JasonG

WOW! You guys were camped there the whole next day and the party never returned. That is something you typically only hear about on 8000m peaks when things have really hit the fan, never heard of that in the Cascades. Incredible, if you guys hadn't of been there, the story could have had an entirely different ending. Well done, I'm sure Craig was grateful.

Great story Alasdair! I'm a little confused though, did his partners just continue on and never check back?

There is a bunch of snow so following the trail would be a problem. Probably best to climb up to the road from the lot and follow it near reflection lakes. If you are doing it anytime in the next week or two, bring flotation.

Given the forecast for the next 10 days I'd say those depths are due to increase significantly.

RSQ Pete hauled us out of the Luahna area after we found TJ in 2009 . A great pilot for sure, but you must mean get him back doing short hauls? He seems to still be flying rescue missions, post 2001. I did watch an ER doc get drug through the trees on a rescue mission on Yellowjacket Tower in 1999 so I can imagine that Chelan county might not want the cost or liability of short hauls. I'm not sure if it was Pete or not flying, but it was a bit scary to watch. I have also flown with Tony and agree that he is first rate! Too bad he is going to have to retire one of these days pretty soon....

That Osprey does look like a good pack, they didn't make one when we were looking a few years ago. I think stirrups are key, whatever pack you buy, although the kid may driving you crazy by bopping up and down. Keeps them occupied and their legs from falling asleep, however.

I think this is one of the best options: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045UAN3A At least we have been very happy with it for our two boys. We started doing overnights when our oldest could hold his head up (6 months?), and did quite a few that first summer. We had my wife carry the kid, diapers, and other kid stuff. I carried everything else in a 75L pack, it was good training. That all came to a halt when #2 came along. Now we go car camping and do day hikes, much easier with two wee ones, including one who is too big to be carried any longer. When the youngest gets out of diapers we will try and go back to overnights.... Bring strong alcohol, it's better for everyone.

I agree that 90L is a pretty crushing load... For long (6+ days) trips I have used this pack for 7+ years and love it: http://ca.gregorypacks.com/products/view/24 Size large is 75L. If you can find it used somewhere it is a really, really good pack- too bad they don't make it anymore. Why do companies mess with success? I have found that the Makalu Pro carries more than enough to get you way out into the middle of nowhere, even on a climbing trip.

Given the objective hazard, I didn't know this route was guided. Interesting. The typical June weather around here is pretty gloomy, so I hope you don't have to go on those dates, regardless of weather. With a route like that, flexibility will be key in nailing the right conditions.

Expect to wallow on the approach, based on ski conditions yesterday. North facing stuff is very unconsolidated making for great skiing, and bad post holing. Didn't look at Pandome, but would imagine it would be quite snowy. There is a ton of snow at Baker right now, and more on the way this weekend.

No worries. I certainly appreciate all the hard work that goes into maintaining the site, esp. since this isn't your real gig. When cc.com goes down, it just serves as a reminder that I need to get a life. I need that every now and again.

Wow, talk about some wicked ski terrain!

I would take Sol's word for it, he knows that neck of the woods better than most. The route he and Martins put up is supposed to be quite excellent and a good alternative to the original. The approach alone is classic, and there is a bunch to do back in there, esp. if you head over to the big face on Dome. If you are looking for something a bit easier, the Beckey line climber's right of the west gully between the Gunsights looks amazing. We were traveling too light to give it a shot, but rock quality looked to be superb. We were kicking ourselves.

I think the Dallas Memorial Clean up is scheduled for around 4/21 or so this year (hasn't been finalized yet). I will try to remember and put it in the events forum when it is nailed down. It would be great if a bunch of folks came out to help -last year we had a good crew out there. Thanks for getting a jump start on it, Dan, your efforts are much appreciated! If folks do see such extreme cases of littering, please let Anacortes Parks and Recreation know ASAP. Contact Jonn Lunsford: jonnl at cityofanacortes dot org (360) 299-1953 I have to say that is some of the worst littering I have heard of up there in recent years. Disgusting.

This is bare bones, but for around $200 will get the job done (digital, 3 antennae also). Pretty good deal on sale at quite a few places online.... http://www.ortovox.com/avalanche-transceivers/patroller-digital-2 Or, my personal favorite, the Mammut Element Barryvox (more money and a better interface/features): http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/231000370_v_1012/ELEMENT+Barryvox.html

I think the key is also if there is any sort of open slope above where things can get moving. I haven't ever seen avalanche carnage (busted or damaged timber)on slopes that were heavily treed all the way to the ridgeline. Also I think Gary and other's comments on TAY match my experience skiing trees on higher danger days. If the canopy is closed, and there aren't open areas, I haven't ever seen anything dangerous kick off, even during major avi cycles. Where there are openings, however, watch out.

A question for Kurt- Is the 6mm cord you use for your alpine cordelette the standard (i.e. non spectra) type? And if so, do you find that it is strong enough to use for anchor building purposes (as opposed to rap anchors only)? Thanks for any info!

So is it the use of the dyneema that causes the fast wear, UV, or do they degrade quickly over time regardless?

Blake brings up some good points. I do think though that on easy alpine objectives (blocky mid fifth class), a cordelette comes in very handy for a couple reasons. One, it is super fast to sling a big block or horn (often too big for a double sling) and bring the second up with minimal fiddling with a gear anchor. Two, this frees up the leader to have the full amount of gear for the next pitch. On these climbs the rack is often meager, and using up gear at the belays can limit the leader on the next pitch (or shorten an upcoming simul block). That said, I could probably ditch the daisy....old habit I guess.

My experience over the years is that often times "considerable" forecasts turn out to be overly conservative and the stability is much better than predicted. Of course, it is that one time that gets you.

You have the dog working on it too?

Whoah. Strong work! And, like Ryan, I think the name is fitting and clever. Lowell is going to have to work to keep up with your new descents!

Maybe I missed it in all the mayhem, but did anyone link to Steph's analysis? Although she has some interesting conclusions, my personal experience that alpine climbing is significantly more dangerous than driving.

I have to say I was surprised to see the odds of death by suicide. A lot higher than I expected.

Be careful, it doesn't look like there is a window during your dates: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/get.php?wfo=sew&pil=REC&sid=SEW