cascadesdj

Actually a very cool place. I first did the ski trip up Amabilis in Feb 1982. It has always had great open field skiing and tremendous views. I only ski Locally (Amabilis is local as I live in Roslyn)when conditions are good, i.e., cold. When not so it is terrible with slush, ice, bad crust, etc. We used to get a lot more good snow and it would last for much longer spells. The winter of 1981-2 is memorable for week after week of great skiing in the backcountry.

It was my first climb in 1972 and I'd never rock climbed before. I think it must be fairly easy because I don't remember any issues at all--just scrambled up unroped in old high topped work/hiking boots. Seems like maybe class 3-4.

Hmm. I was at Vantage Saturday and we were at Riverview Park, Corn Wall, and Hen House. We saw a total of, at most 15 people there. We never waited for a route, walked up to every one we wanted to climb and set off. I've spent over 400 days at Vantage over the past 17 years. I've never waited for routes. Also, you don't have to move far for the next route--it's like an outdoor gym. Often you can climb there in mid-winter when everyone everywhere else is wet/cold. There are classics there, but you have to know the area because there are some crappy routes too. Wear a helmet, use a grigri, ask around and just climb the great routes, of which there are plenty. Or stay home and leave the place to me.

I don't know if I'd call a Canadian dumb. Did they start the Iraq war on lies? Did they elect Bush TWICE? Don't they have universal health care? ETC

Went there last Wednesday in similar conditions. I live in Roslyn and it looked bad here when we left. However, at Vantage it was not so bad and actually ended up ok as the day went on. It's hotter this week, though, and last week was barely tolerable in the sun. Because of the heat, I'm headed for X38 tomorrow.

Great! Love to see parents taking kids outdoor for challenge and adventure. We raised out kids this way--no TV, no video games (after a brief intro in the pacman days) and lots of outdoor time, year around.They thank us now.

Wow! Congrats to your son. I soloed this route today and found it to be a long, hard day! (But maybe that's because I'm 63). I was able to get through that west side descent section w/o an ax, but I did a lot of "tree belays". It is a spectacular and worthwhile summit. One of my favorites in the area is Red Mtn, about half as much work as Kaleetan. I bet your kid would like it too.

There's no global warming, just ask a republican.

I saw guys cragging (sport) just outside of town SE of town along a roadside. I don't know exactly where that was, but an internet search should bring up some possibilities.

Good approach method. Once I rode my bike 4 days to sport climb at Smith. Was a great trip, but I cheated and caught a ride home.

I've lived in Roslyn for 37 years and worked as a HS math teacher in Ellensburg. I now work a couple of days a week here and live part time in Seattle. Roslyn is great--1 hour to Vantage, X38, Lworth and a little over one hour to Tieton, half hour to Snoq Pass. Literally xcountry ski out the front door, hike the ridge that starts in town, mtn bike all over the place, etc. Now that I'm working much less, it's nice to go to Seattle where there's something to do when not working or climbing/hiking, etc. If you're not busy, small towns like this can be kinda boring.

When Dylan turned 12 and I was 45, I figured he was old enough. I had wanted to learn technical rock climbing for years, so we both started then. He belayed top ropes almost immediately (from above, on Slug Rock on Blewett Pass) and within a year he was belaying anything I tried. This was in the ATC era. Now he is the sherpa, rope gun, teacher, etc. He's 30 and I'm 63 and we still have a great time. A couple weeks ago I was belaying his 5.13d project and then he would belay me on my 5.11a project.

NOt necessarily, considering my policy has a $500 deductible and after that will only pay a depreciated amount. Gawd, considering this and my very expensive yet crappy health insurance situation, I'm, about fed up with the whole "industry".

There are plenty of easy routes in the riverview park area of Vantage that are not crowded.

Great TR that proviced a vicarious adventure. When I first hiked all over this area in 1979 we sure didn't even think about doing it in winter! Thanks.

Looks like a good time. Red is one of my favorite summer scrambles and I do it regularly. I've never done it in winter--too freaked about avalanches. Did you dig a pit? How stable did conditions seem? Nice vid on the link! Thanks.

Sunday afternoon a male climber on Sunshine Wall fell to the ground approx 40 feet (that's the rumor) and sustained non life-threatening injuries and was evacuated by chopper. Apparently the webbing on a quickdraw broke. I'm not sure how this resulted in groundfall. Hopefully someone closer to the accident can clarify.

Yeah, Vantage really sucks so quit going there! We almost had to wait in lines there in the sun yesterday! If you know what you're doing there really are some stellar sport lines there. If you don't know anything about it, you can get on some ugly stuff.

There's decent sport climbing 15 miles from Roslyn near Salmon-la-Sac. Gets very little traffic so can be a little dirty on some routes. It goes from 5.8 to 11.d or so. Also a good 2 pitch sport route above Lake Cle Elum and several other routes there too. Property taxes: When I bought a fixer upper in 1978 ( needed LOTS of work) yearly prop tax was $22! Not so now, but still a lot cheaper than most areas.

I already get to live in that cabin (house, built by me, family and friends in 1989) in Roslyn, WA. It's 60 min to L'worth and Vantage, 50 min to X38, 80 min to Tieton, and 30 min to Snoq Pass. And there's great hiking, snowshoeing, and x-country skiing starting literally in my yard. Of course, you have to be willing to move tons of snow all winter and deal with dicey driving 4 months a year. But you get used to that (after 36 years)! Best of all, the place is paid for!

We climb every month of the year at Vantage, although rarely in the summer. For the winter we just check the WSDOT camera for Vantage bridge. If it's sunny therre, you're good to go. If foggy in the winter (which is not unusal on days where it's sunny everywhere else), forget it--that's numb finger conditions!

Think your kids are exensive now? Wait til they hit college!!

Well for me, fingers get too cold and turn white when cragging. However, if it's sunny in Vantage the south facing crags, of which there are many, are great any time of year. We have climbed there in T-shirts every month of the year. Be careful about driving all the out there on a sunny day. On such days there is often a fog layer over the coulee and then it stays way too cold. If you go to the WSDOT site and check out the real time photos for Silica Road and the Vantage bridge, you can tell if it's sunny or fogggy.

Dylan Johnson and Josh Whartonb hiked in there to do the N face of Alberta early this month. Because of new snow, it was not in.

Nice pics. Sounds like a great time.