Fasttrack

I got a chuckle out of your story, DPS. And the gear list is very helpful. Thanks Bronco for sharing your experience with Salewa. I've been calling all the local gear shops to find a pair to try on but it looks like I'll probably wind up ordering all three boots I've been eyeballing to figure out which one I like best, then returning the other two. And then probably buying and returning another two or three times to get the sizing right <sigh> I wish the local places carried more mountaineering gear! Anyway, thanks everyone. This is a fantastic resource for beginners like me, especially when I'm not familiar with the area!

Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice. The first time I did it, I was traveling with some bionic super-humans. We made it to the bivy above Winnie's slide and setup on that ridge. Absolutely beautiful. But we did it in less than 4 hours, which was much faster than I was physically prepared for. I was pretty much smoked and when some bad weather started to roll in, I was ready to throw in the towel. The other guys made the summit and returned safely but I sure as heck wasn't up to it. I'll look into the Charmoz and see if I can find one. I haven't found a Trango here locally that I can try on but good to know that this class of boot is appropriate for Shuksan. Edit to add: Yeah, DPS, I wouldn't mind seeing your gear list. My pack included everything and the kitchen sink. Like I said, I just didn't know what to expect so I brought it all. 30-35 lbs sounds about right. That's a typical day pack if I'm going out ice climbing, but in that case I'm carrying a 70 meter 9.8 mm rope, ice screws, full set of nuts, etc. - a lot more gear than required for Shuksan. And that includes my sleeping bag. I take it and a emergency bivy as a precaution, if for no other reason than to prevent someone from going into shock if they break a leg or something. Switch out the rope, loose some screws and nuts, add a tent and some meals and I imagine I will end up around 35 lbs.

I'm planning on climbing Shuksan this summer and was hoping to get some recommendations on boots. I made an attempt previously but was turned back due to weather and exhaustion. I tried to do the whole thing via Fisher Chimneys in 1.5 days (because that was all the time I had!). I was also carrying a ridiculous pack weighing 52 lbs with water. Most of this was because I'm from New England and didn't know what to expect. Now I know a little better and want to give it a second shot but at a more leisurely pace and a more reasonably sized pack. Previously, I hiked in with a pair of TX4 approach shoes and carried my Spantiks up for the glacier. In retrospect, the Spantiks are way overkill for summer on Shuksan. I'm thinking I should buy a pair of summer boots that are lighter. But I have some general footwear questions for folks who are familiar with the route: 1) Do I stick with the two pair strategy: an approach shoe and a boot? Or do I look for a single solution, light weight boot that is comfortable for hiking but still rigid enough for crampons and glacier travel? 2) Specifically, I'm eyeballing the Salewa Crow GTX. Does anyone have experience with this boot in the Cascades? Will it be warm enough and rigid enough for steep snow and easy ice (I'm thinking of a band of ice right where you get on the Upper Curtis and then Hell's Highway)? Is it comfortable enough to hike in? Would it be a good choice for a single solution or would I still want to bring approach shoes... or maybe even rock shoes? I can't imagine needing or wanting to don rock shoes... If I'm going to be buying a new boot, I'd like to do it now so I can get some laps in at the gym and maybe some outdoor crags so I can feel confident climbing in it. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated!