JasonG

Yeah Sol! That's really impressive and a great tribute to a fallen friend. Although you're really making it tough for those of us that use young kids as an excuse to not get after it!

Thanks guys, glad you like the photos. I'm probably not that close to a coffee table book, but appreciate the sentiment. No way that I'm going to compete with the likes of Abegg, Scurlock, and Hummel, but I can always keep trying. First though, I need to convince the finance minister that I NEED some top quality glass and a full frame sensor!

I'm starting to feel a bit inadequate, as I've not had this mysterious calf squeezing issue. Bronco, are my calves as small as I fear?

Impressive, especially with the family in tow! The Matterhorn has long been on my list, but a Swiss guide I met in the Bugs said to not even bother with the Hornli and head to Lion's Ridge on the Italian side. Thoughts?

I love the history John, thanks so much! While Fred's books are great, it's details like this that really drive home to me the rich climbing history of the Cascades. Fascinating.

Just took the family there this Saturday...awesome work Brandon (and Jarek)!! So glad to finally have a facility like this in the Skag.

Mike, I don't think there is going to be any shortcut via us armchair skiers (I think that is what Pete was getting at ). You're going to have to try them all on and see what works best. AT boots are so expensive that you really need to make sure the fit is the best possible of the options out there. That, and you may need a boot fitter to punch out the shells after you purchase to dial it in even further. Starting off at a top notch ski shop will certainly help speed the process. Good luck and welcome back!!

Latest ENSO Discussion points back towards a weak La Nina....

Patagonia still makes them Or, maybe you want this style?

. I think if you are going to paste into a TR, you may as well email Porter the TR and have him do it directly, then add photos. But thanks for persevering! Excellent effort in subalpinism, looks like there is a lot of rock up there for future parties to explore.

I always love, love, love the tales from your international adventures. This one is no different! It seems like the skies were rarely clear for you in China, was that mostly due to the humidity, pollution, or just general cloudiness? Some nice clear air would really make those landscapes pop.

Cool, I'd forgotten about that one. Thanks for the reminder to put it back on the list!

Thanks guys, glad you liked the report and photos! I couldn't resist on that Poison video.... It is often a pain to lug my SLR around, but I'm happy that I do when I get home and start working up the pictures. If others are excited to see the end result, even better! OK, now to answer some questions. Bronco- Kit was pretty nervous in the burn (and thus, Scott and I) since he know better than most the danger that those charred snags pose. Lunger- I'd say about 5-6 hours moving at a steady but casual pace. It's probably another 1-2 hours over to the base of the south Face of Fallen Angel from our camp. You could add on how much time from the south face to the base of the Grim Reaper. And you guessed right on the picture. Slesse left of center and Triumph right (with your FA facing the camera!). Triumph looks a little odd since Despair is peaking out around the sides. And, as promised, a couple close-ups of the Hunich Pipe (and Pipe Cleaner):

Steph has tied in with the Dogs on occasion but I wouldn't want to give the impression that she is in any way closely linked to our

The secret it out- It is true I know the climber's of which you speak. They are an insular Tribe that has yet to organize an annual party (though that may change). I am just a chronicler of their summit register rituals, however.

Forgot a picture of the Hunich Pipe! Will upload one in the next few days....

Trip: Teebone Ridge-Traverse - Little Devil, Baksit, Big Devil, Trapezoid Date: 9/11/2016 Trip Report: You'd think that a ridge that is only a few miles from the highway wouldn't feel so wild, but Teebone ridge gives the impression of remoteness. No campsites, no climber's paths, and no human tracks in the snowfields. In these days of permit lines at 7am in Marblemount it is refreshing to see. But you must be prepared pay the price of admission on the exit.... Of course we didn't know about the exit as we were hiking up the Monogram lake trail on a sunny Sunday, chatting with Ranger Erin (the last person we would see) coming down from a patrol. Spirits were understandably high- the southerly approach to Teebone ridge involves basically no bushwhacking. Just walk up the Monogram trail until you can see the lake and hang a left. From there until the last few hours you will be in the alpine..... The Sound of Music and all that. As the sun got low in the sky the first day, we ran around under Little Devil looking for a spot to camp. We found a tilted slab that was passable with a bit of work, set up the 'mid and went up Little Devil as the light got better and better. What a vantage! The clearing sky made for some dramatic views but a chill wind blew, driving us back towards camp and the Hunter relatively quickly. Luckily our whiskey supply was a match for the temperatures, and our dinner was accompanied by a great show of stars. It was good to have the band back together again! The next morning didn't feel like summer at all and we were all a bit chilled, Scott especially so. Kit may have even called him crabby. So we dawdled until the sun hit our camp and didn't get an early start to head over to Baksit. Like Little Devil, Baksit is an easy class 3 romp, but leave packs at the saddle where you drop around the east side of it. Returning to the packs we had a bit of steep snow to get down into the basin between Baksit and Fallen Angel where we easily made our way over to the base of the Angel. We had brought gear to head up the "regular" route put up by Roper et al. on the FA, but about this time Scott began to feel not well, not well at all so we decided to keep the team together and limp north towards Big Devil. Oh well, another day Fallen Angel To get to Big Devil, you first must get past the Hellions which appear to be pretty easy to skirt, at first. However, the last Hellion surprised us a bit- you'll want to stay low. Past the Hellions the way up Big Devil is straightforward....and dramatic. Fantastic views all around, it is one of the most commanding vantages in the Skagit. Highly recommended (you can bypass the summit on the traverse, but you shouldn't). We didn't know where we were going to camp for night 2 but spied the perfect location from the summit of Big Devil- a lake that isn't on the map! We christened it the The Lake of Fire and it was an easy romp down mellow snow from the summit. We got in early enough to kick off the boots and marvel at the surroundings. Plus 4G service, interestingly, better than sitting on my couch at home. One of the reminders that the highways isn't far. The fair weather continued on day 3 and, due to extra Hunter rations, Scott had made a complete recovery from the day prior. We quickly hiked up easy ground to the col between Hunich's Pipe and the Trapezoid. Thankfully we didn't have to carry our kit over the mountain and we left our packs at the col and scrambled up to the summit (very exposed class 3). From here we had a great view of all the peaks we traversed past over the past several days and I could tell that Scott finally felt at Peace after a long summer toiling on the fishing grounds. Now, how to get out of here? The way we came up had a bunch of loose blocks, so we opted to set up two clean raps down the steep rock to the skier's right of the ascent line. This worked out quite well, and I'd recommend it if you brought a rope all the way to this point (because you know you are going to climb Fallen Angel, right?). Soon, we were back at the packs readying for the gentle alpine stroll before the business end of the traverse. The 2015 burn. You can see it's extent from Newhalem and it didn't leave the preferred exit from Teebone ridge unscathed. In fact, I'd hesitate to recommend this exit as there are MANY widowmakers that seem to be held aloft by the hand of the Devil. Thankfully it wasn't windy, but still we were all spooked traveling past large burned out trees swaying gently in the non-existent breeze. A few more winters will probably make it less dangerous (you'll still have to dodge cliffs strewn with fallen timber), but more unpleasant, as the jack-strawed mess gets worse and the brush begins to take over. The problem is that a quick scan of the map and aerials doesn't show convincingly the lesser of the potentially evil ways to exit the traverse. The Devil always gets his due. Gear Notes: Crampons, helmet, ice axe, crampons. Rope for Fallen Angel, also was nice for a couple clean raps off the Trapezoid Approach Notes: Monogram Lake trail to the high country. Exit thru the burn, north of the NPS marker on pt.5362. BE CAREFUL IN THE BURN. Numerous widowmakers!!!

Nah, those guys aren't into girls that much.

I'm sort of surprised that it has taken this long for the cards to come up in a thread. They have been sprouting up for the last 5-10 years it seems. Eric, do you have any theories about who these undersexed alpinists are? I never remember names from one register to the next to look for patterns.

Wow, that crux looks exciting. Thanks for the report from an obscure area (for me)!

Sounds like a full value adventure, this is certainly on my list! FYI, the photo uploader is now fixed!

Ouch. Glad you made it down safe!

Post up some TRs from over there please!

Jon and Porter are aware and are scrambling to fix it. I have a TR in the wings for when it is up and running....

Although I hate to say it....Gaia. It has completely changed how I navigate in the hills. But knowing map/compass/altimeter techniques is a good fall back. Most importantly though I think is knowing where the route is supposed to go on the map and how to translate contours to a mental image of what you should be looking for. That and paying attention on the way up so you can remember key turns on the descent. This mental map sense is remarkably accurate once you dial it in. Traveling in a whiteout on a glacier though is a whole different story. Unless you have a good track and wands to follow you'll want to have a GPS/smartphone app to help you (and spare batteries!).