Alex

The approach from Ipsut Creek isnt so bad, if you have some extra days. You break out into skiable/skinnable terrain after perhaps 4? miles of relatively low el hiking. I did this in April 1995 and I remember the trip as being pretty pleasant.

90 min from Van == Whistler, so... no not really. Best and most reliable WI3 area is going to be Rambles up on the Duffy, past Pemberton Welcome to West Coast ice climbing!

Just a word... Avalance Gulch is a pretty casual route and has hordes of folks going up and down it on a good weather weekend day. For most people its a long day trip. Crampons and ice axe recommended. You probably dont have to show up with a partner if you have very good weather (which, for Northern Cali, shouldnt be too much an issue compared to - say - Mt Rainier), and understand where the route goes. Worst comes to worst you start up at 3am like everyone else and if you are in decent shape will likely find a pace that is similar to lots of folks Lastly, dont let the mindset "I came all the way from Florida, I HAVE TO SUMMIT AT ALL COSTS!" set in....you're going to be at very high altitudes and stupid thinking will just get you in trouble. I would set a reasonable turn-around time and stick to it. (full disclosure: I soloed the route in 1994 with my several-months-old Malamute puppy)

Agreed, just about the only brief bright spot was that "Back of the Lake" climbing around Snow Lake earlier...

I can't believe its almost the end of January?!?

I dont think the rock is better than Hyalite, actually. I think its kind of crap.

the "non-nakked" versions just come with assortments of mounts. so if you know exactly how youll use it and which mounts you need, best get the naked, then uy specific mounts online. only two mounts ive used so far are the bike/handlebar mount,and headstrap.

Thanks for the community service, Paul!

Driver: "We are at the intersection of 24th and 156th" If you were where I think you were, the Driver could have just said "here kid, you are two blocks from Safeway down 24th towards 148th....that way" ... and it could have just ended nicely..... but maybe the Driver didnt know jack shit about his route and was too adult to admit it to a mere kid. And so the cycle repeats...

happy birthday! dont let people from California drive in Montana

kiddie cliff / oh tannenbaum

both this and pub club were definite highlights last 10 years

Here is a representative image of this bad boy

So, I am not sure exactly what that is you are calling Alpental Falls and climbing on last couple days, it may be something further to the left in the same Phantom Slide drainage, but Alpental Falls is much steeper, longer, and more sustained than the line in your photos. Here is what the pitch looks like prior to snow fall, from the right side of the lower pitch, you can see me in the lower left, with my little yellow Edelrid helmet. I believe this is one of the pics mikeadam took of me leading this thing early season many years ago. I protected the lower 30 m with a single kb, then clipped a long sling hanging from the branches on the right, then went to the top on unprotectable ice cubes. Fun WI3

Decoder ring is the online guide: http://wastateice.net/Guide.aspx Select "Strobach Mountain" from the Areas dropdown Almost all of that is up-to-date, climbers left-to-right. (Looking at it, I have to edit Watchtower with the FA info.)

philking, I looked at the pics and that stuff is pretty thin relative to normal for mid-January. What was the approach like?

Goats beard is in the middle of Goat Wall, it's fed by a big stand of conifers on a huge ledge 3/4 way up the wall that's pretty hard to miss when there is any ice at all.

They are in Jeff Thomas Oregon High guidebook. Thanks, Alex

Steel Monkey the original start to Ten Percent. must have HB offsets.

Um, yeah, like that goatfucker would know. Oh, and I'm assuming you meant "angel"... And I'm sure you are... the sweetest angle is the angle having the most fun, and in your case that would be a 3/4 angle

My own goals for 2012 * Spend less time at work. * Abandon running and do more hikes of Tiger, Si, Granite to say in shape. * Lead more roped pitches than last year (which was like 4, seems achievable!) * Sail less and family camp/climb more. Considering I have 2 ocean races and Melges 24 Nats planned I am not sure how this will happen??? * Grind out some elevation with some skins on, ski the freshiez. * Spend more time with friends in 2012

I did both of these sometime back and it was some of the most rewarding climbing! Next stop is ropegunning my wife up NEB Slesse.

Is that from Kendall Stump? Kind of anticlimactic skiing

It's a good point SJ. My thoughts in proposing this were that 1) it should be a positive thing, fun! 2) we'd need to get a group permit so that limits the route choices but that's ok - Shurman or Muir is always fun. 3) a memorial climb like this with some perhaps more experienced folks like me or Loren etc can act as a vehicle for some less experienced folks to get up the hill sans RMI... I think we'd expect some basic previous experience though, the climb shouldnt be considered a class! 4) each climber pledges some min amount to join. all proceeds go to Anderson fund, we must avoid the whole "guiding" question 5) the donation isnt meant to put Ranger Anderson's kids through college, more of a gesture of respect and appreciation than everlasting flow of money. Just stream of consciousness this morning..