JasonG
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Posts posted by JasonG
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4 hours ago, jdj said:
I think it is interesting that you are so willing to go on the attack of my motives but seem not to question your own. Who is being superior here?
Sure, that is how this all reads. I'll go back to my ivory tower.
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I crossed the Barrier in summer of '09 from Terror Basin and I don't remember a snow gully. I do remember steep compact dirt and a lot of whining. Maybe it is just a seasonal snow thing? Snowpack seems to be going away earlier each year.
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51 minutes ago, jdj said:
There won't be trails closed,
And how are you sure of this? The NPS has shown in the North Cascades that they prioritize bears over recreation, most recently with the Terror basin closure this past summer. And yes, I am selfishly focused on recreation in our national parks, while you're focused on wildlife and think that is a superior attitude (by your lecturing and scolding of alternate viewpoints).
Not quite sure how you figure who is superior in these arguments, but you seem to have drawn the line @jdj.
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The outcome was never in doubt.
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Trip: Williams Peak - Standard
Trip Date: 04/13/2024
Trip Report:Over the past year of so I've gotten reacquainted with the Chilliwack Lake environs. It is just as close to my house as many areas of the Cascades and offers some new peaks to ponder and some unfamiliar views of familiar peaks. And, for whatever reason, I've been able to mostly have these mountains to myself on the handful of trips that I've taken up there. Williams Peak was no exception a couple weeks ago - I didn't see a soul after leaving the car. For such a striking peak on a fine spring day, I was a bit surprised.
But there was definitely slogging, and that probably explains the solitude. The trail gains almost 3000' in the first mile and a half, and then there are two miles of undulating ridge to slog in snowshoes. But the scenic rewards, as you'll see below, were quite great beyond that. Plus, it did get more entertaining for the final 1000' up the steepening gully to the summit, dodging small wet slides and eyeing the cliffs above me suspiciously. I had read about annoying talus and steep heather once the snow melts off so a spring ascent might be the ticket on this one, even if it is more work. For me, being able to get a good look at the north faces of Rexford and Slesse draped in the think mantle of a late season snowpack more than made up for any discomfort.
Williams from the valley bottom. Prepare to work!
First glimpse of North side of Slesse:
Chilliwack Lake:
North side of Rexford with Shuksan in the distance:
Slesse with Baker behind:
Welch and Foley (gotta get in there next!):
Look back at Williams from the slog out the ridge:
Gear Notes:
Snowshoes, I'm afraid. This wouldn't be a great ski with the up and down and endless forest. Crampons, helmet, and axe in early season- it is steep in the final gully
Approach Notes:
Chilliwack Lake Road is paved to the TH-
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Trip: Black Peak and Prime Rib - #methowmultisport
Trip Date: 04/20/2024
Trip Report:For those of us up here in the north sound, it is hard to ignore the gravitational pull when Hwy 20 opens for the year. It is like someone pulls the plug in the backyard pool and we are inexorably pulled east into the vortex of Sprinters and Teslas. But not this past weekend. It was like older, mellower times. Maybe it was the front moving through in the middle of the weekend. Maybe everyone was like my brother and were caught unawares of the opening? Whatever the reason, I'll take it.
It was a good thing that the masses weren't up there though. @geosean and I myself weren't terribly original with the plan- a ski of Black on Saturday followed by Prime Rib on Goat wall on Sunday. We even brought bikes to enliven the descent from Goat Wall (this is a good bit more fun than rapping the route). And, mostly it went off without a hitch. And by that I mean we had fun, didn't get hurt, and came home friends. However, we did stop a few feet shy of the true summit of Black due to the typical spring shenanigans of steep snow, exposed rock, and no climbing gear. But, that slight disappointment was soon forgotten amidst the better than average corn skiing down to Lakes Ann and Wing. I think it has been over 20 years since I've been up on Black and I can see that I need to return more frequently.
Thankfully the weather on Goat Creek Road was reasonable, though chilly, Saturday night. We started early to beat the crowds the never arrived and shivered in the wind and snow squalls as a result. It felt distinctly alpine, climbing in long johns and belaying in puffys all day. I'm sure it would be good training for something hard and high, if I still cared about those sorts of objectives. Mostly though, I shivered and muttered. But, it had been about 11 years since I had climbed the route, and so Prime Rib felt sort of like a new and interesting experience. This pronounced alpine amnesia is definitely one of the benefits of entering my "mature mountaineer" phase. Maybe I need to climb things all over again.
Except Nooksack Tower.
@geosean at Heather Pass:
@geosean and Black at Wing Lake:
I was not having this and turned us around:
#methowmultisport:
Dispersed camping views of Silverstar from Goat creek road:
@geosean living the alpine dream on Goat Wall:
The hordes will descend next weekend!
Gear Notes:
the full kit
Approach Notes:
Follow the herd-
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I wasn't there tonight but what @tbickford says above was backed up by a friend who was also present. Get yer comments in folks!
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You're in the right spot @sara.squamish, welcome!
I've found some of fine unicorns on this site...good luck!
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄
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9 hours ago, max said:
Not being smarmy: what did the public do to ruin that privilege? I don't see that area getting trashed or abused...
I am not 100% certain of the exact instances behind the Twin Sisters gates, but I suspect the usual- timber theft, dumping, fires, shooting, long-term camping, general mayhem, etc. These days it's much easier for the timber companies to gate their ownerships than deal with the shenanigans. But, gates do get vandalized all the time and aren't cheap to maintain either, but still probably cheaper than the alternative.
I work a bit in the timber mgmt. landscape and I fully understand why the timber companies lock people out!
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Yeah, those gates in the Twin Sisters were unlocked into the 90s but the public definitely ruined that privilege long ago, unfortunately.
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Oh yeah, he's legit. Bulger finisher #11, who completed the list on Jack in 1997!
And I don't think enough of that historical info is on the web for AI to generate a lot of those details, now that I think about it.
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Wow. that is quite the effort you put into those articles! I especially liked the summit register synopsis....
And FYI, I'm sure that Dallas chuckled because Fred didn't quite clear his "Difficult Ten". And maybe that was the point.....
But to be honest, Dallas really admired Fred and climbed with him a fair bit over the years.
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Every one of your trip reports needs to be here @Eric Gilbertson!! O2 and sherpa support doesn't matter a bit. That is a proud accomplishment.
Another absolutely incredible tale, thanks for the link!
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Sigh, that really is lame. Not really much else to say at this point.
But, moving on...
https://ascentoutdoors.com/ ...is great! Locally owned by a climber friend of a friend of mine.
Also, I will be forever a fan of https://featheredfriends.com/
If you are up north, make sure to support Chris and the crew at https:// backcountryessentials.net/ along with our flagship sponsor, https://shop.alpineinstitute.com/
For just ski gear in Seattle.... https://www.proskiseattle.com/
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Sorry guys....removed the link.
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Quite tragic.......
I had never met Matt, but he seemed like someone I would have loved to get out with.
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Cairns can be amazingly helpful in steep alpine terrain, especially when you are trying to link weaknesses to keep the grade below what you would need a rope for. Hidden ledges, crack systems, chimneys....they can point the way to an easier path that is otherwise not obvious. That said, cairns get abused and are often put in places where they aren't needed (scattered willy nilly across boulderfields for example). I tend to remove cairns more often than I leave them, but they do serve a purpose when used correctly.
Good luck with the article!
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So awesome @Bella Walz, glad you are here and looking to connect with folks. I have met some of the greatest partners in the world through this site and I wish you luck.
This winter I have been scanning old prints from decades ago when I was a new climber- full of the fire I can see in your face in the photo above. Hold onto that for as long as you can!
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Looks like a great day! I need to retire.
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"...which gained traction on cascadeclimbers.com, a site that congregated a small-but-hardcore collection of dirtbags, rock nerds and adrenaline junkies, all devoted to the region’s peaks and valleys."
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[TR] Washington Pass - North Early Winter Spire: Early Winter Couloir. 04/21/2024
in North Cascades
Posted
Solid!! Well done on a route that doesn't see a lot of traffic.
It always seems a bit insecure and scary up that thing, but looks like you found it in good conditions this year. Sunday was definitely nice and cold up there (we were shivering on Goat wall!), which is I think quite key.