JasonG

GO @olyclimber!!

This is awesome @olyclimber. There is a whole bunch of people that probably have no idea of the amazing extent of @danhelmstadter first descents.

My inner Scot is rejoicing with you on your successful quest.

nice @olyclimber! Way to bring Dan's adventures back to life!

I wish the pics still showed!!! I totally forgot about Dan's descent of ABP, thanks @G-spotter. I remember looking down that face....I don't see how anyone could ski it and live. But that's Dan for you.

@Njy18, if this post doesn't get you the mentors you are looking for I'd recommend joining either Washington Alpine Club, BoeAlps, or the Mountaineers and getting involved in their courses. All could be a great place to find people to help with your quest.

At least one of those chimneys is overhanging where it meets the summit ridge, plus it is completely enclosed, bombay style. I remember climbing up to the top of it and dropping rocks down the Diamond. They didn't touch anything for a long, long time. Such a wild area.

Talk about a poor decision!

But quantifying risk is Y incidence per X events. We have data on the accidents, but do we know the number of events that it took to produce those accidents? That is what @olyclimber is getting at I think.

The Beckey North Buttress route is a fine accomplishment in and of itself @dberdinka!!

I still think, all these years later, that the approach to Bear is perhaps the worst I've ever done (and I had a light kit, not the gear needed for the Diamond). And I've thrashed a lot of them!

OK, this is back on my list! I'd been on either end many times over the years, but I can see that I need to connect them.

So if you've probably done the NBC on Colchuck, perhaps a step up to the NEBC? Some others: whatever that gully is on Argonaut. There is an interesting couloir facing Hwy 20 off Whistler Peak, with a spicy mixed finish The couloir on SEWS It's in the book, but the Stuart Glacier Couloir is way up on my list Whitehorse is a slog, but the top is fun and a bit on the steep side More of a winterish climb if you want steep snow, but Whitechuck is fun With the right amount of snow, the North face ramp on Wilman's peak is fun. Or go up to East Wilman's. Steep snow to steep rock finish That the kind of stuff you are looking for @jared_j?

Less climbing gear means more alcohol and fishing gear! Or forget the Enchantments and drive to the Bugaboos and climb the best 5.4 on the planet.

This is my experience, and why I'm here and some of my partners are not. They didn't screw up any more than any of us who alpine climb, and I didn't learn anything from their deaths that I didn't already know.

The rangers are out and about on skis regularly and could give you an update on conditions @mzvarner if you call down to Longmire.

That ad is framed and on the wall of the MRA cabin in Longmire.

Character building with all that weight, I'm sure. Looks like a great adventure nonetheless!

Agreed, there is a time limit to editing that one of the admins has to lift, or a mod can make the changes @Bigtree

I have a 1991 Civic. And I bike to work on a rural, two lane, 50mph road. I suppose climbing/skiing are the least of my worries.

How do you define "risky activity"? All in life carries risk. Do you try and figure odds for driving (what kind of car do I buy??), using crosswalks, etc? And do those calculations change your behavior? Seems like a lot of work. What I'm pushing back against is the idea that doing some calculation makes you feel confident that you're being "safe". Maybe that's not what you're saying though.

a very, very good point @telemarker. We have been glossing over this angle.

Powder is addictive, way more so than climbing, at least in my experience. It is hard to pass up perfect conditions, and relatively easy to convince yourself that your route/aspect choice is safe under moderate or considerable hazard. And you commonly get away with it, leading to positive reinforcement of perhaps? bad decision making. A perfect storm.

Amen.