JasonG

Mr. Roper forwarded me this excellent photo showing the South (highest peak in the center background) and SW Peaks of Hozomeen along with our approach gully. The col where we bivied is just out of view. Taken from Little Jackass Mountain. Thanks John! Oh, and here is a photo of the North Peak on the approach. SW buttress is the left skyline. Wow!

Trip: South Hozomeen - SW Route Date: 5/31/2009 Trip Report: Beckey's description sounded easy enough- 14 hour RT with some brush, steep snow, and mostly 4th class rock with a little 5.6. He even said that early season was the best time, and here we had a beautiful weekend at the end of May to play with. It was off to South Hozomeen for Tim, Gord and myself! After the long but scenic drive from home to Canada and back to the US, we arrived at a mostly empty TH, except for a couple of dayhikers. As we were about to set off, we ran into John Roper and company heading out for a scramble of Little Jackass. They kindly showed us a potential FA on our map, to which Gord replied "that's not our style". Ever the gracious trio, they gave us a little info about the peak, and the standard route. I heard someone say something about a "sketchy" bit, but tried to ignore it. The mostly mellow and great tread of the first four miles to Hozomeen lake had us thinking we were pretty cool. A quick lunch at the lake with great views didn't hurt either. But all good things come to an end, and soon we were shwacking around the lake trying to find the "path" in the Beckey guide. Hmmmmmm. Soon our spirits were lifted at the sight of the "gully" that promised to take us up all the way to the bivy at the col. They weren't lifted very long, though, as we got to a tough bit that stopped us cold. Thrashing climbers right, we found a rib alongside the gully that provided good travel to around 5000', where we traversed back through brush to rejoin the gully. Great, we thought, it is smooth sailing on snow from here to the col! And it was, for awhile. Then the snow got steeper, and thinner, and the rock slabbier. It wasn't too bad getting to the col, but it wasn't too good either. Tim got hit by rockfall at a very inopportune time (while standing on a slabby exposed ledge above a big drop), but was lucky. We continued upward. Eventually, after about 7.5 hours, we made it to the 6900'+ foot col between the South and SW peaks and scouted around for a bivy. The sites weren't great, be we were whupped and hungry. We began to suspect that 14 hours wasn't quite going to do it for us. The next day dawned clear, and we had great views as we scrambled fourth class rock to a high point above the bivy. The North Peak of Hozomeen: At the top of this point we had a look at the route, and it was pretty disheartening. A VERY exposed downclimb, to a steep snow gully, to a steep snow traverse, to some more 3rd and 4th scrambling, to some rotten steep 5th class stuff near the summit. Yikes! I just about turned around, but Tim was so positive about the adventure ahead that I couldn't bring myself to do it. Soon, Tim was leading the charge to the summit. He lead the "12 foot 5.6" with style, considering there was absolutely no pro and a nice ledge to fall on. He kept muttering about how this was just like gritstone with a British accent, so at least Gord and I were entertained while we were scared. So that's how, even though we aren't real skilled, we kept at it long enough to reach the top (about 3 hrs from camp) I know it is hard to believe, but South Hozomeen isn't climbed very much. The register was placed in 1990, and we were the fifth party to sign in (1990, 1993, 2006, 2007, 2009). Extrapolate that back to the first ascent, and you are maybe talking 20-30 parties? Of course that is all well and good, but we had to get down for it to really count. The descent back to camp was actually a lot better than we were expecting, with two 30m rappels to get us past the worst of it. I did get bruised by some rockfall, but it could have been a lot worse. There was still plenty of exposed downclimbing though, where a fall would not be good. We made it back to camp in the early afternoon and packed up, not relishing the bash back down to the lake. At my insistence (I remembered the rockfall from the day before, and my family) we did two 30m rappels from the col down to some steep snow. A bit of messing around on thin snow over slabs had us down in boot skiable terrain pretty quick, and into the brush sooner than we would have liked. We made it back to the cars about 6:30 pm, pretty tired after a 13 hour day. Our time for the weekend, ~21 hours, certainly not sub-Beckey! So, if you want the full meal deal, South Hozomeen can deliver. Especially if you like things along the lines of the Southern Pickets or J-Berg . . .. you'll have a grand time. Just make sure you say hello to the register, it's lonely. Gear Notes: Axe, crampons, 60m half rope, small rack, tat to back up anchors because it is years between ascents. Approach Notes: Beckey's description is pretty good, but we avoided the gully for a section that looked darn hard to climb up. On the way down, we mostly avoided the narrow part of the gully and cut the corner to the lake. Quite brushy!

With the soft snow conditions we experienced, it was pretty easy to descend the gully after doing a couple of rappels and some down climbing on the ridge. If the south side of the ridge was melted out, and the gully was quite icy, it might be better to head over to the col. I guess it depends on conditions . . .

Trip: Sherpa - Northeast Couloir to East Ridge Date: 5/17/2009 Trip Report: I don't have much detail to add to MCash's excellent TR from a few years ago: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=468621 But . . . it is a great route that deserves more attention from those looking for a fun spring outing. You just might want to go a little later than we did this year (although in most years it would probably be perfect timing). A fair bit of snow and ice on the rock made for tedious/scary going in the heat. The gully was in fat shape though, making for a fast ascent/descent. Having both been to the top before, Tim and I stopped at the summit rap station due to a sketchy snow blob on the summit slab. What can I say, I'm a dad now. Some Pics: Argonaut on the walk in. Tim stayed in the basin and climbed its excellent gully route on Monday with another friend. Stuart A look at the route from close up. Obvious gully to left skyline. Tim charging up the gully On the summit ridge Sherpa balanced rock gives props to Jens Don't forget your spoon! The post holing was epic Gear Notes: Half rope, a few pieces of rock gear, helmet, axe, crampons (didn't use). Approach Notes: Mountaineer Creek, stay left. Although we didn't do this variation, I hear it is fun to opt for the boulder field rather than staying on the valley floor- esp. in spring

“Climate History of the Skagit Valley” photos: Austin Post (left) and John Scurlock Jon Riedel Geologist- North Cascades National Park June 4, 2009 - 7:30 pm Walter Roberts Hall - T-31 - Skagit Valley College Please join us at this month’s alpine club meeting as we welcome geologist Jon Riedel to share about his work in the park. Jon’s presentation will focus on his research documenting how the climate has changed in the Skagit valley over the past 30,000 years. Through data he’s gathered examining local glaciers and their deposits, Jon will highlight five specific time periods where glacier moraines, buried wood, lake sediments, and macrofossils provide detailed records of the past climate. If you have ever wondered about how glaciers and climate have shaped the Skagit Valley, this is sure to be an interesting presentation. Jon’s presentation will follow our regular business meeting at 7pm. For more information please check out the park’s glacier monitoring webpage at: http://www.nps.gov/noca/naturescience/glacial-mass-balance1.htm Campus map: http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf

"Backcountry Skiing in the Desert Southwest" Steve Barnett, May 7, 2009 7:30 pm Skagit Valley College The Skagit Alpine Club is pleased to host guidebook author and backcountry ski legend Steve Barnett at this month's meeting. With a ski career spanning more than three decades, Steve has hunted down touring opportunities all over North America. He was one of the leaders of the modern tele resurrection in the 1970's, writing the seminal how-to book entitled "Cross Country Downhill" in 1979. For this presentation, Steve will be sharing some unique touring areas he has visited in the desert Southwest. Stretching from Zion to the Grand Canyon to Baja California, these destinations are sure to pique the interest of folks who love to ski sunny slopes amongst improbable scenery. Please join us as Steve shares some great stories and images! We will be meeting in Walter Roberts Hall - T-31. Steve will go on after our regular business meeting at 7pm. The following shortcut is to a campus map: http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf.

OK, so the deal fell through and this stuff is still for sale. Please shoot me a PM if you are interested.

To those that missed last night's show, here's a quick recap- Snaffle (and marmot) porn!!!!!Beckey!!!!Nudity!!!!!Ice!!!!!!Aerosmith!!!!Sarah Palin!!!!Spindrift!!!!!Scree surfing!!!!Flora and Fauna!!!!4x4ing in JoshK's Quattro!!!!!Big, Beautiful Mountains!!!!!! Thanks to Pat for a highly entertaining show! And to all the ladies (and men) who stayed away due to the possibility of an Ivan sighting-you missed out. JG

The class is full- 28 signed up and 8 on the wait list! Thanks for all the interest.

Uhhhhhh . . . yeah. Smashing vegetable matter is pretty much what the club is all about.

Pat Gallagher Skagit Alpine Club Monthly Meeting March 3, 2009 7:30pm Skagit Valley College - Angst Hall, Room 22 Campus Map: http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf We hope you will join us as the Skagit Alpine Club welcomes climber and artist Pat Gallagher to share tales of his recent alpine adventures. An eagle scout who climbed his first technical route 28 years ago, Pat's photography and sculpture may be viewed online at patgallagherart.com and on display at Avanti Art and Design on Seattle's Phinney Ridge. Accompanied by music, movies and images, Pat's show will be in three parts: "Sweet Motion: North American Alpinism in 2008" - alpine journeys from Alaska to the North Cascades; "Bhajan Pon Pon: North American Alpinism in Three Acts" - a musical tour of alpinism in 2006 and 7; and lastly "Snaffle Shorts"- a collection of animal films. This show will not disappoint- Don't miss it! Pat's show will start at approximately 7:30 after our regular business meeting at 7pm.

Pat- Please check your PMs. RE: SAC slide show. Thanks! Jason

Just a heads-up that registration for the SAC class opens today. It sounds like it may fill up this year, so register while you can! JG

Sold. Thanks!

Sold. Thanks!

Mike-Check your PM's JG

Just a heads up that this is TOMORROW NIGHT. Hope to see a bunch of yous there!

Does anyone know where the Kloke lines are in the photo? The description in red Fred seems to indicate that they are somewhere on that face . . . but I could be misinterpreting it.

Howdy Folks- In case anyone is interested in an inexpensive mountaineering class, our club will begin a class at Skagit Valley College soon. Here's the page with more info (it will be updated soon, I promise): http://www.skagitalpineclub.com/mount_class.htm For those that live in the North Sound, it is a convenient way to learn some skills for the hills. We hope some of you will come out this spring with us! Cheers, Jason

Trip: Ruby - Northwestish Ridge Date: 1/18/2009 Trip Report: After Marko and Colin's TR on Colonial, our trip seems pretty inconsequential . . but since there aren't many reports from this side of ruby and it is an accessible and technically easy winter objective, I'll post a few photos and details. Trent and I started up last Saturday after realizing that the road as only plowed to Colonial Creek (not MP 134 as advertised). This added about 2.5 miles and 800' to the approach, but we needed the exercise. We left the road just past the scenic overlook, where Hwy 20 turns back to the east. On other winter attempts, I have left the Hwy just before John Pierce falls at a boulderfield. Both ways work, although I think our way this weekend was a bit better. Either way, it is a lot of steep forest and elevation gain before you break out on the ridge. After about 6 hours and 4500' of uphill wallow, we arrived at our camp (~5700') with views up the ridge to Ruby. Snow conditions were bad with a mixture of breakable crust and knee deep (in snowshoes) mush or powder. Skiing would have maybe been worse (steep, tight trees + bad snow conditions). Perhaps we should have been across the valley with the men instead? The night was warm, made even warmer by Trent's excellent single malt, and the next day dawned clear. Ross lake was lost in the fog, and all of the peaks were out in their finery: As we got higher, the snow conditions improved as did the views: We took off the snowshoes for the last 500' or so and actually got to do some fun 3rd class scrambling. Although it is a bummer that the summit has a radio repeater on it (be warned so you aren't disappointed), at least it blocks the wind and allows for a long rest to enjoy the view. Before long, we began the march down- which went quite quick. I think it took us about four hours from the summit to the cars, including packing up. Just goes to show that it isn't too far, just a long way up (~6200'). Anyway, for those looking for some solitude and a nice view in the wintertime, Ruby won't disappoint! Gear Notes: Flotation, Camera Approach Notes: Eat your Wheaties

Steph Abegg “Sunset to Sunrise: Climbing and Night Photography in the Cascades and Canada” Skagit Alpine Club, February 3, 2009 - 7pm Skagit Valley College, Angst Hall, Room 22 Campus Map: http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf Please join us at this month’s alpine club meeting as we welcome climber and photographer Steph Abegg to share stories and images from her adventures in the Cascades and Canada. A grad student in Civil Engineering at UW during the school year, she has spent the last several summers in the hills, climbing and linking some stout alpine traverses. On her adventures, Steph’s camera always comes along, regardless of how many other items she is leaving behind to save weight. Drawn to the technical challenge and potential for creativity, Steph has put a lot of time and effort into her night photography. We hope you will join us as she shares some of these unique and beautiful images! For some of Steph’s great images and stories, check out her website: http://sabegg.googlepages.com/

A couple of years back I purchased this stuff in anticipation of an AK trip. Unfortunately the trip did not happen, and they have been sitting in my gear room every since. Both items are in new condition and have never been used. I don't have to sell both together. 1. Voile Telepro Avalanche Shovel - $30 2. MSR Heat Exchanger - $25 Anyway, shoot me a PM if you are interested in any of this stuff . . .Thanks! -Jason

Just wondering if anyone has tried these. I bought a pair of the Trango S's when they first came out 7 years ago and blew through them in one season. I really, really liked them, but couldn't afford to buy a new pair every year. I've been using some Kaylands since, but they aren't as comfortable or as light, and certainly don't climb as well. These look like they may be tough enough: http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/559 But I was wondering if anyone could speak from first hand experience . . .Thanks! JG

So . . .I'm sure someone is heading to the Rockies or AK and needs a warm, well-made jacket. It's almost new. JG

Well, as the backpacking forums have probably pointed out, the walmart cheapo doesn't have a rainfly (nor will it stand up to heavy use). Why don't you just bring some bug juice and sleep out under the stars? Now that's cheap. As far as light shelter goes, the Black Diamond Betalight is probably the best thing going . . . JG