JasonG

Wish I could be there, looks like it will be a fantastic show!

Fixed anchors are a "trace" that is a bit different from other types of traces. Climbers are the only ones who will see these, and I sure as hell am happy to see/know about bolted chain stations rather than manky slung features. And no, Max, climbers aren't going to give up rappelling in the wilderness anytime soon. I think we need to figure out what is the better path, given that Forbidden is an immensely popular climb, and check the ideology at the door. The knee jerk response of NCNP is disappointing, to say the least.

Yeee Haw!! The B-C!!! Such a good tick to end the list on. The Beckey-Chouinard is on my "When I turn 40" list, which is coming up way too quickly. But, more importantly, does this mean that I've missed out on my chance to tie in with you Caleb??!! Say it ain't so!

Except, most of NCNP IS wilderness.

Did someone already include this link? http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7971664 Some pretty interesting info.

Thanks for the background Dan. I plan to contact Kelly and voice my support for establishing some bolted raps stations on Forbidden, not that it will probably matter. There have been one too many loose rock related accidents on the descent of Forbidden, and the popularity isn't going to wane anytime soon. And though your position may be confusing Darin, I think it is intelligent, and I tend to agree.

Yes, a perfect example of why blanket policies rarely apply everywhere intelligently. Are you contacting Kelly to get the straight scoop? I guess it wouldn't hurt to have multiple folks contacting them. Or, they could save us all the trouble and chime in here!

Luckily, the Ragged Edge is not in NCNP. The USFS doesn't have the manpower and zealotry to compete with the NPS, at least in the MBSNF. Personally, I think Forbidden is the perfect location for well placed bolted anchors. I've often thought that while descending the east ledges raps on somewhat junky stations, right next to perfect slabs of rock. A cleaner line too. I'm not as familiar with the late season descent next to the WR couloir, but I imagine that it is somewhat similar. That would be unfortunate if the recent accident was partially as a result of the bolt chopping. Does anyone have any more details on this??

I can see the genesis for a hard-man guidebook with this as the central theme for route selection. "Cascade Sphincter Select"?

Did someone say

I need all the aid I can get! I've thought about getting some of these for a while, I think I will now. Thanks!

Staring at this route over a couple days this summer, I'm impressed that folks still climb it. Frankly, it scared the hell out of me. It looks like Dan and Jesse climbed it in similar conditions to what we saw this July, maybe worse. Bold, and a wee bit lucky. That is an ascent that I'm sure you won't forget.

The shift in attitude at the federal offices that oversee public land is worrisome. I get the sense that most of the agencies would prefer to keep people on pavement, looking in. Easier to manage and they won't step on something "sensitive". Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it seemed like the older attitude at the federal level was that parks and wilderness areas were set aside to be recreated in, not just looked at. I'm not for trashing the backcountry, but it seems like the pendulum is swinging pretty far away from helping encourage recreation. Sanitation problems aside, if folks can't tolerate bouldering and cragging areas with some erosion and social trails, we aren't far from being regulated out of existence.

Did I see that Dan and Sarah use those Ocun crack gloves?

I would have thought the glacier impassable this late in the year, way to go! That is one of my favorite climbs in the Park, for sure.

Sol, Your post above goes a long way in explaining things, thanks much for bringing us up to speed. Sounds like you guys are on it.

That sounds promising Matt, thanks.

Damn. The Russian way is not for pansies. I still laugh when I think of Oleg turning to me in the crater of Rainier on a cold winter's day, smiling, and saying "It reminds me of Siberia!" Like that was a good thing. Since I was wearing every last bit of clothing I had with me (and wasn't warm), I was thinking that if I stop moving I'm going to die.

I'm glad I read thru this thread. Tumpline!! Love it! Lots of great info here as well. I'm a sucker for a good pack, and am always looking even though I have more good/comfortable/serviceable ones than I care to admit.

Understood. However, my understanding is that this is a temporary deal, funding wise. Someone in the USFS thinks this is a good idea, and I think it behooves climbers to work with them while they are here but we shouldn't be afraid to tell the USFS if we feel that the money paying their salaries could be better used elsewhere in the forest at the end of this trial period. Like many of the posters on this thread, I have a bias based on years of negative interactions with rangers in both the USFS and NPS. That's not fair to these new guys, but I think it helps to warn them that they will have to win hearts and minds. Proudly kicking over cairns isn't helping.

THAT is one fantastic image. I need to plan more high alpine bivies. Thanks.

Thanks for all your hard work on this! I just may have to check this out sooner rather than later.

Trip: Sloan Peak - West Face Variation Date: 9/8/2013 Trip Report: For those that lack the skills to make the new SW face routes go (folks such as myself), the West Face Variation is a pretty fun outing. Not uber classic of course, but worth doing. Rad and Alex pretty much nailed the beta with their excellent TR, so I won't belabor the details. Suffice to say that for most folks a car to car time of 12-13 hours is probably about right. You may want to wait a couple days after a heavy rain for the face to drain though. We didn't and encountered a good deal of running water and super slippery lichen in the swirling mists. We couldn't go left after the dihedral (too much water), so we went up and right via some pretty fun/solid 5.6-.7 climbing. The top portion of the dihedral was certainly the crux for us though. Slimy wetness, combined with the steep pull over a chockstone made for climbing that felt significantly harder than 5.7. The best pitch of the day (also the driest, coincidence?) was the very last one that dropped us a couple hundred feet below the Corkscrew route. I was really disappointed that we couldn't ever see the SW face on the way out. The photos make it look pretty amazing. Maybe some day when I learn to climb a bit harder.... Gear Notes: Medium rack to 3". Ice axe useful for the descent off the corkscrew. 60m rope works well for the raps off the corkscrew. Crampons may be needed, but weren't for us in the late afternoon. Approach Notes: Bedal basin trail. If you have a low clearance vehicle, you probably shouldn't care about it.

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion regarding your experience with this completely asinine policy. And not posting the regulations??!! I'm especially confused by the 200' from the trail rule. If you wanted to make sure the wilderness was trashed as much as possible, this seems like a great way to go. Otherwise, not so much. That is just a local policy, specific to the Winds? I've never heard of such a thing.

I think a lot depends on if this is a one off trip or whether you will be using the boots for more cold technical climbing in the future. My understanding is the Ice Cap traverse is more of a slog without much technical climbing. Some cheaper plastic double boots would work just fine.