DPS

I checked Cliff Mass' blog and the bottom line for me was 'no reason not to buy a season ski pass'.

Does anybody know what type of winter to expect this year (e.g. El Nino, La Nina, Pineapple Express)?

Where are you located? Check your PM box.

Shuksan is a great late season suggestion and IMHO one of the most iconic mountains in the Cascades. While you cannot summit Shuksan without some rock climbing, the last time I climbed it we found an easy 3/4 class route that was more solid than the usual gully system and easier than either of the 5th class ridges. I personally prefer the Fisher Chimneys route to the Sulphide, however, you would be well advised to bring a second ice tool and a couple of ice screws for FC if you decide to climb that route. Sulphide has no steep climbing on it, other than the summit pyramid. On Baker, the Easton, Boulder, and Park Glacier Headwall (in order of difficulty) are all good late season climbs. Or used to be, have not been on that side for a few years. Personally, September in the Cascades means alpine rock, not volcanoes, but it is your trip. If you are mainly interested in glaciers, perhaps Eldorado would turn your crank and would be in good shape. The elegant snow arete summit is really quite unique, and the climbing pretty straight forward.

HAYDUKE LIVES! A former Green Beret would certainly have the skills to pull this off. Mystery solved.

A little C4 would do it. You can buy military grade plastic explosives in Canada, right?

Plenty of guide services happy to do that for you, because that is what you are really asking for.

Totally agree, YDS ratings don't mean a whole lot in the Cascades. I did a Google search trying to find information on a recent accident in the North Cascades. Google returned three pages of accidents on Forbidden Peak. I also agree with Gene. Push your technical ability at Leavenworth, Index, Squamish, not in the mountains. Plenty to do in 5.4 - 5.6 range around here in the alpine, you just need to dig a bit, they won't all be covered in a Selected Climbs guide. West Ridge of Sherpa has not been mentioned, or the upper North Ridge of Stuart with the Gendarme bypass. Both with 'easy' YDS rating, but with non trivial route finding, approaches, and descents. Washington Pass has a lot of moderate routes with easy approaches and probably a good bet now through September. Obviously LB and SEWS, but look deeper into Kangaroo Ridge, Half Moon, and that lovely little valley. Or the wine spires, some have relatively easy routes to the top.

I totally agree with Gene. Long rappels in the Cascades are tough due to the ledgy, vegetated nature of the climbing here. 50 is plenty, and rarely come up short while leading, and like Gene said you can always simu-climb. needto climbalso made a good point: "You also have a lot of experience to go with a 50m so can "go back" to it. Trying to give the guy advice so he only needs one rope and not having to worry about if his 50m rope is long enough to get him down on routes that are mainly put up with 60's now days. " I do have experience, and no fewer than six ropes at this moment. There is no one ideal boot or pack for all objectives. Climbers will ultimately end up owning different footwear and packs for the wide variety of climbs they will encounter. Ropes are similar. The OP wants a rope to climb Mt. Baker. 50m in an 8ish mm diameter is a great choice. If the OP wants to take up rock climbing, as in cragging, I agree a 60 meter, ~10 mm, single rope would be better suited. FYIY, 8.5 mm is my choice as well, in Edelweiss, Sharp, Everdry 50 meters. Had to special order them from Pro Mountain Sports, but they are totally worth what they cost. They are probably 11 years old, well past their freshness date. I should retire them, after all I have a fresh pair still in plastic. Anybody have use for two, 50 meter dry half ropes, one green, one purple? Rug art? Tire swing? Tie lumber down in the back of your pickup? I would personally still climb on them, especially just for glacier travel, but at 11 years old (never been set on the ground, never fallen on, stored in a giant plastic bin), I can't endorse anyone doing the same. The purple one is considerably newer with much less mileage, maybe joecav is interested in a donor for glacier routes, free of course.

This reminds me of the guy who wrote that Petzl Aztars can only climb WI 3, when my partners and I were climbing WI-5 with completely straight shafted tools 25 years ago. Similarly, I have to disagree with the notion that 50 meter ropes are worthless in the alpine. When I started climbing 50 meter ropes were all you could buy. When 60 meter ropes came out, I jumped on board. 60 meters is still my go to length for cragging. For alpine climbing I went back to 50 meter ropes and I know a number of very strong, experienced guides and climbers who have done the same. Steve House and Vince Anderson climbed AND DESCENDED the Rupal Face with one 50 meter half rope and one 55 meter, 5.5mm tag line. A 50 meter 8-9 mm rope will be a very versatile rope for glaciers as well as for alpine climbing, ice climbing, alpine rock climbing when used with a second rope. Compare ropes using the weight in grams/meter rather than by diameter. Rope manufacturers fudge the advertised diameter by 0.2 mm (that 9.8 mm rope may actually be 10 mm), but cannot fudge the weight. Also, a really thin rope may seem like a great way to save weight, but don't go too thin or it will be harder to ascend and haul on.

Hayduke Lives.

Jason, One of your more memorable trip reports, and as always the photography is amazing!

Would a public/private partnership that uses donations funneled through the LMA and Access Fund to pay for expanding the parking lots, installing additional toilets, and installing additional garbage cans be a viable solution? Or is the FS simply trying to reduce the number of visitors and are using this as a backdoor?

During the ~30 years I have been using Dave Page to resole my rock shoes and mountaineering boots I have only had one sub-par resole. That was mostly my fault because I had worn all the way through the rand and leather, leaving a hole where my big toe is. All the other resoles have been good to excellent; no delaminations, minimal change to the fit of the shoe. I do buy board lasted, canvas lined leather shoes, which stand up to resoling better than slip lasted.

I agree with Jason. Cardboard and duct tape will do the job nicely.