DPS
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Posts posted by DPS
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Both Emmons and DC will have lots of people. Both will have well beaten cattle trails.
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Alex and I climbed the Kautz to Point Success Memorial Day WE, 1999 and had nice conditions. Very straight forward, one ice axe, face downhill on the descent kind of conditions. Met Sobo that trip.
On top of Point Success I took my mitten off to tie my boots, and put it in my mouth. Alex asked a question and when I opened my mouth to answer, I dropped it and watched it slide 4,000 feet down the route. If you find, you can keep it. I'll send you it's mate.
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DPS- That's a bit harsh. Each company you point out as not being well rated is EN tested for accuracy whereas neither Feathered Friends nor Western do this test.
I did not write nor imply that that other company's bags are not well rated or not accurate. The point I was trying to make is that in my experience FF and WM are more conservative in their ratings or are not necessarily equivalent to the big brand name bag's ratings. It could very well be that the big brand name bags are MORE accurately rated and WM and FF are not accurately rated.
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-Go as light as possible. 30lbs max fully loaded for the DC. More weight can be cut by staying in the Muir shelter if possible. Some folks don't like it, I do.
-Don't bring anything you don't plan on using or wearing, except for an extra pair of socks and a little extra fuel and food.
-Go as fit as possible. Hike with a pack, trail run, run stairs, step master, lift weights. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience.
-Start early. Get ahead of the guided groups. Move quickly under seracs and rock bands.
-Consider the Emmons Glacier route. Fewer objective hazards, arguably more scenic and 'wildernessy', less of a goat rodeo. Late July-Early August there should be a cattle trail to follow.
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The rope has been spoken for. Thanks for looking.
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Been a low snow year this year, and each year seems to have earlier and earlier seasons for routes like Lib Ridge or Ptarmigan Ridge. I think the prevailing wisdom is to aim for a trip as soon as the White River road opens, typically Memorial Day WE, weather permitting. (Approaching from White River allows you to make an easy descent via Emmons without any car shuttle business.)
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I have a baffled, 800 fill power, hooded, Pertex shell Outdoor Research Maestro parka NEW, WITH TAGS, size medium I would sell for $250. Retails for $375. Email Daniel DASH p DASH smith AT Hotmail DOT com if interested.
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I have a 60m, 9.8mm rope I am retiring. You can have it for free, but I would prefer not to ship it. I live in Issaquah, work in Fremontish. email Daniel DASH p DASH smith AT Hotmail DOT com.
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Also nowhere does he state whether or not he has been practicing glacier skills, crevasse rescue and other mountaineering topics. Unfortunately everyone seems to have jumped to the conclusion that Mr. Swenson hasn't done anything practically to prepare for such a trip.
Nobody 'unfortunately' jumped to any conclusions. People, including myself, made a reasonable assumption that since the OP specifically mentioned he had done some hiking and was a runner, that if had done additional skills training he would have mentioned it. The advice folks gave is all solid, conservative, and encouraging.
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I have had the pleasure of climbing with a number of newer, enthusiastic climbers this year. What I really appreciate is that these new climbers spent some time educating themselves - reading books, (Freedom of the Hills is a good one), taking some guided courses, and practicing book knowledge in the hills.
It is one thing to ask to tag along as a less experienced climber, quite another to show up expecting to be taught everything. At a minimum, teach yourself to ties knots (Prusiks, clove hitch, rewoven figure eight, butterfly know, double fisherman's knot), how to walk in crampons, use an ice axe, self arrest, ascend a rope with Prusik slings, set snow anchors (dead men, pickets, bollards).
Do some easy peaks so that you are not totally clueless - folks will be more amenable to take you up something like Red Mt or Sliver Peak and give you some pointers on ice axe/crampon use and then you will have some bone fide experience to advertise when looking for Rainier partners.
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I have a 60 meter, 9.8 mm you can have for free. PM me or email Daniel dash p dash smith AT Hotmail DOT com
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Wow, heavy, bulky, and super expensive. My -15 FF weighs 3lb 4 oz and cost $550 custom made with overfill and Epic fabric. And I bet it is as warm as the Wraith.
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I've known folks hwo have used everything from +10 to -40. For late May-June in a cold year I used a -15 Feathered Friends and was warm enough with a single foam pad.
Be aware, however, that not all bag's temperature ratings are equivalent. A -10 degree boutique bag (i.e. Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering) may be as warm as a -25 bag from the North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardware or other big box company.
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I drank Fireball. Once.
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I skiied the Sulphide in August once, but it was not really worth it. I'm with you Jason, when there is fuffly white stuff I ski, otherwise I climb.
Oh, and I wouldn't count on skiing off the summit anytime in July or August.
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North Face and White Salmon Glaceier are natural choices to ski after clibming FC, however, by August, especially this year, you may have open crevases and generally icy conditions.
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Crikes, glad no one was hurt.
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Sometimes BE-ing there is much better than scurrying through.
I completely agree. I did many of my climbs car to car when my daughter was young because my free time was limited, now I love to bivi, it is all part of the experience.
The bivis on top of Winnie's Slide, right below the entrance to the Upper Curtis, are AMAZING, plus you get running water coming right off of the glacier.
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What did everyone get jobs where the boss said they have to work instead of surf'n internet sites,
I did, so that must account for 1/4 of the traffic.
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Hi Curt,
I can't comment on this particular pack, but I have a similar Metolius haul pack (Sentinal I think?) that is awesome for cragging and hauling on grade IV - V walls. It carries comfortably on approaches and as a bike commuting pack, but I would not want to carry it while actually climbing.
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Honestly, if you have done the routes you mentioned, you should be more than ready. I found Price Glacier to be way more difficult, strenuous, and dangerous than Lib Ridge, albeit that was late season. Those other routes are solid as well. I agree with Bronco, do the Emmons so you know the descent and you should be all set. Good luck.
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I would not recommend leather boots, might not be warm enough and hard to dry out. Dunno about the ski boots. I personally would opt for plastic/synthetic 6000m boots or warmer for climbing.
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I did a Ht Hunter trip in the first weeks of June and a Ruth Gorge trip first weeks of May. I used a +15 degree bag (WM Apache Super DryLoft) both trips and felt it was perfect. My parka on Hunter was an old REI down parka, borrowed from Alex. In the Ruth I used a Wild Things Belay jacket. Both were very adequate.
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I hope you have a speedy and full recovery.
[TR] Mt. Stuart - Mt Stuart via Mt Stuart Glacier Couloir 3/24/2014
in Alpine Lakes
Posted
Didn't I climb that with you, John Sharp, and Kurt Hicks? Out of the eight or so different routes I've done on Stuart, SGC stands out as the most interesting and 'alpine'.