suggestions?

[syudla]

I'm sure many of you will get a big laff outa this but,

I suddenly find myself with a lot of spring, time. My AK trip fell thru so can you guys recommend some good technical alpine routes that may be in shape between now and mid-may. I'm not a local so its a bit tough to stay in the loop. Anything up to 4 day trip will work. I have the CAG's circa late 70's/early 80's.

 

titter away..

[larrythellama]

ski traverse the entire range. i am sure there are some lackeys on this site that will meet you at road crossings to re-up on the neccesities.

[G-spotter]

pickets! enough snow to keep the bush down, but south-facing rock will be dry by may.

 

or failing that, a couple of days on redoubt and bear...

[syudla]

Love the pickets but the effort of getting there is worth more than the couple days I'd have to stay. Spent a week in the northern in 2000. I changed my vacation schedule, so tho I now have time in spring, it is broken into smaller chunks of time. (With work in socal in between)

 

When would the road up depot cr melt out?

[G-spotter]

you can usually drive up depot creek by late april or early may

[roboboy]

Since you can only drive a mile or two of the Depot creek road anyway, it's more a question of how much of a slog it will be up to Redoubt in May depending on snow conditions.

[mattp]

Be careful there, Sy. I have no idea what your skill or ambitions may be, but you said you are "not from around here" and, while you are talking about some of the more exciting parts of the North Cascades, for sure, I bet there are few more than a dozen or so people who have ever done much climbing in the Pickets or on Redoubt in April and certainly not in "a couple of days." These would make excellent destinations if conditions were perfect and your skills were up to it but the weather tends to be unstable around here at that time of year and just as soon as the snowpack sets up we seem prone to getting a new dump of snow that messes it up again -- unless you are looking for powder skiiing in the alpine areas and are good at crawling through the woods on skis -- then April can be a great time of year.

 

For dry rock, you might find something in the Stuart Range and, for a more mountaineering type outing, consider Mount Baker or a south or west side route on Mount Rainier.

[DirtyHarry]

I think any rock routes you may want to climb will still have snow on them. Though, as Matt said, you may have some luck in the Chantments. But I think you'd be better off either skiing or going rock climbing in Yosemite.

[G-spotter]

have no idea what your skill or ambitions may be, but you said you are "not from around here" and, while you are talking about some of the more exciting parts of the North Cascades, for sure,

 

yeah, syudla's climbed Serra 5, what a gaper eh matt

[roboboy]

Volcano routes or Mt Shuksan routes.

Mt Stuart north side glaciers, snow/ice routes on Dragontail & Colchuck.

Eldorado, maybe Forbidden.

Depends on highly variable snow conditions/weather.

Since it is in lieu of an "AK" trip he should be able to handle any of these.

[mattp]

Did I call anybody a gaper? The guy could be Marc Twight plus Drew Brayshaw and I'd still offer the same suggestion. Has anybody ever honestly suggested that the Pickets was a place to go looking for dry rock in April or even the beginning of May? You might find it but it'd be unusual and highly unlikely to coincide with somebody's pre-set schedule.

[syudla]

Did I call anybody a gaper?

 

No worries,

 

Sorta leaning toward triple couloirs. Predictions as to condition, say mid april? Guess I shoulda mentioned doesn't nesscesarily hafta be dry rock. And its not really in lieu of AK, that'll be Canadian Rockies

[mattp]

That is often the best time for crusing conditions in the TC's, but it varies. There's a good chance you'll see some route reports from that area over the next month, so stand by for updates.