NikiY

It was not open as of last weekend and I heard it's probably not going to open this summer. I took a mountain bike up the road (and a friend took a touring bike which managed okay) and honestly the road seems to be mostly repaired. There were a couple of rocky sections but nothing a sedan couldn't handle. I went as far as the Boston Basin trailhead. It was closed about 4.5 miles from Boston Basin btw.

I planned on climbing the West Ridge of Forbidden on Saturday 07-03. I ended up bailing at the third stream crossing before Boston Basin. There were some people ahead of us who presumably made it across, but we didn't want to risk it - the water levels were really high at 7am, it would have been dangerous to cross it then and I can't imagine how bad it would have been on the way down in the afternoon. For reference, the first stream crossing was noticeably worse on the way out than the way in (only about 2 hours later). Conditions may have improved since then - one big problem was that further upstream the stream was surrounded by collapsed snow bridges and downstream it got wider. There might be a better crossing now as more snow has melted out. Also Cascade River Road is closed about 4.5 miles from the trailhead, so I would recommend bringing a bike.

I'm selling a pair of Petzl Dartwin crampons. They are close to 10 years old and need to be sharpened a bit. I'm asking for $75. I'm in Seattle.

I'm selling a pair of Black Diamond Reactor ice tools. These are close to 10 years old. The picks should probably be replaced but they are otherwise in good condition for their age. I'm asking $150 for the pair. I'm in Seattle.

I visited Seattle in 2013 to climb Rainier with a friend. During the climb my friend's face got pretty sunburnt and he ended up with some serious racoon-face. When we got back to Seattle we stopped in at Second Ascent and the guy behind the counter also had a pretty serious goggle tan. They made eye contact and silently nodded at each other. Since then I have moved to Seattle and spent an obscene amount of money at Second Ascent. I'll really miss having a gear shop just a short bike ride away staffed by people who really live climbing and skiing.

More info: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/sudden-closure-of-outdoors-retailer-ascent-outdoors-and-ascent-cycles-shocks-employees-and-customers/ Apparently it was due to financial issues. They will be missed for sure! I hope the employees manage to land on their feet.

https://www.myballard.com/2019/04/29/ascent-outdoors-and-ascent-cycles-now-closed/

What route? Are you planning on bringing skis?

Looks like archive.org got a snapshot of the album: https://web.archive.org/web/20121120162948/http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/582299949YUiFTg

Sorry, should have been more specific. They may teach you stuff, but that is not their *goal*. This is probably true of most guides taking people up the DC though. Again, this is hearsay. I don't have any personal experience. Edit: Put another way, there are people who hire guides because they want to become more competent climbers, and there are people who hire guides because they want to get to the top. From what I have heard, RMI caters to the latter. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but it's something to keep in mind depending on what your expectations are.

Probably not, especially July/August. There is only one steep section (pan face) and it will almost certainly be melted out by then. If they are going to be providing you with water I would assume that it has been treated in some form or another. Additionally their equipment list on their website does not include a filter. No personal experience with RMI, but I've heard that their groups are very large and that their goal is just to get you up and down the mountain, not to teach you anything.

Fortunately I noticed it immediately and was able to just pull it out with minimal damage to my hair! I try to tuck my hair into my shirt these days...

I'd ditch the water filter. Once you get above snowline the only source of water is melting snow, at that point you may as well just boil it. Also the guides will likely take care of that for you. The guides also typically take care of tents/shelters and will likely discourage you from bringing your own tent. In mid to late summer the snowline could be as high as 8000ft (parking lot is at 5400ft) so depending on how comfortable your mountaineering boots are for hiking on trails you might want to consider some lightweight approach shoes. Don't under-estimate how hot and sunny it will get. I'd recommend a sunshirt, sunhat, thin gloves and good sunscreen. Cover up as much skin as possible and apply sunscreen to the rest frequently. A sunhat that you can fit under a helmet (I have an OR sun runner hat) is a huge plus.

I am a lightweight someone with long flowing hair* and I extend my rappel because of that. My hair dangles down close to my waist, and well past a belay device clipped to the belay loop, especially when rappelling (due to change in posture). When I extend it, my rappel device is about eye level and further away from my body. My hair is actually further away from the device this way. * I typically braid my hair which helps, but the end of the braid can (and has) gotten stuck in a belay device before.

I can't comment on Gold Bar, but I climbed at Index last weekend and it was mostly dry. Climbed at GNS and the Inner walls. There was a good amount of snow on the ground at the Inner walls and the top of toxic shock was wet (but then again, when isn't it wet). Otherwise everything I climbed was dry.