DPS

Doh! Hey Caveman, how was Lillooet. Anything in?

How is it that everyone is suddenly interested in the Klewin/McNerthy route?

4th class rock in the summer. In spring it depends on how much snow their is. When we were there it looked mostly like steep snow, but we pulled a Mark Twight and skipped the summit. There might be a tricky move or two at the top, but I am just going on what I remember from rappeling after doing NW Corner.

If the weather is good I can always take those day off of work. Are you not in this area?

P2, I am interested in many of those routes, particularly Colonial Peak and North Face of Middle Peak Index. (I posted a query about that route and got some beta from Jim Nelson). [ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: danielpatricksmith ]

Funny thing about that article, the woman mentioned in it, Christina Faine, is a co-worker, running partner and climbing partner of mine. The story behind their rescue is very funny.

You must not judge yourself by the summits you have attained or how hard you climb but rather by how hard you spray.

Hikerwa, I know the route of which you speak. My daughter climbed it, then thinking it not enough of a challenge she downclimbed it. She was eight at the time.

Oh yeah, there were three other people including a hot chick there to witness it.

After rappeling to the base of a route I had just climbed, I saw a well known climber. I walked over to introduce myself and stuck my crampon in my knee and promptly fell flat on my face.

I tried to join the Mountaineers but I did not meet the minimum weight requirements.

Someone asked for beta on this route, so here it is. Early Winter's couloir is the east facing gully separating North and South Early Winters Spires. This route has a similar season as the SW Couloir on SWES or the East Face of Cutthroat, basically as soon as the North Cascades Highway opens. Park at the hairpin and approach as if one were climbing East Buttress Direct. Traverse below terraces that form the start of East Buttress direct and towards the obvious gully. We belayed at a tree at the beginning of the steep stuff. We climbed 5 rope stretching 60-meter pitches of ice and snow. Most of the climbing was 50 degrees with a couple of large chockstones that made for fun mixed boulder problems with good pro. The final (6th ) pitch was a short aid pitch that bypasses the huge cornice on the left-hand wall. Supposedly there is a crack that the first ascentionists used. I nailed a fragile flake until it ran out then aided off of pickets in the cornice until able to climb very steep snow. Mixed pitches continue from the notch to the summit of the North Spire. Our rack consisted of pins (2 KBs or Bugaboos, angles #1-3), Stoppers #6-12, Camalots #0.5-2.0, 4 screws 2 pickets. We used every piece at least once. Belays were on rock or ice screws.

Thanks for the beta. We are interested in the North Face. Just trying to think of winter climbs to do since it has been too warm for the lower elevation peaks.

The Goat Rocks are kind of boring. No real great climbing objectives. I would recommend the Enchantments although they would likely still be a lot of snow in May. The Tetons have a lot of excellent scrambling and easier climbing. May would still be very snowy.

Nice thread topic. I would suggest the Early Winter Couloir as an excellent (in the right conditions) route up N. Early Winter's Spire. This is a much better and much less crowded route compared with the SW Couloir on SEWS.

I have a question about Little Tahoma. The Beckey guide indicates an approach from Paradise that follows the route to Camp Muir, but departs at some point to make a traverse to the west side of Little Tahoma. Has anybody done this approach and if so, where does the approach diverge. Is there a better approach in the winter? How would it be to approach from Camp Muir? I imagine one would have to lose some elevation and drop below the cleaver? Thanks.

What I would be more interested in finding out is how married fellas get out at all, like Cascade Climber. His wife must be a very tolerant, understanding woman 'cause he climbs all of the time!

Well, my own relative (by marriage) refused to climb with me because I had not graduated from the Mountaineers.

If a Spokane Mountaineer and a Seattle Mountaineer were to breed, would the offspring be an Ellensburg Mountaineer?

I don't get it. Are you selling something or what?

I am curious about the North Face of the MIDDLE Peak, the 1978 route by Klewin and McNerthy. Has anyone done this? Has it had a second ascent? It looked very nice when I went in to do the North Face/North Peak last year. [ 01-03-2002: Message edited by: danielpatricksmith ]

Larson, In my experience 'planning' a winter ascent of Rainier for a particular date does not work real well. The better strategy is to wait for a settled period of weather then climb quickly to take advantage of what might be a narrow weather window. Just my 2 cents.

Hard to tell, although he wasn't wearing glasses last time I saw him I think it is Mike Adamson.

Thanks for the update, keep them coming!

I went up to Cascade Pass this weekend to attempt an alpine route. Unfortunately, our chosen route was not in the condition we had hoped for so we spent the day climbing waterfalls. All along Cascade River Road there are a number of water falls anywhere from 1/2 to 2 miles up the road from where it is gated at mile 20 (parking lot for Eldorado approach). The particular waterfall we climbed was at about mile 21.5 up an obvious avalanche chute. The waterfall cascades over hanging slabs forming alternating vertical pillars and curtains and 60 degree thin ice slabs for 4 pitches. Belays were good and rappels went off of trees (one rock anchor rap). I saw two other waterfalls up the same drainage that would make a trip in there totally worthwhile. Temps were a bit warm and the waterfall was melting as we were climbing. Difficulty was probably a stiff WI 3 with more difficult variations available. I think access most years is easy until January, when deepening snow makes the drive up the road increasingly difficult. As it was we barely made it with a high clearance vehicle and chains (no 4WD). I am not sure if the park service ever plows the road but it is obviously maintained as several trees that had fallen across the road had been cut and removed recently. The snow that is currently falling may spell an end to easy access. However, it is just a matter of parking lower and skiing farther up the road. There is potential for perhaps 20-30 pitches of ice within a 1 1/2 hour approach from the gate.