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Amazing climber. Just a shame. Interesting video putting more of a "face" to what happened.

Nice work dudes!

Super cool! This weekend I was just thinking about Big Four... thinking the same as you confirmed - the snow conditions would be perfect... where the snow started Looks like a great climb, way to get on it!

Trip: Chair Peak - North Face Date: 12/3/2009 Trip Report: Dirtbag Packworks and I headed up to the pass to take advantage of this awesome cold snap. The trail trough up to Source Lake was beaten and fast. The North face had many line options and we ended up starting out one left-facing corner left of the usual one which had thin unprotectable ice and was a lot of fun. From the top of that pitch I looked over to the "standard" first pitch on the right and looked like it had a lot more snow and ice. On P2 we trended right and rejoined the "standard" route. The climbing was fun and the conditions were great. The descent gully is a little bare in spots and has some downclimbing steps required. Spotted 4-5 rap stations. Didn't test them all but I'm sure they are all bomber, right? Anyways, get on it. E Face E Face, NE Butt, N Face First pitch Topping out Extremely clear day Gear Notes: 2 pickets would've been nice (we had 1), used one screw (2 would've been good if you do the standard first pitch which has thicker ice), thin and short knifeblades were the best pro I found. Found no nut placements down low. Approach Notes: Beaten path all the way up to Source lake. No snowshoes used - firm all the way to the base and out.

Hey Will, It was real good, especially the first pitch we did. I'll post a report in a bit.

Sure, here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=52713&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=15545

Its good, firm snow all the way in and out. Descent gully is a bit bony. From today: Full size: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=52709&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=15545

I am booked already for the weekend so it would be nice to get out after while the weather is still good and cold. For a one dayer I'd like to get on Snoqualmie's north side. If you can pull off 2 then maybe we could get on something longer, eh? I'm also up to other ideas. I'll be unreachable this weekend so getting in touch before will be best.

No prob, Chad. The waist belt I removed (its removable) from one of my packs, a discontinued EMS Arete. It has sewn webbing slots for accepting ice clippers or biners so I just attached a biner to it.

Those are two sets of poles - so 4 pieces. I used what I had which was a pair of Rossi aluminum ski poles and a pair of CF Komperdell trekking poles. Do not use carbon fiber! The CF material was the weak link in my system and shattered many times while everything else held. The skinny end of the Komperdells fit conveniently into the fat end of the Rossi poles. The same could be done with another set of ski poles that taper in thickness. I drilled some holes through both and connected the poles with some bolts with wingnuts so I could easily take them apart or adjust the length (I drilled two sets of holes for different pole lengths) without tools in the field. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a399/ourbuddies/pulk/P1000872.jpg

I'll second montypiton's rigid preference. I played around with both and, borrowing some ideas from skipulk.com, made my own with some old ski poles - other than the carbon fiber sections shattering (only use aluminum), the pulk works great. It might be a preference thing but I tried to eliminate as much slop in the system that I could - feels more efficient and doesn't jerk me around as much.

Nice shaft! What is the material in the fingertips? I'm having the same dilemma - I just fixed my tips and other sections on my OR Extraverts (leather palm) and although my sewing job worked on those holes, the rest of the palm/fingers started to go on the last trip and now I numerous holes to fix, some very big. My glove is dying and that's just the circle of life.

When it was skied/boarded it was in spring (may and june) and it still involved hucks for ice cliffs and shrunds. If there is snow and the temps are cold I say just go for it.

The Matrix looks pretty sweet - nice!

It was a good climb and had tons of good hooks (thanks)! I originally lost the toss up for the lead but then got to give it a go when the winner let me have it (oh yeah!). I just remember doing a lot of shaking out while placing my last screw at the top of the column - screw in a little, shake out left hand, screw in some more, shake, screw in the rest, clip! It's all good Although sketchy was the part above that - a lot of loose snow hiding the mystery ice underneath. Lots of cookie cutting through the snow sticks!

Hey, nice meeting you guys! Hope I put the gear on the right car and you guys found it all right. -Doug who was at the Elevator Shaft

Great review, Dane. I love my Nomics but it is hard to pass up the fact that the new Fusions seem to basically offer the same package but with more features and adaptability. The pick design on the BDs I'm not crazy about and the bite is different, so I'd have to relearn my swing a little and not feel as confident on the life of the picks - that and since I already have Quarks (go to alpine) and Nomics (go to pure ice), it just doesn't make sense to get a new set of tools so soon for just minor gains. If I was getting new tools now it would be hard to pass up the Fusions as the best all around out there.

Way to get on it!

Wow, when I first read about the current rescue going out for him I just a bad feeling - I just had a feeling that he was not making it out of this one. Such a shame, RIP.

Still got room for one more right now - leaving early on the 19th

I guess I should've clarified - overnight camping is only allowed May 15 through October 15 and December 1 through March 31. So there is a gap from 4/1-5/15 where you can only day trip and you'd only be able to drive up to the Togue Pond gate - still ~14mi from Chimney Pond and they might not allow you to day trip into the South/Great Basin. Why do they do it? Don't know, mud season? "I'd guess if there is enough snow then you can do what you'd like then" Lol, ya... "do what you like" is not how Baxter State Park really works. With feet of snow they would still close up. They are notorious in the NE for being full of over-protective and stifling regulations and rarely bending them, if at all. Check out their website for all the regulations.

Deer? Sweet

I'd like to get out, probably to Cody (haven't been before, it seems to have a good early season), before Thanksgiving. Earliest I could leave would be 11/19 and I'd like to be back on the 25th - am flexible with dates but would like to get at least 2-3 climbing days. Just looking for some folks who are hankering for ice before digging into the turducken. I don't bite but am extremely boring and have an Ipod fully stocked with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so watch out. If anyone wants to drop any Cody wisdom or tips on here, feel free - I know nothing about the place other than it is East of here. Doug

Check out the Meatheads' "Epoch". They go around and ski the highest points in MA, NY, VT, NH, and ME. Cool movie with some good history and skiing stoke.

Winter '08 I headed into Chimney Pond to do some climbing and skiing. Katahdin in the winter is a must but if you are planning on heading into the South Basin in the winter it is not worth it to go in there for less than 5 days (2 days in, days to climb/ski, one day out). The paperwork isn't the hassle, it's just that the cabin at Chimney Pond fills up fast and people will wait in line to book their time for the season. There are plenty of lean-tos in there and they never fill up - you could plan a trip very soon before if you don't mind braving the elements. And even last year, towards the end of the season, there were strings of days with 4-6 spots open in the cabin. Just recently they repealed one of their long-hated rules that said you must have a group of 4 above treeline in the winter. I haven't been climbing there in the summer but again, Chimney Pond fills up fast for the Summer but you can get space at Roaring Brook easily - just an extra 3.3mi hike to CP. A bummer for skiing is that during the peak of Spring season skiing the mountain is closed - You can't go into Chimney Pond after April 1st. IMO, the area that looked to have the best accessible skiing is the Great Basin. There really isn't skiing directly from the summit (Baxter peak) since the Table lands are very wind-swept. If you live in the NE it is a must to go into Katahdin. Best alpine playground in the NE. Great Basin: South Basin: I can also highly recommend the Chic Chocs in Quebec. I've only day-tripped and I haven't used their hut system, but they do have one.