JasonG

Thanks for the reminder to post up some ski TRs @Alisse! And I think we must have been close to crossing paths that morning on the way out of the lot.

What does the USFS say about the matter, considering that they're the landowner? I'm not aware that the ski area's permit conditions have recently been revised, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

Excellent @bellows, thanks! Glad to see us old folks can still play the game.

Wait. @Beer, @whiskey .....Where is the Wine?

Damn! That's a lot of ice on the NF. Thanks for the update!

I'll drink to that compliment!

Blue Collar Alpinism!

Trip: Mount Baring - Standard Trip Date: 12/05/2020 Trip Report: With ski conditions a bit less than ideal this weekend, @cfire and @Kit decided to go Smooting, naturally. I had climbed Baring a couple times before, but none more recently than about 18 years ago so it was time to head back! In the intervening years the climber's path has become a highway, making for easy (albeit steep) travel below the snowline. Once we got to the snow we traded trailbreaking duties within our party and a couple other guys on the mountain that day. The shared effort made for a quick ascent, only about 3.5 hours from the cars. Perfect for the short days of late fall! It was a bit breezy up around the summit but we found a sheltered nook to take our well earned lunch. Kit shared some home baked cookies, I shared a bit of chocolate, and @cfire helped us wash it all down with some Maker's. Quite Civilized! The descent down the steep forest, however, felt somewhat barbaric on our middle aged knees (Team combined age of nearly 150 ). No matter, we had smoked salmon and beer at the car to gentrify our exit from the wilderness. Good people watching at the Barclay lake Trailhead, after our ~7 hour romp in the alpine! You know how much fun this is! Index and Persis Steep snow out of the notch Topping out The south Peak of Baring Index and the Olympics The horn of Kaleetan marks the Snoqualmie pass peaks Heading back to the notch Gunn More fun! Kit's boots were making his knees feel good in comparison. Late afternoon light on Baring Gear Notes: Sigh....snowshoes. Ski poles were handy as was an ice axe for the final bit out of notch (though you could get by probably without it) Approach Notes: Lots of gpx tracks on the interweb. Go a bit behind the outhouse at the Barclay lake TH and look for start of climber's path in a small stream gully.

Yeah @genepires, I was thinking the same thing. A guided area in the BC interior with heli access, most likely?

I was thinking more Selkirks or one of BC interior ranges west of the Rockies, FWIW. That avy path/valley bottom in the lower right doesn't quite look like the cascades?

Can we get a hint? I mean do you know if it is in the Cascades even?

Thanks @olyclimber!

Trip: Cardinal, Emerald, Saska - Standards Trip Date: 06/27/2020 Trip Report: And this blast from the past brings us to June of 2020..... public lands are mostly open, with the exception of the National Parks. And @Trent and @ZakG decide it is finally time to branch out and go for the first overnight of our COVID season. Naturally, since it is June, the wet side lives up to its reputation and so we head east. Way east. It is a lot further over to the Entiat than I remember, but it does cut down on the masses. I think we only saw a handful of people all weekend, and plenty of space to stretch our legs and tick off a few more of the 100 highest. At this rate I might be done by the time I reach my full social security retirement age. But why rush? At this point I remember almost nothing about any of the routes we took, other than we didn't find any major obstacles. We generally looked at the map and followed our noses, ascending Cardinal the first day after setting up camp. The next day we went up Emerald, then stayed as high as we could over to Saska. We met a keen young man on the summit of Saska that was heading over to Pinnacle that same day. But we just took off our boots and enjoyed some time in the sun instead. It will have to wait for another trip. And, if we had been in a rush, we wouldn't have seen a golden eagle fly right under us along the North face of Saska (photo below). It was a good reminder that good things come to those who wait..... and to those that have their camera handy. Day 3 dawned cloudy with snow flurries, which rapidly intensified as we packed to leave with haste. Thankfully we were heading down and away from the worst of it and we didn't get too soaked or chilled. But it was another reminder that you often don't really know what is going to happen on these trips. Best be prepared! The hills are alive! Approaching camp (L) and ascending Cardinal (R) The three photos above are all on Cardinal Heading up Emerald with Saska behind (L), On Emerald near the summit (R) Looking back at Emerald from traverse to Saska On Saska with Cardinal above @Trent Summit views on Saska Golden Eagle on Saska. I emailed USFS wildlife biologists who work in this area and they say it is the first confirmed sighting in this part of the Cascades. Signing in to Saska. Please leave the registers up there, they are a great connection to our friends, some of whom are not with us any longer (RIP TJ). Heading down Saska Gear Notes: ice axe, crampon, helmet, fire. Approach Notes: North Fork Entiat Trail

You should just be able to attach them to your original TR (can drag or choose files in the edit box when you open post to tweak it), then click on them to place them where you want in the post (you'll see upload status after you choose the files, once they're uploaded you can click on them to drop into the post). Or.....I should be able to edit using the files you linked above. But, I'll first see if you can get if figured out for future TRs..... BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM AND WANT MORE! edit: hmmmmmm, I wonder if something weird is going on with those files due to the extension on them? I can ask @jon and @olyclimber to weigh in.

I'm sure there is a range of opinion on this, but I think the SS of Hood is definitely not a "walk-up" for a beginning climber, judging by the amount of carnage it has wrought over the years from people falling down it. Long before I ever tied into a rope I gained valuable experience climbing scramble peaks in the shoulder seasons. Especially early season, these objectives are good at making you comfortable on steep, snowy ground with an axe and crampons. A great foundation to build technical skills on, esp. if you plan on mostly climbing in the PNW. Lots of snow travel! And, if you are looking to learn snow travel and crevasse rescue from an experienced hand, the guide services and local (depending on where you call home) climbing clubs offer a lot of options.

Agree with @Bronco, if you haven't climbed the SS of Hood that would be a better next step (although I haven't climbed Wy'East for a direct comparison). I've always been impressed by the steepness above the 'shrund on the south side, still not a gimmee, or a route to be taken too lightly for the up and coming climber! A good chance to practice some running belays and steep snow foot and axe work. Just watch out for busy days in early summer. The gong show is legendary!

Great thread idea, thanks @Doug_Hutchinson!

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Trip: Mount Jupiter - East Ridge (standard) Trip Date: 05/08/2020 Trip Report: My trip down 2020 memory lane continues! We've moved up to May now. The pandemic is still slowing unfolding but people are going back to work and the lockdowns are easing. Public land is open in some instances (Olympic National Forest) but closed in other (MBSNF, national parks, etc.). Your friends were likely in two camps- those still locked down and those that were straining for the freedom of the hills. Quietly, I rallied @therunningdog and @Trent, two of the chossdawgs who were straining at their tethers. It didn't take much cajoling to convince them to launch across the sound for a quick strike to the east side of the Peninsula. Growing up around Seattle you can't ignore ol' Jupe, it is right there on the Olympic skyline, standing proud at sunset like an Olympic version of Mt. Pilchuck. Jupiter is small, beautifully shaped, and larger looking than it really is, sitting at the edge of the range like it does. We were all smitten, or at least mildly interested. Beggers can't be choosers! The Brothers (L) and Jupiter (R) from the Edmonds Kingston ferry We drove up to the trailhead from the ferry the night before, finding an excellent spot to throw down our gear in the dirt for the night The next morning dawned clear and crisp and we climbed on the bikes for the punishing grind up to the normal TH. Recent logging has made this section view rich, but also has meant that the public is no longer allowed to drive the few thousand vert to the proper trailhead (which has been logged over anyways). We opted to take the road a bit further to the ridge crest then go cross country to the trail. It might not have saved much on the way up but meant for a longer descent on the bikes. And so we began the long hike to the summit. A former lookout site, Jupiter has a well graded trail all 7 miles to the summit. It was just what we needed after many weeks of limited mountain access. Steve hiking the scenic trail with the Brothers beyond Another great look at the Brothers It was a glorious day with 360 views of the Olympics, Puget lowlands and Cascades. You could easily see from Canada to well south of Rainier! A long break was called and observed with some well earned R&R. Way sooner than we would have liked (we had a ferry to catch) we began the descent back to the bikes. We hadn't seen anyone all day and that theme continued on the exit. I think many are scared off by the long distances involved in doing this in a day, but bikes make is quite reasonable with a trailhead bivy. Just make sure you have disc brakes and suspension! It was an adventure on my bike.... This view is just leaving the summit, looking down the ridge that is ascended. The trail roughly follows the ridge east, all the way to the clear cut in the distance. From there bikes will take you steeply down to your car deep down in the trees. Now, when I watch the sunset from the park by my parents house, I can look Jupiter in the eye and tip my hat to a fine peak. And to the memories of a perfect day in the alpine with good friends. May is coming soon, best be ready! Gear Notes: bikes are key since the road is gated low these days. Approach Notes: Follow the descriptions and drive as far up the road as you can

Yeah, we debated the standard upriver treatment for that gate, but settled for semi-legal guile. No gates/locks were harmed in the vehicle extraction!

I bet brushy and annoying. Seems like a spring type destination given that it is under 6k with no trail?

DAMN!!!! I was hoping you'd post something here on your remarkable ascent. An instant cc.com classic! Well done you two. I have huge respect for how you represent the 9-5 crowd in the greater ranges, carrying the Swenson torch. I'm less excited about you demolishing my many excuses.

They have great drugs these days.

I hope someday I can start learning things by drinking beer. Right now I just get more stupid, but I'm sure big tech is working on that.

Trip: Diobsud Buttes - Standard Trip Date: 04/16/2020 Trip Report: How has it been 8 months since I posed a TR??!! Can I blame COVID? You may think that I am now 300lbs, into gaming, and sitting on my basement couch. Oh no! I'm just the same old punter, a bit older and a bit slower, but definitely still in love with the alpine..... So, since the weather has turned and I've caught up on my image editing, I'll turn the clock back and start putting out some TRs over the next couple months. I know you all can't just live on powder and face shots...... April 2020. Public lands were shut for the most part, but dispersed recreation on USFS lands allowed as long as you don't use trails or trailheads. Not a problem in the Skagit! But, in order to be good citizens, @Trent and I agreed to meet at the trailhead rather than carpool. This will come back to haunt us later that day. We drove in tandem up the excellent Diobsud Creek Road to about 2200' were we were stopped by snow. Not a soul around. Perfect. We walked up the road for a bit until it was time to leave for the off-trail fun at about 2600'. Less perfect. Soon (in hindsight) the brush was left behind and we emerged into the glorious alpine to great views and a chance to use our snowshoes. You know you're in for a good time when you put those on. Steve didn't have a chance to use his sunglasses, however, as they were at home. D'oh! After a bit of clumping up the ridge we reached a false summit (previous highpoint for us a few years ago) and a view towards the Buttes. It looked steep, but at least the snow was quite soft at this point in the day: We couldn't bear the thought of failing a second time at the same spot, so we continued clumping. Down, down, down, then up, up, up. Did I mention that Steve didn't have sunglasses? It was bright for him, I'm sure. We got to the summit of the the SE Butte (5850') and it looked like an easy stroll over to the higher, NW Butte (5893') and so we headed that way without delay: But, uhhhhhhhh, this is as far as we got. Just in front of Steve is a really steep gash in the ridge with a huge cornice off to the right and a death gully to cliff on the left. It probably would have gone without a rope if we were desperate, but we weren't. And so we settled for some whiskey, chocolate, and a nap in the sun on the lower summit. Soon enough it was time to descend into the slush and shenanigans. But the Buttes weren't done with us! We got back to our vehicles in good time and sat there drinking beers, eating chips and generally enjoying being outside in good company after weeks of being locked down. We were in no rush. But the sun sank lower and we reluctantly got into our rigs for the drive down. Only to find the gate at the bottom of the road LOCKED! What??!! Were we in trouble??? We thought we had followed all the rules, but it was a pandemic so we couldn't be sure. @Trent and I moved the rigs back up from the gate (not the greatest neighborhood up there) and walked down to where I could barely get a call out to my wife. Needless to say, social distancing was the first casualty, since our kids are small and the whole family came up to rescue us (waaaaay past their bedtime). I was pretty sure I was going to be the next casualty. But, I survived, and so did @Trent. We got our vehicles out the next day, somewhat legally (story best told around the fire with whiskey). And, most importantly, nobody got COVID. The end. Maybe we'll be back for the higher Butte. Maybe. Gear Notes: Sigh....Snowshoes Approach Notes: Diobsud Creek Road to ~2600'. Leave road and head straight up ridge towards peak. Depending on snow depth, expect shenanigans. Spring is best after snow settles and a hard freeze.