Alex

OMG you beat Sky to a FIRST DESCENT! Ski sickness!!

awesome to see everyone getting out!!

What size is the MEC suit?

If you mean the green sling at the top of the right hand route (wi3), I left that on Wed.

Alicia Seattle-ites are spoiled. There are few towns ANYWHERE that offer quality climbing so close to town, or a climbing season or SKI SEASON as long! Its just that even here we can find things to complain about. But if any one of us were to start talking about New York City? Chicago? Dallas? LA? San Francisco? Seattle has them all beat by miles! Sure each of these places has some redeeming factors, but nothing offers the package Seattle does. Someone mentioned Salt Lake City....SLC is *great* for skiing and climbing, but there are other...ummm....reasons not to live there that you might weigh too. Reality is that if Sheffield is really all that, and you're really so single-sport focussed that the lack of DAILY natural rock climbing would prevent you from moving to a different country and land of volcanoes, glaciers and deep green forests and thousands of square miles of wilderness, then I'd say stay there.

That p2 of Here Today Gone Tomorrow looks fun!

RE: Black Ice. CYA - I am not sure, but you can most likely get around to the top of that by climbing up very steeply through trees along the right side? I've never actually climbed the route, as it's only been in once or twice that I am aware of, ever. AlpineDave and CascadeClimber said there was a ton of gear at the top to rap from. I am not sure your brother would have much fun at the Black Ice ice, as CYA has a difficult mixed start, and the other route has an unsavory approach through steep snow covered brush. Setting up a TR on either would be a lot of work Haystack on top of Si is a fantasically long hike for scratching around. While it's in the book, I wouldnt recommend that as a destination ever. I think your best bet close to Seattle in the coming couple days would be Franklin Falls. Other ideas that come to mind are Fuggs Falls out at Vantage, and Umptanum Falls near Ellensburg, for easy access to their respective tops without having to do any climbing. Both are 2 hour drives, though.

CascadeClimber, AlpineDave, and myself were all out at Black Ice this morning having a fun time on CYA and "Unnamed" to the right of CYA. That stuff is in and totally leadable. Pics later.

new cobras or old cobras?

I've updated my conditions page: http://www.wastateice.net/Conditions.aspx Some pictures of my outing today are here: http://www.wastateice.net/SnoqualmieDec08.htm It may look a little grim, but I'm heading out tomorrow morning as any time spent farting around on the ice in the cold beats time sitting in my office, doing work.

General impressions: thin. We've got the cold. Now we need water. http://www.wastateice.net/SnoqualmieDec08.htm

New BD Cobras, check.

I was up there about an hour ago, and will post some pics later tonight.

Ah, ok. Looks similar from below!

...

I'm skeptical of alpine ice: up until before this system arrived, there was NO snow at Snoqualmie Pass. Then this system arrived, first warm and wet then turning very cold, with continued precip. So my --> guess <--- is that there is some smattering of a base, frozen hard now, covered by light and fluffy pow. I think water ice is where it's at this week, personally.

I'd like to get a really big-ass white Caddy, to go climbing in now that gas prices are down again. Got one of those??

e p i c

BD pick hasnt changed since the X-15 was introduced in, oh, 1988? You are safe buying CFBPs.

Tapping the keg before the final? Sounds like a handicapping system!!

If there were alpine ice a mile from an open road, there would be long lines to climb it. But alpine ice occurs more like in the spring. That said, 3, and sometimes even 4, of your requirements are met in the lowly Alpental valley. Alpental has lots of very steep slopes, open year round, and is in the mid Cascades. It also sometimes has water ice! It really is a great winter training ground. It has very serious av hazard in places, too. Check the forecast before you venture out. As for alpine ice, Chair Peak or the Tooth or similar such destinations offer that during periods of decent weather.

There's an alpine ice route on the NE side of forbidden awaiting it's FA!

Agree, leave as is. If bolted stations start sprouting here and there, it's only a matter of time before bolts start sprouting on, say, the runnels pitchs of TC, allowing anyone to climb them anytime - dry or not, balls or not. Last thing I want to see is some dude hanging out on a bolt, shaking out, on the runnels pitch next time I am up there. Second to last thing I want is some person rapping down on top of me, possibly kicking down large, water saturated snow blobs, in a long ass gully on Dtail.

The approach will keep the crowds somewhat at bay. And the nature of the route will change with several months of significant snowfall. Ross skied this line without raps, so it fills in in the Spring. Triple Couloirs was skied with raps. I don't think this route was.

It really sounds like that NE "Flavor of the Month" Couloir on Dragontail is destined to be an early-season classic, if no ice is required. I havent done it yet but am definitely jazzed to try it now thanks to the great TRs! Those are good additional suggestions! Northwest Face on Stuart is a great route guarded by a pretty dang long approach, that will be pretty condition dependent. With Stuart Gl Couloir and Sherpa Gl next door and lots of other stuff to see on that side of the mountain, though, there is always a bail out plan if you commit to the approach. The North Buttress Couloir on Colchuck is significantly easier outing technically than the NE Buttress on Colchuck, but really highly recommended: great day out in the mountains! The Cutthroat route is actually the E Couloir, covered in Nelson's guide, and is in shape only a short time in the Spring. It's also a bit trickier (IMO) than most of these other routes, as there is a pretty legit thin WI3+/4 pitch on it, where most of these other routes are not close to vertical. Ade has pretty much the compendium going on his site there, its a good resource!