Colin

On a similar note... The rubber grip on one of my Cobras has started to delaminate from the base of the shaft, and whenever I am plunging it snow gets jammed up underneath the rubber, worsening the problem. I sent BD an e-mail, and they said: "The Cobra tool was really not designed with that use in mind-it's considered a technical tool, rather than a general mountaineering tool. Plunging this tool is probably the last thing it would be good at, as you may have noticed." So, remember, if a tool is good at climbing water-ice you aren't supposed to use it on alpine climbs.

We parked at the Blue Lake Trailhead, but didn't come out that way after realizing it was a lot of extra work. Park at the plowed area 0.5 miles W of the Blue Lake Trailhead, and go straight up to the South Buttress from there. Skis or snowshoes were mandatory today, and I'd imagine will still be for a little while.

Tim and I retreated from this route today. We climbed up the entrance to the couloir, to the start of the ice pitch, and then bailed. The ice pitch looked very thin and rotten, and the entire east face was getting baked in the sun, with stuff falling all over the place. If you do go give it a shot, I'd reccomend getting a much earlier start than we did (get to the base before the sun has hit the route). In the next couple weeks I'd imagine that the route will either ice up nicely as a result of more thaw-freeze, or it will melt away completely.

Based off the dancing marshmallow, I'm not sure if that was just a jest at Terminal Gravity, but in case it was not... I would highly reccomend taking boots that are atleast somewhat rigid (I used La Sportiva Makalu's). In June or July it might not be so bad, but by August the snowfield traverses might be quite icy (particularly this year). I did it in September, and had rigid boots, steel crampons, and one lightweight ice tool. I would have taken two ice tools if I'd known how steep and icy it was. The steep snowfields can be avoided if you take the purist route and stay on the crest the entire time, but I don't know anyone who has done this and I imagine it would take much, much longer.

Asgard Pass is snow covered, but, as usual, quite icy in spots. If you plan to go over it, you should consider taking crampons. I think it's because of the wind, but Asgard Pass is often icy in winter/spring when the snow nearby is soft. From the gate (in Icicle Canyon) to the trailhead is about 3 miles I think. If you're planning to do the whole loop you might want skis or snowshoes.

A number of parties were up at Colchuck Lake this weekend, climbing the Colchuck Glacier, the NE Couloir on Colchuck, and Triple Couloirs. Triple Couloirs is in good shape, meaning that ice is well formed on the "first couloir." There was a fair amount of wallowing in Triple Couloirs and in the NE Couloir on Colchuck. I would currently NOT reccomend taking skis or snowshoes, as there is a boot-pack up to the lake. You might consider leaving the car in tennis shoes, as the first half of 8-Mile Road is snow free.

Obviously, when it is blowing snow you will opt to stuff the tent, but when you have the time to pack it carefully which option is better for the tent? I have heard that stuffing is better, because it puts less stress on the seams. I have also heard that rolling is better, because crinkling up the fabric is worse for it. Not exactly a life-or-death issue, but anyone have other reasons to think that one is better than the other?

Thanks for the info, guys. I went to intuitionliners.com - Intuition and Thermoflex are definitely different brands it looks like, but it looks like they are very similar nonetheless. It sounds like they both rock, so I'll probably just go with whatever is easier to get my hands on, or perhaps cheaper.

Aveolite liners are the standard to make a pair of plastic boots warmer, but I've heard that Raichle Thermoflex liners (they make a version particularly for climbing boots, apparently) are significantly warmer, in addition to fitting your feet better. Anybody have experience with using Thermoflex liners in your climbing boots?

Actually, perlon is more dynamic than you might think. Try weighting a long section of it. More importantly, though, such a rope will be used almost entirely as a rap-line or a haul-line, and doesn't need to be dynamic.

You go to a climbing shop and pull 60 meters off the spool of perlon. Look it up in 'Freedom of the Hills.'

Thanks for all the kind words. One of us will post some pictures soon, but Forrest might have easier access to a slide scanner than I. Plexus, The approach isn't as easy as in summertime, but fortunately it isn't much harder either. The approach starts at 600 ft., so the first 4.5 miles of trail are totally snow free. John, No broken arm, but I did take a bad spill while biking to school because of some ice on the road, and my elbow was bleeding for quite a while. Yes, it was I who hung the giant pot-leaf-banner on the side of my school. It even made it into the school paper!

Forrest and I climbed the West Ridge of Inspiration today (well, I suppose it was yesterday, now), after hiking in to a camp on the Terror Glacier on Friday. The Gully leading up to the Pyramid-Inspiration col was mostly steep snow, with a quick step of WI2. The West Ridge, above the col, was low fifth class, coated with substantial rime ice. In general, conditions are good in the North Cascades, and things are getting more solid with every day of sun. Skis or snowshoes are still neccesary to get around efficiently, though. I think that our climb might have been the first winter ascent of Inspiration. Please speak up if you have any info to suggest otherwise.

Cpt. Caveman, Could it be Jack Mountain? Nevermind.

MattP, My guess is that your still-unidentified peak is Granite Mountain (not the one on the way up to the pass).

"THE real bond between the United States and Europe is the values we share: democracy, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, HUMAN RIGHTS and the Rule of Law." Oh, is that because we put thousands of innocent people in jail each year based off what they choose to do with their own bodies and minds? Or perhaps the human rights bond is in the fact that our government still uses capital punishment? Yeah, you're right, we really value individual freedom and human rights!

Regional Reports Guidelines - American Alpine Journal In 2003 the AAJ will be changing its regional method of reporting. In the interest of maintaining a more complete historical climbing record it will be giving more attention to a regional overview in addition to personal accounts of first ascents. The battle in recent years has been to capture historically important climbs, events, or trends in each mountain region that might otherwise be missed by the AAJ's standard first-person reports of big new routes. The AAJ will continue it's effort to be the 'show case' of notable International climbing, but will be allowing more opportunity to record regional activity, that has in recent years been limited due to space considerations. Regional climbing will be recorded in two ways: 1) A regional correspondent (or cooperative set of correspondents) will report to the AAJ on important NEW-routes, statistics, or other essential activities and items of note in that area. The regional correspondent(s) also will help to ensure that first-person accounts of big new routes are duly filed with the AAJ. In that regard the correspondents will recognize that essential activities are those things that record important events and trends for historical documentation and/or that will be of immediate value for near-term visitors. The regional summary will be limited to 1,000 words, though more words are possible if the information is considered vital, and will be best described as an overview of the years regional climbing with respect to trends, climbs of note, climbing events etc.. 2) A regional correspondent (or cooperative set of correspondents) will also submit the first ascent bigger routes, defined as Grade IV or longer alpine routes; recognizing that cragging is not the purview of the AAJ. These Grade IV reports will be first-person accounts (limited to 250 to 500 words). Fact checks with first-ascentionists and/or others in the know will be done by the regional correspondents and/or AAJ¹s editors. Photos may be requested. The report is to be filed by February 1 with special consideration for later submissions. Colin Haley and myself have recently been designated as the Washington Cascades correspondents for the AAJ. We will be submitting the regional record for all Cascade climbing which may include the regional activity record of AAC members. For general AAC member activity submit your accounts to Peter Ackroyd the AAC Section Chair. Even though personal accounts will be limited to Grade IV's we would encourage all accounts to be submitted in the same (first person) format. Within a year it is the directional hope of the AAJ to incorporate a web base accounting system that will in effect allow for all first ascents (of all difficulties and grades) without space limitations. In that event, and in consideration for the 2003 AAJ, please submit accounts under the following criteria: 250-500 words dates people involved rating difficulty, grade We encourage creative and whimsical writing, but please, all in good taste and in the interest of the historical record and those who may follow in your foot steps. Accounts, or any questions regarding submissions, should be e-mailed to either gordys@altrec.com or colinhaley@attbi.com. Please pass this information along to those that might not otherwise come across it. Gordy Skoog NW climber, unaffiliated

Gordy Skoog and I (along with several others) have been planning to put together somewhat of a regional report for the Washington section of the AAJ. This would include those Grade III climbs that there otherwise is not space for. Although I haven't really started poking around much yet (perhaps now I am?), I've already contacted Loren and Jens about their new route on Formidable. It is, for example, a cool new alpine route, but not Grade IV, and therefore not possible for inclusion otherwise. So, perhaps this is a good time for all of you to speak up about other new routes (or perhaps first winter ascents, etc.) of 2002.

Yep. Dan was one of the two parties I was thinking of. The gully that he climbed (and is perhaps "Washington Dihedrals") is the main snow gully that NY Gully branches left from.

Jim, The gully that Dan and Tim started up is definitely the correct/normal one for getting to NY Gully (the one you describe as "the major snow gully separating this subsidiary peak and Snoqualmie's steep north wall proper."). I know of two parties (in fact, I think that one was Brian) that have gone in to try NY Gully, decided that it did not look good, and instead continued up that main snow gully, until it tops out on the West Ridge. I think I heard it described as fairly easy alpine ice and mixed. Is this main gully Ruch's "Washington Dihedrals" route? When traversing below the N face of the western sub-peak (as to get to NY Gully), one crosses below a couple cool-looking dihedrals. They look like they would be good mixed climbing, increasing in difficulty from the furthest right to the furthest left. There is also a dihedral that branches off of the Enigma Gully, on the climber's left-hand wall, that looks like it could be pretty fun. I don't think that any of these dihedrals I'm describing have been climbed, and if Ruch described "Washington Dihedrals" as being easier than NY Gully, then my geuss is that it is the main snow gully (that NY Gully branches off of). Did that make any sense?

Mike, The first time that Mark and I did it we bivied at the West Ridge notch, and still didn't get back to the car until about 8 pm the next day. The second time, however, under much better conditions, we took about 14 hours car-to-car. It's not an ice climb, it's a mixed route. Just because there isn't a lot of swinging doesn't mean that there isn't ice. The climbing on it is really fun - lots of hooking your picks in cracks, and whatnot. I definitely wouldn't reccomend it as a summer route, because the rock is too loose.

Dan, Nice job! Glad to hear you liked it! "We got on the route about 100 yards up Enigma Gully from the base of the face" Actually, that is not Enigma Gully, but a different one. Enigma Gully (or Slot Couloir) is the much deeper gully, further to the East (to the left of NY Gully, looking up). The dead snag is definitely where you turn up into the box gully. After that, it sounds like you were on route, but it's hard to tell. Perhaps if I describe how the route went from there from my memory, you might be able to confirm if you went the same way: From the dead snag, the route goes straight up the box gully for about 65 meters, to a belay on the left wall, where there is a little snow to stand on. This pitch has two fixed pins from Ruch and Cotter, and is the crux of the route. I think that the last 30 ft. of this pitch might incorporate your "v-slot." The next pitch goes straight up the end of the "box gully"(starting out on the right-hand wall), up some mixed snow groove, and then across a little football-shaped slab, to the base of the offwidth corner. The third pitch from the snag makes a move or two up the offwidth, before clipping a Ruch/Cotter knifeblade on the left wall, and then climbing about 30 ft. up to a belay next to a tree. The beggining of this pitch is steep, and is where Mark and I made an aid move or two. From the belay next to the tree, do not continue up, (as shown in the picture in Selected Climbs) as it is merely a sub-summit. Instead, climb about 80 meters of 4th class mixed terrain, up to a saddle to the right of the sub-summit. From here, make a quick rap into the top of the Enigma Gully, and then climb the last 100 ft. of it up to the West Ridge, which quickly leads to the summit. It sounds like you guys definitely made the correct first pitch from the snag (you saw the two fixed pins), and probably the second as well. What I can't tell is if you went up the "offwidth crack" to the fixed pin on the left wall. Perhaps this is your "slightly left and up dry rock?" The knifeblade here was the same funky forged type from the earlier pitch (with a single eye, that has been rotated about 30 degrees). Did Tim take many pictures?

Most of the avalanche debris had come out of the C-J Couloir, although some of it had obviously come off the route. Depending on exactly where you go, the first 2-5 pitches of the route will have avalanche danger (from a snow bowl a little ways up), but after that, it is very minimal.

It has been repeated? By who? I was definitely under the other impression.

I really didn't think that the SW was a good descent route, and I would only reccomend it if your route climbs directly to the West Peak in the first place (West side route, and 1949 North face route, I believe). Yeah, I read about Bill Pilling dropping the pot in his 1985 AAJ report. He also spent the evening vomiting... Then there's the fact that they (he and Steve Mascioli) also made the first winter ascent of NE Buttress Goode - the same month! I think it's called "spectre of the broken," or something like that. - When your shadow is projected onto clouds below, surounded by a circular rainbow. I think I used 5 or 6 GU's - PB&J's are just much more cost effective. I'm no good at estimating pack weight, but while we were climbing we were carrying a lightweight tent, lightweight stove, fuel, food, pad each, sleeping bag each, parka each, extra socks and gloves each, and not much more.