Eric Carter

That's a beautiful photo!

For any of the routes described above, something like a Quark (or Viper) is fine but the Petzl Gully is well worth checking out. It's dramatically lighter and climbs as well on moderate terrain. The aggressive pick swings well into ice and handles rock as well. The sliding pinky rest makes it easy to switch to plunging mode. I added pick weights to make it swing better into hard ice. The newest Sum-tec is similar but longer and with a replaceable pick (at a slight weight penalty). The Gully seems like it was almost custom made for routes like Baker's North Ridge or Liberty Ridge on Rainier. Mine have almost entirely taken over what I would use my Quarks for and if the climbing is any harder than what I'd use my Gullys for, I jump up to my Nomics. They aren't a quiver of one tool but for moderate stuff, they are amazing!

Yeah - not a clue what it would be like in spring but definitely a fun alternative when we found the CH not to our liking!

Thanks! We hadn't seen anything about it before either but seems pretty unlikely that someone hasn't scrambled up it. Just posted a TR!

Trip: Washington North Cascades - West Ridge of Colfax Peak Trip Date: 10/06/2018 Trip Report: With a minor storm dumping snow and quite a few days with sub-zero temperatures, Paul and I headed from Squamish down to Baker to try the Cosley-Houston Route on Colfax. We endured the Friday evening traffic to Sumas and then blasted on to the Heliotrope Ridge TH and bivvied in the back of the truck. Our alarm went off at 0500 and we were on the trail at 0545 by headlamp. We transitioned to boots at the toe of the glacier and immediately started dodging thinly bridged crevasses up to the football field and beyond. One major detour and a pitch of steep neve climbing and we found ourselves at the base of Colfax. The crux on the CH looked a bit too thin for our bravery levels and we weren’t sure how the snowfields above would be - we were a bit worried we'd find fresh pow over kitty litter. So, feeling a bit dejected, we decided to go have a look at the view towards Lincoln Peak from the col and get a photo of Ford’s Theatre. Crevasses were well hidden and a hassle: We noticed the West Ridge looked pretty chill and that aside from a rock step, it might give a reasonably quick access to the snowfields above the CH crux. So we decided to go for it. One mixed snow/rock simul-pitch took us onto the ridge crest (amazing views of Lincoln Peak). A second pitch got us up the ridge to a rock step. It seemed unlikely but a 10m downclimb on the E side dropped us into a perfect SW facing snow couloir with super cool rimed up rock walls. One pitch to the top of this and back onto the ridge crest and we were at another difficult looking rock step. Instead of taking the step, we delicately traversed to a snow ramp and a 20m downclimb to the top of the ice of Ford’s Theatre. From here we followed the route and simuled up perfectly crunchy snow to the top of the CH. Paul doing the downclimb into the convenient SW facing couloir: Descent was via the normal route with one rappel and a MAJOR detour around a full width crevasse on the Coleman at 2650m. More photos attached at the bottom. It would be hard to believe the W Ridge hasn’t been climbed before but I have no idea. Seems pretty unlikely that no-one has wandered up like we did. It would be interesting to find out if anyone had finished the W Ridge directly without bumping left over to the CH snow slopes as the rock walls above us looked serious enough that we didn't give them a serious look. There's probably a way through though! Route: Gear Notes: We used one stubby screw in rime ice, a handful of cams and pins and, actually for the first time in my life, used a picket as pro (and was kinda glad to have it). Approach Notes: Standard Heliotrope Ridge/Coleman Glacier

Hi - I'm looking to build up some approach skis and would like to buy the Silvretta bindings you have collecting dust in a basement that will accept a rigid sole mountain boot (300, 404?). Please shoot me an email at: Eric.a.carter (at) me (dot) com Thanks!

Since I'm sure a few people are wondering about ice on Colfax, here's a few pics from yesterday (Oct 6). Pics show the Polish Route (img_7876), Cosley-Houston (7877) and Ford's Theatre (7881). We thought the ice looked a touch too thin for us so climbed the West Ridge to connect into the upper snow slopes of the CH. Descending to the Kulshan-Colfax Col was straightforward with one rap off a ...block (?) at the final shrund. The Colman Glacier is more broken up than I've ever seen and was a humongous pain in the butt to descend. There's a full width crevasse at 2650m that we snuck around on climber's left against the rocks.

Nice work - lot's of bang for your buck on that traverse

Trip: N Cascades - Shuksan Fischer Chimney Conditions 8/3/15 Date: 8/3/2015 Trip Report: We scrambled the Fischer Chimneys on Aug 3rd. Trail is in great shape and easy to follow carins up the chimneys. Winnie's slide is mostly down to ice with a strip of snow on the right. I had an axe and a sumtec and led up placing two screws in the ice to belay my gf up with her one axe. The upper curtis is exposed ice at the tongue (plenty of running water near the bivy sites) but low angle and didn't require a belay. One sketchy crevasse bridge on the high point before hells highway, then smooth sailing to the summit. We down climbed everything to Winnie's slide where we found a fixed anchor far skiers left from which I lowered my gf and then down climbed. Overall super fun day climbing with a variety of terrain. Just going to get icier. We were almost exactly 12 hrs car to car. Summit register is in place but missing paper. If you go up, bring some write in the rain paper!

Cool trip! Where did you park/sled from? Eric

Hi Everyone: The Canadian National Skimo Team is holding a training camp here in Squamish the weekend of September 14th. As part of the event we are having to evenings of speakers that Escape Route in Squamish has kindly agreed to host. For those not already participating in the camp the cost is $5 (goes to the ski club). If anyone up in the area is interested, come join us. There will be interesting presentations, some deals on gear, and free stuff! Camp details here: http://www.skintrack.com/skimo-racing/events-races/september-2013-skimo-training-camp-intro/ Evening details are in the flyer here: Eric

http://coastmountainskiing.com/nepal-evo/ For Sale: Size 44 Sportiva Nepal Evo single leather mountaineering boots. Used lightly for 3 seasons – I have come to terms with the fact that they are just too small – an expensive mistake. All the info is on the sportiva site. Pics below. Asking $275+shipping. Would trade for a Trango Extreme size 44. Eric

Skied Wednesday 4/24. Road was melted out to 4.77k from the Heliotrope Ridge TH. Only had to take skis off and walk at one spot but it seems to be melting fast. Grouse creek was easy to follow onto the ridge and there was powder higher up. The Baker-Colfax Col up to the Roman Wall was pretty wind blasted and rimed.

SOLD

Whoops - It's a Medium!