JasonG

Lowell has been doing an excellent job of tracking new routes: http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/index_shorts.html http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/inbox.html

Fred is looking to update the Green guide and would appreciate corrections and new route info. Here is what I've already sent him: Whitehorse- Larson/partner-NE face "Bacon Buddy": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=545608 Three Fingers- Thibault/Berdinka- East Face Couloir: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=545446 Frieh/Burdick- East side of North Peak (FWA): http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=644072 Sloan Peak- A bit of activity in recent years. Here are some new routes from Rad, Wayne, etc.: FA of SE ridge: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=834240 Fire on the Mountain: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=905897 Diamond in the Rough: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1041144 Buck- sounds like a correction needs to be made to the Cal Folsom entry (they climbed NR instead of NF, TR is from Wayne Wallace): http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/899441/1 Chiwawa- Haley/Burdick- NW face: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=442340 Goode- Herrington/Wertkin- Megalodon Ridge: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=721583 Dome- Wallace/Layton - "Gran Torino": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=895089 Schilling/Farr- "Indian Summer": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1033817'>http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1033817 South Peak of Gunsight- Schilling/Farr- "Lily of the West": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1033817 Traverse of Gunsight Peaks- Herrington/Hilden- "Gunrunner": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=702676 Formidable- Hick/ McBrian- Direct NE buttress: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=896257 Mixup Peak- Hicks/McBrian/Jodan. "The Misunderstanding"- http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1039670 Sahale- Hicks/McBrian- East Face Couloir: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1038727 West Peak of Black- Larson/Wehrly- NW ridge of West peak: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1076759 Vesper- Berdinka/Pires- "The Ragged Edge": http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1112076

There will be a lot less snow after this weekend! I don't think we saw any snow below 3.5K, and on south aspects it was pretty bare all the way up to 5k.

I should add that the position of Hall is quite scenic, no matter the season. And you are guaranteed to have the mountain to yourself!

Trip: Hall Peak- scramble - NE side from Ice Caves trail Date: 1/29/2015 Trip Report: This is what it has come to. With no snow in sight (almost literally), I found myself tagging along with Scott and Steve on a grudge match with Hall Peak (third time's a charm?). Normally, this route wouldn't be the safest option in winter, but this is no ordinary winter, and it is probably much easier now than in the summer when the brush has leafed out and the flies are looking for an easy meal. Armed with beta from a TR on NWHikers, we got an early start from the Ice Caves trail last week. Unfortunately, you leave the trail rather quickly and begin the battle upwards. This trip would be not that fun in the summer, but it wasn't bad for us. It took us about 8 hours round trip, including over an hour on the summit, and we never encountered truly horrible brush. Basically the perfect length of trip for the short winter days. You can see from the photos that even hardmen like Dan (where is this guy anyway?) and Eric won't be skiing the NF of Big Four anytime soon. While it can't really compare to skiing powder, choss dawging up an obscure peak is a good way to forget that it is actually mid winter. It looks like October! Gear Notes: eye protection, gloves, helmet, crampons, ice axe. Approach Notes: Ice caves trail to the large avi swath. Hang a right off the trail and 'schwack your way up for 4K'

Agreed, that looks crazy hard. Is the Dawn Wall next?

Yikes. I was wondering if the thin snowpack was making for dangerous travel conditions on the big glaciers. Thanks for the report, and I'm glad you made it off safely. You probably already know this, but you can order a new section for the whippet from BD. They're quite reasonable.

Mr. Shizzle- You may need to get farther from the road. I find that most climbers I meet on multi-day trips are pretty nice folks. Those that aren't, are least plenty entertaining. You may fall in the latter category.

Thanks Dave for the more detailed explanation.

You don't need to mod your whippet to deadman it. I was trying to figure out what Dave was talking about when he mentioned drilling the head and threading it with cord. Sounds like a Spectre without a way to hammer it in, and not something I'd trust it in a crevasse rescue or belay scenario.

Huh? You would use a whippet for belaying off of, or for crevasse rescue? And Water, the photo of Hood is freaky. Good reason to stay far away in summer!

Just to keep the debate going, why start at Stehekin? Your neighborhood was built on the site of an old growth forest, as were the roads that take you to the mountains. Start local.

Lots of area to park near the gate, you don't need to walk from town!

Sounds like you need to pick up a copy of "Extreme Alpinism". Twight has your answers.

Yes, and it is fairly steep. If it is icy, crampons and an ice axe may be warranted. Since it sounds like this isn't something you guys have experience with, you will want to be careful when assessing conditions. Colchuck Lake is a worthy winter backpacking objective by itself, so it isn't a a wasted trip if you don't get up Asgaard. FYI, you will likely walking from Icicle Creek, as they gate the Eightmile road in the winter.

Damn. That is a sobering accident in many ways, thanks for taking the time to share about such a terrible day. I have set up many top rope anchors with one locker, but I don't think I will ever again.

Eric- That picture is amazing. Thanks!

Ah right, the Hidden Wave! It is impressive that it is still in business. Everything else has come and gone. Don't get me wrong, I have grown to love the Skagit. But it is very different than Seattle, Portland, or even B'ham. Slow and quiet. And affordable if you avoid LaConner/Anacortes.

With snow, it often takes me 1.75-2 hours to get to Baker. So you can add 20-30 minutes to that depending on where in Anacortes you live. If you are single, Anacortes is a pretty sleepy place, as is the rest of the Skagit.

There isn't a ski shop or outdoor store in Skagit Valley, and past evidence indicates that the market won't support one. We're a small, poor crew.

So, is this a reverse of the traverse he and Rolo did? Very cool!

That is a monster undertaking on a short winter day, well done! Meanwhile, I was in the Tacoma Dome, watching monster trucks with my boys.....

That's what I thought too, until I realized that he had another piece that you can't see unless you look close in the photo. Both were pretty bomber, but I remember thinking the same thing as I cam up to the belay. Probably why I took the picture. Gordo was unconcerned per usual. And, since the ski season is so lame, I wanted to bump this to get folks thinking about heading in there this late spring.

I don't like the sound of that one bit.

And that was edited. Impressive.