Marko

On 4/22 NW face route between Backbone and Serpentine was quite dry, too.

kukuzka1, his brother, and I were Team Motrin on an Alaska trip a few years back; I think graduating to Team Centrum Silver is appropriate!

You'd love it dude, next year you can guide me up it 'cause by then I'll forget that we even did it!

Just one shortie Snarg, used 3x in the blessed turf blobs. Some very crappy phone pics follow... The first page of the newest Testament: The first 3 meters off the ground: The next 15 meters, which set the tone for most of the climbing: Looking straight up last pitch and summit cornice. (The few other pics I took during the climb were too crappy for publication): Summit shot. If you look closely you can see the chiseled Fingers of Fate: This climb, in the conditions we found it, is harder and more sustained than NYG and PE and all their variations. Though Rolf said that's because we're old now. Praise be Turf for without it we are NOTHING!

I don't really remember a big chockstone chimney other than the upper feature in the 5th and 6th pics. After I took that shot of Don on the south side he deked right then back up to the cool spiny crest. We just about followed the way we went a couple summers ago. I totally agree with your sentiments about the Snoq Alps! There's even stuff left to do on the NW side of Snoqualmie Mtn. I'm positive that last weekend there could have been numerous new routes put up all over them Alps!

Actually, the first clean winter ascent awaits; I rested on a couple pieces due to decrepitude!

Trip: Chair Pk - NW Ridge Trip Date: 02/11/2018 Trip Report: More fun in winter I thought, especially with the amazing conditions. More alpine ice well adhered to the rock than I've ever seen in the Snoq area, neve even! Don, my long time climbing partner, and I had a blast in this puppy yesterday. The last 10' of the first pitch gaining the ridge was a good opener. The second pitch we traversed on the south side of the ridge up to a small notch with a chockstone, then up a short runout slab then a downward traverse to a small tree belay on the right. The third pitch went straight up to a steep hard (for me anyway) chimney topping out on the crest. Fantastic hooking! Running belay along the sharp crest and on to the top. I hope folks got out and got some in these incredible conditions! Left side of N face (yep, that's all good alpine ice and neve!): N Face route: 1st pitch top out: Don on runout slab (red dot), belay tree barely visible down and right: 3rd pitch: Looking down 3rd pitch top out: Running belay toward top: Gear Notes: Rock rack, no pins or screws needed Approach Notes: Casual, no floatation needed/wanted

Best I know of is my friend Scotty's sub 2 hour c2c. I bet Leor or the Haley alpinerope(less)gun could break 1.5 hrs.

We stopped at the Beep for no particular reason; it made it a nice afternoon on the rock, in a bit of a whiteout. Definitely fun climbing. BTW, dig your TR!

+1 Oh he'll be back... he'll be back. For what it's worth (nuthin'), a buddy and I made our way up what will now forever be known as "Beep" a few weeks ago and I'd bet we weren't the first.

tvolk, Yep, Barrier Crest; not as bad as I expected, all in the shade!

My buddy Don and I spent a few days last week up there, too. Camped on a perfect granite patio 100ft above the Chopping Block col. Climbed the Block (raps good now for a single 50m rope), the (unnamed?) peak west of the Ottohorn, and the normal route on Terror. Great traveling now with all the snow. Love them Pickets!

I'll pay for gas and beer if you're willing to pick up 2 souls and 2 bikes in North Bend Saturday (27th) morning and drop us off at the Columbia. Thanks! Mark

Sweet! Yellow, BD (I think), ~110mm x ~170cm, tip tongue, tail hook. It's my buddy's; I'll pm you w/ his name and number. Thanks!

Shee-at, welcome back to earth boys. Masks, capes, and speedos?

F'n classic, thank you for the reminder Ivan.

The "+" may be the kicker there! Great looking line youths.

I guess a car is gear... Where would you take a Honda Element to get a clutch job in Seattle? Thanks! Mark

I think the C-B finish is the connection to the Serp, not the goulotte. Jens may know more precisely I think.

Yep, there ain't much better climbing in the Cascades than Dragontail north side in April! When we got to the amphitheatre below the Fin, it was storming pretty good and spindrift was pouring down the normal C-B finish and down that goulotte right of the Fin. We therefore opted for the somewhat calmer left-side finish. That goulotte looked in though.

'Bout time someone got the second ascent; and what style! I've been talking (but not walking) about getting on that in winter for years. Nice!

Hot damn, thanks guys. Howdy Wayne! I'm heading over there for a quick trip Feb 19-22 w/ Scott G; you going to be around then? It'd be cool to tie in again lad.

Any recommendations? Thanks!

(Hmmm, given the context here you might want to rephrase that...) In any case: Nice lookin' frickin' adventure, prose, and pics!

If you head up the drainage instead of the trail, yes, as of Sunday. There may be a few bare spots in a few days but it's definitely worth bringing the skis!