caverpilot

where are you located? thanks

Hilarious! I can see it now - "okay guys, I know the end of the cave is within sight, but we need to turn around now so we're out of this cave by...... light!" There was a landowner in Missouri who, when asked if we could descend into his cave, always said, "Just make sure you're out by dark!" (Grateful as we were, we never questioned his logic!)

Actually, The longest lava tube in North America is "Ferrocarril-Mina Inferior" in Morelos, Mexico at 3.8 miles (6197m). Deadhorse is only 2.7 miles long. However, Deadhorse IS the longest lava tube in the continental US. Check this: Longest Lava Tubes in World Deadhorse Cave is also the longest in Washington, followed by Ape Cave (2.3 miles) and Dynamited Cave (2.1 miles). I'm sure crawling that much sure as hell feels like 8 miles... USA and World Longest and Deepest Caves It's called the "Rapture of the Remote," being that far out, wondering if you'll ever see the sun again.... nice story guys! Dynamited is one of the only 2-drop lava tubes anywhere, a classic!!

Phenomenally worthwhile climbs! Mt. Jackson, others. You just have to climb from the valleys since the Going to the Sun Road will be blocked by snow- typically multi-day trips for summits in the winter. Forest Dean of the Rocky Mountaineers (based in Missoula) is usually sponsoring at least one winter climb per year in GNP. Email him! Check out their upcoming trips here Finally, I'm not too familiar with folks in the GMS (Glacier Mountaineering Society), but they also at least have winter ski trips up there: GMS

(I know this response is outdated; hopefully it will be of use to someone!) The Mountain Shop in Portland rents AT/Randonee, Telemark, and Splitboard equipment year-round, at an extremely reasonable ~$35-$45 for three days for poles, skis/bindings, and skins. They also rent boots! If you want to purchase the used stuff they deduct what you've paid for cumulative rentals, and that's their "rental" stuff. They also have brand new demos skis as well. (Marmot is the ONLY place we've found in Seattle that rents AT skis and they want an astronomical $60/day or some such shit.) side note- with the Cascades, Rainier, and the Olympics, I'm really surprised that there's not more places to rent in Seattle!

Just like anything else in life, simply practice on easy stuff and then work your way up. If you can climb 5.9/5.10, then why not do a shit-ton of toproping at that level, and then start leading some 5.easy or 5.6 climbs? Also, find another partner that can climb a little better than you. Personally, I don't think indoor skills equate to outdoor skills - and therefore If want you want to do is lead trad, then start by toproping outside, then sport, then really really easy trad... I wouldn't waste energy indoors unless you really need instruction - hell, I was able to lead 5.8/5.9 about 10 years ago, but the only way I'll get back to it is to toprope the hell out of those climbs and then, again, start by leading a sport route (quickdraws) on a 5.easy climb... Finally, if you are "VERY nervous" about leading, like you say, then I'd stay off of anything steep or big until you aren't. Being on the sharp end of the rope is always exciting, but being "nervous" about falling/getting hurt/dying usually doesn't help your performance, it hinders it. It is hard to "ungrip" yourself if you get sketched out, and on lead is a fucking horrible place for that to happen. So again, why not toprope yourself up to the 5.10 level, and then start leading 5.6....

I kick over pointless cairns, the same way we remove painted arrows pointing toward the entrance in a single-passage cave. I think cairns are awesome when the trail is ambiguous - otherwise, they're fucking ridiculous. I don't like seeing fire rings all over the mountains either. Although I'd never remove a summit register, the one on the summit of Thompson Peak in the Sawtooths (Idaho) last week was a shit show - it is obviously now a Geocache site, as there was a bunch of trash and other bullshit trinkets in there. I really wanted to clean out all of that nonsense, go to the geocaching site, and post of photo of how fucked up their little scavenger hunt game has become - trash heaps should be removed, and if you saw it, you'd believe it was littering. On the other hand, my partner found a note he wrote and forgot about, Ten YEARS prior! So cool! So yeah, leave the legacy, remove the rubbish, that's what I say!

Spent 7/4 weekend up there. Early morning of the 4th we needed crampons, afternoon of the 3rd we did not. If I was going back again to get non-slushy runs, I'd take the crampons. I was in Oakridge last week and it looks like the northwest bowl is still in but the ridges are largely bare. THE MOSQUITOES ARE HORRENDOUS!!!!! Still need to post the TR from 7/4, but here's mine from two weeks earlier: Diamond Peak TR 6/2011

(edited 7/23 - clearly I did not read any of the recent posts before putting these up, and realize I missed the deadline - oh well, now I know how to post photos, and my first trip report! anyway!) Scenic Aerial sunset Mt. St. Helens Skiing/Boarding Earning turns, Trapper Peak, MT Alpine -Descending Mt. St. Helens Ice Mission Falls, MT Humor Proof that hypoxia occurs at 13K Bouldering Lost Horse, MT Cragging Flathead Dome, Montana Bitterroots

Trip: Diamond Peak, Oregon - Southwest Ridge, Southwest Bowl, Pioneer Gulch Date: 6/19/2011 Trip Report: (more photos here: Diamond Peak photos on Picasaweb) We arrived at the Pioneer Gulch trailhead (#3630) late on Friday night, and camped on the road next to the trailhead at the junction of FR# 406 in the flat spot. Although it wasn't raining the night before, we woke up at 2am and yelled "rain delay" until 230. Reluctantly we got out of the tents and made some coffee. Thanks to Nick, I didn't stay in my tent and sleep in like I had done about 3 weeks earlier. On the trail at 3am, we only hiked up about 20 minutes before reaching continuous snow, albeit soft and rainy. We saw few mosquitoes, but be forewarned: two weeks later they nearly carried us away!! Don't chance it, believe the stories! Bring a gallon of bug dope! Reaching treeline in the southwest bowl, we were elated to see the summit and the clouds thinning out: Unfortunately, even at 7am the snow was very soft and we sank in knee deep at times but it was alright for booting, and no crampons required. The night before the forecast snow level was down to 7,000 feet, which resulted in one of those rare days where it was actually firmer down in the woods than up high. Too bad it was so warm or maybe we'd have a foot of freshies in June!!! what can you do? We knew the riding was going to be crappy, but climbing out of the rain is always fabulous!! We climbed the southwest ridge and topped out on the false summit just west of true. To the south we could see the top of Thielsen and Bailey Nick topping out on the false summit true summit After a couple of Fort George Vortex IPAs on the summit, we were ready! We descended from the true summit into the southwest bowl, which is a fabulously consistent line. Too bad we were in a foot of softies, but hey, it's like "bad sex" right? I'd still rather being doing this than being down in the rain! Yours truly, about to slay the southwest bowl! I set a GPS waypoint where we lost the trail and headed back to it in the woods. The trail basically follows the wilderness boundary so it was not hard to keep, even with snow patches. The other good news is that for the most part the woods around the west side of Diamond are easy 'schwacks, especially on the downhill. After dropping Nick in Hillsboro I made the lonely drive out to the coast, but only to Gearhart before I couldn't drive any further. Two hour nap in the car in the parking lot and finally back to Astoria at 130 am! Long day, but definitely worth it!!! Gear Notes: crampons, ice axe under normal conditions Approach Notes: need gallons of mosquito repellent

The trick to not getting your feet wet is to stay out of the creek! Seriously, we did Diamond Peak two weeks ago and I crossed a snow bridge on a small creek near the trailhead, and my buddy punched through and it topped his boots - 15 minutes into the hike! Good news, though, if it is a hot enough day and tough enough hike your feet are gonna be wet anyway! I told him to suck it up and keep hiking... they "evened out" pretty quick! Okay, now to your question - in pow/slush/post hole conditions I use my Mountain Hardware full-zip shell pants, which have an elastic built-in gaiter that goes over the calf buckles. Then, I unzip from the top, down to the knee, for ventilation. A lot of folks on here suggest just wearing soft-shell pants, which is great except for exactly these conditions. I always pack a spare pair of socks in my day pack (Think Maurice Herzog and Annapurna - socks can be used as gloves, gloves can't be used as socks) for those hours-long bluebird summits - I've been known to take off my boots, dry my liners, and start down with fresh socks. (Of course, that's only happened a couple of times, but it was nice!!) Have fun!!!

From the USFS website: "[updated: 07/03/2011] The 8040 Road is open about 1/2 mile past the Morrison Creek Campground turnoff. When parking do not block traffic. Roads to the South Climb Trailhead will be slower to melt out this season due to unusually late winter like conditions. Check back for updates." This means you will have to add a few hours since you will be hiking the road up to the campground. From the campground, my thoughts are below... plan on 2 1/2 hours, agreed. 1 to Hood River, 90 min to Trout Lake and up the road. Sedans are seen at the TH all the time. It's a good road for the most part, most years. If you're packing a ton of shit, I'd figure 5 hours (from the campground), more or less, to the lunch counter. If you're a bad ass, or going super light, I'm sure it can be done in less time. So for sunset I'd want to be on the trail by 5pm at the absolute latest. Unfortunately, if it is warm the snow may be mushy... depends on if you're hiking on skinning up, too... I'd be out of P-town by 11am if you want to make the counter by dark! (Disclaimer: something always delays me by an hour or so, repacking, last-minute grocery stop, etc.) Have fun and good luck!!!!! PS Parking sucks until the campground is melted out. Should be close if it isn't already....

Hey Rob, just FYI, a lot of your questions could be answered by doing a little research, such as going to the Mt. Adams page on SummitPost.org (link below)- there's route descriptions, suggested gear, trip reports, photos, maps, permit locations, etc. Basically most of your questions could be answered on the home page! I love cc.com but this isn't the best venue for route descriptions...great for trip reports and current conditions though. Those clothes will be fine, as long as the weather is nice. Remember, even on bluebird days it tends to be freezing ass at 12,000 feet! I always bring whatever I'm hiking/climbing with, AND a puffy jacket to put on up top. Otherwise you might stay less time than you'd like! There's also (usually) a good wall by the old cabin up top to get out of the wind, provided it is blowing from the west. The National Weather Service issues Winds Aloft forecasts, so you can get an idea what the temp is forecast to be at that elevation. Finally, here are some resources I think you should check out! Mt. Adams on Summitpost.org (Again, great overall mountaineering resource but not good for current conditions (recent personal reports, not weather) Skimountaineer.com A great site for finding great slopes, and Amar's rating system for difficulty utilizes standard skiing icons (green blue black diamond) Turns-All-Year Basically all trip reports! A good place to search for trip reports from the time of year you are going! Have fun and good luck!! And bring a gallon of sunscreen!!!

7/3/2011: Road passable to Corrigon Lake trailhead, trail about 50/50 snow/dirt up to the lake, then solid snow but melting out fast! MOSQUITOES OF LEGEND!! BRING GALLONS OF BUG DOPE!!! An old-timer on Diamond Drive at "Bob's Place" told us that he's not seen "skeeters this bad in 30 years!" (He's not kidding! Thick all the way to the base of the mountain.) Trip report coming soon! (The skiing is fantastic!!!)

UPDATE 7/3/2011 Road is closed 1/2 mile past Morrison Creek Campground turn off. So there is still a multi-mile approach to the Cold Springs TH. Parking is usually horrible on nice, busy weekends when the road is closed... so go really early!

this is probably one of the best years to ski that late, due to the ridiculous snow pack, but as I'm sure you already know, "generally" speaking late July/August is pretty marginal snow conditions (hike lots of dirt to snowline, lots of snow cups, etc). Typically, the glissade chutes can be avoided as the mountain is pretty damn big, so you don't have to ski the exact climber's route. That said, I anticipate 7/4 will be one of the first weekends you can drive to CS campground this year, and thus you may still find some good "tele turns" that late. Finally, I'm sure the gurus over at Turns-All-Year would tell you ANY month is a good month to ski in the cascades!! Good luck!

Last weekend, I was able to drive past the junction about 100 yards in an Outback- considering the warmth this week, I'd say the time is prime for Diamond! (No TR, weather turned to rain and taters for 6 hours straight in the am...ugk....although lots of in-tent beer was consumed!)

This won't be true for the lunch counter in July. The rocks get plenty warmed up during the day. Good point! I was actually thinking (winter or summer) of sleeping on a foot of snow versus sleeping on the frozen soil/ground - in that case, it is far warmer to sleep on the snow. However, after a little Googling, I realized (duh!) that volcanic rock has many air pockets and is therefore generally warmer than snow. Some online sources peg snow with a R-value of 1.0 and Pumice as 1.5.... and by the way I did sleep on the rocks on the Lunch Counter!! Thanks for pointing out that nonsense!

I can't recommend any... search "iPhone Topos GPS no 3G" and check it out... Gaia GPS, "iTopoMaps," "Topo Maps," etc all work this way. I use a free app called Topos2Go free, which doesn't locate me on the map but is nice for reconning the route in the tent...

5/23/09: 6 miles of road to hike to Cold Sprngs CG 6/20/09: drive to CG, snow at CG There's a LOT more snow this year by all accounts. With the wet weather, I'd guess a couple miles at least - I'm betting 7/4 weekend will be one of the first drive-to Cold Springs snow-free weekends....

either way, get ones that the size zippers come completely off - that way you can put them on/off without removing your skis or crampons, diaper style. Personally, I typically climb in fleece or polyester pants, and use my Mountain Hardware hardshells when it gets too cold, wet or nasty. Plus you can fall down a lot and not get wet! Ha ha! Full zips!!

Anyone been up to Diamond Peak via Pioneer Gulch yet (not counting the Feb. TR)this spring? Drive to trailhead? Thanks!!

A map and compass are part of the 10 essentials. Never climb without them. No one can predict whiteouts, even on bluebird high pressure days (been there, done that) A GPS makes wandering in the clouds that much easier. There are off-route cliffs and crevasses. A GPS confirms you location, compass only confirms your direction. There are free topo maps you can download of Mt. Adams on your iPhone. Then, the GPS will place you on the map. iPhone DOES NOT NEED A CELL SIGNAL FOR THE GPS TO WORK. You just need a MAP that is ALREADY downloaded to your phone. (Otherwise, you'll see where you are with no reference since it needs cell coverage to download the Google map)To verify this, download the map, turn on airplane mode, and make sure the map is actually on your iPhone. Remember, sleeping on SNOW is WARMER than sleeping on ROCKS. Snow is an excellent insulator - rocks are very poor insulators. And hard. The steepest part of the climb is just below Piker's Peak (false summit.) If you're weary of icy conditions on a steep slope, then wait till the sun comes up to leave the Lunch Counter. If not, watch it rise from the top!

Check NOAA's NWS ADDS (Aviation Digital Data Service) Here is the link to the TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) Aviation Forecast Type "KPDX" and Click "Translated" then "Get TAFs" This will show you the clouds, winds, and ceiling in AGL units - that's Above Ground Level, so you have to add Portland's elevation of a whopping 31 feet to that number. Example: Clouds: broken clouds at 2500 feet AGL = 2531 MSL overcast cloud deck at 4000 feet AGL = 4031 MSL Terms: Few: 1/8 sky coverage Scattered: 2/8 to 4/8 sky coverage (less than 50% of the sky) Broken: 5/8 to 7/8 sky coverage (more than 50% of the sky) Overcast: 8/8 sky coverage Or get the free AeroWeather app for pilots - you can compare forecasts for PDX and The Dalles and at least get a rough idea that way.

I've been using a Dakine Poacher Pack pack for all my AT adventures for years. It is big enough for an overnighter (including axe/crampons) if you're efficient, and cinches down for lighter day pack loads. It has a back-access zippers and contours enough to be unnoticeable even fairly loaded. There is a loop cross-carry system that is quick to deploy, even with a full pack. Under the lid there is a clear map window that has proven handy. Disclaimer: I can't vouch for the new ones but the specs appear fairly similar. A friend recently pointed out "Aren't most of you backcountry adventures day trips?" He was right - as much as I hate to admit it I do more day touring than I do overnighters overall. So when my REI dividend came this year I bought the Dakine Pro 2 (mines red) which is a bigger version of the classic Heli-Pro. It is tight - I can carry shovel,probe,spare everything, 10 essentials, a couple of Fort George Vortex IPAs, blah blah blah without the pack feeling overloaded. And it is roughly half the size of the Poacher. If you're still carrying a hand-held camera (everyone has a HD helmet cam right?) then you may like the watertight, fleece-lined camera pouch on the belt. Shit, Dakine, where's my commission on this sale? ~ Pros: Fairly cheap, fairly durable. Cross-carry system is quick on/off, even with a heavy pack. Clearance sales every spring. Cons: Made in China (be a North American patriot and buy an Arc'teryx!), Cross-carry system may be too wide if you 'schwack a lot or do a lot of narrow trails. Loop carry may be too small for super fat skis. Dakine caters more to snowboarders than skiers.