DaveLeo

I'm looking for a climbing partner in the Skagit County area. I am currently residing in Burlington. I have experience leading sport 5.10/5.11 and trad (up to 5.10), but would call myself a novice/intermediate trad leader. I prefer multi-pitch trad climbs, but am mostly looking for a cragging partner at Mt. Erie, Darrington, and anywhere else around the area. I would dig getting into some alpine climbs in the area, but am currently limited to duration due to having a young kid (< 1 year old) kicking around the house. Prost!

Great TR Kenny! Good reading, though sadly lacking of said yoga instructor! Glad to hear the route went and you got back in one piece! Prost!

I'd be interested in the Cassin picks and adze. I have a set of the x-files tools. I'm in Vancouver, WA. I'll send a PM

I've been hoping to get there since moving back to SW WA. Great stuff!

I'd be down to climb the south route. I am currently residing in woodland and have a pretty flexible schedule. I would like to get up soon, but the weather has been pretty awful in SW WA.

I'll send you an email. I would be down!

Beautiful photos! Great looking trip!

I have had no problem traveling with chalk. I ziplocked it all and tend to push the limits on the size of my carry on bag. If you bring axes they have to be checked. Other than that, all is okay.

Steph, It's great to see your spirits are up! Well done quitting the narcotics cold turkey! Ironic about that hardware in the leg! It certainly does resemble a nut tool Godspeed! Dave

I am available most weekends and am living north of Spokane. I am working up to leading trad this season, but have led up to 5.10 sport. I have the lungs for long slogs and really want to get on some mixed routes, but to this point have only done pure rock, scrambling, and glacial travel. I would definitely like to mix it up. If you are interested, we could meet up in Spokane after work next week (Aug 5). I have a meeting that will bring me down. If the weather is good, how about a little cragging near spokane?

I am going to be in the Portland/Van area from the 21st through the 25th and am hoping to head up Adams or Hood. I could climb any of the three days; 22, 23, or 24. What route were you looking at?

Beautiful trip man! Thanks for taking so many photos.

I too am interested! PM en route!

Anybody down for some cragging in NE OR? I am in La Grande until Thursday and am hoping to check out Spring Mountain. I have heard that is pretty fun crag and doesn't receive a lot of traffic. A link to some beta is here: Kevin Pogue's Spring Mountain Beta I have been climbing in the 5.10s so far this season. I have led sport up to 5.10, but am down to follow on trad or sport. I just need to get out climbing! Prost!

I would really dig heading out there next weekend. Judging by your trip reports you have more experience and skill then me. What kind of objectives are you checking out?

I am looking for a climbing partner to climb at Vantage this weekend. I am coming from north of Spokane, so I can provide a ride from Spokane or north to Vantage. Shoot me an email at: dlchase@gmail.com Spotty internet coverage up here in these parts makes regular cc.com messages tough to get.

I was up there three weeks ago and we were absolutely safe with only two in our party. No ropes required. The knife edge summit was big and flat with no evidence of cornices. Here's the TR. Actually, after looking for Steph's TR I see that you commented on it.

Thanks Kenny! It was fun up there. Conditions this winter have been pretty nice. After Eldorado I spent a weekend in the Alpine Lakes and another in the North Cascades. Fun stuff!

Beautiful Ascent! Great pictures too! I'm glad to see that others were out enjoying the exceptional conditions that late Feb and early March offered. Well done guys! I hadn't checked the forum lately, but The Alpinist provided some good info that got me back on the web. Perhaps an article and some pics in #30 is in the works...

Trip: Eldorado Peak - Cascade River Road and Eldorado Creek Date: 2/20/2010 Trip Report: Driving the car without coffee before 4 AM always seems like a bad idea; however, leaving Seattle around 4 and heading north put us in the parking lot at milepost 20 on Cascade River Road around 7:30. With a coffee in our system and packs on our backs me and Steph Abegg began the approach hike up the west side of Eldorado Creek. And though it was early, and though it was February, we tromped up the trail like it was the spring, little to no snow was to be seen until hitting the talus field. This is where a 4 AM start paid off, as the talus field was still pretty frozen allowing the use of crampons through most of the talus. It didn't take long for the sun to peak out and begin melting the snow and ice, causing us to shift to snow shoes. This is where the first day's fun really began. We gained around 5000 feet that first day, much of it in snow shoes. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/IMG_0973.JPG http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/IMG_09751.jpg After getting up to our Camp at 7500 feet and establishing camp we were treated to one of the best panoramas a camp can offer. The sunset was perfect and allowed for some pretty fantastic images (for these I recommend Steph's website!). The night was frigid and with all clothes on I slept warm enough. The following morning provided an equally awesome sunrise and the opportunity to vent any work week frustration on a frozen pair of boots. I took this opportunity and went about beating my frozen boots like they personally did me wrong. After sunrise; a hot chocolate and some oatmeal put the bounce back in my step and me and Steph headed up Eldorado Peak. The typical knife edge summit was replaced with a big flat summit comfortable enough for people to pass on. No cornices were seen and camp to summit was traveled in crampons. At this point we backed up camp, donned snow shoes, and started slogging back to the car. The only impediment along the way was the talus field. Getting to it around noon allowed it to melt enough that neither snow shoes nor boots did much good. Thin, soft snow on boulders was not fun, but no bones were broken so it was all good. Hopefully these photos post alright (albeit all together and in no specific order). For more photos and a well written report please check out Steph Abegg's website. This is the first TR I have written up. If it's ugly then you know I wrote it! Gear Notes: Snowshoes, crampons, warm clothes, a warm sleeping bag, and more dry socks! Approach Notes: Start early, beat the sun to the Talus field. The Eldorado Peak summit did not require roping up, how long this will last is anybody's guess. Whether or not this was a product of the weird winter is also anybody's guess. Bring snowshoes!

-pm sent also.

Wow it looks great! I could talk with some folks in Spokane about selling them at Mountain Gear or Wild Walls. I'll repost with an update later this week.

Nice trip!

Beautiful work! Sad to be introduced to it on a post marking his passing.

Anyone interested in doing a little sport climbing at Metaline Falls on Sunday? I have not been to the area before, but was thinking of getting there in the morning around 9 or 10 so its warmed up a bit. I don't climb much sport, but have climbed up to 5.9 trad at Index and Leavenworth. The last time I climbed sport was over about 6 months ago and climbed up to 5.10 I'm open to climbing at some of the other local inland northwest areas too if it works better for you (China Bend, Deep Creek, Minnehaha). L'chaim!