Last Updated: November 28, 2024



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Upcoming reports & photos:

Oh my! Quite the backlog here...

  • Lone Goat & Snow Camp Mountain - hike (September 2023)
  • Isollilock Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Mount Manson - Mount Hatfield Traverse - scramble (October 2023)
  • The Gargoyles & Columnar Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Opal Cone and Lava Glacier - hike (October 2023)
  • Park Butte (WA) - hike (October 2023)
  • Trappers Peak (WA) - scramble (October 2023)
  • Rattlesnake Ledge (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sauk Mountain (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sunshine Coast (Mount Daniel, Pender Hill) - hike (November 2023)
  • Mount Dickerman (WA) - hike (November 2022)
  • Verona Peak AKA Winter's End - snowshoe (November 2023)
  • Dolomites (IT) - snowboard (December 2023)
  • Red Rock Canyon (NV) - scramble (January 2024)
  • Flute Summit & Oboe Summit - snowboard (February 2024)
  • Whistler Miscellaneous (Train Wreck, Loggers Lake, Shadow Lake and more) - hike (February 2024)
  • Mount Underhill - hike (March 2024)
  • Bombtram Mountain - snowshoe (March 2024)
  • Steep Peak - snowboard (March 2024)
  • Ruby Mountain (WA) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Blustry Mountain - hike (April 2024)
  • Sowerby Peak (Barr East) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Picacho Peak (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Kitt Peak Observatory (AZ) - (April 2024)
  • Mount Wrightson (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Saguaro National Park (AZ) - April 2024)
  • Superstition Peak/Benchmark (AZ) - scramble (April 2024)
  • Mount Humphreys (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Petrified Forest National Park (AZ) - (May 2024)
  • Piestewa Peak (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Channeled Scablands (WA | Columbia Gorge, Ancient Lakes, Potholes Lake, Palouse Falls and more) - hike (May 2024)
  • Rhododendron Mountain ("Pk. 2220") - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Flora Peak - hike (June 2024)
  • Gibson Peak - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Mount Urquhart - scramble (June 2024)
  • Rock Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Ladies Pass Quartet (WA | Cape Horn, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass NE Peak, Snowgrass Mountain) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Old Snowy (WA) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Dog Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Mount Ratney & Mount Bardean - scramble (July 2024)
  • Torrent Peak - scramble (July 2024)
  • Steep Peak - Darkside Peak Traverse - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silvertip Mountain - scramble (July 2024)
  • The Old Settler - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silent Hub Peak - scramble (August 2024)
  • Saint Jacobs Mountain - scramble (August 2024)
  • Mount David (WA) - scramble (August 2024)
  • Goat Mountain West Peak & Table Mountain (WA) - hike (August 2024)
  • Griswold Pass (Tuber Hill, Glacier View Peak, Subatomic Peaks: Baryon, Meson, Muon, Lepton) - scramble (September 2024)
  • Yellow Aster Butte (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mazama Dome (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Ptarmigan Ridge - (WA | The Portals East Peak, Coleman Pinnacle) - hike (September 2024)
  • Tetrahedron Peak - scramble (September 2024)
  • Lone Cone & Peak 86 (Tofino) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mount Athelstan ("Pk. 2460") - scramble (September 2024)
  • Excelsior Peak and Cowap Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Hollyburn Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Cheam Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Blanchard Needle - scramble (October 2024)
  • Debeck's Hill & 4 Lakes Loop - hike (October 2024)
  • Mount Hallowell - hike (November 2024)

*As of 11/28/2024


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Sunday, January 24, 2021

Mount Seton - South Face via Saddlebag Lakes, August 2020



A taste of the San Juans of CO right here in SWBC, complete with the endless scree treadmill and top shelf views! I'm speaking of course of Mount Seton - the highest peak in all of the Cayoosh Range. At 9380 feet, the rounded summit rises above most everything in the vicinity, Mount Brew and Whitecap Mountain excepted. The peak sits smack dab in the middle of the hydrological crescent formed by Anderson and Seton Lake, making for a unique position and of course the views to go with it. With the glaciated crest of peaks to the south and west, to the dry and bare mountains to the north and east, the contrast in scenery is apparent. Oh, and is that the elusive Skihist Mountain peeking off in the distance? The highest in SWBC, this was the first time I positively identified the peak from the summit of another. One of these days... One could spend hours up on the summit gawking at all the sights both near and far.

The approach to the picturesque basin cradling Saddlebag Lakes is relatively quick and easy thanks to recent trail work by the good people of Lillooet (you didn't hear it from me). The azure-colored lakes lie directly beneath the peak's towering South Face and just beckon for a swim, were it not of course for the swarms of mosquitos awaiting anyone who dares to get too close. Like nearby Statimcets Peak, the lakes basin is very reminiscent of the CO Rockies with its high-altitude plateaus and rubbly shale slopes descending from the peaks towering above. And speaking of, if it were up to me, I think Seton should replace Statimcets in the SSWBC guide. After all, they share the same FSR approach, the views from Seton are better and approach scenery is more or less the same. Oh, and did I mention that it's the highest in all the Cayoosh? Certainly, both are plagued by the same heinous two-steps-forward-one-step-back scree slopes guarding the summit ridges, so why not make the effort count? All in, it's about 7 or so hours round-trip for a most satisfying day of alpine tramping!

Click here to view.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Mount Tantalus - North Ridge, August 2020



Fast forward 11 years since my previous attempt and off for the mighty Tantalus we go again, this time with Agata the Alpinista and via the classic SE Spur. Excellent snowpack and cool spring meant conditions for early August were about as good as they get, and we reached the base of the rock without much fussing with moats or 'schrunds for that matter. From there, our guide Andrew (Zenith Mountain Guides) led us on the "upper" variation of the SE Spur. With dizzying exposure pretty much the entire time, this is easily one of the more complex routes I have been on. Not particularly technical, but a challenging route-finding adventure with a notorious reputation for...um...interesting situations.

The rock features a bit of everything with some exciting traversing to reach the notch at top of Heart of Darkness Coulior, and again across a ledge below Witches Tooth. A short down-climb into another crappy gully and then up the 5.6 "crux" crack pitch to another notch, which we crossed over and traversed once more into a small cave. Up out of the cave for a steep pitch to the classic knife edge arete and the highlight of the route. Finally, some easier scrambling along ledges and broken terrain led to the summit. Put succinctly, up and right, up and right (and repeat) was the theme of the day. Note that Alpine Select is woefully outdated and there are now bolted stations at all the key raps/belays. In total we did two raps on our way up, 5 raps on return from the summit block, another 3 raps down the gully to Dione Glacier and about as many belayed and/or simul pitches. A 7pm heli pickup completed a very enjoyable ~12 hr day. Big thanks to Andrew and Zenith for making it all possible. Highly recommended if considering a Tantalus climb or anything else for that matter!

Click here to view.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

MacDonald Peak - North Ridge, August 2020



A return to "The Chilliwacks" this time up on the crest directly west of Chilliwack Lake. Parked at the prov. park day use area as the trailhead described in SSWBC is off limits due to that thing we'll forever associate 2020 with. Easy from there across lake outflow then parallel to the river before reaching the TCT-Radium Lake junction. Hike to Radium Lake kinda long and boring, despite significant investment into 3 newish aluminum bridges that cross the same creek. Radium Lake not much to look at and just a couple groups camped at the sites nearby. On up to the Webb-Macdonald Pass, then turned right following a bit of a path initially along the left side before gaining the ridge. At the headwall, I went low and right across snow and talus, passing a shitty looking gully, aiming for the rib at right skyline. Later, I saw others go directly up over the headwall - looked like more interesting scrambling, shoulda gone this way. Choose your own adventure.

Turned up the rib and scrambled over blocky terrain to reach a false summit. Down into a notch then back up the other side for a short scamper to the summit proper. Nice views despite the increasing cloudiness, especially looking over towards past Cascadian conquests I could make out through the clouds - Redoubt, Spickard, Luna, Fury, Challenger, Rexford and the Esawkwatch Spires. Good times! Mount Lindeman looked good as well and was beckoning me, but it seemed too far away and the connecting ridge with MacDonald either uncharted or technical, or both. Left it for my next adventure out this way, via the standard Center Creek approach. Took a brief nap a bit lower down on the ridge and decided to pass on Webb as I was feeling pretty pooped from not much rest this past month. Back to the lake shore where the usual gong show was underway with countless boaters and their Tonka Trucks jockeying for a turn at the boat ramp. Hopped back in the car after a 9-ish hour day, luckily escaping the rain which started falling again shortly thereafter.

Click here to view.
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