JasonG

Trip: The Gardners - Standards Date: 6/26/2011 Trip Report: In an effort to get my feet in fighting shape, I joined the running dog in his quest to scale a certain list of high peaks in WA. After a leisurely stop at the Mazama store to hang out with friends and be tempted by the easy comforts of the lowlands (AAC Rockrest sure sounded cool), we hit the trail about 1430. Worried that the slog was going to take us way into the evening, cutting down on valuable beer, whiskey, and fire consumption- the dog set his usual blistering pace. We arrived around 1800 to find Gardner meadows melted out with plenty of firewood already cut to length (thanks hunters!). Eating, drinking and lounging by the fire commenced. A fine chap by the name of Julian (solo) joined us for after dinner refreshments and a plan was hatched to leave early the next morning for the North and Main Gardner peaks. Turns out, Julian knows some of the same folks we do and was a great addition to our peak bagging Delta Force. To make a long story shorter, we had a grand time the next day(~11 hrs, camp to summit to summit to camp to car- with some nice breaks and lots of photos). Great scenery, zero crowds, fun scrambling, and perfect conditions made this trip much better than anticipated. Sure, we never needed a rope, but it was a lot more engaging than you might expect. Give peak bagging a try sometime, you just might like it! Upper Wolf Creek: Julian headed towards North Gardner North Gardner Family of Mountain Goats breaking trail- Seriously we used their tracks and followed them almost to the summit of Main Gardner The Dog and Julian near the summit of North Gardner with the next objective behind them Sea of peaks to the south Fun scrambling en route to Gardner The dog on East Gardner. Julian and I stayed on the main summit and worked on our tans Main Garnder marker North Gardner from the main summit East to the Methow Ah, a break before the slog out. Gear Notes: Axe, Crampons, Helmet, Beer, Whiskey, flip flops Approach Notes: Wolf Creek

Holy crap Tim, keep these coming. Seriously, they are some of the best TRs in the database. In some weird way, this TR is better than hearing it first hand- must be the photos. Some really good shots in there, I can see how magical it is. It is on the list for sure . . .some day.

Seriously, Where Was This TR during the contest??!!!!! Top five on cc.com for sure . . .maybe even funnier than listening to you in person re-tell it. Maybe.

ugh. But prove us wrong! It would make for an engaging TR, I think . . ..

Otto- PM Trent, and he can email the list. I am sure you have done a few . . .

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear the other side is VERY repulsive, in every sense of the word . .. But you have piqued my interest- I might just have to see this other, sweeter, side of the hill. Nice work there Mr. Flyboy, you are well on your way to catching the MoatMaster! Now that he is fishing for the summer, I see you have made your move. Too bad with the interwebs, he is watching your every move. Is it over ten ascents yet?

It may be in OK shape right now, given the cool spring. But yes, it is mainly a route that is best in the winter/early spring. You certainly want cold temps and consolidated snow- similar to the conditions that are best for triple C's.

Dan is correct on this, went back and checked the Beckey guide. I was perpetuating a cc.com terminology mistake that originated years ago. Sorry! NEC and NBC from now on! Both are fun routes. I highly recommend the NEC for the next step up in difficulty. . . .just make sure you rope up crossing the 'schrund. I fell into it unroped years ago (a very large bridge collapsed underneath me), and am lucky to be typing right now.

There is the NEBC (NE Buttress Couloir) and NBC (North Buttress Couloir). The NE is the one that drops right down below the summit and has a 'schrund at its base. Typically parties veer left near the top and walk a short bit to the true summit (though some have completed it directly). The NBC is the obvious one in your photo, on the right, and it intersects the north face about 700 vf below the top. So, in your post above you are comparing the NEBC to the north face, correct? Or, did you climb two routes that shared the top bit of terrain? If so, you climbed the NBC. Sorry to makes things confusing, just trying to figure out what you climbed.

Nice Work! I didn't know it was in the paper, although you said that it hadn't been done very many times. Stay safe this summer, and keep us posted if you skip a couple trips on the boat and head into the hills up there!

So I guess I'm a little confused. I thought most folks finished the NBC by climbing the upper 700' of the North face of Colchuck (the only straightforward way to get to the summit it seems). So you guys are talking about intersecting the north face lower? Based on the map and my recollection, it didn't seem that the lower portion of the face (below where the NBC intersects it) would be steep enough to be interesting. But it is worth climbing that thousand feet or so?

Edit the post and delete "medium" from the image tag. If I remember correctly it comes after "500". I think you will need to delete a forward slash also. I think that should do it! BTW, I'm impressed with the everyone's entries- Solid Images!

Alpine: Between Torment and Forbidden, but not feeling much of either. Scenic: Three Fingers emerging from the mist. Skiing/Boarding: Descending one of the many fine lines in the Mt. Baker BC Cragging: Midway up Dreamer. Humor: As rewarding as any summit- a post-Pickets dip in Ross Lake.

Thanks guys! I finally got a chest harness this year so it isn't as much of a pain to pack the SLR as it used to be. Plus, it gives me an excuse to stop and breathe! "I'm not tired, I just have to take picture".

Trip: Big Snagtooth and Cedar Creek Shenanigans - Standard Date: 6/12/2011 Trip Report: Well, it sounded good on paper. Ski over Kanagroo col, traverse to Big Snagtooth, drop to Cedar Creek and ski to a lake at the head of one of its forks. That was to be the first day. Second day was to be a traverse of the Gardners and out via Huckleberry and Cedar Creeks. Ambitious but doable, or so we thought. Turns out that I needed a bit more conditioning to pull of the second part of it. In the words of Vonnegut, "So it goes." After a slow ramble up over Kangaroo Col and traverse over to the Big Snagtooth herself, we dumped the skis and booted up the couloir below the chockstone. Ice on some slabby rock had us using the crampons for a short step. The rope came in handy as the ice wasn't too confidence inspiring. Above that, the summit was dry. The dog, being lighter than my fat self, got the joy of doing the shoulder stand onto the summit slab. This was made exciting by the fact that he was wearing tele boots, which aren't known for their smearing ability. Thankfully, he didn't slide back into my face and was able to fix the rope so I could haul my sorry, AT boot wearing self, batman-style up to the summit. Ah, the joys of peak bagging. We took a few photos and did a couple short raps down into the gulley and back to our skis/snowboard. A quick run into the head of the west? fork of cedar creek and we realized that our plan may have had a few holes. First off, we were already tired from hauling overnight gear nearly to the summit, then we picked the wrong (north) side of the creek. The recent burn made travel much more difficult as there was less snow and lots of debris. It was all we could do to battle our way to the confluence with the main Cedar creek and crash for the night (AKA Camp Confluence). Though there was plenty of wood for a fire, we opted for an early bedtime. A slow start the next morning and we realized that day 2 wasn't going to happen. So, humbled, we crossed the creek on a wet, but sturdy, log and headed back up the correct (south) side of the creek all the way back to Kangaroo Col. A quick ski and a broken cable later, and we were back at the car drinking beer. A 1.5 day trip, that should have been a one day trip. So it goes. Here are some photos: Liberty Bell Group The Runningdog looks with longing over to Big Snagtooth On the summit with Silverstar behind The Gardners aren't looking so close, another trip. A sea of peaks to the south In the summit gulley Cedar creek fun. Back at Kanagroo Col, why do I feel this tired? Gear Notes: 37m rope. Pink Tricam, a few runners, boot crampons, ski crampons in the morning helpful, axe. Approach Notes: Kangaroo Col

I seem to remember it being a bit higher, closer to 14K. Regardless, not a good place to be stranded. Based on some observations today, it sounds like they are transitioning over to a recovery operation. Condolences to the friends and family.

Very reasonable, thanks.

I'm glad someone is able to push that dog, I usually am just trying to catch up. I should look into eating more carrots. Tick, Tick, Tick. Perhaps Der Snagtooth is next?

Wow, the west ridge was impressively rimed- strong work! I remember those pitches well. When snow/ice covered they were certainly more challenging than I expected.

I wouldn't put the blame on the descending party, especially if they couldn't see climbers below. In the spring, it isn't unreasonable to set off a slope in the late afternoon before you glissade down it. There is a reason to get an early start.

Nice work Dan! So this would be the third descent? Interesting that it had not been skied up until this year (at least that is what I think I read on TAY). Are conditions that different from the previous several decades, or now that it has been done it is on people's radar?

Happy Birthday Tom!!! Looks like you will have the gift of sun for the next few days....

Ha! Yeah, I probably played in Lightroom a little too much on some of these. I blame Gord's shades- they had me under their spell and I don't even play for that team!

Trip: Frisco Mountain - Lyall Glacier Date: 5/29/2011 Trip Report: Since Mr. Sepultura was about to leave town for the summer to fish in AK, the gang all convened in Sedro early Sunday for a trip to Rainy Pass. The forecast was less than perfect, but we had to get out and get some exercise at least. Although we started in clouds and ended in a thunderstorm, the key part of the day was sunny and warm. It was good to be back in the North Cascades. We started by skiing up and Across Lake Ann, noticing an impressive slab avalanche that had recently come down and broken the ice of the lake. The crown was at least four feet! Although it appeared to have been triggered by a cornice failure, we were a bit surprised. Gord hid his surprise behind a pair of wicked shades. We carried on up to Maple Pass and messed about in a white out for a bit until the clouds parted, revealing that we had picked a good day. We got a look at Frisco, then dropped about 1000' into Maple Creek. Turns out we should have followed a group of three farther up the ridge and saved us some work. Not liking the looks of a cornice, we opted for the great scenic circle route around the southwest ridge of Frisco, eventually merging with the southerly summit slopes. We left our skis right below the summit and booted to the top. Great views! Summit Ridge Benzarino and Goode Corteo and Benzarino We then backtracked a bit and booted up the the col to access the Lyall glacier and began the run down to Rainy Lake. Be aware that there is a giant cliff band that you need to pass on skier's left. Admiring Frisco from Rainy Lake. A good day in the hills! Approach Notes: Sloppy snow

Yes, form letter- mine looked the same. Maybe Ryan can shed some light on the reimbursement claim?