Chair Peak?

[BZN]

Forgive my potential ignorance on the issue, but I was just wondering what the north face of Chair Peak might look like. I'm thinking that if this stuff consolidates by this weekend and it's been cold enough at night, it might work out. If too early, I'm stoked to find an alpine route where one might work some of the early season bugs out. Thanks.

[AJ]

Forget about it for a while. It will take more than this storm cycle to set up into good conditions. I'd also wait quite a while for this to consolidate.

Sorry, no great suggestions until we get a little further along into winter.

[Buzz]

Why don't you look at the avalanche report moron.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I am sure you could climb chair peak year round if you really want to summit something. Although if you are looking for the route to be in stellar shape that might be another story. Just armchair wisdom eh since I have not been up there in a long time. You might have to do your own legwork to see if it is in.

[DPS]

You are asking a lot from this BBS to be forgiven for ignorance. I will suggest that the NE Buttress of Chair is more likely to be in good nick than the North Face, ONCE AVY CONDITIONS SETTLE DOWN. I know that route was climbed this time last year. I feel it is a much higher quality route, with more interesting climbing and better protection than the North face.

[Colin]

If you head out to Chair Peak this weekend, I would reccomend climbing the gully that Nelson describes for the descent. In early season, it is a bit funkier than the merely steep snow that it becomes later in the season. Take two tools (though they don't need to be very technical), a helmet, a few slings, 2-5 nuts, and 1-2 pins just in case (in early season, the usual rap anchors can be hard to reach).

[David_Parker]

Avalanches don't just like skiers! They like boarders, climbers, snowshoers, snowmobilers and especially all of the above with low IQ's. I doubt the north face is in shape or the approach safe right now!

[Scott_J]

Lets see...fresh snow, lots of it

wind pack

fluctuating temperatures

huh? I wonder.

AVA-fuckin-LANCHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've done some real nice ice climbing in that area in the 70's. Yes, we climbed ice in the 1970's mo fros with Sumner ice axes,Teraydactyl ice tools and Salawa ice screws. Unfortunately the Willians, hit me in the nards, sit harness was the state of the art harness at the time.

My personal experience with this area is wait for the weather system to get stable and some good freezing to take place up high. Then you'll have a ball on Chair Peak, the Tooth, and even the back side of Guy using different drainage systems. Guy never offered quality climbs but they would be OK as they more than likely are unprotectable. You can practice moving over thin terrain and not have too bad of a fall zone on some of the stuff if my poor old mind can remember the facts right.

[Dru]

yeah have a ball on guys back side !

[mikeadam]

I've been floundering around that area for a few days including a tour at 4am this morning. All the new snow is formless and very deep. Doesn't matter if you are skis or snowshoes. It's deep enough that unless the pitch of the slopes are pretty steep you can't even ski down something less than 25 degrees. It took me an hour and a half to cover 1200 ft of vertical. Chair Peak will not be in shape for awhile unless you like swimming through bottomless vertical oatmeal.

Mike

[erden]

I agree with Mike Adam. I was on the base of Chair NF on Sunday, 25th.

Getting up to the ridge line was laborious with deep fresh snow over rock. I was sinking to my belly or worse if I did not use my snowshoes. Falling was out of the question, since I could not push myself up back on my snowshoes, quite a struggle.

This may have settled by now though more snow has come down since Sunday. It had taken us longer than expected to reach the ridge line from the Alpental parking lot, arriving around 12:30pm. We had left Alpental around 06:15 am.

The north face was not in condition yet. What we could see was a fresh veneer of snow on rock, and what appeared to be some verglas.

On the NE ridge, there was some loose snow, a few icicles that would not have held a tool placement. We would have had to climb with cold fingers, or dry tool on rock.

Given the late arrival on the ridge and the fact that the conditions on the face would have forced us to move slower than ice or hard snow, we turned back.

The snow at the base of the NF probably was even deeper than on the ridge. We did not cross over under the face to test the idea. We had left the snowshoes just under the steep section under the ridge... Crossing high, closer to the NF probably would have allowed relatively safe access wrt avalanche hazard.

My 2 cents.

Erden.

[rat]

fucking morons

[rat]

Actually, you are all wonderful people, and I apologize for what I just said. I'm sorry!!!!!

[Scott_J]

hey rat, are one of the original asarats? there used to be a limited number of 'em and as years go by they will be endangered

[rat]

don't you know that rat never apologizes, you fucking rat? asarat iamtherat thatwillkilltherat thatbecametherat. there is only one rat and that is me, you fucking eejit.

[Michael_Rowe]

If it's any help, we just spent the day, Monday the 3rd, around Source lake, heading up to the Tooth. Yuck! Waist deep snow even in snowshoes.

[philfort]

The warm weather we're getting tomorrow should help consolidate things a bit maybe?

[fredrogers]

Waist deep snow isn't bad... if'n you're on snowboard.

[nolanr]

Was out there yesterday, beautiful conditions for 'shoeing. Sinking in about a half a foot or so it you're breaking new trail, but there's several well established tracks up to Source Lake, a few skiiers heading up higher.