aikidjoe

Thank you for sharing. My take away from this is for the rapeller to bring a prussik system on a blind rappel like that, so maybe they can prusik up the rope if they end up free hanging? Just curious: is there a reason that would not have helped if the anchor had held in this situation? I'm also curious: did you bury the picket and axe anchor as deadmen? Or straight into the snow? (Just to be clear: this is not meant as criticism. I'm genuinely hoping this leads to good discussion and insights. Protecting in snow is tricky and I thank you for sharing what happened that we might learn from it). Cheers!

Thanks!!!

Sounds like maybe you drove there.... did you get a look at Colonial perchance? any photos? Thank you!!

Anyone been to banks lake? Much appreciated!

Glad you made it out! Looks really fun...sorry I missed it!

Nice effort. Did you get any photos on the north faces on Dtail and Colchuck? Thanks!

The problem isn't that natural gas produces 1/2 the CO2. The problem is that fracking (a) poisons the water supply and (b) leaks a lot of methane, which is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. There is growing evidence this more than offsets the reduction in CO2. Fracking is not a valid answer. Carbon taxes, yes. I'm more open to the idea of nuclear after reading Dr. James Hansen's Storms of my Grandchildren, though there are a lot of troublesome issues with it. But fracking will only make the problem worse. Ultimately, civilization cannot sustain its current trajectory, and I'm not convinced there will be a technical solution. This can really only end in disaster unless we make hard choices, or probably more likely: until disaster forces hard choices. We don't have control over other people; we can only control ourselves, and the choices we make matters. The best we can do as individuals is make life choices that reduce our footprint (eat vegan, use alternative transportation to single occupant cars, reduce consumerism, etc.); support politicians that are not in the pockets of fossil fuel, meat, and dairy industries; and don't support industries that destroy what little old growth rainforest we have left (palm oil, meat/dairy, etc.).

ha! The one that pays you..,

Really cool. As an average guy with a full time career with a hope of some day doing the cassin I really like the style you did it in. I hope you don’t mind if I ask a couple questions: Did you split your packs into a lighter lead pack / heavier follower pack for the Crux pitches? I see you did some pre acclimitizing on rainier before going, but what have you the confidence you could acclimatize on Route? How did you convince your boss you could take off for a week at a moments notice? (That’s a flippant but also kind of serious question....) really cool!

Agreed with JasonG. My one trip to the Pickets (so far) was amazing, but hardly any technical climbing due to weather. It's an amazing, wild, rough place, but not easy to accomplish a lot of climbing... or 5th class climbing anyways.

http://featheredfriends.com/vireo-ul-down-sleeping-bag.html

It's probably in fine shape if it's not too warm. White River Campground road usually doesn't open until later in May, so plan accordingly! I'm sure that's a big factor for why it's not usually climbed in early May.

Thank you for kicking steps!

Trip: Dragontail Peak - Triple Couloirs Trip Date: 03/31/2018 Trip Report: Quick conditions update, for those of us that don't have facebook and like CC as a resource! Anthony and I climbed TC car to car yesterday. What little ice there is in the sections between couloirs was very thing, not well formed, and poor quality. We brought screws but didn't really place any (I think I placed one 10cm for the sake of it but it wouldn't of held anything). We climbed up the right side of the runnels which seemed to me to offer more rock pro, since the ice wasn't taking screws. Run out mixed climbing and lots of piton placing! The second pitch was the most sketchy; the start was a short section of fun with a thin smear of snice in an open corner that we climbed delicately, but pretty soon that turned into snow on a short blank face with no ice or snice to help. Forunately there was an old rapel tat slung around a horn that with some funky rock climbing was just in reach, and I swallowed my pride and used it as aid in desperation. With some ice, even just a little, it would have been super fun. The exit out of that section was also delicate and engaging. The third pitch was really fun with a neat bit that combined dry tooling, chimneying, and an exit onto thin delicate snice, followed by some uncoslidated snow to add to the spice. The pitch between second and third couloirs was the least difficult I think, but by then the lack of sleep was catching up and I found it harder and more awkward than it really should have been. Overall the snow quality was great. The wind was calm and the views stellar, and it was cold enough but not too cold! A second party just ahead of us climbed up the first couloir a bit then traversed over and rapelled into the top of the 2nd runnels pitch. Thank you to them for kicking steps! It was a really fun day out and the hardest mixed climbing in the alpine I've done so far, and while there were some rather scary and run out climbing, I had so much fun. I've come to the conclusion that if you want to climb winter/spring alpine in the Cascades, you have to get comfortable with mixed climbing, as its just too damn hard to reliably find ice. Photo of N Face: Gear Notes: We brought set of cams from .01-1, a set of stoppers, 5 knifeblades/bugaboos, 1 lost arrow, and (2) 10, (3) 13, and (2) 16 cm screws, and 2 pickets. We used all the KB's/bugaboos, all the cams from 0.2-1, and a selection of the smaller stoppers at some point, and the pickets as the anchor at the top of the crux pitch exiting 2nd couloir. Approach Notes: Trail is well packed

Dr. Christopher Wahl. He's an athletic guy, and gets athletic people, huge experience with athletes, and great surgeon if it's needed. http://www.wahlmd.com/ Him and his team have been helping me with my knee issues.