Water

congrats on getting into both schools! It can be difficult to choose where to go and what to do given you're living your experience and not looking back on it, like a lot of the opinions you're getting here. As an eastern half of the US flatlander native, on the outdoors basis alone, I'd suggest going to colorado over new york. The east has spots of adventure, but just can't come close to the scope and variety of the west. Though the NE is probably my choice for anywhere east. You'd be a 4-5hr drive from the whites and sure a lot closer to the adirondaks. As far as girls at college yada yada.. i mean, if you're going to an engineering school either way, consider half your classmates at least will have terrible social skills and be unable to effectively communicate with girls. I wouldn't really worry about the male to female ratio when going somewhere for college unless it is some micro-school far off in the sticks. CSM is in metro denver area. between nonschool events, interwebs, climbing networking, i don't think you're going to feel like you're on commercial fishing boat the whole time you're in school--women will come. the women factor has more to do with you than the number of them (to a point). have fun, congrats again, and enjoy-wonderful transition time in life, imho, you can have one foot still in youthful indescretion and another into the autonomy of adulthood. Just do your best to balance the youthful decision making having adulthood consequences.

got a bud fairly new to climbing tho he needs more rope practice before glacier stuff. We are planning on hitting middle sister in the next week or so. to avoid glacier, were going to go north of hayden glacier through some bowls on way up to the col. I have done this route on descent. anyone have any feedback about the north part of hayden glacier where i have seen bootpack in summer and nary a crevasse in past years? you do it unroped? always rope? in descending north sister a few years ago i came down the south ridge to the col then east, sticking right at the north edge of hayden glacier, not being on it, getting back to soap creek that way. again plan is to try this for the way up to the col, though, suspect with snow cover maybe knowing where exact edge of glacier is isn't crystal clear? hafta take a looksee and just find out i guess. think there are more terrain traps there with snow than on glacier is my main concern with that aspect. thanks for any feedback, much appreciated cheers

can't find uber specific nor aware of the specific federal reg you'd be cited with if choosen to be enforced. but have read $500, heard someone mention a few hundred dollars, and a quote that a waitress at Jack's (in couger) said $1000. as far as being checked, sounds like a total rarity. I'd never climb during the $$ period but I wouldn't really worry about it, and I'd plead ignorance, assume that WILDERNESS permit was THE permit. Not have any ID on me, and suggest friends dropped me off and will be back in the evening or something. every permit includes a mandatory $5 donation to mt st helens instute for jack shit. They make $50,000-65,000 off the permit process each year (look at how many are sold, * $5/permit).. all to supposedly maintain the trail. total racket.

warms the cockles of my heart to read that one.

any update on the release of this aforementioned mt hood climbers guide?

you're chomping at the bit! Sunday AM looked like cloud deck to 9,000~ and then lenticular starting around 10,500. I know some folks on here talked about going then--wonder how it was for them. Why not hold off till you get a for sure sunny weekday--we had a few in the last few weeks. majority chance you'll spend your day in a moist cloud with the weather predicted this week.

I suspect you likely won't get much in the way of more experienced people offering to come along and unofficially 'guide' you up. There is a good number of folks who don't really head up hood that late into the climb season. If the weather is even half decent, you don't and won't need any help with the route, as there will be a line of headlamps and folks from the parkinglot to follow, and a well melted and tramped down path to the hogsback and up the old chute. Did you do rainier guided? Additionally, at least on the hogsback>old chute, you likely don't need to rope up unless you do not feel comfortable on that slope, in which case, place some type of pro, otherwise you are making yourselves at more risk being roped with no pro. not sure wy'east will be 'in' that time of year. You're going on the ~longest day of the year so if you don't get a clear night to drop the temps and crust things up, you may be dealing with increased rock fall as the temps start rising back up at sunrise--worth keeping in mind. you could contact timberline guides and ask if they have any other recommendations for other orgs. that do paid guided climbs, since they can't offer you the smaller service you'd like. good luck

look at it from the top? i wish i could be as optimistic about the weather this weekend! hope it is clear for ya

probably looking in the range of 2-5 miles, one way. just a guess, nobody can say for sure without driving up there. Sometimes there is just a bend in the road that gets accumulation and shaded and makes it a snowbank you can't drive beyond, even if it is clear after that.

yes. they are very dark. and will radiate heat back through the evening and night. in fact, i layed on some nice rocks after dark one evening while doing photography up there, and the rocks are downright warm.

this may be true but quite flawed logic where to camp in summer.

doing in a day is solid too. my first time up was in mid september one year i made it from the top to the TH in 1hr 45min. Scree surf baby! If you are not in good shape or use to elevation gain, you will call it hard. for a lot of folks, esp those who are not climbers per'se, making a weekend out of it is great fun--no rush to 'get it done' in a day--there is plenty to take in for the person who doesn't get up high often. Sure lunch counter can/will be crowded, but, what else are you going to do with your weekend? if you have plans to explore elsewhere the next day, or need to get home to take care of something, or are planning on heading elsewhere for immediate adventure, go for it in a day. If you're just eager to get back home to mow the grass, saddle up a bit more weight to LC and take in the experience. I think the worst thing about LC is finding people's abandoned blue bags. But the ones the trout lake ranger station gives out are inferior to those on rainier, imho.. thinner plastic, stupid kitty litter mess.. does not surprise me they are left. a barrel for them there would not be the worst idea, in the sense that it would at least congregate such waste.. tho likely encourage much more other types of trash to be left, unfortunately.

Rob, The map you want is this: http://www.discovernw.org/store_mount-adams-indian-heaven-and-trapper-creek-wilderness-map_15955.html When I brought my fiance up last july 24-25, i forgot the tent poles (hehe..remembered about half way to lunch counter..the poles back in portland). So we just slept on top of the tent. Not on snow. There are a ton of rock walls with campspots in volcanic sand/grit up there and most of them were melted out. Late July, probably same thing this year. Probably. But there was plenty of snow around of course. Your sleeping bags are probably fine. How old is your son? You could probably switch it up if you were worried about him being cold (assuming you are of similar stature). Or just bring some extra layers, honestly I think it would be fine, esp in a tent as that adds some warmth. You could always boil some water into a nalagene and put that in a bag to add warmth. Parking can be problematic, BUT, I would suggest sleeping your own bed and waking up early and getting there. The mnt draws people from all over, including those looking to do it in a day, so some will arrive at 2am and you'll hear doors slamming and there will be people camping there who maybe aren't climbing, and trucks with motors on, etc.. Save yourself that, get some sleep, wake up early, and if you started at 8am, you will be absolutely fine. At its worst you park a few hundred yards from the TH instead of 50 feet from it. You do need a permit, but there is no cap on how many can climb Adams. The permit is $15 I think. you'll have a wonderful time. skip a questionable weather weekend and go when it will for sure be nice. Other tips, make sure to bring the strong sun screen and a good hat and sun glasses. cheers

Rob, Welcome to Portland, the NW, and the forum. Sorry to hear about your fall. Sounds terrible! Also like probably an opportunity to learn a ton about proper technique and equipment usage in the mountains. If you haven't picked up Freedom of the Hills, that would probably be helpful for learning. As well as posting here if you can be a bit thick-skinned to occasional rude or biting comments from some members. Your questions: 1) Why not just go up at the start of a morning like a regular hike? You can get there by noon and have the whole afternoon to relax in your tent, take in the great view, look at what is ahead, and enjoy yourself. You have two options for leaving the next morning a) quite early in the dark, to see the sunrise from up high. Crampons and ice ax needed as the snow will be firm and crusty. On your way down it will likely be too firm to glissade from pikers peak back to lunch counter. But you get to see the sunrise, potentially, from like 10,000-12,000ft. b) leave around sunrise or just after, or even an hour after. Crampon/ice ax use will depend on your comfort level, how quickly the snow softens up, how cold it got the night before, etc. You can thus see the sunrise from lunch counter at 9,000-9,500ft. The plus of this option is that once the snow softens up, there is generally a great nice long 2000ft glissade from pikers peak at 11k~ back to lunch counter. I am a fan of option B. I am going to say it just because, but, don't, absolutely do NOT, glissade with crampons on. Never. Don't make any justification for it. 2) a 35 degree bag depends on if you sleep warm or sleep cold. My guess is the temp will drop to somewhere around 30 degrees at night, maybe not even. It tends to be windy there. If you're camping on snow, of course that adds another element. I think it would probably get the job done, especially if you have some other clothes you could throw on. 3) There is a large Mt. Adams fold out map at REI that I think is very good - waterproof and very highly detailed topo. Your phone may very well work at lunch counter, but then not at pikers, but then on the summit, and not down at the trailhead. Cell phones in the cascades are generally pretty decent but can be hit and miss, and depends on if you're in a valley or up high. If the weather is clear, I would say you do not need a GPS at all. If you have some basic wits about being in the woods or being on snow, you do not need a GPS. Even those without basic wits can probably follow the trail of bootpack and prints up from the TH to lunch counter, and from Lunch counter the route to the top is all but obvious--there are no places to make a wrong turn and if it is a sunny weekend there will be hordes to guide you. Best of luck to you, ask if you've got more questions. Hope you get to shed off some of the mountain heeby-jeebies. matt

can second the wallowas. fun place for sure! different feel than cascades, a lot of it more open.

haha got my click.

yeah. nice route, good profile of it. something I would enjoy in the future. love the pictures, glad you are happy with your new camera and its performance. just got a new cam (nex) myself, haven't had it out yet. gearhead comments, lowa mnt experts? and dig the old style wool. cheers

this morning it made it really easy to grab a shirt out of my closet that I bought in 2005 at an REI in michigan. I'm looking forward to the $38. I never wore the shirt anyways. this thread certainly helped me to feel no qualms about returning it.

viral is where it is at. i have never worked with video, but a 30second to 1 minute well produced piece that integrates pictures of the busted bike, monika, the lab testing, rei's recall, and rei's shit ass lip service... well, you get that rolling around outdoor folks on facebook, and start piling up the hits. What about one of those local news things too 'keeping them honest'.. would be interesting to see how REI's tune changes. Seems like every time bad PR gets big, there is immediate turn-about.

if you needed any motivation, one can use this as carte blanche to exercise 100% return policy to highest degree possible.

nice-great weather and probably few on the mnt. *stabs at M-F cubical life*

some great travel expose w/ climbing! =] thanks for sharing. i'm curious to read your Greece report. We're heading there (Crete) for honeymoon this fall. cheers

camp: i ordered something but then canceled part of my order. ended up billed for total until i talked with them. if it is their mistake then they should pay for shipping both ways if they want you to come away with good CS experience.

april 22 and 23 were good.. though on the 22nd it was 8-10 degrees at the hogsback.. didnt feel like spring climb even in the sun

*rubs fingers on temples* i predict perfect weather...on such and such date. there is your good window.