rocky_joe

Jlag is right. If you guys ski well...ski. No question. It will make the way up Middle and down all three way faster, easier and more fun. Skiing down middle and south would be sublime. I don't mean to be a nay sayer...but after having done this traverse, I was definitely humbled. It should not be underestimated.

WOW, I've now looked at these photos 8 or 9 times...still fucking amazing.

luvshaker-this is not the best time of year to do a traverse, whether one or multiple days. Have you done it? It may be the best time of year to be there for one mountain, but the traverse (especially sans skis) will be very difficult. Like thomas said it's 18 mi from Pole Creek to Devil's Lake with 9800' vert. If you have to hike the last few miles of the road each way that will make your trip SUPER long and you will need to be VERY VERY fit. And that is with hard snow. Also, the N. Ridge (NE) is high 4th class to low 5th on volcanic mud. I've heard of people using ICE SCREWS to protect the ROCK. This is one of the few advantages of doing the traverse with snow on it. You need to plan your camps. Decide how fast you will be able to move...avg time TH-Summit of North is ~7hrs...and plan to camp one or two nights. Start early so you can make camp early as well. Familiarize yourself with the map/area. Route finding is a huge part of this challenge. If you're not skiing, bring slow shoes...don't chance the success of your traverse on saving a few pounds.

sorry to butt in, but how much of a cluster fuck will Rainier be Memorial day...worth going or no?

Start at Pole Creek. It may or may not be clear to the TH. I'm heading there the weekend after this one, so if no one else has any beta I can let you know. North Sister is going to be the crux, and it will have snow on the summit pinnacle. Expect steep snow/ice for the last bit ~70 deg. Middle Sister will be the EASIEST of the three. South Sister's N. Ridge is a shit show, hope for lots of snow/ice covering the shit that makes up the rock on that mountain. Are you skiing? Where do you plan to camp?

Neal? Yo. This is Joe, didn't know you climbed. I'm always looking to get in the mountains. What peaks you looking to climb this year? Are you gonna be in town for the summer?

Holy Fuck! That is the dopest shit I've ever seen. Talk about stoke. Way to go and the pics are fuckin brilliant.

saw those three on the way their way up the hog...going up a little late, but looks like they had solid summit condish. sweet photo.

the grasslands should stay free. Not for some legal reason (there isn't one.) it should stay free because it is federal land, owned by the people. I should not have to pay to throw my sleeping bag on the ground on land that I own. I realize that all BLM camping isn't free, but is one wrong merit or grounds on which another should be committed? No, the grasslands needs to remain free.

Trip: Mt. Hood - Wy'east Date: 5/1/2009 Trip Report: Before the trip report begins, I would like to propose a new name for this route. The change would be simple, from Wy'east to Wy'(the fuck did we walk so far)east. Takers? I'm talking about a legit name change, new edition of Oregon High and everything. That being said...this is a fantastic route, and could have been a whole hell of a lot better without the 8 or so inches of sluff. Tom (different than Maineiac) and I had given Wy'east a shot about a month ago to little avail (to date my only failed attempt on Hood.) That go just wasn't meant to be, and it made this success all the sweeter. We were turned around by a few factors, mostly on my part; poor route finding (Oregon High's route is a little out of date considering the formation below steel cliffs), and a REALLY bad gut feeling, the kind that just tells you to get the fuck off the mountain. Well a month later we found a weather window and went for broke. Super stoked on how the alpine has been treating me throughout my first year, 5 peaks this year, I was really excited to get this route done and out of the way, Tom was also keen to have it done with and move to new objectives. We left Eugene at 5:30, a decent hour and headed North. The ride up consisted of the usual climbing bullshit and complaining about how that damn Swedish bikini team better be on the top of this hill or I'm getting out of the sport (they weren't again, but I'm still determined.) We stopped in briefly at the Ice-Axe for a burger and a brew (well Tom got a brew, cuz our nation is still protecting my infantile self from the evils of alcohol,) and watched the Blazers fail to make a single shot (is this not why they are paid?) We grabbed a few brews to go and headed to T-line. Arriving at the parking lot we were quite surprised to see a bunch of people readying to go, some headed to the cave others just up the slope. Keeping in mind it was only 9:30 we had no idea what the fuck these guys were doing.Oh well, we saw a bunch of them coming down the slope when we left at 2:30. That must have been an exciting time for them... To the climbing...well rested we awoke a full 30mins before our alarms. Climbing by 2:30 we made quick time to the first waypoint (two of which we set on the way down our last go.) We then descended a few feet into the canyon. From there the climb went up. Now that may sound like a stupid observation but this fucking hill never stopped. I kept taking the bootpack duty thinking that it'd be good if I made it to the crest of the ridge, well 5 lead changes and two breaks later the crest was in sight. Fuck that was way longer a walk that either of us expected. Finally on the backside of steel cliffs we took a break and complained about the fact that we were still 800 vertical away. By this time the wind was a little more than a nuisance, and the clouds (in their infinite wisdom and grace) had rolled in making it damn near impossible to distinguish the snow surface from a lengthy tumble to Newton Clark. Keeping within spitting distance of the rocks proved not to be our best idea of the day, as Tom fell into a moat, scary for a moment as it first looked a lot deeper than it was. A few more yards down and my clever ass also found its way into a little moat. We decided to stay a little lower until we knew for sure where we needed to go and that there would be no more moats. We were soon at the saddle before the steep section and the whiteout was not helping our route finding. And then, as if by some divine grace *coughs* a solid gust blew away the clouds and our route finding problems were no more. We made short work of the last walk before the climb. With one quick look and a brief discussion we decided against roping up, both because the terrain looked super manageable and the snow/snice wouldn't have pro-ed worth shit. I hogged the lead, because, well I wanted this one. The exposure was immense and exhilarating. The steep part was over soon enough and we took the opportunity of more shallow snow (~50deg) to take some photos. The summit was serene. We were the only ones there, as 9:30 is way to late to be making the summit push via the Cattle drive. we snapped some triumphant photos and then decided (as usual) to get the fuck down off this mountain. The downclimb (old chute) was straight forward as usual and the soft snow made for easy on the knees plunge stepping. The descent was quick; about 3 hrs and we were back to the car. I managed to make it from the top of palmer to the car in 45 with a nifty combo of glissading and near running pace slide stepping. Long walk, great exposure, fantastic views and perfect luck with the weather made this trip very memorable and built even further on my growing confidence in the alpine. However, I am in no hurry to do it again anytime soon. Gear Notes: 2nd tool (used) Rope 2 pickets 2 screws (all not used) Approach Notes: Car, Burger, Brews and an alpine nap.

You went up yesterday? why? Did you check the forecast, it was supposed to be a shit storm. Bummer about the wasted gas. Ivan--I can't see a chair either, maybe a bean bag, but no chair.

how much if any benefit could I see by modifying my aztarex to take the head weights designed for the nomics. One climb and a few hundred feet on snice in I love the tool, but I imagine on some harder ice I'll want some additional head weight...any thoughts?

a tent? shit if you can't drag an RV where ever it is you're going...why the fuck are you going there? One of them nice country coaches for sure. Totally wind and waterproof. Plus a place to shag.

there were tracks to the summit from the gates yesterday morning. y'all shoulda been out there yesterday, clouds rolled away just as we needed them too...fantastic summit views.

Dane, I might be way off base but it seems that you are criticizing the wrong aspects of the light skinny and stretchy alpine ropes. The long fall you mentioned was, as you also stated, a result of the double/half rope clipping technique. While a single rope would have eliminated the possibility of this technique, might it also have put unacceptable angles (and strain on individual pieces) in the system in the event of a fall? The double rope technique has several advantages, but as with all trade-offs carries a few disadvantages...the longer fall being perhaps the worst. Regarding weight...the single is lighter, but it also has to be carried by one partner. That's ~10lbs that could be split 5 and 5 (or less).

i've still never seen much trash, but i guess i just haven't looked that close. drunken eyes at night tend not to see much detail. and thanks for the clean-up you've done...I know a lot of ppl who appreciate it.

i'm pro with a cat...but make sure you get something bigger than the S-160...prob best to roll with an S-230 or bigger. that'd be the day tho...definitely show Ian what's up.

hey guys...its not pig flu any more...seriously keep with the times...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682 i mean, really how often do y'all check the news

people don't trash the grasslands. they're just as clean as the bivy site.

What can I do to stop this. This is bullshit BLM does nothing that would merit a $5/night fee. If they put in nice toilets and bigger pits, nicer tables and cleaned it...then maybe, MAYBE. But as is, there is no reason that they should make us pay to enjoy our (almost) wild places.

today...i'm buying a hammer to 2nd my axe next paycheck...completing the pair. So I'm not just looking for a second tool, but also trying to figure out which pair is best. Wish I didn't have to colllege kid sized income I currently have, but gotta work with what I've got.

wow, dane...you just made up my mind. thanks a lot. *I guess I should have said that I have an axe...I'm getting the tool for that steep bit on mountains like Hood(not SS), Jeff and North Sister with the hopes of getting to harder stuff in the next few years.

yeah those are the same as the aztarex, they just have a rubberized handle, also $30 more each. I hate making decisions.

So the idea is to get a tool that will serve me for several years at least. And while this season I'm only looking at volcanoes, I haven't begun to consider what I want to get on next season. The ultimate ambition is to climb stuff like TC on Dragontail...more technical alpine. And again while that is the goal I wouldn't mind having a tool that would allow me to go ice cragging once in a while...so, Viper or Aztarex?

Opinions? I have a cool little deal where I can get them for the same price. But I have a few questions regarding each... Aztarex...how does it handle alpine style ice? ...water ice? ...self arrest? Viper...any thoughts on using it for schtuff like Sunshine, Reid HW, JPG, N. Sister, etc. or is this tool meant strictly for steep ice (both alpine and water)? ...can it arrest?