hobson1

Hey y'all. Been reading Jack Duluoz this summer and feel motivated to head up Desolation Peak and check out an important summit. Thinking a day trip from Seattle, start early, get back whenever. Looking for someone in shape who's not so hurried in the mountains to miss the point of going there. Live near UW. No car but will split gas money. Let me know amigos! Matt

Hey y'all. I'm a UW student from AZ looking to start climbing regularly, preferably big mountains, out here in the NW. I've been up both Hood and Adams but turned back near the top of both due to bad conditions. I also summitted Mt. Whitney in the Sierras a few years back. I'm a newb, looking to learn the craft. If you are looking to take someone on out of the goodness of your heart, I'm extremely eager to learn and am willing to go on adventures just about anywhere just to get out there. I'll split gas and have access to most all gear needed. Let me know folks. Thank you, Matt

Congrats Bill! Oookay Eric, good to know we've got a navigator in the group. REI does rent mountaineering boots, and thanks to a magically timed 50% off one rental deal for members, we get em for $20. Not too bad. Bill, you can recognize us by looking for the, most likely, only group at camp. We're also gonna be a BIG group so just look for that. We're leavin early though!

Also, do some of the people going know the mountain and the route? If weather comes in or visibility goes down and our trail dissappears, will we be able to find our way??

The boots I have are an old hand-me-down pair of Gore Vasques. I don't think they have insulation and their water seal is pretty much gone currently. UW does have virtually every kind of rental BUT boots- crampons,ice axe,packs,snowshoes,harnesses,pickets,pitons,anchors,ropes,etc. Does REI rent mountaineering boots??

Hey all, So I only have hiking boots and I'm not going to drop a few hundred on a pair of Scarpas or Mt Blancs right now, so any ideas? Think I'll be okay?

CLIMB21,WISCONSINELLIOTT, and myself are planning on going together. We aren't leaving the Seattle area until 4pm, so we plan to camp at the base and do it in one day w/ alpine start.

Well here's hopin'! Hopefully we'll meet you on top, MGH team

Hey gasper, You should check out the "Climbing Partners" thread and look for Mt. Adams Oct 15th. There's a HUGE group of us going, maybe 8 or 9 people. Tag along if you'd like. As far as conditions, from what I've read and talked with people that have been up it have said, you can expect it to be very cold. Snow is falling in recent days which will make it a lot tougher going. You might be post-holing on the lower part of the climb where the slope is shallower, but where it is steeper I doubt the snow will be super deep. You should for sure bring crampons and ice axe. In summer when there are people going up all day everyday and boot tracks are well established, maybe not, but certainly in October to be safe you're going to want both. Not sure what the weather will be like, but if it's good, should be great climbing. All the best, -Matt

Weather's not lookin' good, y'all...

And yes, I meant crevasses. Sorry; new to climbing lingo. Also, should crampons be on the gear list, or will we be okay without. And hiking boots, or plastic?

NWben- if you're going, I would LOVE the bag. I'm going to make a trip down to REI and some other shops in downtown Seattle so I might be able to find some cheap overnight bag, but otherwise if you could bring that bag, that'd be a lifesaver!!

That sounds good, Gary! I'm at UW so just swing on by and get me if you can! I'm worried about the weather and route finding. If it's like it's been for the past week, I think it'd be an incredible time to climb. However, if it goes south, we need someone who knows what they're doing, and I am definately NOT that person. Now is this an overnight? Currently I only have a 38L pack so I'm not sure how much I could fit. And just for clarification, there are NO glaciers on the south spur route??

Hey Eric, So I'm a freshman at UW and I moved up here from AZ specifically to climb. I of course want to do the simple climbs and the classic peaks, but mostly I just want to get out and climb. I'm relatively inexperienced but have been out a few times (Mt Whitney and Mt Hood), so I've definately got a lot to learn. If you're guiding and looking for someone to act as a client, I think I'd be your man. I'm game for any "alternative" climbs you've got on your list. Obviously I don't want to plunge into anything that is SUPER beyond my experience level, but if you are experienced and confident climbing with a newbie, let me know and we can get going. I don't have a car but gas money is no question. Thanks a lot, -Matt Hobson

I would love to join all of you if, Eric, you are okay with a four man team. I can get to anyone's house on public transit, and the airport if necessary, but I've got no car but will contribute to the gas fund. If it's a non-technical climb I would feel comfortable going out, as long as one/all of you know how to evaluate incoming weather/snow conditions/route finding/etc. Inexperienced mountaineers going out and getting caught in a bad situation is dumb obviously, so just know that I'm not one to call the shots and lead everyone. If you're okay with that, then let's do it! One more thing Eric- I'm not sure how the weather plays up here but there always could be the chance that it's unsuitable for going up while you're here. Are you going to be in Seattle for more than a few days so that we have the potential to wait for a clear window?