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Trip: Southern Pickets - A Thread of Ice 2nd Ascent and 1st Ski Descent Date: 7/4/2011 Trip Report: Over a clear weather window Louie Dawson and I spent 3 days adventuring, climbing, and skiing in the Southern Pickets. Sorry it took a lot of work to write and add photos all info can be found here: http://mtnsaremyhome.blogspot.com/ Gear Notes: Lots Approach Notes: Long

Trip: The Brothers - South Couloir Date: 5/6/2007 Trip Report: Had a blast on the Brothers for cinco de mayo, even drank snow margaritas on the summit! Snow starts at the climbers camp and the fire that burned last year affects the climbers trail a little but we stayed on the avalance gully and it was fine. This was the view from the summit when we first arrived... But the clouds parted for our decent thankfully: If you ski the hourglass feature on the way down its a really plumb ski line. Straight from the summit all the way down to the valley. Gear Notes: skis and margaritas

Trip: MF7FJ - Date: 5/30/2009 Trip Report: Left town on saturday and made it to the trail head after some tree removal around 11. Camped a lil below the summit of maude and woke up and waited for a stupid cloud that lingered over maude preventing the snow from ever really warming up. Dropped in only to find the cornice broke and took a nice slab with it on the face causing a few tense moments negotiating the transition. Made quick work of skinning up Fernow, such a nice skin line! at one point near the top I was skinning along a knife ridge of snow with big air on both sides. felt great! skied the sw face of Fernow from near the top and had to take my skis off for a 200 ft downclimb. super fun ski and want to get back earlier for a ski off the top. Had time to ski Seven Fingered Jack that day but upon arriving at the col to a perfect bivy site and plenty of food decided to spend another night and get better ski conditions in the morning. Was able to ski 50 feet below the summit all the way down into the woods. While skiing a nice lil kewliar i got caught up in the perfect moment and didnt watch my sluff. got put on my ass and stopped myself with my whippet but not before my ski tip tapped the wall and broke a foot of the end of my ski still managed to link turns down into the woods, and then once at the valley floor the snow was continues again and skied to within a mile of the truck! great skiing!!!

Trip: Greybeard Peak - East Face Date: 5/16/2009 Trip Report: Dan Helmstadter and I climbed and skied the East Face of Greybeard (on maps appears as eastern terminus of Ragged ridge just E of Easy Pass, elevation 7965’) on Saturday. I haven't seen any record of this being climbed or skied; would be curious to hear if any of you have heard tales. The climb alone as a moderate alpine objective is worthy and recommended; its proximity to the road makes it that much more appealing. A few weeks ago, somebody had posted a shot of this face, unnamed, on a report from Cutthroat (I think)—looked intriguingly possible. Then last week a couple buddies and I were on Mt Hardy and noticed the east face looking pretty fat—perhaps probable. Greybeard East and North Faces: The obligatory Scurlock photo: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/53643445 On Friday evening I drove up towards Swamp Creek and saw that the face had melted out some from a week ago, but still appeared relatively do-able. What the heck, give it a try and if it’s not good, bail or descend some other aspect (the southwest is more mellow)… evening east face We started climbing from 6100’ at around 3:30am after a solid freeze, and availed ourselves of a NE-facing couloir to gain a rib and ultimately the east face proper. Runnels in the couloir initially made for ready sticks with axes and crampons, but abruptly morphed into chunder-wonder variability. The climbing on the ribs and faces above was often steep and entertaining; I recall at one point left hand to rock hold, right hand to axe in snice, left foot post-holed, and right foot kicked into ice—what was next was a guess. Route-finding slowed us down a bit, as did two crampon failures for Dan, which he handily repaired. Luckily, clouds kept the sun at bay, urging us upward. above the couloir difficulties on the face last stretch to summit The views from the summit didn’t disappoint. Goode et al Dan and Black Peak sunlit Mt Logan, Arriva foreground Jack Mtn S Face w/ lenticular and Crater Peak The skiing was classic “spring variable”. We had gained the summit at a bit before 8, and as it had been cloudy all morning, waited for the sun to come out and work some magic on the icy patina found on most of the snow we had climbed. When the sun finally came out full-force at 11 a.m., it was forceful, and our worry turned from too crusty to too soft. For the most part we enjoyed soft-snow turns on the face. up at summit turns We had to down-climb a couple sections due to either grave avy conditions or too-rocky chocolate-chip sections. We finally jumped a little step to finish the c. 1700'face, and skied a ridge feature to my bivy site at 6100’, making for a c. 1900’ run. link1 link2 Perhaps this face will come into better shape (i.e., ski-able in full) in future years after a more robust snowfall for this area. Taken later that afternoon with Rainier in hand: route up in red, down in green edit: guess I used the wrong "shortcut" for showing images. will try to fix later...if any of you mods have helpful suggestions...

Trip: Mt. Shuksan - South West Face ski Date: 4/30/2009 Trip Report: I left the White Salmon parking area a touch late and dropped into the valley and skinned up the White Salmon Glacier on firm snow, partially following an old faded track. Then I took the connection to Curtis Glacier and Hells highway to the Sulphide, snow in this section was begining to soften and allowed steeper skinning. The weather was following its forecast, but the clouds seemed to thicken as I skinned towrds and part way up the summit pyramid where I switched to step kicking up the mash potatoe proto corn to the incredible summit. Views needless to say were incredble... I had to downclimb a 3 foot rock band 5 feet below the exact summit, but other than that I was able to ski to the entrance of the chute (skiiers right). The snow was very fun to ski, a little on the manky side, but only a little and I skiied fall line down to the Sulfide arcing big turns to the entrance of the South West face. I met two skiiers Eric and Shawn skinning up the Sulphide, they were stoked about the good corn conditions. Here they are skinning towrds the summit: I was a little nervous about dropping the SW face blind, as there are extensive cliffs at the bottom which might prove difficult to get through. However I was prepared to epic hard if need be, and I had studied various pictures, so I had a pretty good idea of what was below me. I found ripper corn dropping into the 4500' face... I had to "use the force" as I skiied lower down, there were many big cliffs below, and I skiied several very steep and little chutes through trees as I weaved my way down thinking it will go, it will go. I came across some bear tracks - strange in such an area... With a little bit of luck, I found a way through the cliffs, although I did have to pack the skiis for a 40' stretch down some some steep rocky trees, safe passage of which was only possible because of vines and pines to use hang on to. The gully: The light was dwindleing, but I was not concerned, just very stoked to have skiied the face in such good conditions, and not haveing to epic hard - getting cliffed out at the bottom.. The arm was a mile or so and 2500' above, but the snow was moist, which made steep skinning possible. I attained the arm as the last of the glowing red sun set, an experience wich will stay with me till the end of my days. I skiied down the arm and through the resort and back to the truck on mostly manky frozen crusts with the aid of headlamp. Super stoked to have had such a rewarding smooth going alpine day. The same can not be said about an experience a few days later...

Trip: J - burg - CJ couloir ski Date: 4/23/2009 Trip Report: CJ from recon last November The CJ is one of those lines that has haunted me since I first layed eyes on it - it is an extrodinarily asthetic bueatiful line, however it is gaurded by the deadly hanging seracs of the Sill Glacier, rockfall, and deep moats in late season. When I first saw it, I knew I was going to ski it, it was just a matter of how safely, and at what expense of nerves. As it turned out, I am happy with how I dealed with the hazards, and climbing and skiing it was a bueatiful experience. The road was gated at the Eldorado trailhead (~2.5 miles from the base of the CJ couloir, not a difficult distance by any means. I had intended to just scope out the sun exposure and condition of the CJ, but I found it to be in the shade as it came into veiw, as I skiied closer - the shade stayed, and soon I found myself mid couloir content with snow stability and objective hazards, however there were constant avalanches ripping down the massive sun exposed rock walls of Johannesburg. As I neared the col, the snow deepend to waist deep powder, and I dug several hasty pits, finding mostly stable snow, with isolated pockets here and there of more consolidated but non reactive slabby snow. Orographic clouds rolled lazily on the other side of the col, and across the Cascade River valley. Forbidden, Sahele, an Eldorado emerged and dissappeard into the fair weather clouds. I was super stoked to be on the col about to ski the CJ in powder conditions! The CJ which had been shaded for my entire climb was starting to recieve its very breif window of indirect sunlight as the sun shown down from its directly above the col. Time to ski fat powder! I had to manage my sluffs on the steep upper part and only make two turns or so and wait for my sluff to drain cause they were getting big. As the angle mellowed a little I was able to open up and ski fast powder. I found manky snow in the runnels, then some easy debris lower to the fan where it was warm and wet. Very stoked to have skiied one of those lines which has ocupied my thought for so long.

Climb: Dragontail -TC ski descent Date of Climb: 4/4/2006 Trip Report: Skied the Triple Couloirs on Dragontail Peak yesterday. I had tried to get into Dragontail a few times already this year and had been turned back each time for various reasons. I had vowed not to go back until there was a more favorable forecast and potential for better conditions....well, the forecast wasn't great, but I had become somewhat obsessed so after a quick stop to grab coffee for the road and to fill my thermos with an excessive amount of caffeine I left Seattle at 11:30 on Mondy night. After a long and sleepy drive, my spirits were lifted as I got near Leavenworth as the stars began poking through the clouds. Mountaineers Creek road is still gated at the bridge so I started skinning up the road at 2:30am. Shortly I had to carry my skis because large sections of road are melted out, but soon enough there was continuous snow. I arrived at Colchuck Lake at 7 just before the sun began lighting up the upper ridges of Dragontail and Colchuck. -Object of my desire I had wanted to climb the route, but there was a considerable amount of new snow and I wanted to avoid an epic wallowfest as well as becoming a spindrift sandwich in the runnels, so I opted for skiining up to AssMaster Pass and up south side of dragontail. After endless swithchbacks I arrived at AssMaster. The sun was shining and warm and for once there was not hurricane force winds ripping through the pass, so I rested a bit and soaked up some rays. Skinning the snow creek glaciers was a bit of a chore as the sun had turned the snow to glop and an incredible amount began balling up on my skins, once on the south side of dragontail I was so tired of the snow balling that I carried my skis for the final couple hundred feet or so. -Stuart from the summit From the summit I skied back down the south side for a short bit then traversed a kind of sketchy exposed east facing slope to the top of the TC. -Looking down the upper couloir I was a bit nervous about dropping in blind, not knowing the snow conditions but these fears were alleviated in the first couple of turns as conditions were perfect. Snow was soft but not deep, just kind of chalky punchy powder. Each couloir is exposed in its own way. The fall line of the upper couloir actually funnels down to skiers left out over the north face, so stay right...I crossed a little wind lip about half way down the upper couloir and continued. -Turns in the upper couloir Between the upper and second couloirs there was an interesting rock/ice step that I negotiated somewhat gingerly before hopping the last few feet. The second couloir is dead straight and fairly steep and is perched directly above the ice runnels section. -Looking down the second couloir Again I found perfect snow conditions although I had to pay a bit more attention to the sluffs. At the edge of the runnels I anchored into a piton and made the first of three raps. I'm glad I didn't try to climb the route because the runnels were thin. Not much ice to be found, just a lot of snow over rock. -Close up of the climbers right side of the runnels Down in the hidden couloir more great turns led down to the entrance of the TC and a little exposed bit above a rock band led out to open slopes above Colchuck Lake...phew, I finally could breathe and relax. The ski down to the trail from the lake in the afternoon sun was an interesting mix of deep mushy glop, falling into holes, and generally trying just to stay on my feet. Down on the road I was suprised to see how much more snow had melted out just that day, but there is still a ton of snow on the upper 2 miles or so which will probably take a fair amount of time to melt out. Ross Gear Notes: Some pitons for rappel anchors Approach Notes: Road is an annoying mix of skiining and walking then finally continuous skinning.