the Hairpin on the pass. Manky Manky snow, but still a lot of fun.

Plexus - It broke out from under my downhill ski. TarHeelEMT - No telling what the weather will be like; the last couple days we've got a lot of fresh snow up there, and it's likely very dangerous up there now, but it should be good to go during the right time of day after a week or so of melt freeze cycle, which often happens this time of year.

I live in my camper truck, and I love the Glacier area! really cool locals around there. Hard to beat skiing Shuksan then hangin at Grahams listening to some live music by the wood stove with a cold one.

I was up on the nf Friday too, but I droped the west faceing BYS couloir about halfway up the face, I think I saw you guys as I was skinning up towrds the col - thanks for the steps! Sunday was a much differant day up there snowpackwise, the storm Saturday night left about 1 to 1.5 feet of fresh atop that nasty ice crust that was there Friday.