Water

lowa mountain expert - just fits my food incredibly. warm enough for the shoulder seasons and most of winter at most elevations for me. nimble enough i've hiked in it on non-mountaineering endeavors like going around crater lake/beartooths. but stout construction. heel welt (toe welt too but i don't full trust it).. I am sure there is lighter out there though.

i think you're on the right track. adams this time of year wind is your biggest factor imo. If I had those 3 bags I'd take the 50deg and a bivy sack and a light or midweight puffy coat to supplement and possibly be used on the summit. max 75 in sun just above treeline coming back to you car? low...40 at 5am when its windy just before sunrise? just a guess. Take portland temps and subtract 10-15 degrees (guessing here). in a handful of summer ascents of adams ive only ever worn zip-off pants/shorts, a tshirt or longsleeve sun protection shirt, a light jacket (marmot driclime), and then a puffy jacket (medium[mont bell thermawrap], or light [patagoo nanopuff]. maybe thrown on my hard shell to really cut wind once. thin beanie for a hat. i worry much more about protecting from sun than from cold on adams from july-september cheers

on highway 401 that goes along the length of southern ontario from Detroit/Windsor up to Montreal they have big signs every 20 minutes that say something like: Fatigue Kills Pull over and rest it is all flat as hell there so...kinda better. One time in high school after too much sleep deprivation driving an hour home at 1am I woke up in the grass on the side of I-75 in SE michigan doing 65mph... managed to be back on the road and enough adrenaline to get home. when i woke up the next morning I swore it must have been a dream, but I went out and my car looked fine, until I looked under and it was just a big mat of grass and dirt on the underside. glad you are okay! yes, the rests are worth it. Even 10 minutes. I think they are a stop-gap measure but i think the best choice of everything.

Mt. Rainier National Park has no requirement on fishing license, though the fish are sparse there I am told (and have only tried fishing once)..there are some lakes off limits from fishing as well. the wonderland trail goes around rainier and is spectacular. additionally there are plenty of cool spots (goat rocks wilderness), mt adams (would be a scree climb mostly, not really technical--i've done it in october before). Or alpine lakes wilderness - enchantments. As for climbing Rainier in October....i would saw that is an iffy proposition. partners aside, my understanding is much bare exposed ice and/or a thin layer of new snow atop it if the weather has started to come in. others with more knowledge may support or correct my statement.

I'm sorry, really didn't intend to throw your views under the bus! my apologies.I was remembering the webcam discussion and made a monster assumption based off that. I'll edit my original comment. ScaredSilly, thanks for the feedback.

SS, mind sharing just what you think as far as what the NPS is looking for? I've only filled out a few and normally end up on some horrible rant that I have to edit/tone down. While I know Loren is pretty much in favor of razing everything up there, including the remote telemetry, [incorrect generalization&assumption] though that is something I really love--and not for the sake because it helps me make a decision to run to the mountain (aint in my backyard), but to get an idea of whats going on up there or just enjoy the view whilst i'm doing my 9-5 thing. That said option 2 interests me most. I distinctly don't like the entire guide thing having their own buildings and such, its an odd setup in that regard compared to every other cascade volcano. btw thanks for posting this CC

hell yes! =]

what i wore up on the 22nd, low temps were high 20's maybe, low 30's? Up high I think it was right above freezing but winds at 30-40mph steady gusting way higher? (enough to blow me over if not braced). Wore this to the top: -lightly insulated leather boots (Lowa Mnt Experts) -Light socks to base camp. Thick socks to Summit -Zip off soft-shell pants the entire time. No long underwear. -Merino tshirt -Marmot Driclime Jacket -Hard Shell also carried: nano puff pullover + mont bell thermawrap parka (hooded), marmot precip full zip pants. Put the nano on around camp, the thermawrap on at the summit and part of the way down.

Trip: Mt. Rainier - Emmons-Winthrop Date: 7/22/2012 Trip Report: Not a terribly different rehash of the report posted two weeks ago. Having had plans to do this since early June and skunked by weather on multiple weekends and schedule conflicts, we finally went for it before the summer slipped by. On friday the forecast went from sunny and freezing level at 13k to cloudy and showers freezing level 9k. on the approach.. Turned out to have great weather other than some pretty ferocious wind from about 12,500 up. Not so bad going into it other than the extra work. Coming down it was kicking up ice pellets that really stung the back of the legs. Lots of traffic on Saturday when we got to Schurman but by Sunday it cleared out and perhaps only 5 or so teams really went for a summit bid out of camp. Left camp around 2:50? summit around 9am? back at camp around 2pm? approximate rememberings. Laid down in the tent for a bit and relaxed, then packed up and headed down into and under the cloud deck to get drizzled on from camp curtis onward. After a few years climbing this was for the most part my first significant roped up glacial travel experience, having mostly stuck with rock or snow routes that didn't require ropes. Had a great time of it. Really glad to finally get up a new mountain/route/views. Gym work over the last few months and then being diligent with pace on the way up and I was performing way above my self-expectations. Thought that this has got to be one of the most scenic and complete climbs I've ever done as far as how it felt. I am so glad we went for Emmons having gone up to Muir and a bit beyond from Paradise on prior occasions. There was something magic about the range of environs from summit to car, the smells of being in a cloud, getting back to the subalpine flowers, all misted nicely, with fleeting glimpses of the hillsides and basically no-one around, smelling the forest, the open sections, the dark cedar groves, all the little crystal clear creeks, then the camp fires of the white river camp ground. Very complete feeling, full circle type experience. Makes me realize just how jarring my usual Hood forays are with the ski lifts, lights, cars, and beep beep beep snowcats backing up, etc. Gear Notes: crevasse rescue gear 30m rope maximum sun protection hydrate till it hurts just the tent fly + footprint was nice make sure to ask the climbing rangers how the weather will be 'tomorrow'. I'm pretty sure its their favorite question Approach Notes: didn't rope up on the way to schurman but it seems prudent. We did on the way back until we got to around camp curtis since we were all setup for it. glissade on the interglacier on the way down.

barefoot?? on north sister? oh boy..

well my wife uses monthly contacts but is judicious enough that she gets a few months out of them. Anyways she normally fills a few of the contact cases with fluid before a weekend-3 day trip. On longer she brings a small bottle of solution. Getting bottles in the small size can be a pain but if you look around online you can find dropper-bottles in all sizes you want. Then again she also brings her glasses too. Not exactly saving weight. I think it depends on your personal preferences and activities as well. prescription goggles or glacier glasses cost an arm and a leg.

good to see a report on North. Helluva mnt! congrats on finally topping out. i see you went for trying to hit the quasi-moat at the top of the 'terrible traverse' - last fall it was a 6ft deep protected passage that was very nice. It definitely puts you on the steepest aspect--what'd you do to get down from when it ended? just downclimb the snow? objective question: I don't really have experience placing rock pro, almost all the snow looked somewhat rotten (like maybe it got rained on recently?). How was your feeling about placing any of that pro? Was it more mental or do you think a lot of it would have held a fall? Not a crit, just, it is by far the most crumbled mountain I've been up..have a real love hate thing with it.

they are waterbars. Intended to help erosion/drainage across the road. hopefully they are still there unless they did more road work, at the end of last summer (unlikely). Though I have not yet been on the road this summer.

melted out. did SW chutes yesterday. partner stashed some trail boots around 6800 so we had to traverse higher but a couple who followed us down continued and attempted to descend more and then go back towards the TH. could be their own navigational folly but they got back to the car like 20 minutes after us, and we took our sweet time traversing, drinking from a creek, having a beer, etc before the final bit to the vehicles. So I think the past week of weather confirmed Kirk's 'won't last long'.

disclosure I do not have that much experience on glaciers (prefer non-glacier routes), though have spent a fair bit of time practicing CR and researching topic as much as I can. 1) I plan for the worst (ie my partner is unresponsive). It may be a reality that one can plan on other climbers to be in proximity (rainier dog routes) but that as a plan in and of itself seems horribly short-sighted and incredibly selfish in regards to saying "hey, I will be slightly under-prepared and expect strangers to make up the difference, to take their time/risk themselves to help me if the worst happens". It makes assumptions and places expectations on them. But one still must reconcile the reality with the principle-maybe a middle ground exists. 2) setting an anchor and removing oneself after catching a CR fall on a 2 person team is a feat. a) setting the anchor into hard snow while holding the fall is a feat. b) have your prusiks set already and able to get that onto the anchor 3) on a 30m rope if you have some extra and your partner has some extra, you have enough in the 2 man system to get a decent Z rigged, but not tons, esp depending on distance of fall. If your partner weighs more than you/slope/rope bites into snow, etc, have fun with that. I may be wrong but at my level of experience i actually have more confidence with three on a 30m and two on a 60m. rationale: with 3 even on a short rope you have two to haul. with 2 on the longer rope you have enough rope to set a better system.

thanks for sharing, looks like a lovely time out with one another!

cost?

nice TR - good beta, might consider it this weekend actually, but sounds like skis could be nice for a majority of it. funly written as well w/ meeting up with folks in the woods--that can be a hoot. I too specifically wondered about helmet--didn't have or didn't warrant? cheers

bump

Congrats Sig! As long as you learn and live. The curve is steep but the difference from planning from afar to execution in person is like from womb to world. I am sure you are much much more mentally prepared for future climbing endeavors - you spent a lot of time here asking good questions and getting the gear covered in addition to any training you did. I warned you about the sunscreen. . . hope it heals quickly. small prices to pay for a successful first climb. UV radiation increases 4% per 1000ft above sea level snow reflects 85% of UV rays. Sometimes I think I could cook a raw chicken in solar cooker on top of my backpack. thanks for sharing back with us

makes for a piss poor golden shower

i do love that ENTIRELY ABSENT from every article I've read about this labor shortage for picking crops in the NW, never once do I see anything where a farmer discusses increasing wages to get more workers. In the linked story the only place the word 'wage' is mentioned is in the comments.

Wear a thick sock over your thin liner sock. More fabric to wick moisture away from your foot and absorb it. More layers to slip and have friction dissipate before it gets to your foot. Thanks for the advice folks. G-spotter, I had worn a thicker and found the same symptoms/issues. Assumed the additional layer just made more sweat. Maybe I'll try back again. For climbing boots I do the liner and then a regular sock of whatever thickness depending on the expected temperature. Hit Adams on sunday and I did not do anything but keep the lower 2 buckles (4 buckle boot) tighter--tight enough that I felt slight compression on the problematic foot. No acute hot spot on my foot, though my week prior blister, the skin lifted and looked bad due to the swamp footage. But no pain from road walking, climbing in them, or skinning. Its gettin there.. The gels/anti-antiperspirant/powder maybe I'll try though I'd like to ultimately find a way to not have to deal with that gunk on my foot. appreciate all ya'lls responses!

pm sent

Robs advice is good. You have to listen to your gut with the weather and conditions. Camping at LC in July.. if you are going up the main slope to pikers before sunrise or right after on a clear night when the temp drops a bit, its going to be icy and need an ice ax and crampons to begin with probably. If you wait until the sun has been on the slope for two hours/if the temp is higher over night, it will be softer to the point of maybe getting by fine with just hiking poles. I've done both ways. Once the road gets opened up (a week or two or so) and the masses get in, there is often a true staircase up from Lunch Counter--your foot, flat, in steps, closely spaced. It is a longer climb (elevation gain wise) so endurance is something to consider (just, are you pretty fit or not..that will play a role). My wife will reluctantly use an ice ax and microspikes but defers when it gets to anything that would require crampons. That line may be different for different people, anyways Adams is one of her favorites for being around the edge of her abilities with a great reward for the challenge (2000ft glissade).