belayerslayer

Trip: Snoqualmie Mountain (where is all the snow??) - Date: 12/6/2008 Trip Report: Saturday turned into one of those days where I just had to get out, but where I lacked the motivation to get up early or investigate what type of conditions we might run into. My friends and I lazily packed and hit the road by noon. "Helmet?" Yep, "Harness?" Sure, "Ice Ax? Tools?" Why not, "Winter clothes?" Most definitely. As the splendid I-90 corridor unfolded its peaks before us, I noted that Si's haystack appeared quite naked. The range of the snoqualmie "five thousanders" gave little sign that winter had visited the Cascades. With beautiful blue skies and mild temps, I was beginning to wonder if a light rack and rock shoes might have been more appropriate than handwarmers and a puffy. We rolled into the alpental parking lot, Guye Peak's west face gleaming in the sunlight [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1114.jpg[/img] Chilling as it was to drive up to the pass and discover a complete absence of snow or ice, I wagered our shock was slight compared to the frustration and agony of skiers and snowboarders. Damn global warming! Caught in cimbing limbo now - no ice, yet not prepared for rock. What to do? To the top of Snoqalmie Mountain we go! [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1119.jpg[/img] Blitzer leading the trail [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1118.jpg[/img] Chair Peak Massif [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1117.jpg[/img] [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1137.jpg[/img] [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1133.jpg[/img] About 3/4 the way up the trail, we finally hit crusted snow from a few weeks previous. Hot and tired, the dog cheerfully rolled around to cool himself off [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1143.jpg[/img] [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1156.jpg[/img] Snow Lake [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1165.jpg[/img] [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1172.jpg[/img] As we looked northward, the snows took a greater hold on the mountains. The Lemah/Chimney Rock Massifs, always dark and mysterious. Anyone recommend good winter lines on either? [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1159.jpg[/img] Summit shot [img:center]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c82/LGullberg/DSCN1175.jpg[/img] Nice stroll up a local classic - 3 1/2 hours round trip. Don't sweat the snowshoes just yet, but rumor is we are supposed to get more snow up there tonight. All three hiking partners were excellent. As always, my imagination is fueled from gazing toward the direction of the "Snoqualmie Pickets". I hope to hike back in there before the snows unleash and check out any cool winter climbing

has it been climbed in the winter?

I think the reason the rock is so loose lies in those mysterious dynamite casings we found on the hike in . Their avalanche control efforts have ruined the rock! Btw here is a better angle of the wall and the crack we spied halfway up. No clue if it would have been any more solid [/img]

Trip: Alpental Wall (beta) - Date: 9/4/2008 Trip Report: Ok, so whats the story with this little feature on the far left of the rock ridge? [/img] After having spied this mini-wall some time ago, I conducted a brief (maybe too brief) search on the web and came up with no info - routes, climbs, fatalities or otherwise. Deciding I would unlock out its mysteries for myself, I convinced 2 other friends (Owen, Aharon) to join me for a little adventure. Fooling myself with delusions of developing the next local classic for the snoquamie locals to enjoy, I cheerfully drove us to the Alpental parking lot and began the hike in. [/img] Took about an hour of navigating to reach the extremely loose gulley which feeds up to the base of the wall. We noted several spent(?) dynamite casings scattered among the rocks [/img] On the hike in, I pleaded with the lords of the Snoqualmie Batholith, hoping that some millenia ago they somehow raised a clean granite wall from among the brittle andesite which is all too common in this area (think "the tooth", chair peak, kaleetan). Perhaps this 'granite wall' has been simply overlooked by climbers throughout the years. But what appeared as shades of white stone from a distance soon grew into a blend of weak and brittle rock with a chalky colored lichen growing over it. Alpental Wall (as I have named it). Our intended line - higher up, we spied a cool looking crack which snaked its way nearly to the top [/img] Me, starting out on low angle, zero-friction, 4th class dirty slabs. I began kicking down rocks on my two partners below, who occasionally hollered and cursed up at me. I reached a corner in the wall and tried to find a place for a nut. Everything seemed really loose [/img] I shimmied and squirmed up a couple steep rock steps, trying to get to a ledge with some trees in it. From below, this ledge seemed like a perfect spot to begin tackling the wall [/img] While trying to find some place to stick a cam in, I knocked loose a couple fairly large blocks. I whirled around and yelled, "rock rock!" I watched the two pieces ricochet off the lower slabs and shoot like missles straight for my two partners. Owen, a background in martial arts, skillfully dodged the first block. Aharon, my belayer, screamed a lout explitive, then curled up into the fetal as the second block narrowly missed his legs. "F**K!" He yelled. He later told me he felt the rock brush by one of his legs. Several subsequent near fatal rock incidents led me to abandon this whole wall. Even on the way down, I managed to send more rocks their way (they call me belayer slayer). In short, we packed up, cursed loudly, and vowed never to return here. [/img]

anyone know anything else about the haystack incident on mt. si? I heard news reports saying he fell off the stack 200 ft. On what side would u fall 200 ft? Pretty sad

excellent! on approach to the east ridge do you ever get on the glacier?

haha great! as a dog owner who loves to take him into the mountains, I can totally relate to your trip! I reccomend the Goat Rocks for a future adventure

Probably a mixture of both. With our mild summer, I've seen a trend of old snows still hangin out in places among the cascades that is atypical this late in season. Wasn't sure what to expect with the dog but he managed fine, other than sore feet!

awesome! could you see the north face route on mt. maude? any snow/ice still left up there?

awesome!

great! on my "to-do list"!

Trip: Curtis Gilbert - Klickton Ridge Date: 8/23/2008 Trip Report: Having explored this area with my father since I was a kid, the Goat Rocks have long captured my imagination. The summit horn of Curtis Gilbert seemed like a remote fortress set amid a mythical valley. Being one of those "feasible" scrambles for both dad and dog, it didn't take much pushing to get both willing to come along. An added bonus was the presence of my sister, fresh back from her summer long adventures through South America. To tick Gilbert Peak would require a few extra days, since a night camping just outside of Conrad Meadows was mandatory. Hiking in to Warm Lake. Conrad Meadows, so I've been told, is the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Cascades. [/img] 4 miles to the fork in the trail. Left, another 2 miles, takes you to Suprise Lake [/img] [/img] From Suprise, to get to Warm Lake one must follow the main trail about 2/3 a mile beyond upper Suprise camp and then hang a left on a boot path. We came across several indistinct "boot paths" and I chose one at random. This led us to a small basin with gulleys and short rock cliffs to our left. A small notch at the other side of the valley brought us to the top of the ridge [/img] From the ridge, you trend slightly south west for less than 1/4 a mile among stubby trees and to Warm Lake. The weather was nasty with powerful gusts of wind. We took shelter in a grove of short trees next to the lakeshore and set up camp. Took a while for the weather to calm down enough for us to take in the desolate, volcanic-and-glacier scarred landscape [/img] Warm Lake [/img] Weather finally died out and it turned clear and cold. During the night up there, I got out to pee and my dad followed. I noticed he was shivering somewhat violently. He told me he didn't think he had slept yet. His skin was really cool to the touch. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of him telling me the day before he would be fine with the blanket off his bed at home. Yeah right, dad! In an effort to help him out, I took the dog sleeping at my end of the tent and curled him up in my dad's coverings. The two hugged each other tightly the rest of the night. I guessed 3 hours to the summit from camp and amazingly, I was correct. From the lake, the route in blue shows what our guidebook suggested to gain the Klickton Divide. I evaluated the slopes and chose a route more to the right. Cut across snow, ascend the steep and loose scree to the broad ledge and traverse over to the top of the ridge. Shaved off about 30 minutes [/img] [/img] Once on the divide, a faint boot(goat?) path leads you pretty much to the base of the summit block. Beautiful, high alpine hiking. The summit block on the back (west) side is class 2/3 and pretty short. There was ice in places and everything seemed pretty solid, even for being rotten volcanic stone [/img] Blitzer, showing us the way up to the summit. The goats of Curtis Gilbert dared not show themselves to us for fear of being surpassed by our ten-and-a-half year old lab [/img] Fun, straightforward, easy scrambling took us to the top [/img] [/img] [/img] Good times up there! Great views of Adams, Rainier, the other Goat Rocks and St. Helens [/img] 3 hrs. from Warm Lake to summit, 2.5 back down. Great group, great trip, always fun to get into the mountains with my dog. Each time he gets a little slower, a little tougher on him, but this was a big achievement for him! A well-deserved swim back at basecamp [/img] Gear Notes: camera, dog

what kind of camera do you have?? great, sharp, crisp pics! love em!

Trip: McClellan Butte - Standard Trail Date: 8/15/2008 Trip Report: After slaying the Dragon(tail) a few months back - via the Colchuck Glacier, my father has felt nigh invincible. Indeed I have noticed subtle changes in his tones, his personality, even his eyes - they all point toward the birthing of a new mountaineer. Places once deemed 'maddening' seem less so. And when my suggestion for a quick jaunt up a local classic registered in his mind, it already was an afterthought to far greater summits. He's been training, see. Getting in shape for more difficult grades. He balked at me when I mumbled something about class 2. And the short, 4.5 miles up to the summit. "It's a senic trail" I said, my face heating slightly. "Great views at the top." I felt my neck sweat, knowing my description had painted a "Mt. Si" in his mind. "It'll be good training" I quickly pointed out. He grimaced and I knew my dad was longing for Mt. Stuart. "Plus the dog will come" His face softened somewhat. At ten-and-a-half, our lab is an accomplished 'climber', having seen numerous ascents up peaks across the Cascades. Any day spent in the mountains with him was a day worth spending and remembering. [/img] Nice trail, 2 gulleys with a bit of snow still lingering [/img] At one of the gulleys, my dad noticed several clumps of dark, shaggy, matted hair. Probably from a bear or something, we thought. However, just few feet away from the trail, up against a rock embankment lay a jumbled collection of bones [/img] Obviously a dog. Anyone know the story here? Some hikers we ran into had the theory that the dog fell from the cliffs somewhere above, rolled down and plummeted off the embankment, breaking its neck. Using my treking pole, I fiddled with the collar. Whatever his fate, I am sure he is missed. Fortunately the alpine tarn near the summit was still intact for my black-haired friend [/img] Made good time to the base of the summit block. My dad complained of sore feet, and wasn't willing to push any further. I regarded his laments with a knowing eye (in truth, he has an innate fear of heights; 'it grips the mind' he says). I urged him to push through the "pain" but he wouldn't hear it. So I took off by myself, with two other guys in tow. [/img] [/img] The "Snoqualmie Pickets" [/img] Snapped this pic for 2 guys who had a drained camera - told em to find the TR online and get their summit shot. Here you go guys! [/img] [/img] Part lab, part goat [/img] A final, parting shot, showing the mysterious west profile of Kaleetan. To my knowledge, nothing has been reported for this side of the mountain. I ran up the trail last week, hoping to recon the west face and see if anything looked good, but weather wasn't in my favor - no views whatsoever. Of any in the Snoqualmie area, this peak has special significance to me. I have long lamented my late arrival into the arena of climbing, assuming all legit routes and peaks in the area have been bagged. It was my brother, however, who proved me wrong - he himself having put up new routes on local Kent and Abiel peaks. The two of us also attempted the first(?) winter ascent of the north ridge of Kaleetan, which in and of itself inspired me. While much harder and more remote routes and climbs are put up around the world, I have found that within our own corner of the Cascades, there are still untouched, wild places. I think the trick is to look away from the obvious summits and try to take in the whole picture. Then you can see what's been missed.. [/img] Gear Notes: camera /w batteries Approach Notes: none

great tr! love to get up that one sometime! what exactly is the 'hazardous enigma'?

great pics! congrats on the great conclusion of your 3 year sojourn!

good-lookin pics!

wonderful! Thanks for the tr! I was just up in that area 3 weeks ago, forced to park about half a mile before the first stream crossing. The bushwhack up to cathedral rock was not pleasant either. no summit. guess i'll be heading back that direction soon!

looks like fun!! this gully makes for an interesting mixed climb too when the season is right. Weird to think I climbed it in full "winter conditions" in early october, then 3 weeks later all the snow left..

yes, but the dilemma with sacrificing said '3rd climbing partner' is that it leaves myself and remaining partner to sort through the portion of tent/rack/food he carried. And the subsequent quandary of who gets his climbing gear will only lead to more bloodshed...

Trip: Boston Basin - Forbidden - East Ridge Attempt Date: 6/23/2008 Trip Report: [/img] It always disenchants me to include "attempt" within the suffix of a route description; it implies that your time might be better spent following and praising the exploits of those souls who actually achieved summit somewhere. Yet,after so thoroughly enjoying this trip, I thought a brief TR was in order. The plan was the east ridge of Forbidden. After tagging the summit, via the west ridge, in 10 hrs (car to car) with my bro nearly 3 years ago, I felt like it was time to revisit this classic peak and taste its other acclaimed routes. Two close buds of mine, Anthony and Aharon, agreed they were up for the challenge. We left Des Moines 8:30am monday, drove up toward cascade pass, then parked around milepost 20 - 12:30pm. Couple miles shy of boston basin trailhead. Tons of road work still to be done up there. We geared up and walked the easy 2 miles to the trailhed in under an hour [/img] [/img] The trail remained snow-free until about 3/4 the way in, just as you start to get into timber on the slopes below the basin. I followed some tracks until they disappeared. With a vague recollection of where the basin lay, I pushed straight up the wooded slopes until we broke onto a small ridge overlooking the valley. We crossed the basin and worked our way up toward the right side of the 'unnamed glacier'. A group of climbers were descending through the basin after a climb of the west ridge. I brought the three of us up to a small rock band which protected the gully leading up to the east ridge. Took about 3 1/2 hrs from the trailhead. Lots of avy debris around, so we cut a nice spot for our tent and set up camp [/img] [/img] Enjoyed a fantastic evening in high country! Great food, calm weather, stirring views of peaks to the south. As the evening lulled by, clouds swollen with rain wrapped themselves around Forbidden and Boston peaks. Sahale glaring down at us [/img] Set the alarm for 4:45. A light drizzle during the night kept me from any decent sleep. Woke to foul weather and dark mist. After a brief breakfast, we roped up and ascended the gully to the east ridge [/img] [/img] Having never climbed this portion of the mountain, I think I brought us a little too far right, up a fairly steep couloir and onto a slightly corniced ridge [/img] [in the distance, between the fog, I made out the lone gendarme which marks the start of the east ridge. To my left lie another narrow gully which had a cairn resting atop some flat rocks. The proper east ridge ascent? [/img] The east ridge unfolded before us with a menace, enhanced by sharp winds and tainted clouds. We debated a while if it was gonna go. Wind was decent, rock looked wet, if not a bit icy. After my idyllic simul-climb of the west ridge in warm august weather 3 yrs prior, I couldn't help but feel betrayal. I cursed the mountain, and my own weakness for not willing myself to push through these conditions. I recalled a similar feeling after climbing Burgundy Spire's north face in foul weather - not enjoyable. After wrestling with some options, we slowly decided to descend back to the glacier [/img] For a few moments, the clouds ripped apart and the sun revealed an enticing promise for better weather. This hope was quickly swallowed up like the summit of Forbidden, which disappeared from sight into the clouds. We descended to the edge of the glacier and spied a couple open sections in the snow with rock beneath; a good chance to practice some glacier stuff. [/img] [/img] Fun little spot between two mammoth sections of rapidly melting snow. Set up a picket and a t-ax anchor, then ran two lines down the 15ish ft. wall of snow [/img] Messed around there for a while, doing prussiks and stuff, then hiked back to basecamp. Packed up and said our goodbyes to the mountains. 3 hrs from camp back to the car. Great partners, good trip, even if summit wasn't tagged. Thanks boys! [/img] I'm thinking cover photo for Rock and Ice

Anyone know why guide services, at least in the NW, don't offer any type of video component included within their programs and trips? I find that the added benefit of a special DVD not only enhances the preservation of those memories from the trip, but also promotes the company at large. Specifically, I am trying to look for ways to combine my 2 passions - the outdoors and videography. Seems like to do this I have to start a guide program myself, but I heard Washington no longer allows independent guides to operate (or is no longer issuing permits). btw, here's a link to a rainier trip shot entirely on digital camera

great pics!

did you stay on the ridge up to the summit, or descend onto the south slopes and cross over from there? a group and I were out a few weeks ago on that route and I ended up lowering 3 members from the notch onto the south slopes

Beautiful pics! Nice job! How did the ice cliff look?