Water

awesome TR, enjoyed it a lot. Not sure the tree situation (maybe nowhere good basically) but I think the take away is to cache anything in a place where a ranger won't find it? Might make it tough to find it oneself though. Also to include a note explaining circumstances, "Left this cache here this morning, will be back in the evening, please don't steal from it unless you're in dire need, because if you do you'll befall a terrible tragedy in the forest". Situations like this absolutely do not engender an iota of respect for most FS rules -- precisely what you said -- let a horse shit in a lake and a river, charge me entry, limit my entry to lotteries, clearcut to the edge of the wilderness, but ride my ass about things that matter not..

Thats awesome! My wife (Bucket) and I (Water) do trail magic for PCT'ers one weekend each summer as we got indoctrinated to the thru-hiking community/cult while thru'ing on the AT a number of years ago. And while I'll sound like an 'I told you so' -- its just an observation, but for better and worse thru hikers of all trails (PCT/CDT/AT/PNWT/etc..) walk an interesting line of hubris and ability. Largely it is of ability, there is no question about that, but i've personally witnessed the confidence of that experience pushing into situations that are well beyond what is encountered hiking. That they've gone for months and thousands of miles through huge ranges of mountains, snowy passes/rain/storms/heat/scrambles/etc, wild conditions, trials and tribulations, they're definitely forged of a can-do/get-by/make-it-happen/seriously self-reliant cloth, but i've witnessed that hiking experience get applied to situations a far bit on the outside of hiking, most of the time without consequence but not always--and then it seems the viewpoint is like 'getting lost' and not having over-stepped one's knowledge and ability. For me i've always demarcated pretty clearly between my climbing ventures and my hiking/backpacking ventures with the wife and family so I guess it stands out to me. BUT please not let this detract from the TR/topic. It is my belief while thru-hiking all hikers are filling a karmic piggy-bank through their miles each day and suffering. When the shit hits the fan in one way or another the universe seems to totally provide, like you coming out and finding his pack in good shape. Or some friend-of-a-friend of a hiker we were with, whos wife and daughter were nurses at a hospital, in central pennsylavania coming to the rescue at 8am at a state camp ground with a dose of cipro for my wife when she clearly had a simply UTI and we had no health insurance. or the people who stop to ask if you're hikers and if you could use a place to stay when you've gotten rained on 5 days in a row. the stories are endless, and not just from us, but i swear the trails will provide, if you hike them.

Hello, Saw elsewhere that WA is altering their rules to remove reciprocity. No word on if Oregon and others will thusly drop it as well, but it sounds like Oregon passes won't be valid in WA. PDX'ers rejoice. Though I haven't seen anything officially geared towards the public stating as much, I did find this change from this summer below. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/laws/wsr/2013/14/13-14-027.htm From what I can tell these are the WAC (Washington Administrative Code) changes/alterations from this summer. Changes came at behest of the Washington state parks and recreation commission it appears. It is WA executive branch decision. So it could very well be overturned or an exemption granted again right before sno-park season? The complexities of permits, dates (Oregon is Nov 1, WA appears to be Dec 1?), etc is becoming unreal and laughably unmanageable as far as it relates to the end user.

It is longer by a bit but id highly recommend the emmons-winthrop over the DC at this point.

awesome. great story, lovely & fun photography. What a treat, thanks for sharing.

http://mountrainierconditions.blogspot.com/2013/05/emmons-winthrop-2013.html

+1, and a lot of that rockfall is caused by other people who decided they needed to be roped-up there I guess I'll 3rd that.. the downclimb was not bad, there is good holds and ledges and such but the people with ropes and the ropes themselves seemed to cause the most issue.

my renters was pretty easy when i absentmindedly 'set' down my wedding band on a table at the gym while fussing with my locker key and ipod. i came back 2 minutes later and it was gone. expensive jewelry had been found and turned in at this gym in the past just fine--since it never showed up my agent said I could consider that a theft. without an extra rider the policy maxed at $500 on jewelry but hey it helped a lot on total cost of replacement! i'd definitely try to rake your agent over the coals on this. that is such a BS policy clause they are giving you.. like others said confirm it in writing. My agent has told me i am covered with our basic renters if my gear gets stolen from my car or if for instance a camera/gps/etc was stolen from a basecamp tent, etc.

Some LA sportiva nagos. 4yr old. Had them resoled once already maybe a year or two ago. But that was the sole going down to the rand. This looks like a spot in the rand wore through. Does a resole fix this or is this the beginning of the end for this shoe? Or can I just shoe glue the spot to keep it from growing? Not been too thrilled with the aggressiveness of this shoe lately. The rest of it is in good shape, what's the lifetime of a shoe? Can you resole for years and years?

thanks for report update. for clarification... ice tools needed... but bring pickets (generally not good pro for ice..) or is it very hard snow in the early AM, maybe soften a bit later?

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/vancouversun/obituary.aspx?n=peter-almerling&pid=166015637

oi http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?board=167.0

you can probably do south sis without stepping on snow. There was a report on portlandhikers a few days ago. someone went to the hogsback this past weekend reported could get there without touching snow for the most part/or almost--vast majority of the route. Adams when I skied it over a month ago kept my trail runners on till 10,500ft but on the snow in early morn. someone just posted a TR up the Adams glacier and said it was nice and should be good for a while. There is a decent 'climb' (if you're putting south sister in the mix) called The Brothers in the Olympics it would be a shorter drive than to south sis. if you want some more challenge go for north sister-south sister is a family hike if you're talking the dog route

guess you gotta take that anger somewhere, might as well be to the mountains, keep climbing. I don't need to or want to tell you anything about your choices, but had I replied directly to your story it would have been the same thing as I'll say now: i do hope you heal up quick/well. it is an interesting contrast, one report that was quite open, full names, willingness to contribute and hear back, to one that self-admits never contributing TRs (or beta?) to the site, that doesn't want to be named, and comes off as perhaps a bit self-absorbed (maybe I'm projecting there, no need to let it push your buttons like my statement that referenced you). But hey, theres no real rules for the TRs other than it being of something in the mountains, and I don't know you, online sells people short in the personality department and my read of TRs of all shapes and sizes is very well influenced by my own biases. we're done here deadman, you came for two things, and neither of them are to talk to me.

also sorry for thread drift just thought it was a really interesting juxtaposition and contrast between the two trip reports, couldn't be more different. Again like your TR and thanks for the slick GE overlay, thats a nice bit of icing to have every step recorded.

what is a sleeping bag compartment?? does your backpack have a division at the bottom of it? If it doesn't fit in there on its own just get rid of the division (probably a zip inside, right?) and live with it. its a -25f down bag is huge no matter what, so its going to take up a lot of space, plus i believe it is possible to overcompress down..

thanks for sharing the TR. I enjoyed the play-by-play and imagine the shared experience will be a cherished memory any time you talk to one another in the years ahead. It is an interesting contrast to the solo climber of mt jefferson trip report yesterday who had so much hubris in abilities that they didn't bring a map and hadn't even researched an iota of their climb to know if the north or south summit horn was higher, leading to them making a choice that led to a near death fall and injury, but tells people he doesn't need any lectures, doesn't want anyone to expose him, and doesn't give any post-op reflection "I'll carry a map from now on/research my route/etc", so he gets a bunch of 'cool story bro' responses. you guys on the other hand lay it all out on the line with no bravado or extra ego stroking and offer reflection of your own choices yet get a stout amount of analysis from many posters (almost entirely constructive and well intentioned though). interesting..

APE, i was in your shoes (haha..pun) two springs ago and the bindings were the relatively easy part, the boots were more dictated by what felt/fit best for the cost/weight.. but the skis were just up in the air.. whatever people skied is what was recommended. are you a good skier already? especially if not they're going to get thrashed good between learning or just plain in the late spring as you're riding the snow till it turns to dirt. just so you dont plunk a grand on skis for the first go of it..nice light boots will be more value for your $. There is the winter snowpack to be had and anything 100-115 (or more) underfoot would be good. Then the spring snowpack...corn snow on adams in june...and things into july etc, you can get by with very narrow... (80mm?) As was told to me anywhere 90-105 underfoot with a bit of early rise and you'll be good for everything, assuming the weight isn't too much to tire you out. Light Light skis are going to get thrown in variable and crud snow but sounds like the aim of the game is getting down and its not like a light ski (2lb) is going to be unskiable while a heavy (5lb) ski is going to move without effort like a hot knife through butter on crappy snow. My friends with wider/heavier skis enviously make it sound like i've got balsawood toothpicks when they unload them out of the vehicle and about how they're light they are. you're definitely on track with the light-is-right approach to this, esp if not planning on winter ski touring. I ended up with G3 Saints which dont get much play but are a great ski I think. Same for G3 Spitfire which have been redone for this next season. a pretty accomplished climber/skier on here has mentioned these as http://www.movementskis.com/en/products/skis/x-series/logic/ their ski of choice.

hmm... most of the snowpack is fairly consolidated but yet there could be some postholing up high if you go the first day after fresh snow has been falling--depends how much fresh up high. that said it doesn't take much intense june sun to cycle the snow and at the least give you a firm crust for the way up in the early AM, a day or two or three after, esp with temps going so high.

nice TR. was wondering if we would hear from who we saw up there. us (2) in milk creek and on west rib. should have stuck with our original PDX leave time of 9pm instead of bumping to 10pm, along with keeping the gas pedal on effort going up (i was feeling slow having been up for 24hr+ at that point). immediate goal was just north saddle but sun on west face was our turn-around time.

what about golf shoes? they got good spikes on them.

thanks for responses folks. i was informed self registration ends sometime in the spring/summer when the climbing ranger building is staffed for the summer. So you just can't do that, and that we were SOL--but I didn't push too hard, was just querying. Was looking to do Kautz but partner got sick yesterday/def not at 100% so am refocusing with new partner on a different mountain not encircled with red tape. But ScaredSilly I like that approach, there has to be exceptions at times.. I understand the policy, kind of and have made it up in time in the past but really there are times it is not possible but a climb should not make or break based on administrivia hours when all other ducks are in a row. I am generally successful at firm/polite pursuit of this type of thing so if it comes up again will try to speak with Mr. Lofgren

Want to climb leaving from Portland Friday night. Earliest we can leave town is 4pm. Am I correct that the only option is to wait all the way till 6am sat for the rangers to issue a permit? Seems so f'd up not everyone can be there before 5pm on Friday. Already have our $44 climb pass and were on the route two weeks ago. Can't believe we aren't able to fax our info in in lieu of being there. Or is this something people just be stealth with? Not exactly my interest in a Nat park.. Personally feel this is such a safety thing to make their arbitrary operating hours control climb starts. Sunday is not looking nearly as good.

i'm a huge fan of lowa mountain experts. Mine are about 4-5 years old and holding up well though i've only used them a time or two since I got into skiing. Anyways in the first few years of their life they were great even in single digit temps though I think some of the light bit of insul in them has broken down so they aren't as warm as they once were. But I've done a lot scree surfing on the oregon volcanoes which I think is pretty hard on them and they've held great. My feet sweat a lot but they were great through many summer climbs, not too hot imo. But yes the Rand has been stout, still good tread though I've probably put about 250-350 miles hiking in them. Had to re-waterproof a bit but yeah, I'd buy them again. i think they may have improved the toe welt on newer year models as well (its kind of tiny..) scree surfing north sister:

way to shoot any credibility in the foot with that statement. not normally one of the talking points at the car dealership, "corolla's high clearance capabilities". Frankly it is just totally your average car. what car has low clearance? I saw civics up there too. and an old escort. other than sports cars what exactly low clearance cars are you talking about, minicoopers, smart cars, and pt cruisers? i guess i dont see who is restricted from getting up there in their vehicle other than the people who have something that already scrapes when they go over speed bumps in neighborhoods and parkinglots, they'd know better than to take it onto dirt roads. the road actually got improved outside of those water bars--in all prior years there were a lot more potholes and general dips and whatnot throughout it. anyways, righton to perpetuating the hysterics of the road, keep up the good work.