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Paradise Glacier (MRNP) - Feb. 28

2010-03-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

A casual day-trip up to Camp Muir with an enjoyable descent starting from Anvil Rock, and ending up finally at the big road bend in Paradise Valley. A worthy alternative to the Muir Snowfield descent and possibly also the Nisqually Chutes, especially if you're bored of either of those lines.

Snowdays - Feb. 13, 14 & 18

2010-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

Agata slashes the nose descending into Harmony Bowl.

In the words of a friend and fellow heli-crack addict, "The smell of Jet-A combined with the sound of rotor blades cutting through the cold winter air on a bluebird morning after a week of snow is better than just about anything I can think of." - TW

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East Peak/Cement Basin & Table Mountain (Jan. 30 & Feb. 7)

2010-03-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

Good days at the local resorts have certainly been few and far in between this season. Normally a quick and reliable staple for the Seattle-based chair lift crowd, Alpental has arguably yielded but a single "powder day" back on January 26 - hardly a justification for a season's pass mind you. But it's still winter and there's pow to be had somewhere, so off to earn our turns we go. Back to the familiar environs of Crystal's East Peak with three excellent laps into Cement Basin where low expectations were met with face shots and smiles all around. We found somewhat heavier powder on the slopes around Table Mountain the following weekend but with increasing clouds and fog later in the afternoon, we felt better about having abandoned our more ambitious plans for the day...more on that some other time.

El Nino pow @ W/B - Jan. 16-17

2010-02-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

Judging by the record crowds as of late and not to mention playing host to the 2010 Winter Olympics in a matter of days, one might laugh hysterically at the suggestion of that oh-so-popular ski resort north of Vancouver as having financial difficulties. Isn't it ironic then that Fortress Investment Group (owner of Intrawest) is looking to auction this particular asset to the highest bidder? This certainly explains the curtailing of staff and operations we've experienced the past couple of seasons. Apparently not even Whistler/Blackcomb is immune to the world of big finance.

But while cash is tight these days, winter has at least shown some occasional generosity. Yes, the media sure likes to sensationalize the absence of snow on the North Shore Mountains (specifically Cypress which will host the Olympic half pipe event for starters), but the mountains along the Sea-to-Sky highway have fared relatively well this season. Latitude and certainly altitude makes a big difference in an off-season such as this. And so with that in mind, we hedged our bets on a rare bluebird blower day and ended up nicely in the black.

Dolomiti - Dec. 19 - Jan. 3

2010-01-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

Between the 12 hours stranded in Frankfurt on the way in and the two days stranded on the way back, you'll forgive my unembellished recount of the Italy trip this time around. The stunning gross incompetence exhibited by the Frankfurt airport and Lufthansa airline staff to effectively manage the several hundred poor souls hopelessly stuck at the mercy of German inefficiency and non-hospitality is NOT something I'm liable to forget anytime soon. And why our board bag arrived three days late in Verona and seven days after we returned to Seattle still baffles me. I suppose we should be happy we got the bag back at all. In any case, I could easily dedicate this entire report to how awful the trip to and from Italy was this year, but I won't. Suffice to say that I'll never set foot in that godforsaken shithole of an airport again!

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Gray Falls (ice climbing) - Dec. 12

2010-01-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

Being the non-ice climber that I am, I couldn't let the mid-December cold snap slip by without so much as a swing of an ice tool or two. Ok, all jokes aside, when the snow gets so bad for sliding then it must be great for climbing, right? With that in mind, I joined Tod and JB for a day out on ice of the vertical variety. Inspired by recent reports of a newly discovered 3-tier icefall tucked 5 or 6 miles up Ingall's Creek Valley, we decided to go have a look at the so called Gray Falls for ourselves.

Crystal b/c - Nov. 7 & 14

2010-01-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

Did a couple tours out in the Crystal b/c when the getting was good this past autumn. Combined with a few deep weekends at Whistler late in November, it seems conditions have either been warm and wet or cold and dry (and firm) ever since. Here's to wishing that punk El Nino leaves us alone for a few months...

Crystal - Cayuse Pass loop

Union Creek/Bullion Basin

Scary Canary - October 11

2010-01-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

The temperature at our trailhead bivy the night prior to our Serpentene Arete attempt was well below freezing, and remained comfortably below the 20-degree mark all that next day thanks to the arctic air which was in place over much of the state that weekend. The prospect of enduring that kind of cold on a large north-facing wall where the sun now remains absent until Spring gnawed away at my motivation throughout the approach. Unable to feel my fingers and my toes and feeling wholly unsecure scrambling along the snow-dusted ledge low on the route, I eventually decided I'd had enough. We salvaged what was left of the short day climbing Canary on Castle Rock instead. Tod did a fine lead up the first 5.8 pitch with a stout finish onto Saber Ledge. The airy and classic step off the ledge at the start of p2 really gets the blood flowing and is easily the highlight of the route. Yes, a far cry from Serpentine Arete but at least now I have something to look forward to come spring or summer this year.

West Lion - South Route, October 4

2009-12-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Back in N. Van for the weekend, I couldn't pass-up the unexpected good fall weather just lounging about the house. While the North Shore riding on Mount Fromme was a blast as always, I was really looking forward to once-and-for-all scrambling up West Lion the day after. Hands down the most prominent and obvious peaks as seen from downtown Vancouver, the hike up to The Lions is a notoriously popular undertaking, akin to our own Mount Si, but with far better views.

Mount Larrabee & Am. Border Pk - West Ridge, Sept. 26 - 27

2009-12-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, I got "greedy". At least so says John of our failed attempt at climbing American Border Peak. The decision to "quickly run up" Mount Larrabee on our way to camp below American Border Peak proved to be a bad call. It's not that it can't be done; mind you, assuming one can follow basic directions. Going on good beta which I somehow misinterpreted, the idea was to drop our packs by the Gargett Mine at the end of the trail shortly beyond High Pass. Then we were to continue up and right (faint trail here) to rejoin the standard Southwest Route. Instead of doing this however, I blindly led our party on a tedious traverse across countless gullies and ribs high on the West Face towards a broad shoulder below the West Ridge. Not only did this eat time and energy, it brought us closer to our final objective, American Border Peak while at the same time distancing us from where we left our packs back at the mine.

We nevertheless climbed Larrabee via the horribly loose West Ridge and returned relatively late in the day to camp in the first basin below the West Face. We were two basins short, hours from where we wanted to be, and were we to go for ABP the next day, we would definitely be hiking out in the dark. Fatigue and hesitation then got the better of partners Ben and John and plans for a sortie on ABP were promptly scrapped. I'll do a better job of keeping my eye on the prize next time!

Devil's Gulch mountain biking - Sept. 12

2009-12-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Arguably one of the best XC rides in the state, the Devil's Gulch Trail is a must-do ride for the casual and avid mountain biker alike. To that end, Agata and I were joined by fellow Lake Wenatchee campers Heather Henricks, Mike LeRoy and Scott Shillito for an afternoon out on the singletrack. A large washout a couple miles before the trailhead proper, however eliminated any possibility of a car shuttle and left us to ponder the merits of a rather longish 28-mile loop.

Many years have passed since I last did this ride and it seems that I conveniently forgot about the occasionally steep 12+ miles of UP. We were all pretty pooped by the time we reached the upper-trailhead and wanted nothing but a quick, mellow ride back to the car. Alas it seems I forgot about the DOWN as well, for it was neither quick nor mellow. Suffice to say, it was also a real workout surviving the descent on a circa 1999 hardtail without disk brakes. In any case, Devil's Gulch is still a great ride but make sure you come prepared for a long uphill grind and for heaven's sake have at least 100mm of travel for the ride down!

Sunshine Coast - Sept. 4-7

2009-12-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

And now for a relaxing Labor Day weekend on BC's scenic Sunshine Coast. True to the forecast, the crummy weather put the kibosh on any hope of exploring the increasingly popular rock climbing in and around Powell River. Highlights instead include a bike loop on Savary Island and kayaking around Okeover Inlet and Desolation Sound Provincial Marine Park in a downpour. Rain or shine, there's a lot more than a long weekend worth of stuff to see and do here and a visit is well worth the two ferry sailings and long drive.

Mount Edith Cavell - West Ridge, August 28

2009-12-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

With our two weeks in Western Canada coming to a close, there was just enough time for one last Rockies' classic before returning home. Named after a nurse who was executed by the Germans for helping allied solders escape from occupied Belgium to the Netherlands during World War I, Mount Edith Cavell is arguably the most popular and frequently climbed peak in Jasper National Park. Although the North Face has the honor of being included in Steck and Roper's book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, the aesthetic (and moderate) East Ridge deservedly gets the most attention. Having previously glimpsed the hulking shale wall with its characteristic tilted bands of snow and ice seemingly emanating from the prominent East Ridge, the peak has long been an obvious must-do climb for me.

Full report here.

Mount Assiniboine - North Ridge, August 23-26

2009-11-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

The iconic Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies, Mount Assiniboine is a classic peak popular among climbers the world-over. I first heard the calling several years ago when Eric Hoffman and I intended to climb the peak during a 10-day stint in the Rockies and Selkirks of British Columbia. Unfortunately, reports suggested that conditions weren't favorable for an ascent of the North Ridge, as a late-August storm had plastered the peak with considerable amounts of fresh snow. Enter plan 'B'. Leaving Lake Louise, we pointed the car north on the Icefields Parkway and went on to climb Mount Athabasca instead.

Come August 2009, it seemed as if Eli and I were doomed to suffer a similar fate. A storm the week prior to our two-week trip in Canada once again blasted the top 1500 feet with new snow. Hoping to capitalize on the week's worth of forecasted sunshine and warmer temperatures in and around Kananaskis Country, we delayed our Canadian Rockies itinerary so as to allow time for some of the new snow to melt off. Now, after having burned through the first half of our trip gallivanting in the Coast Range, we felt conditions up on Assiniboine were about as good as they were going to get for us. With Eli's WRX packed to the gills, we departed North Vancouver for the long drive over to Lake Louise.

Full report here.

Overseer Mountain - Southeast Face, August 19-21

2009-11-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

Eli and I had time for one more Coast Range climb before making good on our already twice-revised plans and high-tailing it east for objectives in the Canadian Rockies. Sticking with a theme that had treated us well up until now, we narrowed our choices to a handful of selections from the Scrambles Guide. With the vast expanse of snow and ice surrounding the peak, I had always wanted to climb Overseer Mountain, preferably as a spring ski tour. However, approach and access considerations aside, the peak was just too far out of sight and mind to register on most of my Seattleite friends' radar.

Hiking down from our Cirque Peak camp at mid-morning on a smoky Wednesday in August, it occurred to me that there was probably no better time than the present to go for Overseer. We had the time, favorable weather conditions, and were in the general area to boot. I could always come back in the spring sometime if I cared enough to 'board down it. Eli was of a similar opinion and so without further discussion we set our sights on the highest peak in the Pemberton Icefield.

Full report here.

Cirque Peak - North Ridge, August 17-19

2009-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

With soreness in the legs only just developing from the previous day's Ashlu climb, Eli and I got a lazy afternoon start from North Vancouver. We selected the North Ridge of Cirque Peak from Matt Gunn's Scrambles Guide as our next objective as it looked to us to be one of the more aesthetic, if not challenging (and loose) scrambles in the guide. The peak also lies in an area of mountains near Pemberton, BC neither of us had visited before. The idea of 'discovering' yet another perspective on the Coast Mountains was exciting to us. The fact that Cirque Peak seemed to offer a fun ridge climb with great position was an added bonus.

Full report here.

Ashlu Mountain - East Ridge, August 15-16

2009-10-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

As was the case with Mount Rexford, Welch Peak, Overseer Mountain, Mount Matier and probably a handful of other peaks in BC that I have since forgotten about, I first learned of Ashlu Mountain while perusing the many trip reports on Bivouac.com. The Ashlu report describes a stout 5.10a rock climb on the peak's impressive South Face. Though the climb itself certainly intrigued me, the photos depicting the wild, glaciated scenery in this remote corner of the Coast Range were really what captured my imagination. Years went by and I would have all but forgotten about Ashlu were it not for a chance sighting while heli-skiing near Powder Mountain last March. Seen as an aesthetic pyramid of rock towering above neighboring peaks, Ashlu's lure was too much to resist a second time around. Content with simply scrambling up the peak's East Ridge, Eli and I chose Ashlu as our 'debut' climb for a two-week romp in the mountains of BC and AB.

Full report here.

Tantalus Mountain - North Ridge, July 25-27

2009-09-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

For our third and (probably) final Tantalus Range installment, Eric and I set out to climb the North Ridge of Tantalus Mountain. As before, we prearranged a heli-bump up to our home for the next two nights, this time at a location below the North Ridge proper. We expected to be dropped off at a luxuriously comfortable camp spot somewhere on a heathery ridge crest at the head of Mawby Creek. So it came as a bit of a surprise when the pilot informed us that he could only drop us off at one of two somewhat uninviting locations. Not exactly an exposed perch, but the col overlooking the northern most margin of the Rumbling Glacier was not exactly what we had in mind.

Full report here.

Mount Deception - Gilhooley Saddle, July 18

2009-08-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

At most I might average a single Olympics trip a year. After all there's only so much choss that even I can take. Having climbed both Anderson and Deception within a few weeks of each other, one might ask what the hell has gotten in to me this summer. Have I lost my mind?

Whatever. I had it on relatively good authority that a trip to climb Mount Deception would be well worth the effort, no matter how loose or easy the climb for that matter. From outrageously scenic Royal Basin to the lofty summit (by Olympic standards) with its expansive views of surprisingly rugged peaks both near and far, Deception doesn't disappoint. But make no mistake; the peak certainly harbors some awful rock, although frankly I didn't find it any worse than that which I have encountered on so many peaks in that mountain range east of the Sound. Besides, being that it's the second tallest peak in the Olympic Mountains alone warrants visitation by any avid Seattle-based...er, um chossaholic in my opinion. It certainly also doesn't hurt that the climb is doable in a day from my bed in North Seattle. Bed-to-bed in less than 20 hours I like to say...ha ha! Had I not gotten hosed by the damn ferry wait once again I'd have made it home in time for a late dinner even!

Full report here.

Tower Mountain - West Gully, July 11

2009-08-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Having worn my last pair of mountaineering boots well past their prime, I found myself frantically searching for a new pair. REI's internet-only Garmont Tower GTX boot sale presented an offer I could not refuse; an offer made even better by putting my REI dividend towards the purchase. With the great price and better than expected fit, it seemed only fitting that the maiden voyage for these boots would be Tower Mountain itself.

As seen from many summits in the Washington Pass area, Tower Mountain presents itself as a slanting rock fin rising abruptly from the undulating terrain at the southern edge of the Pasayten Wilderness. Ever since I first laid eyes on the peak in 2002 from the top of Liberty Bell, Tower has held my imagination and curiosity. I however always seemed to have had greater climbing priorities; that is until now. My 'thing' these days seems to be day-trip scrambles from Seattle (lame I know, but at least I'm not claiming some FKT nonsense). Armed with the Swamp Creek approach beta and a good estimate on how much time the approach and climb should take, I managed to convince Eli into joining me on this seemingly masochistic enterprise.

Full report here.

Mount Anderson - East Ridge (West Peak), July 3-5

2009-08-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

I credit long-time climbing partner Eric H. for initially drawing my attention to Mount Anderson, a large mountain massif hidden deep within the Olympic Mountains. To be honest, it seemed like an unremarkable, out-of-the-way pile representative of most of the peaks in the range. One could say that I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about Anderson. But, alas I promised Eric I'd climb it with him if he would accompany me on the West Arete of Mount Constance-a peak he had already visited two times prior.

In my ever-expanding quest to visit unclimbed (by me) peaks in unfamiliar (to me) pockets of our local mountain ranges, Anderson's increase in priority on my to-do list was virtually assured. By the summer of 2009 it was finally getting to be time to pull the trigger on the trip. Despite the unfortunate fact that Eric wouldn't be able to join us, Paul K's timely suggestion to climb the peak over the July 4th weekend was music to my ears.

Full report here.

Graybeard Peak - West Ridge, June 28

2009-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

(Report by Tom S.) Considering I had forgotten my rock shoes at home, Sergio and I found ourselves looking for an objective for the following day. Plans for a rock climb at WA Pass were shelved in favor of another nearby scramble. Graybeard Peak came to mind and, seeing as how neither of us had climbed it, we decided to give it a go. We set off from the Easy Pass TH at 8:15AM, trudging up a trail I had traveled 5 times prior (Sergio 3 times). There was some avalanche debris covering the trail at about mile 2-2.5, but nothing major. Snow began at about 5000' and was fairly solid all the way to Easy Pass...

-read the rest of Tom's report here.

Corteo Peak - Southwest Ridge, June 27

2009-07-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

(Report by Tom S.) After not having been on a trip with Sergio for the past 2 years, we finally linked up again for a fun weekend of alpine scrambling. We left Seattle Friday afternoon and headed up HWY 20 to Rainy Pass TH with plans to climb Corteo Peak on Saturday and some WA Pass rock on Sunday. We arrived at the TH at around 10PM, and shared a few beers before retiring for the night.

We awoke at 6AM and began our hike up to Heather Pass. The trail had intermittent patches of snow, but it will be entirely melted out as of this writing. From Heather Pass, we dropped down 600' to the NW, passing Lewis Lake, before heading up the Lewis "Glacier". We had no trouble finding the obvious 7500' notch that we would use to cross over to the Woody Creek drainage. From the notch, we lost ~400' before crossing the basin and contouring up towards the SW Ridge of Corteo...

-read the rest of Tom's report here.

Summit panorama looking to SSE and NE.

Odds 'n Ends - June '09

2009-07-03T00:12:00.000-07:00

With the sudden onset of unseasonably warm weather this spring the appeal of a refreshing 'dip' in the Pacific has been a hard thing for me to resist. The only reasonable day-trip option for Seattle-based surfers, the waves at Westport have for many years been a reliable outlet for me. Like recalling a pair of smelly socks from the laundry pile, it isn't my first choice but it gets the job done when you're in a pinch. And speaking of dirty laundry - finally partook in some MTB action at Galbraith Mountain where the mud was flying, knees bloody and my neighbor Dave demonstrated some impressive hucking skills! Check Dave's biker blog for the story and pics.

Season Finale - May 31

2009-06-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Agata and I returned from a long weekend of sipping caipirinhas and making the most of the small SoCal surf jonesing for one more frolic in the snow. We had familial obligations in Vancouver that weekend as it was, not to mention the two unused Whistler lift tickets that we wouldn't dare let go to waste. As it turned out, we closed down the mountain on its final day of snow sliding operations for the season. Here's to better conditions next winter!