JasonG

I would be cool if we could have donations fund the entire site all year, but I guess if not we'll have to go with ads. Maybe try donations for a few months and see what happens?

Yikes!

Few do. I need those veggie holds to winch my fat ass up!

Ah, I think we are defining the word "impressive" differently.

Trip: Mount Carrie - Smoot Direct Trip Date: 09/11/2022 Trip Report: Perhaps the only upside to shattering my thumb this spring is that I have been catching up on my Smoots this summer. In fact, I'm at 99 after an ascent of Carrie a few weeks ago with @cfire. With each peak, I'm pretty impressed with this list ( it is back in print!). Not many bad outings in the book and some are very, very good. This is one of them, not for any classic climbing but for jaw dropping views across the valley at the Olympus massif. And so you'd better like pictures of Olympus, because you're about to be assaulted. Given the long drive we did the trip over three reasonable days: Day 1 was up the Sol Duc to the High Divide (prepare for combat parking at the TH); Day 2 was out to Carrie and back; And Day 3 was finishing the High Divide West to the headwaters of the Bogachiel and back to the Sol Duc. Every day we saw bears out and about, fattening up on berries before the winter snows come. We also saw quite a few people doing the loop in a day (the Olympics version of the Enchantments thru hike?), since permits are hard to get. Despite that, this is a busy loop, lots of people everywhere but Carrie (we saw nobody on our ascent). But, as you'll see below, it is worth the hassle of planning ahead. The High Divide is about as Olympics as it gets! Heart Lake: Carrie in the smoke out there: Olympus! Summit views to the SE. No idea what most of these peaks are, but I know @olyclimber does!: We enjoyed watching the ravens on the summit. They were battling with each other and raptors that invaded "their" territory: Cumbre! Heading down, Hoh below: Carrie is choss pile on the right. Not as bad as it looks though! I lugged my tripod all the way in, but should have looked a bit more closely at the moon phase: The classic Sol Duc falls (I cropped out the crowds): The trusty Civic is still intact with beers inside! Gear Notes: Clothes, shoes, whiskey. Approach Notes: High Divide, clockwise

give me a call @dberdinka! I can do blue collar.

love it!

Looks like a great area and super cool routes for those that climb hard! Thanks for the TR. But, Michal might want to get out further afield than Central Idaho: "This wall is as impressive as any in the lower 48."

Ain't that the truth. I am biased though. I have a bit of hometown pride in his choice of "Skagit Alpinism"!

Route conditions on Baker are typically pretty challenging in early October. I wouldn't expect "ideal".

Woah, that's wild! Never been in there...

When Scarpa stopped making the heavy duty SL backpacking boot, I bought a pair from Cascades Crags as they went out of business. They sat in my basement for more than 12 years until my old SLs finally bit the dust after 18 years, two soles, two trips to Nepal, and many, many miles. Finally breaking in the new pair this year. Do it!

Sweet, glad they work! And you are making up for lost time this summer!!

Nice work! Sorry about being one of the 15....but here's a lumpsucker for your trouble: https://www.seattleaquarium.org/blog/closer-look-what-puts-lump-our-pacific-spiny-lumpsuckers

Uhhhhh, this might be mine! I lost a blackberry somewhere on the East Triad about 10 years ago! I would love to get it back just for posterity. Edit, lost on 10/26/08 to be exact. It was a Blackberry Pearl.

Sharp-shinned hawk? https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id I sometimes see them hunting in the alpine. Cool birds!

I think owls can be very territorial. I know I don't have enough hair to look tasty, yet I have had them bomb me, as have several other Hair Club for Men members.

I thought it was worth climbing, though it isn't all as solid as the photo would suggest. Still, that pitch is one of the better alpine pitches I've climbed in the Cascades and really made for a memorable trip.

You continue to rack up the impressive solo string @JonParker! I bet you'd like that SW side of Dorado Needle (if you haven't been that way already):

I think you solved the Sasquatch mystery AND DB Cooper!

They hang with the grizzlies at all times.

You do know that black bears can be brown, right? Despite 10 years and hundreds of DNA samples from hair snares, park biologists were never able to confirm a grizzly in the North Cascades. Do you have a photo? All the "grizzly" photos I've seen from the area have been clearly cinnamon black bears.

Those are super cool images from Afghanistan!

Super cool looking trip! Thanks for the idea....

This is pure gold and applicable to so many climbs! Well done guys, glad to see the smoldering bromance finally flamed! And, this was really well-written! It would be fun to have @lunger's take here for posterity alongside yours.