snowleopard_x

Texas has a ride called the "Hotter than Hell 100". Held each August near Witchita, it's 100 miles, and the temperature is usually over 100 degrees, and humidity often 100%. A popular way to finish that race is in an ambulance. Henry is correct about the TDF, of course. And what's more, the pro's ride fast, real fast. But the Tour isn't something your average rider can enter, even if you could you'd get dropped in the first km. It's unbelievable just how fast pro's ride. You have to see it to believe it.

Big Wave Dave - How did you find yourself here?! Are you living in Portland now? Small world. We should meet up some day, if only to say we did.

Okay, gonna try some photos: Of course, it failed. Anyway, here is a link to a composite photo of the Coe and the Ladd. You may have to cut and paste: http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/snowleopard_x/vwp?.dir=/Photo+Gallery&.dnm=Coe+Glacier.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/snowleopard_x/lst%3f%26.dir=/Photo%2b Gallery%26.src=bc%26.view=l [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: snowleopard_x ]

I have not been through the Coe, but I have been on it, and the less visited Ladd, several times. It's a true Alpine Wonderland there, and doesn't even seem like Oregon. It also has a sense of remotenss and even danger that the Eliot just doesn't have. I love it so much up there I'm reluctant to make this post. Billy is pretty much correct. The times I was on it, I skipped the lower icefall and hit it where he mentions the steep scree. It is indeed terrible. But once you're past it and on the glacier, you have a straight shot to the upper (big) icefall. Be careful in there, people have gotten lost. But to my knowledge, no one has bought the farm. I prefer approaching along the Timberline trail and camping below the glacier, and going up during the day and coming back town to the trail. But a Languille approach would be shorter. I'd go in September, maybe late September, or even into October depending on the snow. This past drought year people couldn't even access the upper icefall the crevasses were so bad. But I have been up there in August and it gets warm too soon, and unsafe. There usually isn't any significant snow until Halloween time anyway, but once it does pile up there, stay the hell off. The Coe would be a total death trap then. I have several shots of the Coe, I'll see if I can figure out how to post them.

Billy - I wouldn't rappell. I would continue up on the Steel Cliffs, finishing off the Wy East route. This all depends though on where you hit the headwall (or East Crater Rim, proper). Go far enough to the left, and you'll miss the Wy East and end up about 50' SE of the summit. Take anything from the DKH right variation through the Flying Buttress, to the final chute on the East Rim and you'll crest the East Crater Rim at the end of the Steel Cliffs. From there, follow the Wy East. This really is the best way to go, and the best part of the Wy East (a very underrated route if you ask me). You get some fun route finding along the top, with great views, and a final steep little chute (that falls off below over the Black Spider!) to keep your adreneline up. From there, you're near the summit and can safely descend the Hogsback. The hardest part of any of these routes though would be the top pitch cresting the East Crater Rim, it's usually near vertical at the top, and if the ice is chunky and rime, like it usually is, the leader must not fall. Go early in the day, and early in the season. After about April debris starts coming down, and a nasty moat opens up just below all the routes.

I'm a native Portlander, so I'm pretty familiar with Cascade weather. Thanks for the replies guys. As of now, I can't say how much time I'll be able to spend up there this summer, due to financial means it looks like much less than a month. More like a few long weekends. So Pride Basin seems much more likely than, say Luna or Silver lake. But you never know, so I'll file anything away for future reference. The input is appreciated.

I'd say it's about 40 degrees. I was up there on Monday and because of the snow piling up into slabs, it was maybe 45 at the very most. This is the most I suppose I've ever seen it. A general rule of thumb is that a slope is 50 degrees (or over) when you feel like you can lean into it and touch it (or want to climb pied troisieme).

Well, he sure comes off like a terrible husband. You read the book and expect at the end to finally read that his wife left him! She must have as much will power as he did. I personally liked the book if only because he really spilled his guts, and didn't sugar coat it too much, or spend all his time pounding his chest. Fans of Wick's should check out a video called Fairweather. It's of the trip where he, Dusan and Al Givler climbed in the Fairweathers (with Steve Marts). Perfect cinematography by Steve Marts. Spectacular. It's one of the best films ever shot on climbing. Marts was the best. Still awaiting answers to my triva question.

Hey Iain - You noted in another post that you left two pickets on the Devil's Kitchen Headwall. When did you give it a shot? A friend and I turned back on the Flying Buttress at the moat two years ago in April as the route looked much harder than what Thomas describes in his book. Though now that I know, that's a good thing. You said there was a lot of "littler" up there. I have never seen anyone, let alone heard anyone climb the DKH, or anything on the East Crater Rim. Most people don't even consider them routes up the mountain. So this surprises me. But considering that Thomas makes them seem rather easy in his book, climbers bailing on any of them and leaving pro doesn't surprise me at all either.

As a contrast - I was on Leuthold on Monday with two friends. We were the only ones on the mountain. There was very little debris coming down the route, though the winds were breezy on the summit ridge. Mount Hood is a great place to climb mid-week and off season. Being up there all by ourselves, It doesn't even seem like Mt. Hood.

Rod & Rob - We had considered the Sandy this past weekend but chose not (not knowing the route and lack of fitness probably the deciding factors), but we did check the Reid side out. Very few crevasses up high, At about 8,800' on the Reid we saw a nasty people eater hiding. Keep your wits about - a fall in would be very bad. Once you're across, it looked like a straight shot around Yocum. Can't report on the crossing of the Sandy Glacier, but it should be great. Looking down on the HW from the Queens Chair, it looked beautiful. I'd say if next week is good weather, it would be the time to go.

Two climbers climbed the Upper Buttress on Yocum last Sunday. They described it to be in fair condition, which means - as good as it gets. I believe they had previously done the lower towers, and decided to finish the route on another day. I have barely been on the ridge, but it's not so much the lower towers that intimidate me as the upper buttress. It may be wider, but the protection can't be any better, and the exposure is huge. Plus, this would be when you would be most tired. Just an observation, not from experience. Wick's photo is indeed from the third tower. A bit of triva for you: The photo was taken by Dusan Jagersky. A third climber was with them on that trip. Who was he? If this weekend does storm, and next week is cold (it was quite cold up there Monday), it might be the best chance anyone's going to get at Yocum this year. Paradise Park is a very popular summer hiking and backpacking destination on Hood.

Single rides up the Magic Mile are $8 - Supposedly you need an MLU or a cell phone (I agreed with Iain, take the cell), but they usually don't ask, especially in the off season like this.

I'm looking to visit some of the remote North Cascades with a bunch of camera gear this late summer (think off trail back pack, no real climbing) and was wondering if anyone had been to these areas, and how hard they were to get to: Pride Basin - Henry M. Jackson Wilderness White Rock Lakes - Glacier Peak Wilderness (actually on the tail end of Ptarmigan Traverse, I'd be approaching from Downey Creek/Bachelor Meadows) Klawati Lake - NCNP Tiny unamed lake NW of Mt. Triumph - NCNP Silver Lake - NCNP Luna Lake - NCNP Azure Lake - NCNP I won't be able to get to them all, but will have one month to do my best. I'm also open to any other reasonable spot, as long as it's scenic and rarely visited, and not too dangerous to get to solo. I have Beckey's three CAG's, but he's vague about some of the approaches. Thanks to any and all who can help. snowleopard [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: snowleopard_x ]

Alex is right (as usual ) but I wonder if he is is thinking "Old Crater" or "West Crater", the latter is more prone to avalanches (though really Old Crater is the top of West Crater). If your skills are up for it, consider an ascent of the routes on the East Crater rim as an alternative. Short but steep, topping out with great views on Steel Cliffs, and leaving the funnest part of the Wy East Route as yoru finish. I agree with Iain too on Leuthold. It's a great place to be, but watch the conditions. I got smashed in the hand with ice on Leuthold. Ried Headwall likes to dump rocks, but in March this shouldn't be a problem. I'll actually be on the west side in two weeks and will report then. Up there for four days to see what the mountain has to offer.