ARob

Get up here and swing some axes with me on hood this weekend ya bitch. let's go do some crazy alpine route.

Where are you located? I am in Portland and thinking about doing something on Hood, maybe Luthold's Couloir. I have not done that route before and I want to do something other than the south side which I always get roped into. Let me know

Can't wait for the guide. I was wondering if there is going to be any Jefferson routes in the book. I know there are some good headwall routes but finding good info can be difficult. I wish I could get my hands on my own copy of Oregon High. There are publishing houses that print the books as they are ordered, which I see as being a viable future for climbing guides, especially very specific ones. This publishing model gets the author a much higher percentage of the profits. Just wanted to share the thoughts and wish you luck.

Ora lia!

I was promised a good smothering of snow via a spring storm. NOAA was talking up over a foot of snow and 55 mph gusts on Hood. What is this unexpected bluebird crap?

Or catch last chair and bivy to get an alpine start.

that's some nice pack porn

Gonna sleep at the bivouac on Tuesday and climb on Wednesday. Lookin' like a beautiful day. Anyone else have that day free?

i live at the base of the butte, anyone hit me up to head up there whenever

I was patrolling at Hood on Sunday when there was a slide in the Salmon River Gully involving two or three snowboarders. Everyone got out and was ok, but when I went and saw the debris, it was clear that those who got out were lucky. The Salmon River Gully is the gully that goes all the way down to and past the climber's parking lot at Timberline. There was a lot of snow over last week and the wind loads quite a cornice in that gully. On good days in good conditions, these lips are a lot of fun to throw yourself off, but on Sunday, some of the incuts under the cornices were six feet plus. I would say the crown was at least sixty feet long and one of the blocks was about five feet tall and ten feet long with about a hundred anvil sized hunks sprawled all around. This area is just outside the Out of Bounds markers off the Magic Mile lift and is one of my personal favorite runs. Just be careful when heading out there. Side note: Both Ski Patrol and Portland Mountain Rescue happened to be practicing avalanche rescue that day in the gully, so there was a very fast response. I think it's great that there are so many individuals in the area giving their time on a blue bird day to learn how to save other people's butts.

Scrambling isn't climbing? That's a pretty crazy statement. I have scrambled up many a peak, does that mean I didn't climb them? A great scramble I think is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a day outside and can be very condition dependent. If you have a good scramble, please post it. I would argue that a great deal of climbs like the West Ridge of Stuart is scrambling.

Great trip report, great photos, nice work.

Now all that gear is laced with bad karma. Something is going to fail on them, it'll come back around.

Trip: Mt. Hood - White River Canyon Date: 1/17/2010 Trip Report: I was thinking about doing the Timberline to White River Sno Park shuttle, but the Timberline parking lot was full and I had the dogs and all, so we headed over to White River. A wintry mix turned to fatty flakes as we cut through the crowds of sledders and snowshoers and finally left the crowd in the upper canyon. It's pretty flat, but it was just good to get out. The snow was pretty sticky, but it was coming down. It was rain when I got back to the lot at the end of the day though. I did release a creeper slide when I was heading down the on one of the few good aspects. It moved really slow but the snow was so heavy that I was glad to avoid getting caught in it. It was nice getting on the ridge and being all alone in the fog with nothing but untouched powder (albeit wet powder) all around. No photos, it was pretty foggy. Just watch out for slides out there. Gear Notes: AT Skis, gore tex Approach Notes: Drive like you are going to Meadows and you pass by it on your left about five minutes before getting to Meadows after you pass the Barlow Sno Park.

Yes...maybe....shit, i don't know

There is bouldering, check out Jim Yoder's guide to Tieton, it's in there. I have not done it so I cannot attest to the quality. But Kloochman Rock may present some good scrambling although the rock can be kind of loose. Good luck

I heard a dirty rumor that it was raining even up in the passes today. Was anyone up there with an idea of how much it rained and maybe where the freezing level was?

There is some good terrain across the highway from Steven's Pass, same as the area across from the Baker Ski Area. I am probably going to head up around Stevens tomorrow, I will let you know how it is.

Thanks for all the feedback. I was thinking of the circumnav, but that may be better in the spring. There's a system moving that noaa says could drop eight inches tomorrow or wednesday and continue to snow through the week. I read about a couple of avy prone spots. Are you passing through a lot of potential slide areas or can you stick to the crest generally and away from terrain traps? I am also concerned that maybe it's just gonna be a lot of post-holing. Mt. Scott sounds like some fun. We might just dig a snow cave and stay warm with my buddies Jose, Jim, and Jack for the New Year. Thanks again for the feedback and have a good new year.

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

I am new to water ice. I have done some alpine ice and steep alpine climbs, but have always come a day too late and found the prospective water ice route not in. I am looking for some easy route near Leavenworth. Top rope potential would be great. Thanks for any advice.

I just finished "Starlight and Storm" by Gaston Rebuffaut. He was the first to climb the six major north faces in the alps, including The Eiger. It's a fascinating account of pioneering mountaineering, with great literary passages reminding me of Muir. If you like "The Beckoning Silence" then check out "Starlight and "Storm." It's a quick read too.

I am thinking about heading to Crater Lake for new years, digging a fatty snow cave (if there's enough snow) and finding some good slopes. Has anyone been to CLNP lately? The webcam showed a decent amount of snow. I actually have never been there, so any advice is welcomed. Thanks

Just wanted to send some support toward Search and Rescue. We all owe you for being out there, putting yourselves on the line. Thank you.

We were playing around Umbrella Falls and noticed a persistent slab layer throughout the trees. We were on a pretty wind loaded eastern aspect and nothing big moved, but we were knocking off big slabs of unconsolidated snow. Once that new layer does consolidate on top of the hard pack there could be some nasty slab slides, I wouldn't want to get hit by one. Just wanted to share. Otherwise it looks like we have some good snow on the way.