Carbonj

Right on. After doing forbidden and looking at that face I knew we had to do something on that face. In the late 80's my buddy Ralph and I started off early July with the intention doing the route that said 20 pitches of 5.6. So just brought handful of nuts,tricams and titons. We ended up going to the left of you and left of that gully. Most of the gully's were wet,we had to use the two tools just to get on the rock after that it seemed constant 5.8 with some harder for 10 to 12 pitches of really good rock. Then we started getting into wet and greasy stuff I ended lowering off a couple of pieces and tried going left and right no go. I found a snow covered ledge that barely fit. We cleared it off put our bivy sacs down and then heard something coming from above well we hugged the wall and a nice chunk of ice landed on the ledge. Oh well it was getting dark so we ate some food and talked how we didn't have enough gear to safely rappel and how long we would probably wait for a rescue all while looking down at the road. We brushed and flossed our teeth and went to sleep sorta. In the morning Ralph thought he seen a runner hanging off a horn way to the left above so wth tension and what was left of our meager rack I got to it and got to some dry rock that easy class 4. Whoo hoo we hauled ass to the summit and started the descent a few rappels and we were at the top of CJ gully. That was definitely the closest we got to getting nailed by rocks. One person would look up and yell when the other would run to (shelter) there wasn't much of that. So getting home looking at Fred's green book it seemed we might of done the route that was written up as generally unpleasant and frightening. A couples years later I was walking around north Seattle and met Don Brooks pushing a stroller with two newborn with another kid walking, it seems they just wanted one more but got a extra one. Anyhow he was with the group that did the unpleasant route, he said he didn't write the entry and felt it wasn't bad. I felt the same should of done it later in the summer and don't go down CJ gully in the afternoon. Ralph said his favorite memory is sitting on that ledge flossing his teeth and thinking we were fucked! Always thought that face would be amazing in the winter.

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Love he has two different shoes on. One fire the other five ten.

Very cool report did something similar with road to paradise being closed, some great skiing in those upper basins and in those open trees below eagle peak.

Where are you located?

Bronco and JasonG are giving you great advice, evo and proski northbend are great bootfitters and have great knowledge about skimountaineering. The light skimo bindings these days are amazing. I've been running dynafit speed radical toe pieces and plum 150 heel pieces for many seasons, light and no funky releases. I'm the same size as you and ski my gear very aggressive. The advice to lift ski as much as possible, is so you can handle all the conditions you will find off piste. Cheers!

Your wife's infinity sunglasses are the bomb!

Had a similar experience with the crossing on very hot day, crossings were all above the waist. Been involved with body recovery in rivers before so we went climbing at liberty bell instead, got it later in august.When in doubt wuss out.

I agree with Rad, the scree skiing, that boulder, and goats that walked right up to you for some salty goodness. Highly recommend west arete, good rock, easy fifth class. Going up that scree slope has to be a real bear

That avi debris field looks like great skiing! It's like mini pillow hopping.

Loved the saturation levels, soon friends and loved ones will comment on your funky mildew stank. Looked at skookum today after skiing it did look damp. Very entertaining write up.

So cool! And ice involved with most sticks?

Curious usually this is the set up for good alpine ice, but not seeing it, rain event, ,lowering freezing level, what you finding?

Hell ya! Tricams just pink and reds?

As usual great photos, I agree Alisse cool pack, I'm crankin up the sewing machine.

Above picture, light and fast alpine style. Yea buddy!

What no angle grinder, bolt cutters, or 6ft pipe?That's what all the tweekers carry from burlington when they go for a hike. Great photos as usual.Keep the TR's coming.

Excellent write up, creaking old troglodyte here climbed in galiber superguides, habelar wood shanked superlights and realized early on to bring running shoes for approaches and some climbs. Then when the dynafit tlt5 came out got rid of my plastic boots, smaller profile better fit, and could ski well. Do most class 3 and low 5 with running shoes last twenty years now, your legs and feet feel fresher and I feel that well into my 60's that technology has delivered more longevity to my bliss. Like kyle there is times I want to pack running shoes, ribelles,and rock shoes for some adventures. Also a great shoe brand is inov-8, its got rubber that sticks on greasy rock and wears well. In the 90's got passed on a 18,500 glaciated pass by 17 year old sherpani carrying 60lbs smoking a cigarette and wearing chinese converse knockoffs. So sometimes yer engine and tech can only take you so far.

Watched a marten chase a douglas squirrel up and down a big fir finally corkscrew around the tree like barber pole the squirrel was quick but the marten got him in the end, also had one trying like hell to get in our food bag one winter night at colchuck lake, they are one little badass.

Yep from what I remember, went up Ice Cliff glacier,up gully to notch on N ridge to gendarme then left up NE face. Everything was plastered with snice, the cruxes were the ridge snow covered rock and the top of NE face digging thru the cornice. The coolest part of the climb for me was when I was leading on the ridge deeply engrossed in little if any pro and huge shadow came over me, looking up I was staring at the largest and very close golden eagle, I could look right in those eyes don't know who was more surprised thought I was gonna get nailed by big chunk of rock or ice.

We were at base of dragontail when Tim Wilson and John came down after doing that route and Tim said it was pretty cool, weird thing was one of them seemed to be telemarking with ramer bindings. Also in 88 or 89 mike martin and I did a similar climb of N ridge of stuart, left side of lower ridge to notch then to the gendarme out on the NE face, it was late march so not winter,but winter conditions it snowed a foot that night after the climb, cool avalanches.

My brother and I had done the east face direct with the icefall approach and told Peter it was a great route. Didn't turn out great for Peter.

Yep peter was doing east face direct I believe.

Check out wayne wallace climb NW face Mt Stuart, I remember a few friends giving it a shot in late 80's during late fall cold spells.

Just heard climbing on upper mountain might be happening soon.