Water

-1 for westcomb customer service on my end for warranty/quality issue. that is separate from +++ for designs. I have a chimera jacket from them and primaloft fibers have been coming through the lining in high wear areas within 1 year of use. Due to highlighting some type of primaloft layering technology in the marketing buzz for this jacket, it seemed like it was a warranty issue. their limited lifetime warranty covers workmanship on materials. when I contacted them they said warranty did not apply because bought via steepandcheap. Their warranty exclusion is: 2nd hand, auctions, or unauthorized dealers. I had to post on steepandcheap's facebook wall that westcomb warranty does not apply to items sold on steepandcheap before westcomb changed their tune. now that the season is over and I'm not using that jacket, I need to mail them the jacket. meh see they changed from primaloft one to sport for current model.. hrmm +1 leki, they sent me new sections to poles that were broken (came with new tips too...score!, no questions asked, no needing to mail them broken sections) +1 Rab, jacket had delamination in high wear areas, they inspected and exchanged. never questions place of purchase or original receipt/etc.

nwhikers and pdxhikers has gone into the doing a 'sting' angle when this debate comes up there. most tend to feel they'd rather not get involved with the individuals doing these crimes and are just more wishful for LEO presence at lots and people not leaving anything of value in vehicles. perhaps a flying crampon kick to the back and word about the person in all black with a balaclava and bug-eyed glacier glasses could help?

If you like visiting towns, see Portland. I live here and as an outdoors person can't necessarily suggest any reason why someone should spend more time here than driving through the gorge or elsewhere to take in the sights. July will have better weather, that is statistically supported. Speak with TMG about hood climbs in July. I have my doubts. There is no objective measure of what is safe for a single individual. You can read reports of deaths on the southside of Mt. Adams--does that mean it is not safe? Are you thus risking your life to be on it? The 'risk' part of hood is a 4-500~ foot slope on the southside which you must go up and go down, avoiding other climbers and natural and kicked rime and rock, depending on how warm it is/gets and how melted it is/gets. For hiking going to muir on a nice day can be beautiful. You will get a sense of the mountain and how much bigger than Hood it is. I think there are merits to seeing the mountain up close in person, knowing where you'll start, etc, if you're planning a trip down the road. Getting the permits to MSH is a pain in the ass and a racket. You can always skip the permit--they don't have someone standing there checking tags and stamping hands at the TH. Play out-of-town dumb if the 1 or 2 rangers that work that role actually came across you and asked for it. MSH is not technical, less so than Adams even, it is both shorter and less steep. South Sister would be accessible by then, a 5000ft elevation gain up a fairly trodden trail along the side of the mountain, which gives great views of the central oregon cascades. No worries of technical ability. Mountaineering experience, depends on your definition. It is a good scramble in the summer, though I'm not sure you need to ever use your hands maybe more than one or two times.

sounds feasible since you actually have some recover/drive days. alternative to staying at timberline (1$$-3$$) is to stay at the mazamas lodge in government camp ($25), just bring ear plugs--its group style lodging, but you're within 15 minutes of timberline from there. What is your number one priority--top of hood or action on all peaks or what? Talk with Timberline Mnt Guides to see if they are doing any guiding into July..and how far. The further into July the more guaranteed weather you'll have, but hood will likely be going out of favor. On the other side too early in June and the rd to Cold Springs (mt adams) wont be melted out fully, adding 2-6+ miles to the trip. Camp at Cold Springs at base of Mt. Adams..fine campsites right at TH. Depending on snow and such, I may start a lot earlier for Adams. I hate to say it as well, but, you may want to consider renting snowshoes for it--I have had some posthole hell on there even with snowshoes on.. in late afternoon of midsummer sun. Consider bumping the leave-time up earlier, maybe you get a nice clear nice and good freeze and can go much faster along a good crust for many hours and onto the way back down before it starts to mush up. Also investigate the drive from Mt. Adams to Paradise. Google maps will show you FS-23 takes you directly north, however, that road often takes a while to melt out and all those roads tend to get maintenance issues pretty regularly. There is potential for longer drive--contact Gifford Pinchot FS before you leave to find out rd conditions.

mt defiance washington or oregon, see you are in olympia..

meh.. i can't say how many rope lengths it is but if i was planning on a fixed belay of newbs on cooper spur i probably wouldn't take them there in the first place. that said if it was really icy or something then i see the merits, but that likely means later season (in my book) soi wouldnt be there in the first place.

are you carrying over? I've done it once but would like to again when conditions and wx get together. Personally for me mid-june seems late, most esp. if descending it. unless it was a colder day than normal--just it gets first sun which in mid june.. means light on the face starting at 5am more or less--most accidents there seem on descent from my reading when we went we brought pickets which we didn't use, it was just good snow and step kicking. depends on people's comfort and confidence level but i think the southside slope is a good place for newbs to get a feel for being on a steeper slope, while not nearly as committing of a slope and the run out isn't fatal by default. the steepness kind of creeps up in a fun way, though towards the very end we veered slightly to the left and it eased a bit, and the final 200 ft to the top was a touch more moderate as well. really fun climb though! probably don't need to say it but if roping up, of course place the pro, otherwise don't bother--i would not want to be roped on that slope without something in, though lo and behold you see and hear of people doing such.

thanks for sharing. it is relief to see some concrete proof that america doesn't have the market cornered on idiots the glissading at the end seemed the like the topper.. maybe they know the runout better but no ax and steep enough to send the first guy down looks like they all want to end up as a bunch of broken legs and bashed heads in a pile at the bottom.

uhg. the original statement re: desert cragging made me laugh and obviously was tongue-in-cheek, esp after putting CLASSIC in caps. happy for the conditions report, we went up 4/22 and broke trail along lee side of hogsback and kicked steps up. fun times, happy to finally have a bit of hood action after progressively crappy weekend conditions for what seemed like months. cheers guys

what/how did you hear about it? news to me I was glassing the slopes of st helens yesterday with binocs from McClellan Viewpoint after some lo-key backpacking along the lewis river.. could see the snowtrack and a few spots of wet slides but nothing big, at least yesterday at 4pm.

this looks really fun--and exactly why I'd love a tacoma or such. but until i can get the 35mpg+ i get on the highway with my 7 year old rolla..

Didn't mean to rain the avy news on your parade--seemed worth posting giving you asked about conditions since NWAC stopped regular reports. I do think they'll put another update tomorrow. I've felt this winter and spring has really sucked having generally safe avy conditions along with weather windows greater than 24hr..let alone on weekends. maybe someone else can offer something up but I this is my take: ski: resort climb: rock or do some hiking at lower elevations.

http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/8/ done with regular forecasts but still forecasting when they have special hazardous condition announcements. Which, we're getting for this week.

this isnt a troll right? http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/13/

it will be a timberline trial for sure. +with snowpack you can probably go cross country easier -if it gets warm in the afternoon = postholing -still can't go as fast as trail runners -if hot, any fords will be difficult i would say later july-august is a better bet if you want to make a plan now and actually hike it on trail vs route-find and be majority on snow, but really depends on your experience and interests. consider posting this ? at nwhikers.net or portlandhikers.org for more info

mmmmmmm my bc can beers in fridge right now are: caldera brewery's amber ..and. summer solstice cerveza crema (anderson valley brewery) good stuff for sure

what year are those absolute zero BD mittens? they seem quite a few yrs old just curious.

yet = a few months Try asking in Mid-June

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=n00b http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbie

cool promos and nice to try things out in-situ. not to thread drift, but, did they ever get the perps who hit the store a year or more ago?? glad to see you are still going.

Moving steady from Marble Mnt you can get to the rim in a day, leaving at 8am, though I'd leave earlier then you can take a more leisurely pace. Additionally if it is sunny out, the later in the day it gets, the more postholing down low-and snowshoes downhill in sinky snow can suck. They won't open that probably unless the snow melts off--I think they want to prevent people from trying to get there and getting stuck. They are done plowing for the season.

yea, i was not so fond of the longer length on that - would prefer short, the length is extra weight, traditional ax for piolet cane.

looked at matrix light as well. hammer seems really tiny--would use this to pound a picket occasionally. one anecdotal review i found said with the monster-x head it can be difficult to hold the head, (i have small hands)..and plunge geometry wasn't great. but i took with a grain of salt. anything on your end to share regarding that? like i said, i realize most of what is listed will work, just being anal about my selection. I agree replaceable pick probably not so important since its occasional use.

Well well well.. I've read these threads many a time and just wanted to kick the ball again on it. Anyone have any feedback? I don't plan on ice climbing, to start off. It would be an aspiration to lead a moderate grade alpine ice pitch. Follow, okay.. The area I'd find it useful is steep hard snow/gullies with the occasional ice step on cascade volcanoes. Looking at Aztarex hammer (50cm), CAMP Alpax special hammer (57cm), and Grivel Air Tech Evo Hammer (48cm) Mostly lean towards Aztarex as I've just heard good stuff from it, cons being too light of a head for good stick when ice climbing (not an issue for me), shaft filling with snow (can block this), and the griprest a bit cumbersome to remove. +petzl +replace picks +light CAMP Alpax has the griprest in a sliding sheath for easier access. +T shaft +replaceable picks -heavy Grivel Air Tech Evo hammer.. Just heard a lot of good word about this too. -can't replace pick, +nice array of grip-handle/horn accessories All will probably get the job done, I'm aware. Going to be paired with bd raven 65. If petzl made the sum'tec with a hammer, I'd get that. thanks

Really anywhere in those gullies right around Tline--You can find some slopes to do this that end in a flat large spaces just east of the 2nd parkinglot. I'd probably opt for that area vs going up into the steeper gullies, just to error on snowpack issues. Down lower you can go to white river canyon and just fool around near the sledding hills there. Been wanting to take a friend out to go over this but really with the snow not packed at all, you can go through the motions but won't experience much more than going through the motions on a grassy slope or your couch in portland.