DPS

Mile-O motel is nice and reasonably priced.

Ummmm, walking up the dog route on Rainier 10 times?

Try Bryant Buttress at Snoqualmie Pass.

All of these peaks are avalanche threatened, so be careful out there. Silver Peak Red Mountain Granite Peak Bryant Peak Mt Snoqualmie Guye Peak

I use a 100g Primaloft hooded jacket (Patagonia Micropuff) year round. It is adequate for the Cascades in winter. For Rainier in winter I use a warmer parka (Wild Things Belay).

Too many good choices to mention, but I would suggest checking out Second Ascent. Good deals on lightly used boots to be had.

Sill Glacier - would that be the NE face of J-Berg? I've looked hard at some of those routes like the Yellow Flower route for winter ascents. I think this would be a good year for it.

I've found that Cascade Pass can have really great early winter climbing. I bet there are a few lines that have not seen a winter ascent. Anybody know if T-F Traverse has been done in winter? That would be fully bad ass.

I've worn out the shell fabric on PL jackets before I felt the loft had degraded. FWIW, I recently replaced a nearly 10 year old Primaloft One insulated belay jacket with a new one - same brand and model only the new one uses Primaloft Sport. It seems bulkier, does not drape as well, and overall not as lofty as the Primaloft One.

I was up at Cutthroat Pass a few weeks ago and I thought the touring would have been pretty good. Not sure what the snow is like now though.

Thanks!

Does anyone know if the road to Mountaineer's Creek/Colchuck Lake trail head is still open/passable? TIA, Dan

Agreed.

Check your PMs.

Is the required $5,000 for Denali going to fund your own trip? Denali costs nowhere near that much if going without guides.

Wow! Very cool trip report.

I can't speak specifically to Mt. Adams or St. Helens, but in the North Cascades every campground, parking lot, trail head and road side scenic look out inside the park were taped off and signed as closed. The National Forest trail heads were open, although the bathrooms were locked and signed as closed. I wonder if the Cold Springs trail head would be accessible though, as there was two feet of snow at ~6,000 ft in the North Cascades.

"I just tell the girls I'm 39"

The road is gated at Paul Peak, it adds about 5.5 miles each way to the approach. I've biked the road for early season ascents of Ptarmigan Ridge, it goes pretty quickly. In winter there is a ski trail, marked in the trees, which cuts off some distance.

The snow doesn't always come this early. Many years we enjoy a Native American summer well into October.

No axe left behind.

No service = no road plowing = no winter access.

Maybe I was just confused by all the new buildings. I'll check again.

Won't affect you Rob, because you'll be riding your bike.

I find this thread enlightening. Five years ago I bought 'fat' skis (BD Havoc, 88mm waist), looks like these are considered skinny now. I've never felt they were too skinny though.