JasonG

Thanks. I didn't mean to have links, the site turns the text into links when you start typing between photos. I deleted the links, but the captions refer to the photo below.....

Usually the rock is too crappy for a rope to be of much use on that kind of terrain around here, and is often more of a hindrance than a help. I don't disagree with what the article says, but it isn't so simple to stay safe. Close attention to route-finding and testing holds are key, but it only takes one mistake to kill you. I almost learned the hard way a few times, and have several friends that weren't so lucky. Scrambling choss is dangerous!

http://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/viewer/run/ops/BSC-WC-01/current/

Thanks everyone! I added some captions..... I'll look into that @rat, thanks! Oh, they were ubiquitous. It seems that if you put everything in a large plastic bag it will deter them? At least that seemed to work for us. I watched one crawl all over the bag (had my food!) and then give up and wander away to terrorize something else. Steve did lose a leash to his ice axe and I had a pole and hat chewed. Next time, it all goes in the bag! When the site upgraded! So I guess not always..... Fantastic. Just enough snow at the upper bivy for water, but nothing on route to slow you down. We did use crampons on the South Ridge descent and to get around the summit when we were caught in a thunderstorm. Tupper had no snow on the west ridge. Never! So many more trips left in the Cascades! If by "soon" you mean eventually, then maybe......The folks at JGAP LLLC return the love @Trent! Thanks for another solid outing.

I thought it was solid, and I'm not joking @Daphne H Oh well, my standards are probably whacked. We stayed close to the top of the ridge for nearly all of it. When we deviated we certainly ran into some unsavory sections, but overall I thought it was a lot better than most of what the North Cascades has to offer.

Damn, that's impressive for young parents!! Like, really, really impressive. Well done! And you got back to camp at 1100am after the B-C??

I'm obviously a bad influence with those pretty pictures. There's nothing but choss in my footsteps @Daphne H But, if you can't be dissuaded, I too use a combo of Boulder X (low tops, which they still make) and Trango Alp (discontinued). I think that the Trango Tower is a good alternative to the Alp that I will buy this winter. I find that the Trango boots climb up to 5.6 pretty well and are more supportive in the talus and steep forest than the Boulder X. If I am going to have to wear rock shoes and carry over a route, then the Boulder X seems to work OK enough. And, since I'm about comfort and not climbing hard, I wear the mythos on harder (for me- 5.7+) rock routes. So, there you have it- the full choss dawg arsenal.

WE NEED A TR @BrettS!!

https://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/melting-col-and-opening-cracks

We can't quit @knelson!

As always, if you click on the first photo and scroll through you'll have a better photo viewing experience.

Trip: Rogers Pass Ridge Running - Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, Sir Donald, Asulkan Ridge, Tupper Trip Date: 07/25/2018 Trip Report: It's no secret that Rogers Pass has some of the best moderate alpine rock routes anywhere. Still, I was surprised by just how great the climbing is up there. I had been to the pass in 1999 on an attempt of Sir Donald (verglas turned us around low on the NW ridge) and driven though it many times on my way further east, but I had never spent much time there until a few weeks ago. Wow. And so few people! When we ran into a local midway through the week and asked him about this, he shrugged his shoulders, grinned, and said "this is as busy as it gets." I think we ran into two parties on 11 peaks over the course of the week and nobody actually on a route we were climbing. Even on the uber "popular" Sir Donald, we were the only party on the NW ridge. Of course, thunderstorms were building and we did have to run away from 3/4s of the way up it! Oh well, a good reason to go back. But the trip has hardly a failure, overall. Using the newish Jones book as our guide we managed three trips totaling five days: 2 days on Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald (strenuous, camped at Uto-Sir Donald col); The Asulkan Ridge Traverse (Abbott, Afton, Rampart, Dome, Jupiter with camp at Sapphire col); and a day trip up the west ridge of Tupper - All five star outings (there are many other excellent traverses and routes detailed in the guide). If you haven't been up there, put it on your list! Speedy at the Top Sekrit HELLACAMP! A different sort of alpine hazard: Looking up at the impressive Illecillewaet Glacier: Steve starting up Avalanche, en route to Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald: The incomparable view from Eagle of Uto and Sir Donald: Looking back at Avalanche. Swiss Peaks in the background, right: Ummmmmmmm.....That's quite a North Face Sir Donald has: Steve, putting our names in the Uto register: Descending Uto: We scored the best site at the Uto-Sir Donald col: Steve leading the charge up the NW ridge of Sir Donald: Crap! Watching as the summit slowly disappears into the approaching thunderstorm. We bailed about here and traversed around to the South ridge to descend: Steve on the descent of the south ridge of Sir Donald: Looking back at the summit of Sir Donald, between cells: We descended the South Ridge and walked off the Terminal side of the mountain. Here Steve is on his way to Pearly Rock: Trip #2. The Asulkan Ridge Traverse. The Illecillewaet Neve from the Abbott ridge trail: Abbott, Afton, and Bonney: Summit of Abbott I think. You can see the Avalanche, Eagle, Uto, and Sir Donald ridgeline we traversed above Steve: The North ridge of Swanzy is supposed to be uber classic. In the foreground is part of the Asulkan ridge traverse: Near the summit of the Rampart. Jupiter above Steve. Dawson Range in the distance: Trying to find a way off the Dome: Sapphire Col hut! Moonrise over the Dawson Range: Classic scrambling up Castor (summit of Jupiter): Summit of Leda (another Jupiter peak): Mount Fox with the Dawson Range behind: Approaching the Asulkan Hut: The Johannesburg of the Selkirks, Mount Macdonald: Hermit meadows, looking back at the Asulkan Ridge: The summit block of Tupper! Tuppertoe: At the summit of Tupper, looking at the Swiss peaks: The incredible SW face of Tupper: The Hermit Gendarme on Tupper: Looking across the highway from the summit of Tupper at the huge north face of Macdonald and Sir Donald in the distance: North Face of Tupper: The bugs were as impressive as the views from Hermit meadows: North Face of Macdonald: South face of Tupper! Gear Notes: half rope, medium rack to 2", approach shoes (which I didn't have), ice axe, Al crampons, helmet Approach Notes: Trans Can and walk

I think from the traverse from Access Creek to Luna col.

Also a friend of a friend of a friend. It isn't a large Tribe. Sorry to hear about the deaths this past weekend, it certainly isn't a safe activity we practice.

DAMN