JasonG

Heard about this through the grapevine....any details? I think the accident was on Saturday and they were working on the recovery today. Terrible news.

I can't believe I've never climbed in the Sierra! Obviously I need to change that. So inspiring Steph, thanks!

Glad you had a safe trip! We saw you pedaling your ass off just outside of Concrete and wondered where you were headed with the climbing gear. Pretty cool.

Hard to say not knowing the weather between now and then. Often by late October we've had a bit of snow up high which could make for some really dangerous glacier travel conditions (thinly bridged). If you are looking to climb in and out of crevasses, battle scree, and deal with likely poor weather, it might be "fun", but not by most climber's definitions. A lot depends on how much new snow we get between now and late October, but both Gib Ledges and the Kautz aren't likely to be in pleasant shape. If you are buying a ticket, I think the Sierra would be a much better bet.

Don't worry Joatman, the only one with an attitude on this thread is Brian.

Is there any benefit to showing up in person vs. submitting comments via the webform? i.e. weighted differently?

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/NorthCascades/ Thru the weekend at least.

Will be closed thru the weekend, better change yer plans! http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/NorthCascades/

Right, forgot you bivied on Little T! So, yeah, something similar, though maybe a little less comfortable given the large blocks at the summit.

The last two weeks of July typically are the time to shoot for, regardless of which way you go (guided or private). There are often folks looking for partners on this site, and if you come out for a week or more you could do a warm up climb like Adams or Baker to see if you mesh as a team. With your three attempts, it sounds like you have a pretty good feel for the mountain and the conditions to expect, and have a bit of crevasse rescue/self arrest training. I guess, given good weather, it seems like you should be able to do it as a private party just fine.

Since it sounds like you haven't been up Forbidden before, the summit is a pretty dry/uncomfortable bivy. Just an FYI for a future rematch. BUT, those are some amazing images, thanks for sharing!

Alas, yes....along with a couple wee kids and a VERY understanding wife. I used up many of my hall passes early this summer and have spent the last month or so hiking at a very slow pace and untangling fishing lines. But thanks for thinking that I'm a dirtbag.....I can still dream.

That was quite the capper to a busy season! I've spent a good bit of time this evening going thru all the TRs from your summer and WOW, so many outstanding trips/images in just one alpine season. I'm glad you are enjoying the freedom, I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. The trip with your dad was certainly inspirational for me, having just spent the long weekend hiking with my boys at <1 mile per hour!

After Colin turned around on this, I thought it might be some time before the face got a serious attempt. Having just climbed easy routes on the Hozomeen peaks over the years (but familiar with the rock "quality"), I'm really amazed that the face was climbed so quickly, in such good style. Dealing with the looseness, routefinding, and lack of pro.....old school boldness at its finest. Bravo! Next up, the North face of the South Peak?

Great work and fantastic images! I'm actually surprised that the Walrus still went this late in the season. I'm also surprised that there was another party up there, let alone three! The three times I've been up on Clark, we've been the only party for miles. The SE slope is pretty easy (mostly hiking), you can kind of just pick your way around the east ridge and back to the basin where you're camped without too much trouble.

Good to know Rob, that sounds like much worse performance than I've heard from some other folks.

In general I think SPOT's tend to work well for most folks. There has just been a few high profile SOS failures that make me nervous. I just tell my wife that I'm OK unless she gets a call (or I'm 24 hours overdue). Of course that doesn't make her worry less when I'm overdue, but I'd rather have a device that will work for sure when I need it. It would be nice if a there was a cross over product.

Ha! So very true. Chris and Rad give some great advice. Moving fast and efficiently over loose, exposed terrain is an acquired skill like any other and it helps to start easy and work up to long 5th class routes. And, it helps to be very clear with partners and loved ones back home if/when to initiate a rescue. Having a real PLB (not SPOT) with each team can take a lot of the guess work out of making the rescue call as well. This is what I and my partners carry now after a friend's mishap on Terror a few years back.

It is common to leave your tent up while you go for the summit, and I wouldn't expect anyone to mess with it. That said, make sure it is deadmanned securely into the snow. Many tents have been lost over the years, and you may want to lie it flat if the winds are strong in the am. Probably depends a lot on how skookum of tent you are bringing and how well you anchor it.

I wonder if Loc-tite will stand up over time as well as a lock washer or nylon locking nut? Or maybe there are other considerations that make the latter options unattractive?

If you have to shoe horn a Rainier trip into just a few days with little wiggle room for weather, I can't stress enough going in July. As Dan and others have said, June is really hit or miss around here, weather-wise, especially on Rainier. Meteorological summer (i.e., dry, stable wx) starts ~7/12 most years in the PNW and you would be best served if you changed your tickets to a later date. You don't want to go in August most years (too bony), mid July is usually the ticket for the easier routes.

Here is a quote regarding the east ridge of Cinderella from Darin's recent TR: "I found the climbing to be not entirely classic with lots of blocky scrambling separated by a few steep, exposed and looser-than-I-liked 5th class faces. Enjoyable at times but I wouldn’t repeat it." Sounds like you guys both had a pretty similar take on it.

Thanks Curt! I've often wondered about this route and you and Darin have done a great job fleshing out what to expect. I have to admit that it has lost some of the appeal that it formerly had. But it still sounds like something worth doing once?

Stunning shots, but especially that one of Olympus with the lenticulars. Wow! Maybe you can edit the image tags to make them bigger? Since I have two young boys, these TRs are really cool. I have to remind myself that the days of 3 mile RT hikes are only temporary.

Well, I have written my electeds on several occasions regarding access, volunteered on trail crews, and commented to the USFS a number of times, but I guess I really didn't think it was going to make a big difference. Still, I keep trying every year or so to rattle the cage, don't know what else to do I guess. I do think that the per capita use of wilderness is going down and it is reflected in the current recreation budget of the USFS. I don't have any data, just going off of my own experience with friends and family. The WWII generation did a lot of hiking, backpacking, and camping and it has seemed to be on the decline ever since. I sense that a shift is going on where folks like the idea of wilderness, but aren't that concerned if there is much access to it (the Manning school of thought). I agree that it is a question of priorities, and those that value access seem to be in the minority. When this country wants to get something done, it usually does, pretty fast.