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vsigler

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Posts posted by vsigler

    Can you identify this mountain?

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I wish I could, but I truly don’t know what mountain it is. I saw the picture and immediately thought that it looked quite interesting to climb, so I was hoping somebody in the forum might have either recognized it from being on it in-person, or from a photograph. It looks like it could be a  Cascade mountain, but I have no idea. 

    Easton Glacier advice

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I am looking forward to it. I’ve done the Coleman-Deming multiple times, so a change of pace will be nice. I have read that in the event of passage issues, some parties opt to traverse low, to the Squak Glacier, and then ascend it. Does anyone know any details about the elevation where the traverse takes place?

    Easton Glacier advice

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I am heading out to Washington from Ohio to climb Mount Baker in a few weeks. I have climbed the Coleman-Deming route several times, so its time for a change. I am bringing a few first-timers, so have decided to climb the Easton Glacier route. Typical trip: day 1 to camp on the Railroad Grade, day 2 to summit, and descend on day 3. I don't necessarily need a description of the route, but am soliciting any advice about tricky sections, route finding issues, or nuances of the route that might be important to know. I am assuming that by mid-July, a trench to the top will be established, but any information from your experiences on the route would be helpful. Thanks.

    Ruth Mountain - Icy Peak info

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Does anyone have any route information concerning Ruth Mountain and/or Icy Peak as climbed from the Hannegan Pass Trailhead? I am specifically looking for snow bridge conditions on the approach, snow elevation, and glacier conditions on Icy Peak. Thanks.

    Suunto recommendations?

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I have had a Suunto Traverse for a year and it has functioned well. I live in Indiana, and get out west to climb in the summer, so I don't have dozens of climbing experiences with it, but I used it for a total of seven days in the Cascades last year and it was reliable (altitude, waypoints, etc.).  I also use it for xc skiing, running, paddling, etc. I find the display easy to read and interpret, although finding your way through all of the functions was a little cumbersome at first...give yourself to some time to become acquainted with it before you rely on it to pull you out of the woods. One quick story; we were coming down from the Ruth Mountain summit towards a camp on the SW shoulder of the mountain and passed through a notch in the ridge that we would need to pass through again on the way back off the mountain the next day. it was a bluebird day, but the forecast was for unstable weather the next day, when we would be descending. I took a waypoint with the watch at the notch, just in case visibility was poor later.  Well, visibility became really poor the next day, probably less than 100 ft. We would have found the notch with a little searching, but I wanted to see if the watch would guide us in navigation mode, and it did, exactly to the spot where I marked the waypoint...nice insurance in case you really need it one day. It interfaces nicely with the MovesCount app, which I believe meshes with most of the Suunto watches.  The app is great, allowing you to not only upload trip data from the watch, but also to manually input data for any type of workout/activity...a nice logging tool.  It also will differentiate different activities based on what sport mode the watch is in (mountaineering vs. running vs. skiing, etc...all customizable). Some people report issues with the watch syncing seamlessly with the app when uploading data, and while it does take a little time to upload hours and hours of data, I have not had any problems.  I have no other "navigation" watches to compare with, but I would recommend it. PM me if you would like more info. 

    Ruth Icy traverse information needed

    in North Cascades

    Posted

     I am planning on heading up Ruth Mountain this week, and hopefully doing the travers to Icy Peak. I am interested in hearing from anyone who is familiar with current conditions up there. Specifically, I am interested in knowing how the snow bridges are holding up on the Hannigan Trail on the way in to the mountain, if they are even still there. I also would like to know of the conditions on the rock pinnacle of Icy Peak.  Thank you.

    Icy Peak summit info needed

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Thanks for the info. Yes, will be doing this later in the spring for sure. Most of the trip reports I read mention two summit blocks; NW and SE. Which is the more straightforward way to go? I will have a first-timer with me and I want to limit the fear-factor. Thank you.

    Icy Peak summit info needed

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I would like to do the Ruth-Icy Peak traverse this spring, and am a little confused about the technical difficulty of the Icy Peak summit block. I understand that Icy has multiple summit blocks, and have read that the difficulty ranges from a "scramble" to 4th-class climbing. Can anyone shed some light on the grade, assuming clean conditions, which block is most often attempted, and also suggest an appropriate rack to bring, if needed? Thanks.

    Advice needed for Middle Sister

    in Oregon Cascades

    Posted

    I am looking to climb Middle Sister sometime in mid-late June. I understand that one can approach the mountain either from the east or west. Which approach is best, if either, during that time of year? I would like to spend three days on the mountain, so I am also asking for any suggestions for camp areas that might facilitate multiple routes up either North or South Sister, as well. This might not even be possible, as I don't know the area so well yet. Thanks.

    self arrest video

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Some time ago, someone posted a link to videos showing some fairly realistic self arrest footage. If I remember correctly, they were shot on glacial ice, and the point of the videos was to demonstrate the violent nature of arresting a crevasse fall by a roped partner, and how anchors handle high shock loads. The videos were not fancy productions, and might have been from overseas (Russia, maybe?). Can anyone reference these (I know a million of these are out there...hoping to track down these specific ones though)? Thanks.

    Ideas for a highschool mountain climb

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I should probably clarify a little...I am not affiliated with the school in any way, other than as a parent of kids that attend. I use the term "high school" merely to indicate the age of the participants. I have addressed the liability issues with local lawyers and they will be involved in a few contractual items, as much as they need to be, and I will absolutely have another adult with me. I have climbed with both of my sons and a few of their friends in Colorado on numerous occasions, so I am familiar with the logistics...and yes they are a bit hairy, but the trips are a blast. I certainly appreciate the concern of this forum community, as well as the helpful advice.

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