Water

http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=30432.0 http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=30418.0

kudos. Haven't been able to get out in 2014 (injury) but have been wondering if in lieu of not great skiing, climbing was good. Winter ascent of Jeff is impressive! congrats, well done. btw thats quite the pony ride to do along ridge..

that was evil... and seriously chuckle worthy

Short fall (2-4ft) wearing rock shoes. Landed funny on foot. Immediately (Pain-7) thought something was wrong, got xrays a few hours later (negative)--immediate care doc said plantar faciitis (ha, ha...ha, not funny or accurate) Redness/Miniscule swelling during first 12 hours then looked normal. Pain at 4. No bruising. followed RICE. Compensatory walking, weight kept to outside and heel. No pain when stationary. Walking is more like discomfort level--2. Waited 11 days then went back to see doc (PA). Was referred to PT but I questioned concerns going to PT to treat symptoms vs treatment plan for a diagnosis. They consulted with sports med doc about this, came back suggestion is walking boot for a few weeks. Anyone have any experience with the Lisfranc joint? sounds like if you have, its not happy.. one of the many things on the continuum of not fun! some better..some worse.

nobody went south for ya: These aren't 'easy' so to speak, but groups of superfit run/jog them, throngs of average fit hike them, and decent numbers of small children, the unfit and the overweight get up them. Mount St. Helens South Sister (Oregon) ...requiring a fair bit more fitness, Mt. Adams, though going to Lunch Counter (~9,500ft) is fairly spectacular and only about a 3,500ft gain ~6mile round trip. also could consider going up to Camp Muir on Rainier. And one of many subpeaks in the cascades thats pretty quick bang for buck: http://www.nwhiker.com/GPNFHike02.html No idea of your background/comfort on steepness/ice axe use/etc---so for novice i'd just recommend late summer when usually snow free (depending on snowpack..which is not doing well right now)

Josh, You may have heard there is an absolute dearth of snow so far this winter. No snowshoes are needed anywhere on Mt Hood.

http://www.mountaineers.org/nwmj/04/041_Omak.html I am an acquaintance of the Mr. Harrison in the above referenced, from before I ever knew about climbing.

aside from the most detailed geographical suggestion above, (ok ok I agree with the sentiment), I believe pole creek rd via truck&snomo is the MO for M/N Sister access in full winter. I forget who it was, one of these bend guys who posted a nice early season (March?) TR of circumnavigating North about two years ago, I am pretty sure they went the sled route to pole ck TH area for access. Also might look at upper three creeks snopark. I think an ok cross country route could be had, maybe especially after the fire down there in 2012 with a good base you could make good time and get towards the E side of middle. I did a quick route draw and was getting about 7~ miles to sort of the area below the hayden glacier. (my usual basecamp in that area). i too would be interested in hearing any other logistical suggestions.

one thing I'd ask is how you stored them this past summer? warmth/hot can be the death there--if they got toasty the skin saver would more or less embed in into it and would not surprise me to become a bit of a mess. I often seem to transfer a sliver (1-3 inches by .25in) of glue from my g3 skins to my bases in a spot near the front or near the tail, my skin savers are a bit sticky for sure.. but nothing that seems to have compromised sticking of the skin or performance of the ski. take to local shop/call g3? it is the holidays things get crazy, someone on the line might be better than email

well you know about timberline then obviously yes, you want more variety? people do camp a lot right at treeline just east of the overflow lot. there is cooper spur snow park on Hood's east side, hike about 4-5 miles up to Tilly Jane/Cloud Cap and camp anywhere in there around treeline or continue higher up and camp near the stone shelter or even higher right at the base of cooper spur climb. If you get a WA snowpark pass you can go to Marble Mnt Snowpark and go about 2 miles to timberline on St. Helens and camp there. Also avail is down by Santiam Pass--the Maxwell Butte Snowpark is a good place. I've snow camped up on Maxwell Butte--it has commanding views of 3 Finger Jack and excellent 360 views of the rest of the area volcanoes. The approach is mostly marked through woods but up top you could certainly test mettle. two points--so far the snow is low this year, not that it can't pick up with just a few storms but its relatively low all around, especially at elevations timberline and below. and lastly just to say you dont have to be bc skiing to subject yourself to avalanche danger, the first big snow of the season i'm sure risk wasn't so huge due to the snow being anchored in all the terrain features on hood. But a similar trip during a storm with an established base could have you in high risk avy terrain and conditions. Something to be mindful of, but I totally get the desire to

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1116905/Carpool_from_Portland_to_the_B#Post1116905

sure, i skied there last tuesday... very light snow (1inch?) in bend. by that first snowpark on the south... maybe a foot and a half? dutchman maybe 2ft? just about 3 at the base of the mnt.

So skiing on Cooper seemed... Barely enough snow? Wondering if Fri will get an inch or two new, maybe some brilliant pow blows to the east side of the mnt...

bump/final ask thanks

howdy all as part of the masters program my wife is doing she is working on a communications project for the Mazamas. This survey is intended for non-mazamas or former Mazamas. Its very short and would help her out a lot to get some more responses. Thanks! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CPMCBVN

I wondered as well. And researched. The conclusion I came to was that that the case presented against Glenn by OMA the truth was probably somewhere in the middle, but maybe there was some conflicts of interest on Glenn's part. But it was ~10 years ago. I wasn't able to find one iota of badmouthing of Glenn as a teacher or the instruction he provides. Being a climb ranger on hood and rainier over the duration he did gives him a solid background of experience to draw from. Locally speaking, he was the most affordable and easiest option for my peers and I to take a course through. At the end of the day I didn't feel enough ethical 'qualms' in this instance to choose a different option--I wanted the class for avalanche education and nothing more.

Ben, Ian Louis myself and another friend took the Mountain Savvy avy 1 course last year. To clarify it, the certification is the Canadian Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 with the option for a 3rd day to get the AIARE 1. But I think it goes a little over the AST 1 training wise, but that is the certificate you get. I think all of us would say we were very satisfied with it. And Glenn is allowed to operate on Hood for his class, whatever the situation with TMG is (actually now that I think of it I'm pretty sure on of our small-group instructors for the field day was a TMG guide?) While I considered myself self-educated to a degree and had continued to explore the subject through research and observation of my own, I was aware there was plenty I did not know especially into technical details than what I did know. Sure, avoid a wind loaded slope of such and such degrees, etc, some of it is basic. And that I had not learned in a standardized best-practices way, but in piecemeal fashion. The class was really helpful still to bring things together into a cohesive framework, simply refresh other topics, and educate new things, book wise and field wise. And further drill some of the most basic safety concepts that also apply to climbing decisions: heuristic traps, group size/social dynamics, compounding of multiple small bad decisions, etc.

This is 4000x2658. the original is 4912x3264 if you want that let me know, also i could probably tease the post processing to give greater visibility to shadowed areas of the rock.

a friend went up for some bc skiing monday around tline. said aside from the weather it was pretty lousy snow--breakable crust, mashed potatoes underneath, and icy. but again thats around treeline, maybe theres some more uniform snow up higher

Yeah, if not clear or easily researched to you already, south side of hood there are 2-3 locations easily accessible. I know of nothing on other faces of it. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Emissions/description_gases_fumaroles.html Whats the story on rainier? I know it has the cave network and steam--but no H2S in it for whatever geologic reasons?

for my sony mirror-less camera I got a 2yr policy [from sony] that protected against damage. I was/am good with it but it still had a lot of wear at the two year mark. I'll admit as that 2yr rider was coming up there was a little voice in the back of my head tempting me to 'oops' and at least get a nice shiny new body. Take a look at BHphoto or Adorama, I am pretty sure they have policies for protection (body and lens sometimes being separate). Or wherever you bought from really. Once you find something read reviews on the policy. I could be wrong but I think they're generally pretty straight forward and decent.

hmm.. not really. I've dealt with the issue on almost every major brand. I guess I've tried some osprey stuff for backpacking and climbing sans skis and those worked well enough. I deal with it on an old Mountainsmith Sting 45 too, which is an absolutely burly awesome pack but again hipbelt barely fits me and the suspension/backpanel for me is on the comfort end of the spectrum with sleeping on cobblestones without a pad. Maybe 3 or 4 years ago I went in and talked to Graham at Cilo gear about a pack, just really to check his operation out. I mentioned I've come to climbing from a backpacking/long distance hiking background, and that I liked to carry the weight on my hips. The cilo gear packs hipbelts looked pretty minimal to me (and I understand why), so didn't seem like something for me to pursue. I spoke with Hyperlite Mountain Gear last year and this fall, they're supposed to be developing a ski pack--I have hopes for it. In the mean time they offer some reinforcements and ski loops for their porter and ice packs. The sad part I wonder, I'm 5'8"/150. Not very big but yet I know guys who are smaller than me. Is it really so much to ask for a hip belt that cinches to a 30inch waist? The range of most seems to be 33-46 or something ridiculous.

Same boat as a lot of you, looking for this chimera of a pack. Unlike my backpacking or just climbing, I'm not sure it truly exists. I actually spent about 50 emails and many hours over two months with a custom backpacking pack designer before they eventually felt they couldn't make what I had in mind--the ski/climbing focus was not to their expertise, though I really liked the materials and features they had on many of their other packs. some reviews: EB 1st Ascent Haines: Tried this on a lark, good price and advertised as a ski pack from them. Good: Materials--their laminated ripstop is quite nice. Bad: Heavy for the size. Has I think 8 zipper tracks on the pack in total. No hipbelt pocket. not enough volume. Shoulder straps and load lifters needed to be re-tightened periodically. Pocket shapes odd, avy gear pocket pretty tight fit. returned. Maybe EB 1st Ascent clothing is still decent but frankly their gear blows, its kind of franken-designed it seems. Mammut Trion Guide 45 + 7 Backpack I've had my eye on this for a while and picked it up last year. Has worked well on a variety of trips - rainier climbs, with and w/o skis, long tour days, overnight tours. Good: Solid materials, reinforced bottom. Ski loops and two sets of compression straps per side. Avy tools pocket is really nice 3/4ths half moon zip style. The pocket itself will fit everything, but my saw and 320mm probe is a little bit of a wiggle to get it in past the zipper--but there is plenty of volumetric space for all avy gear and skins. Solid ax/tool holder system that can be setup without impeding access to rear avy tools pocket. Webbing loops on pocket one can lash crampons to. Fairly clean design. A side access zipper runs the length of one side and is fantastic for quick access to items in the body of the pack. Extension collar and lid 'floats' up to accommodate, plenty of extra space that is otherwise hiding. Lid pocket big enough for the miscellaneous kitchen sink of maps/sunscreen/hat/gloves/snacks/phone/etc. Hip belt has hip-stabilizers (little webbing that can be tightened going from belt to pack). Hydration sleeve with hook to hang, port to exit. Things to improve: No hip belt pocket-sad face. make the lid removeable! Though this mod could easily be done by cutting the flap of fabric that connects the lid to the upper backpanel edge of the pack. No diagonal ski carry or little helmet holder thing. minor/personal quibbles: Shoulder straps don't have much padding, when loaded esp with skis going up rainier, even with weight on hips i noticed. Maybe make the hipbelt smaller. I'm a 32 waist and like to keep pack weight on my hips. Many packs I've got the waist cinched down to near maximum tightness, its frustrating. This is one of them. Mammut Spindrift Guide Backpack - 2700 Very very similar to above, but here are the differences: different backpanel setup--more adjustable for torso length. Shoulder straps have much softer/more padding. Hip belt has pocket on one side! But hipbelt itself is kind of odd with some webbing with velcro going under some sheaths with velcro on the hipbelt itself to hold it together. No hip-stabilizers. Isolated side pocket for skins on one side of pack Helmet holder little thing with some clips that connect to some tiny loops on the pack. Main body access zip on the other, except instead of a long vertical zip along edge between side and backpanel, this is shaped like a long U |_____________| so the zipper curves and a flap opens to access the inside. I think the trion side zip is better, less chance of failure. But maybe slightly more difficult to try to pull out something of size if the pack is really loaded lid is still attached but adds small fleece-lined pocket for sunglasses or goggles, in addition to main lid space. I like this Ice axe/tool attachment similar but shaft holder has moved off of avy tools pocket and to side of it No webbing on avy pocket outside to lash crampons to diagonal ski-carry system ski loops at base of pack are adjustable, so, on could conceivably secure skis in aframe mode w/o sliding ski, just setting it on pack and tightening the ski loops and compression straps. quibbles: Again I am at the tiniest end of the hip spectrum for this, having to crank it down to get it tight without much room to spare, and it seems like this velcro hipbelt thing was having issues/moving a bit. Between the two while I am really fond of the diagonal carry, having a hip belt pocket, etc, I think the Trion Guide is better overall. The Spindrift guide all said and done has just gone a few steps past the 'too much' point as far as buckles, zippers, latches, for my taste, even though I like a lot of the features.

Well I do believe they have an interest in getting on as well as they can with other user(s)/groups. They try to give heads up at times, at times they'll try to let others pass/go in front. But having an interest in being copacetic with everyone else and actually achieving it are not mutually exclusive. bettering/conserving 'the planet' is important to me. But I eat meat, drive to work daily and 3-6hrs almost every weekend for recreation, and make camp fires. I do recycle and we only have 1 car though, But by definition I'm failing miserably as far as reducing my footprint. Its important just not that important, apparently, eh? they do some pretty decent trail work, and at times have come down with some weight on issues that benefit climbers.

major bummer. I always fear this even with a basecamp in the BC, but ungodly more so if i'm in any relative proximity to a road. if you have renters (or homeowners?) insurance i've at least been told mine covers this, assuming your gear cost hits the deductible. (two sleeping bags, stove, etc very well could). It doesn't fix the problem but it helps take some sting out if your ins will cover the replacement costs.