Alex

Went up to Tool Shed on Sunday. Its pretty clear it, um, rained hard at Mt Baker ski area. However "everything" was thinly iced over really nice, TRable - we played on some really fantastic stuff all day: hanging pillars, barely touching pillars, overhanging rock to 1cm thick ice, overhanging rock with excellent feet and perfect moves to hanging pillar, really fun! Got worked. Pandome - very thin 3+ shape right now. Ice is like maybe 4 in. thick Tabasco Kid - fell down recently, is reforming Everything else - varying abounts of verglas Totally worthy, no snowshoes needed.

I think its closer to the trailhead than that actually. I think its shown on USGS quad, but not greentrails or gazetteer

Yes, the road is plowed to the branch uphill towards Esmerelda Basin, by the horse camp. This is a very popular snowmobiling area, and thats where all the sleds unload...

It gets closed at the gate, which is before the bridge across Icicle Creek, by Bridge Creek campground in the bottom of the Icicle. Thats also where the Icicle road gets plowed to in winter. Last I heard Mountaineers Cr road was now officially gated shut, but you should call Leavenworth RS as that was hearsay... Alex

ski up sure, but agree with cracked, not many turns on way down and you'll likely break something navigating the boulders

I wish I climbed NEI5, then or now!

the Last Call, Canmore

your tools will get you up the routes fine, but if you are going to lead anything I suggest you try the "new" screws - they go in with one hand these days!! with that gear ppl will be walking up to you in the ice park wondering who you are, probably taking lots of pictures of you

your book will be in before the ice !

Have more than 3 dates with the same guy .... Quitting your job is the key, grasshopper... I think I've discovered the root of your problem...

looks like the same grip as the racing wing

weather in the early summer here is not nearly as stable as in later summer, after mid-July. So alpine plans like Slesse and Stuart have a tendancy to be very much at the whim of the immediate weather. still, with a month you can do just about anything my hit list would be Slesse A "tourist traverse" of the Enchantments with basecamps including Stuart N Ridge complete, NEB Colchuck, Backbone on Dragontail or Serpentine, and S Face Prusik. You will be challenged by all these routes as a 5.9 leader, but they are all doable: get a competant partner. This part of the trip would be about a week. Rainier, Lib Ridge in early to mid June, otherwise Kautz. Ptarmigan Traverse. Plan about a week due to more unsettled weather in early summer. But you'll have a fuckin' blast eh! With all that alpine, you need some breaks inbetween. Head to Smith or Squamish or Index and crag with free camping nearby. By the time you do all this shit on this list (thats about 2-3 weeks of climbing), you'll know the range as well as anyone and can decide what to do with that last week.

I think Alasdair nailed it on the head. This is a good weekend to win points with your wife/gf by staying home

whats an average ice climb? my rule of thumb is "if you use 3 screws for each belay, possibly, how much are you comfortable leading on?" So I tend to carry about 12 screws - 9 16/17s, 3 22s for fat ice, or 3 10cm stubbies, 1 13cm, 8 16/17s for "Cascades ice" I've lead kind of hard pitches where I'd wished I'd brought more. I've lead hard pitches where it was impossible to place anything, really. It all varies from pitch to pitch. But 12 is as good a numer as any....

The XT hurts my feet walking downhill, but climbs really well. So I've pretty much resigned myself to use them for roadside ice, and break out the old Freneys for alpine trips. specialed sent Sea of Gapors the first day he wore them, so they can't be all bad

I've taken a 25 foot leader fall onto blue alien, no problems.

the gimp.

i was hoping for a more stridently nationalistic response laced with profanities. no shit, this "kinder, gentler" Bob is a snoozer!

Heels down. Some good practice routes close to Calgary: Canmore Junkyards This House of Sky in the Ghost Grotto The first several pitches of Cascade (walk off Climbers right) Rogans Gully, next to Cascade Just pick of a copy of Joe Josephsons guidebook, its very well done and you'll quickly get familiar with all the good practice areas.

Dave, yes, too warm

"well covered" with light powder snow. I would give it a while. The reality is you wont find any water ice this early, its been too warm. AFA alpine ice, I think the best bet this early would be something like that stuff on Hood that the Oregon folks have been doing, or serac'ing on the Coleman etc. Alex

West Ridge of N Twin Sister is a good wintertime solo

Just to add to the apparent confusion, there is a drytooling crag at exit 38 too. It features 4 sets of TR anchors and one lead-bolted route, all on slabby rock from Mveryeasy to around M4+. If you want real detailed information, see Washington Ice or PM me.

Colin, specialed, myself all met at the Banff "Rose and Crown" instead of the Canmore "Rose and Crown" on Fri night. Oh well.

<mutter>great, bouldergirl meets boulderboywonder...</mutter>