DPS
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Posts posted by DPS
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North Buttress Couloir is easier than the Northeast (AKA NE Buttress) Couloir.
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The first climbing area at Little Si (Exit 32) has a few cracks that you could spend a couple of hours dinking around on. Plus you get a nice hike out of it too.
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Gene is correct, Hugh Herr was a double, below the knee amputee. He also has a PhD from MIT in prostetics. Malcom Daly is onother one who would be good to talk too. Not sure how to get a hold of either of them, but I am sure some Googling would come up with something.
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Dave May,
I sent you a PM.
Dan
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KirkW,
Nobody has a problem with you voicing your opinion, however, folks tend to get their backs' up when you act like a dick.
Dan
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Mt Baker is really an ideal mountain to start off with. It has all of the same challenges as Rainier (glaciers, crevasses, weather, lots of elevation gain, etc) but without the ass kicking of an extra 3,600 ft of altitude.
The two most popular routes, and the best for beginners, are the Coleman Demming and Easton Glaciers with the Easton being perhaps a bit easier.
The typical season starts in May and runs through the end of September. Starting in May the weather becomes more stable throughout the season and dramatically so after July 4th when the jet stream shifts. As the season progresses, however, crevasses open up, snow bridges shrink and become weaker, routes become more circuitus and icier. The trick is to find the sweet spot when weather is stable and the glacier is still in good shape. My recommendation is July (after the 4th).
I don't recommend climbing Mt Baker without some instruction first. You need to know ice axe skills (self arrest, self belay, boot axe belay), cramponing skills, rope work and knots (figure eight, clove hitch, Prusik hitch, butterfly knot, water knot, fisherman's knot), snow and ice anchors (how to place effective, pickets, deadmen, flukes, ice screws, bollards, etc), route finding skills, weather reading skills, and so on.
You can get a jump start on your education by buying a copy of Freedom of the hills and practicing what you can, but there are some skills you need a mountain with snow to practice and learn on.
Yes, guides cost money but if you go with a good outfit and take a skills course (not just a summit bid) you can learn a tremendous amount. Think of it this way, you are already spending money on clothes, gear, and travel expenses, the guide fees are just a bit more coin you have to come up with.
The other option that you mentioned is find a generous soul who is willing to take you under their wing and show you what you need to know and guide you to the summit. With this approach you really don't know the qualifications of your 'guide', they may be really great or just learning like you.
Best of luck,
Dan
Re-read my original response to the OP above.
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Several of the people offering you advice seem to really get off on giving free advice to noobs over the internet.
The irony is staggering.
So I'll take that to mean you stand by your previous suggestion that someone from the flatlands with no mountaineering experience should try to do Baker or Adams in a day?
Mt Baker was my first real mountain. I climbed it with a friend. Our collective experience climbing glaciated peaks consisted of reading Freedom of the Hills. We did it in a day. I was 50 pounds overweight at the time. I think it was a reasonable thing to do. I know Gene, Alex, and Rob well, and I have a lot of respect for what they say.
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So not trying to flame you here but maybe this is an indicator that you are getting yourself in over your head? If you don't have a clue and have to ask 5 pages of questions about climbing mount Adams, Baker or any of the other easier volcanoes then I might suggest picking a little different adventure for this trip. No Adams or Baker isn't really that difficult but it's pretty obvious at this point that it's a little more than you are prepared for.
Climbing cannot be learned off the internet. You have to go out and do it. Mother nature doesn't give a shit about what kind of pack you have or what boots are on your feet. The single best resource you can bring with you is a calm rational outlook and a willingness to let the experience be what it is and not what you've made it out to be in your head.
I think some of the people on this board are setting you up for a major disappointment when you actually get out here and find out what climbing volcanoes is all about. Several of the people offering you advice seem to really get off on giving free advice to noobs over the internet.Remember that free advice is worth exactly as much as you paid for it. It's fun to help new people get into the sport, but alot of the advice they are giving you is based on a boatload of assumptions that they are making about you. Nowhere in this thread has anyone asked you about your back ground or your skill set. I would NEVER suggest to a total noober from out of the area that trying to climb Baker in a day without a competent skilled partner or guide is a good idea. That's just fucking ridiculous! I must also disagree with the idea that Hood is a great "first" volcano for a complete noober from out of state. That might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen posted on this site. It is NOT a walkup as many would have you believe. It's not hard but just google "hood accident" and see what you find.
Sorry to be a grouchy asshole but this thread made me cringe when I read it. Whatever you decide to do I hope it goes well and you have some fun!
Blah, blah, blah.
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The clubs get dumped on (sometimes for good reason), however, I have climbed with some very skilled and accomplished climbers who started out with the Mountaineer's basic course.
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What about Mt. Shasta? May is a good month and it is only a five hour drive from Portland. Avalanche Gulch is standard.
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Bill,
I expect to be back in the hills pretty soon and I will need to get back on the horse gradually and will looking to do some easier routes to get started. If interested shoot me an email: bighurtbob AT hotmail DOT com
Dan
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Silver Star and Shuksan both require scrambles up their summit pyramids, something the standard route on Eldo doesn't have. While the climbing is not difficult, if one has never rock climbed before it may be a little intimidating.
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CC: I believe that is a rap station that SummitChaserBJ left after he soloed that new mixed route on the Haystack.
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Right now I am jazzed on Sleater Kinney so I would say Corin Tucker. Their live covers of 'Fortnuate Son' and 'Keep on Rockin in the Free World' with Eddie Vedder are the end all be all for me.
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Seems a bit early for some of the approaches. What routes are you considering?
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I have done both in good conditions. Technically they are both fairly similar and they can both vary significantly in difficuly. They are both exposed to rock and ice fall, although Adams Glacier more so.
Driving from SeaTac to the north side of Adams and the North side of Baker should take about the same time. Baker is definitely a shorter route and less committing as Gene pointed out as well as has a shorter approach.
They are both very good routes on great mountains in really scenic areas. The camping the meadows below Adams Glacier is really pretty fantastic.
If you camp on Baker, coninue up the glacer past the encampment below the Black Buttes. Below the North Face of Colfax Peak turn right and find Mr. Purple Nice Guy pass tucked between the east ridge of Colfax and a small sub summit. Outrageous position.
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My running partner just had his torn miniscus repaired. He had surgery, did physical therapy, and is back to running two months post surgery.
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The Mountains of North America by Fred Beckey is a worthy addition to the titles already presented.
A colleague who has photos in this book gave me his autographed copy. Its a beauty.
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I knew that, I was being a cheeky monkey.
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I have 'Fire on the Mountain' on my IPod. For my money the Dead doesn't get much better.
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I think any of the quality build multitools (Leatherman, Gerber, etc) make small, lightweight tools. The one thing I look for in a climbing knife is a half serrated blade. The serrated blade cuts through old, stiff 1" tubular webbing better than a regular blade.
Also, unless you need a good pair of pliers (good for bc skiing) the Swiss Army made multi-tools before they had a name.
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I have found folks will usually pop at around 50% of retail for a used soft goods in very good shape.
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I removed the page because everything is gone.
Sold Grivel Air Tech Evo Ice axes
in The Yard Sale
Posted
What are you looking to trade for?