JamesMtn

Hello, I would be interested in climbing the DC on the 4th. I have glacier travel experience on hood, you can check my trip report. Just went up st helens and adams memorial weekend. Adams took me 5 and a half hours with a light day pack from the trailhead. I haven't been up Ranier yet but have been to camp Muir twice. I'm 24 and live in Ellensburg.

Just looking at the weather and only seeing vantage as a reliable place for good weather this weekend. Was planning to to do ice cliff glacier on stuart this week with the road opening but the mountain weather is not cooperating and I'm itching to get out. I am in Ellensburg and have rope and draws. Just looking to get out for the day.

Is the gate open?

I go to school in Ellensburg at CWU and have been thinking about doing the triple ever since I moved here for school 3 years ago, I can see the stuart range every clear day! I started ice climbing this year which is why I am looking for someone who is willing to lead the ice section of the route. I know I can follow quickly and am comfortable soloing the 60 degree snow sections. So, if there's anyone out there that wants to lead it and has screws and rope I'm down. See my recent TR on the steel cliffs of Mount hood.

Trip: Mt. Hood - Steel Cliffs South Face Date: 4/1/2016 Trip Report: Don and I decided to climb on the steel cliffs after debating between that and the Wy' east route. We figured if the ice wasn't in at the base of the cliffs we could cross over. Got up around 1:15 AM and started walking at 2AM. We made good time but went to high on the standard route slopes before heading over to cross the White river glacier. Got to the base and saw the ice was in. Don took the lead for the 20 feet or so of WI2 to gain the cliffs. Was able to place a stubby in the ice without bottoming. After the ice it was mostly 60 to 65 degree snow and small sections of low angle ice. We brought a 40m rope and pitched out the lower traversing part and then simul climbed to about 2/3 up the face. We unroped until we topped on the slopes that connect with Wy' east. We continued up the ridge noticing abnormally high temps for over 10,000 feet. We discussed how to ascend the Wy' east crux and made a plan to pitch it out because of the 60-70 traverse with soft snow. Got half way through the crux and realized the snow probably wouldn't hold any pro and our footing was getting worse the higher we went. We made the tough decision to down climb belay the two pitches we had just climbed and traversed at 12:30pm. Feeling Defeated by the poor conditions we walked down the Wy' east and re crossed the White River glacier. In the end I was happy to have done the steel cliffs route instead of the Wy' east (mostly) slog route. Gear Notes: Glacier gear, 40m 8mm rope but should have had a normal climbing rope to pitch out the lower sections of the cliffs 1 technical axe and 1 standard axe each 3 pickets 1 snow anchor 4 ice screws Approach Notes: Don't go to high before crossing the The glacier. Don climbed the pearly gates the next day and reported much colder temps, just unlucky with the weather.

Had to change file size to get pictures on here.

Trip: Enchantment Enchainment solo - Colchuck NBC Pandoras Box to Dragontail Date: 5/3/2015 Trip Report: This is my first trip report on here. I have been going into the mountains over the last 5 years, mostly by myself but have never felt that anything I have done was worthy of being posted on here. Over the weekend I climbed the North Buttress Couloir of Colchuck and traversed through Pandoras box over to Dragontail. I have been thinking about this line for alteast 6 months and have been actively training for it for 2 months. I did climb Stuart by the Casacadian route last year in June solo, and I felt I was ready to do take on a more technical challenge in the mountains. The climb ended up being the most epic day of my life in the mountains! Going up the NBC I traversed left instead of heading straight up from the bottom. When I got into the couloir and looked up I saw the first crux of the route, a 65 to maybe a 70 degree 10 foot high mostly ice step. I thought to myself, what in the hell am I getting myself into. Going in true fast and light style with no rope or pro I knew I was committed after I surmuonted the step. Also I have no ice climbing expierence what so ever, but am a competent 5.10 climber. After the ice step it was mostly 45-50 degree snow plodding up to the top. Going onto the Northwest face was a little dicey while traversing up and right. There was a couple of sections that required mixed scrambling. Putting my crampon front points into a crack and camming it just like in rock climbing worked great. Got to the top of Colchuck by 9 am, in 3 hours from my tent. Going up to Pandoras box was simple and straight forward. Once I got to the top and saw the 75 degree snow down climb I realized I needed to go slow and be focused. Plunging both of my straight shaft ice axes into the snow and always having 3 points of contact I felt very secure but it probably took me 20 minutes to downclimb 75 feet. Cruised over to dragontail feeling very happy to have made it through all the difficulties of the route. Casually went up to dragontail and tagged the top and was relieved to have survived such an awesome alpine route. It was an elegant flowing line that I thought was worthy of taking such risks. Overall a very fun day in the mountains! Gear Notes: 15 lb pack, No rope, No pro. Approach Notes: Conditions couldn't have been better.

Wow sounds like classic type 2 fun! Do you guys got to CWU? I've heard a couple people talk about your trip at the climbing wall. Sounds sweet! Trying the Colchuck-Dragontail traverse this weekend, hopefully the snow settles with this warmer weather.