JasonG

Thanks for the update, especially about the rockfall. I was interested as to what happened. And if you mean sneak bivy as in you didn't have a permit, I wouldn't advertise. The rangers do look at the site (if that is your real name)...

I'm drifting but just can't help myself... Jim you make a good point about the cost/benefit of keeping a lot of the roads repaired, it isn't cheap. But I also look at it as spreading the impact of the millions who want to recreate on our public lands. Now, as a dad, I also look at it through the eyes of my young boys, who want to go to the same places I went at their ages. Making things relatively accessible (maintained trails, roads, etc.) for the next generation is important, IMO. And just because some of these road segments are still bikeable (today) doesn't make their non-drivability trivial in the long run. Without frequent brushing, they will turn into alder hells relatively quickly. We are already seeing the a dramatic decline in funding going to the FS and NPS - I think it is a refection of our overall society's lack of regard for recreating on our public lands. Per capita, I get the feeling talking to my grandparents that much fewer people travel overnight in the mountains these days as compared to the postwar era. If this trend continues, will society still want land locked up (via Wilderness Act, logging plans, etc.) that very few use?? OK, I'm done. Sorry for the hijack.

You can thank NCCC and Pilchuck Audubon for a lot of the road closures. The Forest Service would have most of them reopened by now if it weren't for the endless appeals. Not sure about the Dose situation, but I think there is a vocal minority group opposing that one also (and I think the NPS isn't for it). Stehekin Rd is mainly being opposed by NPS and above groups (but I could be wrong), Doc Hastings has a bill that passed the house and died in the Senate that would re-draw the wilderness boundary and allow the Stehekin road to be built on the old wagon alignment (where it should have been in the first place). Write you congressmen and women, and the FS, NPS, etc.- it isn't as simple as a forest pass clearing the way for road work, not when NEPA is involved. The Darrington office will be resending a Suiattle road plan for comment, hopefully this November. I will try and start a thread when I hear about it.

I don't know.... cut ropes, unwanted adventure/epic, other/wrong gully, price tag on 'biner.... sure sounds like a good story to me. Please, do tell.

Fine work! Thanks especially for posting a TR from a seldom visited area, one of the reasons it is fun to dig through cc.com. It is on the list, and the approach beta is much appreciated.

You and John Mauro need to get together and plan some crazy shenanigans next year. There's two of you?? That was a fun TR to read, thanks! Though I will probably never do the self propelled thing, it is entertaining to watch from the interwebs.

http://squamishclimbing.com/squamish_climbing_bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2495 Amazing difference from the 2009 picture....the glaciers are happy this summer.

Nice TR!! As an FYI for future trips, the NR of Whatcom isn't nearly as bad as it looks from the pass. Even with large packs, it goes pretty easily (just don't slip). Highly recommended, one of my all time favorite scrambles. I bet Anatoli is proud of your trip, no?

Yeah, it doesn't have quite as good of rock as Early Morning Spire, but overall probably a bit better than something like Serpentine Arete. Certainly worth the walk though for Curt's pitch alone!

Thanks Mark! I've always enjoyed the photography of your TRs, so I am glad to return the favor.

Way to make it happen!! That takes some guts heading up into the steep unknown, strong work. I would imagine that Richard would be proud, if he ever got off the toilet.

Holy crap, that looks wicked hard (thus very French). Strong work boys and girl!! One of these days I will get back to honing the rock skills, but until then I can live through TRs like this one. 5.11 in the mountains?? Completely silly! BTW Ben, I met your OB boss and co-workers on Eldo this weekend. Small world....

Oh yeah, it is a five star pitch for sure.

Between you and me . . 99.9% Now, if I could just figure out a way to leave the camera at home altogether, I'd be set!

Trip: Dorado Needle - SW Buttress Date: 8/20/2011 Trip Report: When this is your plan B, you know you live in a pretty good part of the country. Unable to secure a permit for a particularly well known locale in NCNP, Gord, Curt and myself pulled the only permit for Friday night in the Eldorado XCZ. The only one! The trail doesn't mess around, so we tried not to either, arriving at the camp at the base of the east ridge in about 5 hours. There is now a composting toilet here, and it is easy to find meltwater just east of the camps. Gord and I went up to the summit of Eldorado for the evening light and were treated to one of the best views in the park. It never gets old. We turned in pretty early anticipating a long day, and set the alarms for 0430. It came early, much too early, interrupting my dream of Concrete yahoos burning donuts by our camp (on the glacier!)with their jacked up trucks. Imagine my surprise when I only awoke to a slight breeze, stars, and endless quiet. We were off about 0545 and traversed down, around, and up to the base of the route in about 2 hours. We were climbing by 0800, and Nelson is pretty spot on with his written description of the route (the line on the photo is a bit off, however). The route is pretty long (10+ pitches) and we were glad to have rock shoes for most sections. Most of the climbing felt hard enough to pitch out, and the rope drag would be pretty bad for simul-climbing unless you were pretty close to one another. There is one pitch in particular that is stellar, and Curt enjoyed every meter of it. About as good a pitch as I have climbed anywhere in the mountains! Most of the other pitches have some looseness, but not bad at all for the mountains. It took us about 6 hours to reach the summit. On the descent, we down climbed back to a rap anchor and did a 10 and a 30m rap to the glacier. We had to swing over the gaping moat to get on the snow, but it was better than it looked from above. We quickly (well, slowly) returned back to camp (@~1700)to pack up and descend before dark. We just made it, arriving back at the car at 2015. Unfortunately Good Food was closed, as was Annie's, so we settled for Bob's in Sedro. Good burgers to round out an excellent trip!! Photos are much better than my writing though, so here is our trip, flip-book style. Let me know if you want captions. The SW side of Dorado Needle, the buttress is left of center in the photo. Taken from the summit of Eldorado the day before: Gear Notes: Medium rack to 3" seemed to work well Approach Notes: The trail just gets better by the year!

Wade- Upload to the Gallery then click on the camera icon when you edit the TR, easy as 1, 2, 3! Glad you and the gang had a good time!

That is some of the worst blister carnage I have ever seen! "My blisters sure are painful, but at least the hike out is long and uphill."

Excellent work Josh! Your alpine apprenticeship is progressing quite quickly.

Send a pm to Trent...He has some knowledge of the flight patterns of those crazy Oak Harbor Fly Boys. I believe that area is on one of the EA-6 regular routes...the usual aircraft I've seen very low in the Cascades.

Oh Yeah! That is a climb you won't ever forget. Great work! I remember that sketchy pitch well- somehow my ice axe came loose and went bouncing down, landing on a ledge. I had to get lowered down and climb the thing twice. That bivy is tough to beat though. The calm in the eye of a hurricane.

Much thanks to CC.com, the voters, and all the sponsors! Cool!

Thanks for the Glacier TR!! I spent a summer working for the FS on the west side of the park and have many fond memories of scrambles there. It seemed like once you left the trails, you never saw a person (but often lots of bears and goats). Considering how they look from afar, I was always amazed at the summits you could reach without a rope.

It is good to have you back writing TRs! Although I miss the explosions.....

You might try posting in the climbing partners forum also....

Given the slow melt and huge snowpack this year, I'd say that it won't be a normal Oct. on the mountain. Probably much better snow and ice conditions than normal.....Good luck!