Alex

Moving to Events forum

moved to S WA Cascades section

rbw1966, Mowich lake road prob sees alot more traffic. Wet + unpaved + steep == bad washboards. In the summer it doesnt rain much even on Rainier, so it seems like a reasonable plan

another vote for Kautz

I guess I should add that your climb through the Kautz Ice Chute sounds hairball! When we did this route it was a 50 degree hard neve/ice chute, but not particularly long and was fairly casual, we didnt belay anything. This was first week of June. Your summit experience kind of sounds like ours: it was blowing 80mph on top, and Dan and I couldnt stand up - let alone crawl - to the summit. We really felt like we might get picked up and tossed back down the Kautz by the wind! So we preempted that and turned around, sans summit, from Pt Success. Our climbing day was very cold, it was one of the only times I can remember ever wearing my down jacket the entire time while climbing, incl Alaska. And we were climbing damn fast!

TrailPair, I believe the reference is specifically to people who travel to climb Rainier from outside the state of Washington. Rainier is a very popular desitnation climb, especially for "East-coasters" who rarely if ever see glaciated peak, let alone one so dramatic. I tend to agree that the economy might be a probable cause. Airfare and renting eq *does* cost more than a trip to the White Mountains or Adirondack High Peaks, after all. You could back that theory up by comparing Denali climbing records, since the situation climbing in Denali Park is very similar.

The standard way is the "ice chute" that Alex describes climbers left of Camp Hazard. I wouldnt tackle the serac band directly, it *does* calve fairly regularly. When dps and I climbed this route (seems like) many years ago, we walked through a very large debris field that completely buried Camp Hazard to get to the ice chute.

Ooops, I just checked, it (Inifinte Patience) was climbed Oct 23rd or so, so I dont think thats technically winter...?

You've heard of Infinite Patience right? Thats the Emperor Face in winter, done by Bubba.

Greenwood/Locke had apparently never been done in winter, the Elzinga/Miller has been done 3x, though. Alex

There was some discussion of the Greenwood/Locke in winter on LTV, but I have not heard the official story. Was a report published anywhere? Thanks

How about a direct ascent of the Black Spider? Or did I just "out" Wayne?

did you see danielpatricksmith in the boulderfield??

You guys are getting too well organized with this pub club thing. The place was agreed on in like 3 posts! I might just have to make an appearance.

yes, the winters were much colder here in the PNW as recently as the 70s and 80s than they are now

so would I, come to think of it! Colin Powell needs to loose those fools he's working for, in general.

Apacolypse Now, right?

Oh my god! I also met him, later that week, in the exact same spot! He was hunched over a boulder, mumbling...

Awesome, I can't wait to see it! Nothing. Jason Martin and I also considered Falcon if the deal with Mountaineers Books didnt work out. The reality is, as an author, you are psyched when any publisher is interested in taking your project, let alone the publisher of your choice. Publishers know enough to know that most guidebooks do not make (much) money. Never going to be a best-seller. So always a risk. True, Smith Guide will sell more copies of something obscure, like, say Washington Ice: A Climbers Guide, but be happy Falcon took the project and you don't have to deal with copies from .JPGs off some Internet site or something. Alex

couple more thoughts: "is the one plastic boot size smaller, custom liner beta dated?" No, I've found this is still a great way to go! Leather boots do fairly well and climb great, but always not quite as well as one would hope in our wet climate here in PNW for multi day trips in winter. Drying them out once wet is impossible on a trip, not so with plastic boot liners. "Scarpa Alpha yadda yadda yadda" This boot does not fit many people. It is (obviously) much lower volume than a std plastic boot, and as such doesnt fit people with high arches well. But like they say, "if the shoe fits,..." "Do alveolite liners compress faster than intuition liners?" Yes. My Arctis liners were new and great (tight even) in Alaska in 1998. I noticed them getting compressed as early as 6 months to a year later (light use). I think you can expect about a season or two of service out of alveolite liners before you notice them changing significanty, but YMMV. My plastic boots are bathtubs now, no longer wearable except on the coldest days in the Cdn Rockies when I just cant get by in leather boots.

TimL is there now, hook up with him. He is a strong safe partner

hi, check your PMs

I agree, the bachelor creek exit would be tedious with skis on your back, but the speed you get from them on the traverse might make those extra few hours out worth it.

Frances is commonly climbed as a day trip from base camp. There are some av slopes, large crevasse field, and some hanging seracs above this approach Crosson SE Ridge is a nice 6000 ft route sometimes done as a long day trip, or as an overnight. Pretty mellow terrain, but last 1000 ft pretty interesting. Great views those Kahiltna summits all have similar routes up them: mostly snow, lots of avalanche slopes, but fairly short. If you want more detailed beta, PM me. (moving this to Alaska forum)

cool website dood The SW couloir up SEWS was my first ever climb in the N Cascades. Good job! Alex