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Big Four Ice Caves?


Lambone

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i caught the end of some television program with a short story about the big four ice caves just the other night. evening magazine, perhaps? i don't remember.

 

anyway, it was interested to listen to the ranger/geologist (or whoever the hell it was) talk about how the caves form differently each year depending on the snowmelt patterns. some years there's only one big cave and other years there are several.

 

cheers,

[big Drink]

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I've been up there a few times in the summer, playing on the slabs that extend rightwards across the bottom of the whole mountain...... As Mattp points out the only reason the ice is there is that the whole mountain dumps snow, rocks and ice down that zone. One day in the fall I watched avalanches pour down there every few minutes and in the summer its a veritable bowling alley for rocks....lotsa tourists wander around out there and I've seen more than one group stand and gape as TV set sized rocks bounded down the slope around them.

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quote:

anyway, it was interested to listen to the ranger/geologist (or whoever the hell it was) talk about how the caves form differently each year depending on the snowmelt patterns. some years there's only one big cave and other years there are several.

I've been going there almost every year since I was 6 yrs old and there has been variations in the number of caves that are there. Cool place for easy access, and neat history. [smile]

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quote:

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by DLL:

Still awaiting a third though, anyone keeping an eye out?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Spindrift? Still awaiting a thid what, ascent? This route was climbed by many parties last winter...

 

Alex

check the date smart guy. [Roll Eyes]

shit, I got through user names like TP.

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quote:

DLL said:

 

"Sprindrift(referred to earlier in this post) was repeated a few years ago by some dude that Bart knows. Solo. Still awaiting a third though, anyone keeping an eye out?"

 

Colin said: Who was the soloist? Miles?

 


nope, somebody else. I think they might have been East Coast [hell no] or something.

[big Drink]

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More likely than not, the Paull and Littauer ascent of Spindrift Couloir was the third ascent. Rich Calstad and Cal Folsom did a route in the same general vicinity in 1974. In 1984, Steve Swenson and Greg Child climbed the same general line as Paull and Littauer. Then in 1996, the two teenagers did their thing.

 

There is the strong possiblity that there was another ascent in between the Child/Swenson and the Paull/Littauer ascents, but it hasn't been confirmed.

 

Some of these guys who have been climbing here for a long time weren't real into reporting everything they did. As a result, the first report of the route was not until Climbing Magazine #162 and then the 1997 AAJ.

 

Jason

 

[ 11-07-2002, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: Jason Martin ]

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this is a dead fucking horse stop beating it. btw Alan Kearney thinks differently.

edit:

oh well since you are fanning the flames, the first winter ascent '74 of the face was to left left side of the North rib, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FACE! This is not "in the general vicinity" of Spindrift.

 

thanks for your interest,

Doug Littauer

 

[ 11-07-2002, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Mr. Natural ]

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Doug - I know there has been some controversy over this one -- and some personal attacks -- and I don't blame you for being defensive. But hey: it is a FANTASTIC route and I for one thought your article in the AAJ was WAY COOL. First ascent or not, "don't let the bastards grind you down."

 

-

 

-

 

[ 11-07-2002, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: mattp ]

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Thanks Matt, you are THE voice of reason. I totally agree. I really don't care if it was a FA or what, I just think that "guidebook authors" should present historical information from an emperical perpective, not a hypothetical one ie there were lots of hard climbers in the 80's some of them climbed around there so it isnt an FA.

[big Drink]

 

[ 11-07-2002, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: Mr. Natural ]

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There is no way the crew on the 96 ascent could have known anything about previous ascents. And I do believe that the article written in the AAJ was a good article.

 

I don't mean to attack anyone claiming first ascents when the previous ascentionists did not report their routes.

 

Believe me, this is a phenomenon that has existed throughout the climbing community forever. Routes are commonly not reported or are but the beta doesn't get out early enough.

 

Alan Kearney and Greg Cronn's route was a First Ascent. However it was not the first ascent of the North Face. Their route does not follow the first ascent line.

 

There were at least three other lines put up prior to the 96 line.

 

All the information presented here is based on rather tedious research and is not hearsay.

 

I'm sorry if you take offense. That is not what I was trying to do. I was simply trying to let people know the history of the mountain.

 

Jason

 

[ 11-07-2002, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: Jason Martin ]

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cool. When I left PNW in 1992 we were looking at a line to the right of that one. Supposedly unclimbed (until last spring?), but who know in the Cascades! [Wink]

 

Went up every few weeks to see if the face was set up right. That face is weird. Then I moved. [Frown]

 

Congrats on a very cool climb. [rockband]

 

Like the post card with old lodge too! [big Grin]

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