JasonG

Every one of your trip reports needs to be here @Eric Gilbertson!! O2 and sherpa support doesn't matter a bit. That is a proud accomplishment. Another absolutely incredible tale, thanks for the link!

Sigh, that really is lame. Not really much else to say at this point. But, moving on... https://ascentoutdoors.com/ ...is great! Locally owned by a climber friend of a friend of mine. Also, I will be forever a fan of https://featheredfriends.com/ If you are up north, make sure to support Chris and the crew at https:// backcountryessentials.net/ along with our flagship sponsor, https://shop.alpineinstitute.com/ For just ski gear in Seattle.... https://www.proskiseattle.com/

AWESOME!

Sorry guys....removed the link.

Quite tragic....... I had never met Matt, but he seemed like someone I would have loved to get out with.

Cairns can be amazingly helpful in steep alpine terrain, especially when you are trying to link weaknesses to keep the grade below what you would need a rope for. Hidden ledges, crack systems, chimneys....they can point the way to an easier path that is otherwise not obvious. That said, cairns get abused and are often put in places where they aren't needed (scattered willy nilly across boulderfields for example). I tend to remove cairns more often than I leave them, but they do serve a purpose when used correctly. Good luck with the article!

So awesome @Bella Walz, glad you are here and looking to connect with folks. I have met some of the greatest partners in the world through this site and I wish you luck. This winter I have been scanning old prints from decades ago when I was a new climber- full of the fire I can see in your face in the photo above. Hold onto that for as long as you can!

Looks like a great day! I need to retire.

"...which gained traction on cascadeclimbers.com, a site that congregated a small-but-hardcore collection of dirtbags, rock nerds and adrenaline junkies, all devoted to the region’s peaks and valleys."

Right, a space blanket! That saved @Trent and I from a potentially serious situation when we were caught out on the West Arete of Eldorado late season many years ago....great suggestion @Lostbolt. Same with light stove in the winter, esp. on routes expected to take most of a day.

This is just flat out wrong and I want to point this out since @AlexC192 is listening, responding, and trying to learn from their intense climb. I don't take this lightly. I feel very strongly that this is bad advice. Especially in light of the raps these guys are making, off single pieces, in the dark, completely knackered. A simple map/aerial review of the Yak Peak area would have identified a probable walk-off a short distance away (and everyone in this day and age really should be looking at and carrying these information sources in their pockets). Getting to the top is only halfway, and figuring out your descent plan is just as important as figuring out your route up, maybe more so, since you are going to be tired and it will be late in the day. Do your research. Are there times when rapping the way you came is the best alternative? Sure. Are there times when it is a terrible idea? Absolutely. This was one of them. I am glad that @AlexC192 is open and honest with how far strung-out they were- we owe it to him to give good advice, tailored to his situation, and not some general platitudes.

There is something weird going on with images. I just did two TRs close together and it wants to load one set of images into the other when I go to edit it. Not sure what the deal is, but seems strange.

Trip: Nak Peak - North side Up, South side Down Trip Date: 02/17/2024 Trip Report: @geosean and @thedylan and Mike (not sure if he is on here) already had a plan for this past Saturday, but they graciously let me tag along after I sent a flurry of texts trying to find a partner for the hills. Plan A was the North Couloir on Thar, then traversing up and over Nak to Yak, or maybe skiing the couloir. But a reactive windslab in the the couloir after digging a pit scuttled that idea right quick. And so we skittered down and around to the west, eventually booting and skinning up through every type of terrible snow to the Yak/Nak col. It is a great viewpoint! We had it to ourselves, but the afternoon was getting on and we had some windboard to schralp. We didn't relish the thought of going back the way we came and so we picked the devil we didn't know and headed off the south side of the Nak. The snow wasn't any better but it wasn't much worse either. More importantly, we were "Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis"! The snow was, however, a bit thinner on the south side of Nak, and soon everyone but @thedylan had their skis off and was thrashing down to the pipeline road. Once reaching this welcomed scar on the landscape, we had a bonus 500' of gain to end the day, but at least there was no brush and @thedylan was charged up and breaking trail out front. I was very pleased to not arrive at the car dead last, despite how worked I was. In the future with these fit, young bucks, I think I'll leave the dSLR at the car! Skinning across Falls Lake: North Couloir on Thar: @geosean in the North Couloir at about our high point: uhhhhh, run away? Plan B! North side of Yak: Yes, this is fun: @thedylan skinning up below Nak: Why not keep carrying these skis? And where are my sunglasses??: Needle Peak: Looking out to Silvertip, Outram, etc.: Booting up to Nak: Steinbok, Ibex, Chamois, etc.: Mike pulling up on the summit: @thedylan getting ready to have more "fun" "skiing": Gear Notes: Standard backcountry ski gear. Axe, helmet, and crampons helpful to get up Nak from the North if snow conditions are thin Approach Notes: Falls Lake TH and head up to the lake and past it

Trip: Mount Angeles - Middle Peak East Gullies Trip Date: 02/03/2024 Trip Report: Decades ago, when I first started climbing, I would head over in the winter to scramble around on Mt. Angeles. The road is open all winter, the peak is close to the road, and the views grand from such an elevation at the edge of the range. Somehow though, I stopped going, seduced by harder, longer and higher winter objectives. But now that I am in my "mature mountaineer" phase some 22 years later, I went back with @cfire and @Kit (also in their mature climbing phase) for a civilized winter's outing. The weather wasn't quite as nice as on some of my earlier forays, and maybe the east gullies seemed shorter and less steep, but the charm of Angeles in winter remains. I'll try not wait another twenty years before I return! The road to hurricane ridge: The east gullies! @cfire getting to a narrow section @Kit topping out on the steeper section: Traversing the ridge to the main summit: Coming up a step in the ridge towards the main summit: More traversing: Cumbre! @Kit showing his pleasure at the views: Downclimbing to corkscrew around the summit to the SW and off: Almost off the steeper ground and back to mellow forest on the SW side of the summit: Gear Notes: Axe, crampons, helmet, 2nd tool handy if the gullies are icy Approach Notes: Switchback trail to ridge, up gullies to middle peak, traverse ridge to main summit and off the west side. Wrap around south side to hurricane ridge trail back to switchback trail.

Hold on a sec. I'm old, but not that old!

Glad you guys made it out safe @AlexC192! Sounded like quite an adventure, and very close to disaster. A tip from an old guy- when in doubt, it is usually best to go with the walk off (you were right to not bring skis up a route at the edge of your ability). Too many accidents happen on the descent when people are tired, mistakes compound, and darkness confuses things. And having just "skied" down from Yak yesterday to the highway, you def. didn't want to do that after a long day and in the dark! Lots of cliffs, brush, tight trees and mostly walking downhill after a few hundred feet of survival skiing at the top. The snow conditions on the south side of Yak are even worse that what found on the North side (we came up that way to climber's left of your line). Good luck on your alpine apprenticeship! And, if you don't already back up/extend your rap setup, please do. Lots of good tips at the parent site to that link too....

I have been using my phone and Gaia for 6 years or so and that does the trick. Way better than any GPS I've ever used, and I am already carrying it! People also really like CalTopo app.

So great!! What a run you have been on of late. I was looking up at the hills Saturday, wishing I was up on the crest. Good on you for making it happen!

All of those Enchantments routes come in their best shape with repeated melt/freeze. Otherwise it is mostly just scratching around on cold snow and dry rock.....so it will all depend on the temps. Early March is typically pretty cold up high, even on a year like this so I wouldn't think that you'll find much in great climbing shape. That said, all will generally be climbable with the right weather and avy conditions. The good news is that if climbing conditions aren't great, ski conditions usually are a lot better, so maybe look at what is in store right before your trip and plan accordingly. And, if you are casting about all over the Western US, that is another story. I am sure you can probably find something, somewhere to climb. But I only really know our backyard....

I can loan you mine @geosean!

So you could drive all the way to the TH @Michael Telstad?!

Wow! That looks high quality. Great photos! How far could you drive up Glacier Creek road? Did you ski up the summer trail(ish)?

Woohoooo! Warrior with @olyclimber!

Which one??