tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55257872413202443412024-02-07T11:31:19.666-08:00Winter ReflectionsChris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-5121869605004403652014-05-28T19:51:00.001-07:002014-05-28T19:58:12.764-07:00Memorial Day Turns on Barrett Spur<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MsH3P4KlDXsGkYQzJJwjGEiIIvlLrmZRCOGhmJDKcZyHELDjYXlZnwtt9qZ_-s3ILjnF6j6mFOLvbRw0n0U_oPEjH1gxwnlxWQV5P7zxiJfGNO4cYdth8V9Ehk9sa2KhW_7xnEQIBOw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MsH3P4KlDXsGkYQzJJwjGEiIIvlLrmZRCOGhmJDKcZyHELDjYXlZnwtt9qZ_-s3ILjnF6j6mFOLvbRw0n0U_oPEjH1gxwnlxWQV5P7zxiJfGNO4cYdth8V9Ehk9sa2KhW_7xnEQIBOw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-14.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle dropping off of Barrett Spur into 2000+ feet of perfect corn</i></td></tr>
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Over Memorial Day weekend, Mt. Hood delivered again, serving up untracked slopes of perfect corn snow and incredible vistas of Cascade volcanoes. We departed Portland early on Saturday morning - around 5 am - headed for the wild and free north side of our local volcano. Our goal was to ski Barrett Spur, a little peak surrounded by the massive glaciers, ice falls and ridge lines of a remote corner of Mt. Hood. Our efforts paid off, and we harvested several thousand of feet of beautiful spring snow before stopping in Parkdale to drink some local micro brews en route to a not-so-secret but still untrammeled rock climbing crag. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L-11wGDhi_0/U4VkWQz0oQI/AAAAAAAALaA/XWTkGzVNcJ8/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L-11wGDhi_0/U4VkWQz0oQI/AAAAAAAALaA/XWTkGzVNcJ8/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-6.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Hood in early morning light from the Upper Hood River Valley</i></td></tr>
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With an early departure from Portland, we made our way to the trailhead outside of Parkdale, Oregon by shortly after 7. On the way through the Hood River Valley, Mt. Hood put on an incredible show that got us really excited for the day ahead. Our anticipation built as we drove closer and closer to the mountain, until we had to stop along the side of the road, jumping out of the car to capture some images of a perfect May morning.<br />
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We started out hiking through the area that burned in the <a href="http://wyeastblog.org/2012/06/22/after-the-dollar-lake-fire/" target="_blank">Dollar Lake fire</a> back in 2011. The blaze started in August and ultimately spread out over more than 6,000 acres of primarily high elevation forest before petering out in October of that year. The burned area is visible from miles around, and the hike up towards Barrett Spur includes a tour through some of the most heavily impacted spots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3BuFK_yY6HA/U4VkPnVncEI/AAAAAAAALZQ/nSSDtFn_VVU/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3BuFK_yY6HA/U4VkPnVncEI/AAAAAAAALZQ/nSSDtFn_VVU/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-19.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A small stream flows through some riparian vegetation amongst many snags and partially burned trees</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m49EztVTPz0/U4VkVITsIhI/AAAAAAAALZw/_FBhf4dfEOk/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m49EztVTPz0/U4VkVITsIhI/AAAAAAAALZw/_FBhf4dfEOk/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-5.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hiking through the burned snags, which have mostly shed their heavily burned bark</i></td></tr>
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We hit snow around 5,200 feet, lost the trail, and started hiking up towards tree line, eventually popping out on the ridgeline that leads directly up to the spur.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CYNyeU1gJCU/U4VkL80tLJI/AAAAAAAALZA/ZcCUPLO5fak/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CYNyeU1gJCU/U4VkL80tLJI/AAAAAAAALZA/ZcCUPLO5fak/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-17.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More burned snags with a snowpack that is still hanging on</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Oq4oBfSKvg2Mrqo59uXHYTXqe3d7C10Xc7Rm9t-184cjcD_Om2ibsz2YEEB5orfPkj8innrfFgYASZEQkB1Gr7FnWGrWJTvN69dtnnBn_VwJUjQoaIxgugareClRqbF5Yi_8URGnXTI/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Oq4oBfSKvg2Mrqo59uXHYTXqe3d7C10Xc7Rm9t-184cjcD_Om2ibsz2YEEB5orfPkj8innrfFgYASZEQkB1Gr7FnWGrWJTvN69dtnnBn_VwJUjQoaIxgugareClRqbF5Yi_8URGnXTI/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-16.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Above treeline and headed towards Barrett Spur</i></td></tr>
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Once in the alpine, we were treated to scenic views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and, of course, the rugged beauty of the north side of Mt. Hood.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HHBU1Tbegpg/U4VkHy-6irI/AAAAAAAALYw/SCGqaFtQbSY/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HHBU1Tbegpg/U4VkHy-6irI/AAAAAAAALYw/SCGqaFtQbSY/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-15.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OBEOasuTKnI/U4VkSlJ4XmI/AAAAAAAALZo/QThHCmaUz-Q/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OBEOasuTKnI/U4VkSlJ4XmI/AAAAAAAALZo/QThHCmaUz-Q/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-4.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Coe Glacier in the center, Cooper Spur on the left hand skyline, and the Elliot Glacier headwall in the top center</i></td></tr>
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The Wilderness Act of 1964 lists "solitude or an unconfined and primitive type of recreation" as one of the intangible values to be protected by setting aside roadless expanses of public land. On this holiday weekend in 2014, no more than a 2-hour drive from a major metropolitan area, we were surprised to find ourselves utterly alone in an alpine playground. We maybe saw two tiny specks crawling across the Snowdome towards the Sunshine Route, but we saw nobody else the entire day.<br />
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After enjoying a leisurely lunch and basking in the sun, we finally decided to harvest some corn right around noon. Jaime dropped in first, carving elegant turns down the northern ridgeline of the spur towards the basin below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MsH3P4KlDXsGkYQzJJwjGEiIIvlLrmZRCOGhmJDKcZyHELDjYXlZnwtt9qZ_-s3ILjnF6j6mFOLvbRw0n0U_oPEjH1gxwnlxWQV5P7zxiJfGNO4cYdth8V9Ehk9sa2KhW_7xnEQIBOw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MsH3P4KlDXsGkYQzJJwjGEiIIvlLrmZRCOGhmJDKcZyHELDjYXlZnwtt9qZ_-s3ILjnF6j6mFOLvbRw0n0U_oPEjH1gxwnlxWQV5P7zxiJfGNO4cYdth8V9Ehk9sa2KhW_7xnEQIBOw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-14.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dropping off the top of Barrett Spur with Mt. Adams in the background</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-svmcuxvDTlA/U4VkGEEHcQI/AAAAAAAALYg/NSNYAMW4OEc/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-svmcuxvDTlA/U4VkGEEHcQI/AAAAAAAALYg/NSNYAMW4OEc/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-13.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-az09PlxtaP4/U4VkFbqYTGI/AAAAAAAALYY/YoZoRbnVfQE/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-az09PlxtaP4/U4VkFbqYTGI/AAAAAAAALYY/YoZoRbnVfQE/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-12.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Good times</i></td></tr>
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We harvested 2100' of buttery corn snow down into the basin below the spur, where we enjoyed a beer and took in more incredible views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mNXeUMnfbOc/U4VkEQPZGkI/AAAAAAAALYQ/vnMp1qH2pv0/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mNXeUMnfbOc/U4VkEQPZGkI/AAAAAAAALYQ/vnMp1qH2pv0/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-11.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The southwest chutes of Mt. Adams tempt us with other fun descents</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYV0PlCX3eI/U4VkXytTuII/AAAAAAAALaQ/xNltIpJz3b4/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYV0PlCX3eI/U4VkXytTuII/AAAAAAAALaQ/xNltIpJz3b4/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-9.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJOkVb0IlE/U4VkXAiPWII/AAAAAAAALaI/eTqWp3RvsBM/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prJOkVb0IlE/U4VkXAiPWII/AAAAAAAALaI/eTqWp3RvsBM/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-8.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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We finally put the skins back on and climbed 900' back up towards the ridgeline, carefully cross hilling on a slope that was warming rapidly under the sun. With 2-3 inches of ski penetration through softening snow, we tread carefully across the slope without kicking off any sloughs. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUdUWjWkrqw/U4VkWg-Q7hI/AAAAAAAALaE/rapNkqN-wBw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mUdUWjWkrqw/U4VkWg-Q7hI/AAAAAAAALaE/rapNkqN-wBw/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-7.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2000' of turns and a climb back to the ridge</i></td></tr>
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After gaining the ridgeline and before dropping back into the woods, we managed to eke out a few more turns and to soak up many more incredible views of our local mountain. What a day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-afTvAnC4TK0/U4VkRnX0UDI/AAAAAAAALZg/oybMqJyuyJc/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-afTvAnC4TK0/U4VkRnX0UDI/AAAAAAAALZg/oybMqJyuyJc/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-3.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Perfect Memorial Day conditions</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LY4ezOa-474/U4VkRduOapI/AAAAAAAALZc/VmtObT0NREU/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LY4ezOa-474/U4VkRduOapI/AAAAAAAALZc/VmtObT0NREU/s1600/05-14+-+Barrett+Spur+Ski-2.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our turns frames by the wild glaciers and ice falls of the north side</td></tr>
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On the way down to the <a href="http://www.solerabrewery.com/" target="_blank">Solera</a> brewpub in Parkdale, we stopped one final time to admire the mountain. The warm glow of of the morning had faded to cool afternoon tones as a light cloud cover started to move over the north side of Mt. Hood. The mountain is ever changing, and we were lucky to catch it on a perfect day for backcountry turns without another soul in sight.<br />
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-30784141657693575202014-02-02T14:49:00.001-08:002014-02-03T13:03:09.887-08:00Applegate and Garfield Peaks -> The Wombat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UAKUmwiWJXBHy5DAwRUHDjQIkknmMGd3ukcAh5MSP1fgvUacAZiHStYpJlaBbVP0FMpwFv6Lvet5BCDlYUylBNaLEKTwYkPCtRD25rH9wWkM64UMh8KiLnEPUKXE12KKSxBR5uOXseU/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UAKUmwiWJXBHy5DAwRUHDjQIkknmMGd3ukcAh5MSP1fgvUacAZiHStYpJlaBbVP0FMpwFv6Lvet5BCDlYUylBNaLEKTwYkPCtRD25rH9wWkM64UMh8KiLnEPUKXE12KKSxBR5uOXseU/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-11.jpg" height="242" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crater Lake National Park</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVn_JH2oGzY/Uu6StBkYawI/AAAAAAAAK-k/oXHrqxZGq_k/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVn_JH2oGzY/Uu6StBkYawI/AAAAAAAAK-k/oXHrqxZGq_k/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-5.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Smith Rock State Park</i></td></tr>
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Oregon is a state of many faces, marked by a wide diversity of landscapes, from the sand beaches and rocky cliffs of the coastline, up and over the Ring of Fire and the Cascade Crest, to the High Desert of the east. When you gaze down from far above, all these unique places look so close together, one blending seamlessly into the next as mountains rise of out foothills, and rivers wind themselves in broad arcs across valley bottoms and fertile plains as they had for the ocean. It can seem like the distant reaches of the state are far away from each other, but in reality all this diversity is crammed into a pretty small package.<br />
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And it's a good thing too, because this varied landscape creates some crazy and unpredictable weather. Sometimes, storms roll in from the Pacific for months on end, and it seems like endless days of powder shots will never last forever (remember the winter of '98-'99). Other times, like this year, a blocking ridge of high pressure can make Oregon feel more like Colorado for weeks and months at a time. We are exposed to wide extremes in temperature, precipitation and geography, and its awfully hard to predict when conditions will be good for whatever it is that floats your boat in the outdoors. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>And so adaptability is often the name of the game. With a little creativity and a few hours behind the wheel, it's possible to squeeze a whole lot of fun and adventure into a short two-day weekend from Portland. Earlier in January, with the high pressure system still locked in place and snowpacks dwindling, Bohle and I hit the fast-forward button and pulled together a weekend more reminiscent of May.<br />
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7 pm Friday night - Leave Portland<br />
11 pm Friday night - Arrive in<a href="http://www.chemult.org/" target="_blank"> Chemult, Oregon</a>. Crash out at the <a href="http://www.dawsonhouse.net/" target="_blank">Dawson Lodge House</a><br />
6 am Saturday morning - Wake-up and Drive to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm" target="_blank">Crater Lake National Park</a><br />
Noon Saturday - Top out on <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/garfield-peak-and-applegate-peak/157098" target="_blank">Applegate Peak</a>, 8126'<br />
2 pm Saturday - Top out on <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/garfield-peak-and-applegate-peak/157098" target="_blank">Garfield Peak</a>, 8054'<br />
7:15 pm Saturday - Pull into Redmond, OR and <a href="http://smithrockbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Smith Rock Brewing</a> for beers<br />
9 am Sunday - Arrive at <a href="http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=36" target="_blank">Smith Rock State Park</a><br />
2 pm Sunday - Top out on the <a href="http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=909178" target="_blank">Wombat via Santiam Highway Ledges</a><br />
9 pm Sunday - Pull back into Portland<br />
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<h3>
Applegate and Garfield Peaks, Crater Lake National Park</h3>
Despite the lack of snow, we wanted to ski, and with a sunny forecast, we looked for some south facing slopes in the hopes of finding corn. Bohle offered up Crater Lake as a destination, and I was sold. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtH73qxlfnQ/Uu6Sc-h2I8I/AAAAAAAAK9k/Ak8zEGwGzkY/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtH73qxlfnQ/Uu6Sc-h2I8I/AAAAAAAAK9k/Ak8zEGwGzkY/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-12.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A snag and Hillman Peak (8151') from Rim Village (7100')</i></td></tr>
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As we drove into Crater Lake on Saturday morning, I was kind of skeptical that we would find skiable terrain. From afar, we could hardly see anything that looked like it was in condition, but as we got closer, our optimism grew.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeBqeKrT-piwTvZEQxt5jwBCS3RWaVDsVTnfKHeyyXId8XL63LZl9ejpFY-Pj9Z9FxVW6QmT6H2Ac6kcnZZrdTcwlU9zu7s2SJTAt6728JrF5vVboMZpxW_55qeTis1qYA-LJlFIRhdk/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-10-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeBqeKrT-piwTvZEQxt5jwBCS3RWaVDsVTnfKHeyyXId8XL63LZl9ejpFY-Pj9Z9FxVW6QmT6H2Ac6kcnZZrdTcwlU9zu7s2SJTAt6728JrF5vVboMZpxW_55qeTis1qYA-LJlFIRhdk/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-10-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An old, winter snowpack in Crater Lake National Park, January 2014</i></td></tr>
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As we emerged from the trees, we found just enough snow to cover a majority of the terrain. We set our sights on the two small peaks just to the east of Rim Village, where we would take in views of the crater.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvLDsqfhAy8/Uu6S9VE4q7I/AAAAAAAAK_c/xfhd5Jx7uCE/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-9-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvLDsqfhAy8/Uu6S9VE4q7I/AAAAAAAAK_c/xfhd5Jx7uCE/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-9-2.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle topping out on Applegate Peak</i></td></tr>
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Up on top of Applegate Peak, we found brush, and pumice, and some rocks - oh yeah and the views. Wow! Man, what views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bEEeyTxzc0/Uu6S4uPnzGI/AAAAAAAAK_M/EZsDGC5H-S0/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-8-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bEEeyTxzc0/Uu6S4uPnzGI/AAAAAAAAK_M/EZsDGC5H-S0/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-8-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking to the east side of Crater Lake with Mt. Scott (8926') in the background</i></td></tr>
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We dropped in from just below the top of Applegate and enjoyed about 1200' of nice corn snow down the south facing basin. Bright sun, calm wind and corn snow! Uh yeah, it feels like Colorado in April.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnTqLl84hUA/Uu6SzHJxBsI/AAAAAAAAK-8/sBm-n2oHlYA/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-7-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnTqLl84hUA/Uu6SzHJxBsI/AAAAAAAAK-8/sBm-n2oHlYA/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-7-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle dropping a knee on the corn</i></td></tr>
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Once in a basin below Applegate, we put the skins back on and walked up towards Garfield Peak, which is just to the west.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FwEFOmlZJY/Uu6SvPzzb7I/AAAAAAAAK-s/qsYXTWKyno4/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-6-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FwEFOmlZJY/Uu6SvPzzb7I/AAAAAAAAK-s/qsYXTWKyno4/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-6-2.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dyar Rock on Eagle Ridge and Crater Lake</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Diq5QFWiuc/Uu6SrlRUR4I/AAAAAAAAK-c/wvhHw2bVkgs/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-5-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Diq5QFWiuc/Uu6SrlRUR4I/AAAAAAAAK-c/wvhHw2bVkgs/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-5-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Skinning up Garfield Peak, looking back towards Eagle Ridge, Dyar Rock and Applegate Peak</i></td></tr>
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From the top of Garfield Peak, we were treated to more incredible views of the crater rim and the surrounding terrain. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SadEpXQWfoY/Uu6SntWoZbI/AAAAAAAAK-M/nrugFl1D62Q/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-4-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SadEpXQWfoY/Uu6SntWoZbI/AAAAAAAAK-M/nrugFl1D62Q/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-4-2.jpg" height="334" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Thielsen (9184') from Garfield Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DrEUldMQLO0/Uu6Sj6oOXGI/AAAAAAAAK98/irkDV1m1W6w/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-3-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DrEUldMQLO0/Uu6Sj6oOXGI/AAAAAAAAK98/irkDV1m1W6w/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-3-2.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The south facing slopes of Applegate Peak from Garfield Peak - January 2014</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yyj39IKPOho/Uu6STSaBSOI/AAAAAAAAK88/dMh_Ke5d1hc/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yyj39IKPOho/Uu6STSaBSOI/AAAAAAAAK88/dMh_Ke5d1hc/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-1-2.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wizard Island and Hilman Peak (8151')</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CoMlMlykuUc/Uu6SfNnv6XI/AAAAAAAAK9s/lv0NbeTt63Q/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CoMlMlykuUc/Uu6SfNnv6XI/AAAAAAAAK9s/lv0NbeTt63Q/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-2-2.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Scott and the Phantom Ship</i></td></tr>
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On the way down from Garfield, we poked around looking for west facing shots n to the road, but the boney conditions kept us from finding a good line. But we had a great day, with perfect weather and amazing views. Thank you Crater Lake!<br />
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<h3>
The Wombat, Santiam Highway Ledges, 6-7 pitches, 5.10a</h3>
We drove north after a day of skiing corn snow and crashed out in Terrebonne near Smith Rock, excited to shift into climbing mode. The next morning, we hoofed it up to the Wombat, pretty much the highest climbable rock in or near the park. We had both been interested in Santiam Highway Ledges for a few years, and we were not disappointed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0ZKnahpMWk/Uu6S1JNn8zI/AAAAAAAAK_E/SrndadQONlA/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0ZKnahpMWk/Uu6S1JNn8zI/AAAAAAAAK_E/SrndadQONlA/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-7.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Broken Top (9175'), South Sister (10,358'), Middle Sister (10,047') and North Sister (10,085') and the Smith Rock Group</i></td></tr>
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From the base of the route, way out in the Marupials, we could look down on almost everything else at Smith Rock. Cool views!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_4h-M0CWAE/Uu6Sw9seSvI/AAAAAAAAK-0/C2uLAhz-JXU/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_4h-M0CWAE/Uu6Sw9seSvI/AAAAAAAAK-0/C2uLAhz-JXU/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-6.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Three Finger Jack (7844') and the mighty Mt. Jefferson (10,495') and the Monument Area</i></td></tr>
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Santiam Highway Ledges was awesome! In the photo below, the route traverses from left to right along a big ledge system near the base of the rock before climbing a crack system to the notch behind the tower on the right hand side of the ridge. Three more pitches of really fun ridge-top climbing leads to the summit on the far left side of the formation. The route was retrobolted and cleaned up in 2009 by <a href="http://oregonchoss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tyler Adams</a>, Jim Ablao and Aaron Webb. Nice work, gentlemen! Thanks for your efforts. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1aBvd7KfiU/Uu6S7Ib94BI/AAAAAAAAK_U/5gu7UpqkYfI/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1aBvd7KfiU/Uu6S7Ib94BI/AAAAAAAAK_U/5gu7UpqkYfI/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-8.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Wombat</i></td></tr>
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The crux pitch starts on decent rock with some delicate face climbing past a series of bolts. After that, mixed gear placements and bolts take you to the ridge crest notch. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGRB8EdMSRY/Uu6So2BOwyI/AAAAAAAAK-U/g1gZk5HlEbs/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGRB8EdMSRY/Uu6So2BOwyI/AAAAAAAAK-U/g1gZk5HlEbs/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-4.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime Bohle finishing up the crux pitch on Santiam Highway Ledges</i></td></tr>
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The ridge run is super fun!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXvwMsfpPe0/Uu6Sl4drbuI/AAAAAAAAK-E/DV_NEERY2bk/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXvwMsfpPe0/Uu6Sl4drbuI/AAAAAAAAK-E/DV_NEERY2bk/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-3.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking over at the middle tower</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFaSOXtw5xM/Uu6SZA432eI/AAAAAAAAK9U/3aJ14DMSfxE/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFaSOXtw5xM/Uu6SZA432eI/AAAAAAAAK9U/3aJ14DMSfxE/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-10.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime approaching the summit</i></td></tr>
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And again with the views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scr8g_ke7cU/Uu6Sgr2CAtI/AAAAAAAAK90/dCK9PCf-PFY/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scr8g_ke7cU/Uu6Sgr2CAtI/AAAAAAAAK90/dCK9PCf-PFY/s1600/01-14+-+Smith+Rock-2.jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Hood (11,250') and the Monument Group</i></td></tr>
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As a skier, it's easy to get frustrated at the lack of powder snow this season, but we are so lucky to live here in Oregon, where we can shift gears and just ski corn snow on volcanoes, or go rock climbing in desert - or both in a single January weekend. All it takes is a little creativity and adaptability to cook up a mini-adventure no matter what the conditions.<br />
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And, to top it all off, Mt. Hood got coated with 2 feet of fresh powder later that week! I wonder what we'll get next week. Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-66102948715664747992014-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:002014-01-12T11:20:53.802-08:00Photoset from Whitsler, Joffre Lakes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KkUMnS5IZV8/UsuZ4hckLqI/AAAAAAAAK0o/s30wi2ekCag/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KkUMnS5IZV8/UsuZ4hckLqI/AAAAAAAAK0o/s30wi2ekCag/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Finding turns in the Joffre Lakes Basin</i></td></tr>
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I celebrated my birthday last weekend with a three-day trip to SW British Columbia, continuing the elusive 2013-14 search for powder snow. We caught a great day at Blackcomb with 6-10" of fresh snow on top of a very firm base, with clear skies and amazing views. The masses were stoked! The next day, we explored the backcountry around Joffre Lakes and found a thin layer of windbuffed powder on top of a very thin, crusty snowpack with lots of exposed rocks. In a NE facing basin at the height of winter, the light was tough, but I got a few shots of the peaks across the valley and some half decent images in the shade. The temps were really cold - around 15 deg F - and we had to hike out because of the low snowpack, but we managed to log some mileage on our old-man legs. On our drive back to Portland, we stopped in at Squamish and checked out the nesting bald eagles down by the Squamish River - so cool! Coastal BC is drop-dead gorgeous and only a few short hours from Oregon - go check it out! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LcLSwUzux3M/UsuZy0FTRdI/AAAAAAAAK0g/FfDKPASVk_E/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LcLSwUzux3M/UsuZy0FTRdI/AAAAAAAAK0g/FfDKPASVk_E/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-20.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Prepping to unload the Crystal Express on a powder day</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6pVhAoVbqE/UsuZqMplXqI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/ywStzdN4pN0/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6pVhAoVbqE/UsuZqMplXqI/AAAAAAAAK0Q/ywStzdN4pN0/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-19.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Winter light on the Blackcomb Glacier with the Husume Couloir dopping down from the prominent col </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xO_Oeg0zgAc/UsuWRcdSBII/AAAAAAAAKx0/XrzJv8iF0BM/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xO_Oeg0zgAc/UsuWRcdSBII/AAAAAAAAKx0/XrzJv8iF0BM/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-18.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The morning approach to Joffre Lakes in very thin conditions</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UAv9icQNNXE/UsuVzdLEYNI/AAAAAAAAKxs/BsM1q4ERXbQ/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UAv9icQNNXE/UsuVzdLEYNI/AAAAAAAAKxs/BsM1q4ERXbQ/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-17.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nice winter light on the hills around Joffre Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BfSjIzXUQFk/UsuVp-N4P8I/AAAAAAAAKxk/S5LUN8a3s5Q/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BfSjIzXUQFk/UsuVp-N4P8I/AAAAAAAAKxk/S5LUN8a3s5Q/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-16.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The skin across Upper Joffre Lake with Mt. Slalock </i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmfvjU804iA/UsuVm3H9cCI/AAAAAAAAKxc/3Hn2M33Yw2A/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BmfvjU804iA/UsuVm3H9cCI/AAAAAAAAKxc/3Hn2M33Yw2A/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-15.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVWY_87vC5A/UsuZVy8eRsI/AAAAAAAAKzo/tqcORD6cvhU/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVWY_87vC5A/UsuZVy8eRsI/AAAAAAAAKzo/tqcORD6cvhU/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-14.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Skinning up the bony moraine above Upper Joffre Lake with Cayoosh Mtn in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ercrA08eOA/Usuc_6wiqWI/AAAAAAAAK2k/46XtEEI03Cs/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ercrA08eOA/Usuc_6wiqWI/AAAAAAAAK2k/46XtEEI03Cs/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-13.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The sun made a low arc over the horizon, lighting up the surrounding hillsides but leaving us in shade</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpM6zaysFUjDGD9kp2ksYiZPMSL8xjLQhH-enlwGO8elf-wBm4-O5DAsK41nymBtarhq08T_wLpLq0xV7H55VAdcYqafEEfDW0eKdeXzDfJIyO6HP2DcYuV5SeeYYX4XCrYUjNZJuWzw/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpM6zaysFUjDGD9kp2ksYiZPMSL8xjLQhH-enlwGO8elf-wBm4-O5DAsK41nymBtarhq08T_wLpLq0xV7H55VAdcYqafEEfDW0eKdeXzDfJIyO6HP2DcYuV5SeeYYX4XCrYUjNZJuWzw/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-12.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nate Tack bootpacking up a short slope in search of turns with the Matier Glacier overhead</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5oVUoiit5E/UsuVgbDlaQI/AAAAAAAAKxM/MXFQrGCaEfA/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5oVUoiit5E/UsuVgbDlaQI/AAAAAAAAKxM/MXFQrGCaEfA/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-11.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime Bohle dropping into some windbuffed pow above Upper Joffre Lake</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1ueYRr6xxc/UsuVd0SuP2I/AAAAAAAAK4s/y_beOx9lcLo/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1ueYRr6xxc/UsuVd0SuP2I/AAAAAAAAK4s/y_beOx9lcLo/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-10.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nate Tack clearing a little chute above Upper Joffre Lake</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7qsk0JUBZGQlrnP4GakYtZDYC9wGczOKRD5reE_BisBBHKqUcjvFo8CAz_OdDHgVcMloau_8aEEnpUnLotTKGd2uZR3IZYvZLU-1MedD78LvXp6ie18S3Zlg2HqVEEQAboqzAskXdKA/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7qsk0JUBZGQlrnP4GakYtZDYC9wGczOKRD5reE_BisBBHKqUcjvFo8CAz_OdDHgVcMloau_8aEEnpUnLotTKGd2uZR3IZYvZLU-1MedD78LvXp6ie18S3Zlg2HqVEEQAboqzAskXdKA/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-9.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking into the chute from above - fun tight turns on good snow</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgWR7JM-rx8/UsuaQe3DEpI/AAAAAAAAK1Q/JAwApykDYK0/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgWR7JM-rx8/UsuaQe3DEpI/AAAAAAAAK1Q/JAwApykDYK0/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-8.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cool shadows and winter light on Upper Joffre Lake with Cayoosh Mountain in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KkUMnS5IZV8/UsuZ4hckLqI/AAAAAAAAK0o/s30wi2ekCag/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KkUMnS5IZV8/UsuZ4hckLqI/AAAAAAAAK0o/s30wi2ekCag/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Water ice and powder turns!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7k9HCKP4a4/UsuaLxJsn6I/AAAAAAAAK1I/mzVbURanhxs/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7k9HCKP4a4/UsuaLxJsn6I/AAAAAAAAK1I/mzVbURanhxs/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-7.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A good days' work. It was pretty bony back there, but we had a good time and made the most of less than ideal conditions.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GMv81hv4OyM/UsuaHgyCmvI/AAAAAAAAK1A/913v-F-xRjI/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GMv81hv4OyM/UsuaHgyCmvI/AAAAAAAAK1A/913v-F-xRjI/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Squamish River</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7FnJr5ksKs/UsuaAz8hRKI/AAAAAAAAK04/Uf6Bx2Gu28w/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7FnJr5ksKs/UsuaAz8hRKI/AAAAAAAAK04/Uf6Bx2Gu28w/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-5.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>If you look closely, you can see the white of the eagle's head and tail where it sits perched in the tree</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgiRChE6X9Q/UsuZvEluN1I/AAAAAAAAK0Y/5VDrXXkUvlY/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KgiRChE6X9Q/UsuZvEluN1I/AAAAAAAAK0Y/5VDrXXkUvlY/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Two bald eagles on the banks of the Squamish River</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaKdVUhfsyQ/UsuVenUuKmI/AAAAAAAAKxE/e_OyQyLwStU/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaKdVUhfsyQ/UsuVenUuKmI/AAAAAAAAKxE/e_OyQyLwStU/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-1.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rock, river and mountain</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3bypUMHKwbc/UsuZ72pNVCI/AAAAAAAAK0w/gjMAXojr6ro/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3bypUMHKwbc/UsuZ72pNVCI/AAAAAAAAK0w/gjMAXojr6ro/s1600/01-14+-+Whistler+Joffre-4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There were lots of cool ducks! Here's a shot of really pretty Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) in flight</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-46891722742890046892013-12-30T22:05:00.000-08:002013-12-31T08:03:24.083-08:00Ashes, Stars and an Unbreakable Crust<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQA6HM6lcGI/UsJN-Vx-zYI/AAAAAAAAKtg/QGp_e61z0AA/s1600/Middle+Sister-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQA6HM6lcGI/UsJN-Vx-zYI/AAAAAAAAKtg/QGp_e61z0AA/s640/Middle+Sister-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunrise and Broken Top</i></td></tr>
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Mother Nature has been anything but generous to the skiers of the Pacific Northwest so far this year. Bouts of snow have been sandwiched in between long periods of warm and wet or bone dry days. The downhill crowd is getting a little stir crazy, myself included. This past weekend, despite a recent stretch of arid conditions, I convinced myself that the sunny forecast in central Oregon would yield spring-like corn snow in the Sisters backcountry. Unwilling to face the prospect of another day of laps on the Palmer snowfield, I struck out on my own hoping to find the goods, eternally optimistic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-norYPStSnoE/UsJN-MDcuvI/AAAAAAAAKtc/hsjwjf9Zv5Q/s1600/Middle+Sister-3-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-norYPStSnoE/UsJN-MDcuvI/AAAAAAAAKtc/hsjwjf9Zv5Q/s640/Middle+Sister-3-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ready to go from Pole Creek Trailhead</i></td></tr>
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Packing up the kit at Pole Creek, I was still hopeful despite coming to terms with a long hike on the trail. There was barely any snow on the ground at the end of the road, and I knew I'd be carrying my skis for a good long way before I could start the skin. Undeterred, I loaded the whole damn rig onto my back, including the new Canon 6D, a tripod, a pair of K2 Hardsides with Fritschi bindings and, of course, two beers. Not exactly light and fast (maybe one day Santa will bring me Dynafits) - by noon I was on my way. <br />
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The Pole Creek fire burned in September of 2012 and eventually grew to about 26,000 acres, engulfing four cars at the trailhead and giving a pretty good scare to about 30 hikers and campers. The area had been under a closure for several months but opened earlier this year. Right from the parking lot, I found myself walking through a large stand replacement burn at about 5300' in elevation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xOOQ9oeV81I/UsJN4ClgheI/AAAAAAAAKtI/5k1fezXbeRM/s1600/Middle+Sister-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xOOQ9oeV81I/UsJN4ClgheI/AAAAAAAAKtI/5k1fezXbeRM/s640/Middle+Sister-2-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The area of the Pole Creek fire 14 months after the burn</i></td></tr>
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Not far from the trailhead, North Sister was visible through the charred landscape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hbudsI_Hv0/UsJN2soJEXI/AAAAAAAAKtA/aJLu_erw9v0/s1600/Middle+Sister-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--hbudsI_Hv0/UsJN2soJEXI/AAAAAAAAKtA/aJLu_erw9v0/s640/Middle+Sister-1-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The east side of North Sister from the Pole Creek burn - Dec 28, 2013</i></td></tr>
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It continued on like this for about three miles, well past the junction with the Chambers Lake Trail. Finally, I passed through the boundary of the burn area and started to hit more consistent snow. "Ahh," I thought, "it'll be a cruise from here."<br />
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Hah - it wasn't to be. Shortly after putting on the skis, I neared treeline, and the crunchy afternoon snow turned into an unbreakable crust - ice - smooth like glass. My ski crampons would barely bite into the ice, leaving me teetering back and forth, high centered on each step. Good times.<br />
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Despite the less than ideal conditions, I soldiered on and finally gave up close to 3 pm at around 6900' below the Hayden Glacier. I had yet to see or hear a single person since I left the trailhead. By this time, I knew that corn was little more than a pipe dream, but I was determined to enjoy this amazing place, one of Oregon's true alpine treasures.<br />
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After pitching the tent, drinking a beer and quickly falling asleep, I woke up just as the sun was setting. Pretty soon, it dropped below the horizon, and Mother Nature offered me a star-filled sky as consolation for my own personal desert of ice. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZovEjcvBSp6LtsFqWV2_scJ0aT7dyn6p9jz900Betf-iLF3yCjykoYMWxOeqhjkoMufAFU57moVZ_0aUCwNTQi5-5951k0QGsqkYSBFhVOLHtY3vk1MKwz1AmS0IGaG1ZVpp8R0gt1mo/s1600/Middle+Sister-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZovEjcvBSp6LtsFqWV2_scJ0aT7dyn6p9jz900Betf-iLF3yCjykoYMWxOeqhjkoMufAFU57moVZ_0aUCwNTQi5-5951k0QGsqkYSBFhVOLHtY3vk1MKwz1AmS0IGaG1ZVpp8R0gt1mo/s640/Middle+Sister-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stars over South Sister</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-voX--zwMd9k/UsJOBHmlcdI/AAAAAAAAKto/zLqZAHuPpSM/s1600/Middle+Sister-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-voX--zwMd9k/UsJOBHmlcdI/AAAAAAAAKto/zLqZAHuPpSM/s640/Middle+Sister-4.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Milky Way Over Middle Sister</i></td></tr>
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I eventually retreated back to the tent and settled in for a chilly night. The next morning, I found more unique light. With low clouds hanging on the eastern horizon, the sunrise produced some excellent color.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3j5GNIixqGM/UsJN8Cv5GgI/AAAAAAAAKtQ/HsD4i30f_L0/s1600/Middle+Sister-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3j5GNIixqGM/UsJN8Cv5GgI/AAAAAAAAKtQ/HsD4i30f_L0/s640/Middle+Sister-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Home sweet home</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LyjT3oy1o0c/UsJN23cLmdI/AAAAAAAAKs8/hqcrbZMs9tY/s1600/Middle+Sister-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LyjT3oy1o0c/UsJN23cLmdI/AAAAAAAAKs8/hqcrbZMs9tY/s640/Middle+Sister-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunrise and Krummholz</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Middle Sister Bathed in Morning Light</i></td></tr>
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After taking some more photos, I made myself a casual breakfast and enjoyed utter solitude - perfect visibility, no wind and not a single person within sight or earshot. Ohm.<br />
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I eventually got moving after finishing my final beer for breakfast - an Iron City pounder to be exact. Thank you, Iron City, one of our very generous sponsors (or not)! And then I packed up the whole kit, which felt slightly lighter this time, and tried unsuccessfully to ski back towards treeline. Fearing a catastrophe, I resorted to crampons, which made the unbreakable crust a bit more breakable. After having enough of that BS, I finally clipped back into my skis as I neared the forest, and settled for a very tepid ride out towards the car, which lasted only a short time before I finally had to boot pack it again for several miles back to the trailhead. Oh well, at least I was carrying that last beer in me and not on me.<br />
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I never did find my corn, but I did find the goods. I also managed to log days 99 and 100 on snow, rock and ice for 2013 - a small personal victory and a quest I've dubbed the "Deskjockey 100." Sometimes it's not about the turns. Pray for snow. Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-54965752481734295972013-12-08T19:09:00.000-08:002013-12-09T21:22:59.148-08:00Christmas Comes Early - 2013 Ice in the Gorge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tim Holscher on Ainsworth Left</i></td></tr>
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Santa delivered an early present this year - a cold Arctic air mass and record low temperatures. The temps started dropping last Sunday night, and over the course of the last week they stayed consistently below freezing with overnight lows in the Gorge dropping down to 10-15 deg. F. It's been a few years since we've had a good, solid freeze in the area, and people were stoked to go check out the ice conditions! <br />
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Rumors started to trickle in during Thursday and Friday, and it didn't sound overly promising. Despite the cold temps, most routes in the Gorge either hadn't come in at all or were super thin. Many of the lines depend on seeps and spray, which is kicked up by the strong east winds that prevail when a powerful low pressure system moves onshore. But we've had a relatively dry fall and for some reason this system didn't bring those traditional mean winds. Still, it's not too often that we get temps that are this cold, so out we went in search of the elusive Columbia River Gorge ice climbing.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Saturday - Ainsworth Left</b></i></span></h3>
Tim, Guy and I rendezvoused in Troutdale at 7 am on Saturday morning, anxious to get on the road to check out the conditions. As we drove east in I84, small little smears started to appear on the hillsides, but Crown Jewel, pouring off of the gully just to the east of Crown Point, is always the first solid indication of what's to come. As it came into view, we saw a wide curtain of ice dropping down the cliffside - a good sign that temps had been cold enough to set up some ice. We were tempted, but it looked a little thin and we had hopes of finding other lines we hadn't climbed before, so we kept going. Driving out the Old Highway, we found a whole lot nothing - small smears here and there, but most things weren't touching down. Finally, we made it to Ainsworth and, pulling over the car, we looked up and saw a solid ribbon of white dropping 300+ ft down the cliff. Oh yeah! We saddled up. <br />
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Tim took the sharp end and styled a pretty spicy pitch. The rumors were accurate - the ice was thin and difficult to protect on the steeper sections This pitch would be killer in fat condition.<br />
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The second pitch was more of the same. A lower angled section led to a short but steep finish, which was impossible to protect because of the chandeliered ice. Tim again styled this pitch, making it look easy on some heady terrain. Well done.<br />
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The third pitch looked so cool, but we decided to head down given the difficult conditions we found on the first two. A full 150 ft of killer climbing awaits above! It looked sick. We made one 60m rap off a V-thread to the ground. <br />
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After climbing Ainsworth, we had a little bit of time left and decided to search out an obscure route called Cascade Curtain near Cascade Locks. We found the route but ran out of daylight so saved it for another day. It looked to be in similar condition - pretty thin and flowing with water - but really cool and about 400 ft. tall. Bad ass!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHF0TAktoNE/UqT53nx1UhI/AAAAAAAAKpU/nvF3nN-QJO8/s1600/12-13+-+Gorge+Ice-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHF0TAktoNE/UqT53nx1UhI/AAAAAAAAKpU/nvF3nN-QJO8/s640/12-13+-+Gorge+Ice-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cascade Curtain</i> - 3-4 pitches to the top</td></tr>
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Sunday - Upper Cape Horn</span></i></h3>
Jazzed by the climbing on Saturday, I went out again with Bill and Colin on Sunday, this time headed towards Cape Horn on the Washington side of the Gorge. We lucked out again, finding good ice on the upper flows about a 20 min bushwhack from the road.<br />
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Bill on the left hand flow. <br />
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The ice at Cape Horn is in much better shape than what we found at Ainsworth - hero ice! One swing sticks and solid screw placements had us laughing and yucking it up. <br />
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Colin on the right hand flow.<br />
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I just invested in a new Canon 6D, which was one of the many reasons I was psyched to get out. With the muted colors and diffuse light, most of the photos from the weekend look much better in black and white, which does a much better job of bringing out the dramatic contrast between the ice and the surrounding moss, brush and dirt. But when your leader's wearing an orange ones-y, you gotta go with color! Here's Colin - aka the Road Cone - enjoying beautiful conditions on the right hand line.<br />
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Ice climbing is such a cool pursuit because the ice itself is so ephemeral and finicky. One day its here, the next its gone. In the Gorge, its even more fleeting, as it only comes in for a few days once every couple of years. I feel lucky to have snuck in a couple of days, and maybe - just maybe - we'll see another cold snap this year. Thanks to Tim, Guy, Bill and Colin for the good times! Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-53515006505579283702013-11-25T19:30:00.000-08:002014-01-13T22:37:26.015-08:00Eearly Season Epicness on Mt. Hood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>November corn at Illumination Saddle</i></td></tr>
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One of the best parts of living in the Cascades is that feeling of familiarity that grows between you and your local mountain. Experiencing an alpine landscape as it transitions through the seasons, from year to year, minute to minute, you start to see notice all the little details and you grow to appreciate the unique privilege of living in such a beautiful place. Wind patterns, snowpack, temperatures, precipitation - these all change throughout the year and give a place its own unique character, a shifting, breathing, living landscape.<br />
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This past weekend, Mt. Hood put on an incredible show for the folks who were lucky enough to experience truly rare early season conditions. A powerful storm blew through the weekend before, leaving 1-2 feet of snow above 6000 ft, but since that time the weather had been stable and the snowpack had consolidated. The forecast called for clear skies, moderate temps, and dead calm winds. On top of that, Timberline Ski Area had just opened for the winter season and was scheduled to run the Palmer lift both days. Equation = fun!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Satrurday, Kristin and I ripped a few fast, buttery laps on the snow field before skinning up and climbing towards Crater Rock. Around 9600', the snow turned to bullet proof hard pack, and we sat down to enjoy the amazing weather. We peeled the skins, dropped onto the Zig Zag snowfield, and enjoyed incredible turns with amazing views of the southern Cascades before bearing hard left back towards the Mile. Sheer bliss.<br />
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Sunday, Kristin and I headed back up to Timberline to harvest more spring-like corn snow. We left the house at 7 am and by 10 am, we were at the top of the Palmer. This time I came armed with a pair of spikes and an axe, and I took off towards Crater Rock with Jaime and Ryan. By noon, I was on the summit ridge, where I carefully clicked into my bindings after peering down the north face towards the Elliot Glacier. After 200 ft of side slipping, I pulled a couple of turns on 50-55 deg hard pack and started carving fast turns down the Old Chute. After stopping to catch my breath, I continued down through the hour glass on West Crater Rim. Woohoo!<br />
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"Amazing, incredible, best day in 20 years" - I heard all of these exclamations this past weekend from appreciative locals. Thank you, Mt. Hood.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Showing off in the morning</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin skinning up on Sat morning - IRock in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unknown folks enjoying a morning walk</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of my best ski partners</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin skiing down the Zig Zag snowfield</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupYo7YuM3taBu8woOgb36zk_b6PuNROGIe5WmosNj0ZY4aZc3LbWBgJrwMU6rCnkI0LPi3N5YRYl0R596lBgFu2PoXnL0v_L8svDt0eqhfUUvrwWjoLDBdnRtl19VdhSHclHZH8FEPdM/s1600/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupYo7YuM3taBu8woOgb36zk_b6PuNROGIe5WmosNj0ZY4aZc3LbWBgJrwMU6rCnkI0LPi3N5YRYl0R596lBgFu2PoXnL0v_L8svDt0eqhfUUvrwWjoLDBdnRtl19VdhSHclHZH8FEPdM/s640/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on the Zig Zag looking south towards Mt. Jefferson and the Sisters</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3E0cVD-wpU/UpQOeh8poII/AAAAAAAAKi8/ePmGgcVDTsc/s1600/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3E0cVD-wpU/UpQOeh8poII/AAAAAAAAKi8/ePmGgcVDTsc/s640/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More mountains</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhGtaQ6S7pE/UpQOZEZknlI/AAAAAAAAKis/IdoHgaj8cqc/s1600/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhGtaQ6S7pE/UpQOZEZknlI/AAAAAAAAKis/IdoHgaj8cqc/s640/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle, Ryan and company skiing through the gut after descending skiing the Old Chute to West Crater </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57FhrTkbsBA/UpQOuV5h1II/AAAAAAAAKjs/82Mscmf4Gk8/s1600/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57FhrTkbsBA/UpQOuV5h1II/AAAAAAAAKjs/82Mscmf4Gk8/s640/11-13+-+Mt.+Hood.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking west towards the Reid Headwall</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-70753880569315988832013-10-20T21:37:00.000-07:002014-01-13T22:37:42.304-08:00Fall sun at Beacon Rock<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoifUJbonuo/UmSsIql0v4I/AAAAAAAAKhM/QnR-qc8YTE4/s1600/10-13+-+Beacon-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BoifUJbonuo/UmSsIql0v4I/AAAAAAAAKhM/QnR-qc8YTE4/s400/10-13+-+Beacon-4.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin topping out pitch 2 of Young Warriors</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our bomber fall weather pattern continues! Kristin and I enjoyed Beacon Rock on Saturday in perfect conditions in the Columbia River Gorge - crispy clean air, calm winds, and a warm sun. <br />
<br />
After an early October system dumped lots of snow in the mountains, I was tempted to break out the planks, but resisted the urge and have enjoyed some amazing climbing conditions. It looks like we'll have at least one more week of cool, sunny weather. Get out and enjoy our fall bounty!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtofcD-XS8c/UmSsIlCjZbI/AAAAAAAAKhQ/6uzSvCRNI7E/s1600/10-13+-+Beacon-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtofcD-XS8c/UmSsIlCjZbI/AAAAAAAAKhQ/6uzSvCRNI7E/s640/10-13+-+Beacon-3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At the top of pitch 4 of Young Warriors</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3asJPbQkpI/UmSsL4neVqI/AAAAAAAAKhY/Eg4Pi_0Gpys/s1600/10-13+-+Beacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3asJPbQkpI/UmSsL4neVqI/AAAAAAAAKhY/Eg4Pi_0Gpys/s640/10-13+-+Beacon.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blownout Direct</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-59370944933640635962013-10-08T16:25:00.000-07:002013-10-11T08:26:14.332-07:00SW Face of Stein's Pillar --> Free Lunch, Picnic Lunch Wall<b>
</b><b>
</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9AHDQgyRk8/UlLLdY3yxTI/AAAAAAAAKaQ/jUwCJh9CC7I/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9AHDQgyRk8/UlLLdY3yxTI/AAAAAAAAKaQ/jUwCJh9CC7I/s400/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-74.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><i>The SW Face of Stein's Pillar</i></td></tr>
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This
past weekend finally marked the arrival of Indian summer in the Pacific
Northwest, with moderate temps, clear skies and calm winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After several weeks of rain and recent
mountain snows, a lot people were focused on the upcoming ski season, waxing
their boards and scanning the web for the long-term forecast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was still holding out hope of
squeezing in some more rock climbing.<br />
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The
seasonal window for climbing longer routes is closing quickly, and I had my
eyes on the SW Face of Stein’s Pillar near the Mill Creek Wilderness in the
Ochoco National Forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pinged
Guy to see if he was available and he responded with a “hell yes” and “oh by
the way we should climb Picnic Lunch Wall on Sunday.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </div>
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Stein’s
is a 350 ft. spire of welded tuff that is fairly well known among local
traditional climbers but otherwise towers in obscurity over the forests east of
Prineville, OR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve wanted to
climb Stein’s since I first saw it back in 1999, but I only recently heard
about a high quality free line on the SW face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picnic Lunch, on the other hand, is one of the most
recognizable walls in Oregon, visible from the main parking lot at Smith Rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pair seemed like a great weekend
2-fer.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--hKMSgQ-JeU/UlLMP-FLsAI/AAAAAAAAKcM/Z1dooaPr3jg/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--hKMSgQ-JeU/UlLMP-FLsAI/AAAAAAAAKcM/Z1dooaPr3jg/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-9.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stein's Pillar from the approach</td></tr>
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<u>SW Face of Stein’s Pillar, III 5.10d</u></div>
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We
crashed at the trailhead for Stein’s on Friday night under a beautiful display
of infinite stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We approached
the next morning in perfect fall conditions.</div>
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P1 – From the main saddle, traverse left towards the obvious
diehedral that splits the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instant exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Climb the
sweet finger crack to a hanging belay on new anchor bolts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.10b and super high quality jamming and
stemming on solid rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Awesome
pitch! </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TF4DZovsoXY/UlLIxHx-HNI/AAAAAAAAKTg/Jcx_18XAZV0/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TF4DZovsoXY/UlLIxHx-HNI/AAAAAAAAKTg/Jcx_18XAZV0/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-25.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bpvLkdJ3GkE/UlLIqLu0ahI/AAAAAAAAKTM/1sJicjUeCfs/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bpvLkdJ3GkE/UlLIqLu0ahI/AAAAAAAAKTM/1sJicjUeCfs/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-23.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rgl4e7eCm8/UlLI0k2Q_YI/AAAAAAAAKTo/2B_eOp4VFsk/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rgl4e7eCm8/UlLI0k2Q_YI/AAAAAAAAKTo/2B_eOp4VFsk/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-26.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ralOqPSgow/UlLJBvLLAQI/AAAAAAAAKUE/A35ksTsoOPg/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ralOqPSgow/UlLJBvLLAQI/AAAAAAAAKUE/A35ksTsoOPg/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-29.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy styling the amazing first pitch</i></td></tr>
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P2 – Climb left off the belay past 2-3 new protections
bolts, into a short corner with thin placements, then move left over steep
ground on delicate face climbing past two more bolts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.10+.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Short
pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of hangerless
studs have been left in the rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are two sets of new anchor bolts about 4 feet apart, one for the
bolted arête.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJZojdP66YE/UlLJMIO-NvI/AAAAAAAAKUg/_vTOlRICbsI/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJZojdP66YE/UlLJMIO-NvI/AAAAAAAAKUg/_vTOlRICbsI/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-34.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leading into the shadows on P2</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahOZtqJb1aw/UlLJQR5BzwI/AAAAAAAAKUo/nq3_7C4ocwo/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahOZtqJb1aw/UlLJQR5BzwI/AAAAAAAAKUo/nq3_7C4ocwo/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-35.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At the 2nd belay station</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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P3 – Climb up a thin corner and over a bulge on finger
locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traverse right, clip two
manky pins, and pull a 5.10 bulge (fun!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clip two more new bolts and climb past some manky rock to a hanging
belay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.10.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We belayed right below a final bulging crack where there
were 2-3 anchor bolts, 2 new protection bolts, and 3 old pins in the space of
about 10-15 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, it’s a
bit of a mess.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1-CXDBHyJXU/UlLJrvOVPZI/AAAAAAAAKVo/DE3_9boF55E/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1-CXDBHyJXU/UlLJrvOVPZI/AAAAAAAAKVo/DE3_9boF55E/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-42.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clearing the first bulge on p3</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BQWbxUBaOIE/UlLJ8O1CWhI/AAAAAAAAKWY/bgywgBnCLQ8/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BQWbxUBaOIE/UlLJ8O1CWhI/AAAAAAAAKWY/bgywgBnCLQ8/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-47.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CLrUZ6wlTI/UlLKAJ4rdHI/AAAAAAAAKWg/1vbBW_ukHDo/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CLrUZ6wlTI/UlLKAJ4rdHI/AAAAAAAAKWg/1vbBW_ukHDo/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-48.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clearing the 2nd bulge on p3</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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P4 – Pull the bulge (loose 5.10/10+) and start working left
on a loose crack/ledge system past another new set of anchor bolts that are
just on top of the bulge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its
possible to use these newer bolts as your 3rd anchor, but it looks like an
awkward spot with the bolts placed on the ledge below the stance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep working left towards the arête,
clip another bolt with a long sling and climb the easy face to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CRh9ucvRIe8/UlLKJA-OWtI/AAAAAAAAKW4/27Qhc4Vmme8/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CRh9ucvRIe8/UlLKJA-OWtI/AAAAAAAAKW4/27Qhc4Vmme8/s400/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-50.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stoked!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u>Rack</u>: Single set of TCUs and cams from 00-#2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Extras in finger size. Single set of
nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12-13 draws with several
should length. Two ropes to rap the NE Face (watch your knot on the first
rap).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
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The SW Face is a proud and improbable looking line on a
striking tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first pitch is
amazing, and the rest of the climbing is sustained and mostly aesthetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The route could use a little
maintenance, especially the studs on p2, the manky pins on p3, and chaotic mess
of pins and bolts on p3/4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUY4kh8vFHw/UlLLB-L77MI/AAAAAAAAKZE/VOgHN_MEBoY/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUY4kh8vFHw/UlLLB-L77MI/AAAAAAAAKZE/VOgHN_MEBoY/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-67.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LmcxWS1HT2w/UlLLt-XbIJI/AAAAAAAAKa4/SrpFjm5YTQA/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LmcxWS1HT2w/UlLLt-XbIJI/AAAAAAAAKa4/SrpFjm5YTQA/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-79.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9K1afxncnM/UlLMedao74I/AAAAAAAAKc0/2sCjItpAu1U/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9K1afxncnM/UlLMedao74I/AAAAAAAAKc0/2sCjItpAu1U/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-93.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<u>Free Lunch, Picnic Lunch Wall, III 5.10a R</u></div>
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After a few too many beers, we woke up under a juniper tree
felling a little pasty-mouthed, but we stuck to the plan and racked up for the
Picnic Lunch Wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having gawked
at this formation for years, I was psyched to climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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P1 – Clip the first 4 bolts on the sport route, then start
traversing left on runout 5.10a nobs and nubbins, crossing over a corner,
working towards the tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.10a.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oD3zmVWwMdc/UlLMna2PiJI/AAAAAAAAKdQ/8hKY_EgLixs/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oD3zmVWwMdc/UlLMna2PiJI/AAAAAAAAKdQ/8hKY_EgLixs/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-96.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 1st belay station after a delicate traverse on suspect rock</i></td></tr>
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P2 – From the ledge, down climb 5-10 feet, then climb left
and back up to another small tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clip a bolt and downclimb again over some loose and airy rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make an exposed step left towards two
more bolts and eventually a large belay ledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heady 5.9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Serious for both leader and follower. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDG3aHSAaVo/UlLHiBxHPBI/AAAAAAAAKQU/bxMa1VuvxY0/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDG3aHSAaVo/UlLHiBxHPBI/AAAAAAAAKQU/bxMa1VuvxY0/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-101.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Following the traversing and airy 2nd pitch</i></td></tr>
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P3 – From the ledge, climb into the main corner/ramp system
past a couple bolts. Continue up on suspect rock towards the alcove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pull awkwardly out the alcove (serious)
and continue up the first crack on better rock to a belay ledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>50-60 ft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard 5.9 with loose rock on the first half of the pitch. </div>
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P4 – Continue up the ramp on solid hand jams with good
rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazing position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue into gully system clipping a
couple of bolts with pretty good stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep going, it’s a long pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Belay on a spacious ledge after 130-150 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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P5 – Start up the big, left facing chimney climbing on bird
shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay in chimney system
climbing past some cool pockets – grunt grunt – until the climbing starts to
ease off after 40-50 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Belay
from anchor bolts at the top. 5.9.</div>
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<u>Rack</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Double set of cams to #4, single set of nuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12-14 slings/draws. </div>
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The climbing on Free Lunch is not as aesthetic as Stein’s
Pillar, but come on – it’s the Picnic Lunch Wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So cool!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be
prepared for loose rock and a demanding effort that requires full
concentration. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OYECSEBj0EI/UlLHmDmIPXI/AAAAAAAAKQg/hBFVz8Yp5cM/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OYECSEBj0EI/UlLHmDmIPXI/AAAAAAAAKQg/hBFVz8Yp5cM/s400/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-102.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More stoke!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-utJ2zJ0Cv2k/UlLHvQ-LqCI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/4-gWqqZll3Q/s1600/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-utJ2zJ0Cv2k/UlLHvQ-LqCI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/4-gWqqZll3Q/s640/10-13+-+Steins+and+Smith-107.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Picnic Lunch Wall - Free Lunch traverses into the main, arcing L-R ramp system, which is followed to the left leaning chimney to the top</i></td></tr>
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Good times in Central Oregon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Major props to Guy for being stoked on some chossy adventure
climbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-11949004151274970852013-08-08T20:41:00.003-07:002013-08-09T00:26:36.281-07:00Barad-Dur<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTFjLJXmypc/UgMyVVFK5iI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/rES_YN8WBp0/s1600/Barad+Dur-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTFjLJXmypc/UgMyVVFK5iI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/rES_YN8WBp0/s400/Barad+Dur-7.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barad-Dur</i></td></tr>
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<b>Barad-Dur, Wolf Rock, Oregon</b></div>
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<b>IV, 5.11</b></div>
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Tucked away in the Willamette National Forest outside of Eugene, Oregon, the largest monolith in Oregon towers over the landscape of the western Cascades. Inspired by previous tales of loose rock, runout route finding and monster roofs, Jaime and I drove south last Friday evening to check out Barad-Dur, rumored to be one of the best long routes in the state. Enough with the cragging! <br />
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A few days after the climb, I can safely say that the route lived up to its fabled reputation. The two crux pitches climb out a monster roof system way high up on the wall. And then there's another 3-400 feet of climbing on 4th and 5th class to a narrow ridge of choss to the summit. Exciting!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hu4IfWXGPrQ/UgMx9ZwaWqI/AAAAAAAAJ5g/APEvos3aOHE/s1600/Barad+Dur-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hu4IfWXGPrQ/UgMx9ZwaWqI/AAAAAAAAJ5g/APEvos3aOHE/s640/Barad+Dur-15.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The objective - morning butterflies!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HaUBggrpMAI/UgMy-xui6MI/AAAAAAAAJ7M/_0uZ5EZKGLQ/s1600/Barad+Dur-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HaUBggrpMAI/UgMy-xui6MI/AAAAAAAAJ7M/_0uZ5EZKGLQ/s640/Barad+Dur-14.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 1 - follow the bolts up interesting face climbing on some delicate downsloping ledges and sidepulls</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1v5fY1Rl4bs/UgMxxTys6HI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/GsM4U3SPHtc/s1600/Barad+Dur-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1v5fY1Rl4bs/UgMxxTys6HI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/GsM4U3SPHtc/s640/Barad+Dur-10.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle on pitch 1 with camera tilt</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DNeqF_Asg8g/UgMx5PmQo8I/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/ePnYqdTcEJY/s1600/Barad+Dur-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DNeqF_Asg8g/UgMx5PmQo8I/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/ePnYqdTcEJY/s640/Barad+Dur-13.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Starting pitch 2. The on-line beta is all over the place for this pitch. Off the belay, follow one bolt and one stud (visible in the picture) until you can step right about 8 feet. Then follow a RIGHT facing corner on easy but somewhat mannky terrain. Don't go too far right. </i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7mo_-PN4D8/UgMyefsw9hI/AAAAAAAAJ6w/7Z_BOBrN5YU/s1600/Barad+Dur-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7mo_-PN4D8/UgMyefsw9hI/AAAAAAAAJ6w/7Z_BOBrN5YU/s640/Barad+Dur-9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNpox-yJ0gw/UgMyZxHeqGI/AAAAAAAAJ6k/8NNXV756Wqc/s1600/Barad+Dur-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNpox-yJ0gw/UgMyZxHeqGI/AAAAAAAAJ6k/8NNXV756Wqc/s640/Barad+Dur-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>End of pitch 3. From the second belay, follow bolts and an occasional gear placement until you can make a slightly rising traverse to the left. </i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7FDaWCQAI3Y/UgMy-MokI5I/AAAAAAAAJ7I/VC6LxN2DIw8/s1600/Barad+Dur-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7FDaWCQAI3Y/UgMy-MokI5I/AAAAAAAAJ7I/VC6LxN2DIw8/s640/Barad+Dur-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Starting pitchj 4. Follow the ramp on easy ground up and right to the big left-facing corner. Head up and left, past an intermediate anchor in the corner, and until you can head further up to a belay stance. </i> </td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTFjLJXmypc/UgMyVVFK5iI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/rES_YN8WBp0/s1600/Barad+Dur-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTFjLJXmypc/UgMyVVFK5iI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/rES_YN8WBp0/s640/Barad+Dur-7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ca5K1cTLN2c/UgMyQ6UFLlI/AAAAAAAAJ6Q/n1t4ubVyFZg/s1600/Barad+Dur-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ca5K1cTLN2c/UgMyQ6UFLlI/AAAAAAAAJ6Q/n1t4ubVyFZg/s640/Barad+Dur-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-lhc073ZSo/UgMxwPuSdDI/AAAAAAAAJ44/3pVUxHrVN9E/s1600/Barad+Dur-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-lhc073ZSo/UgMxwPuSdDI/AAAAAAAAJ44/3pVUxHrVN9E/s640/Barad+Dur-1-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 5 is exciting! Make a tenuous traverse towards a bolt on an outside corner with hundreds of feet of air under your feet. Turn the corner and climb up another 15-20 ft until you can belay on your right. Don't go too high in the corner.</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LajJs7IR3T0/UgMyMR4fLFI/AAAAAAAAJ6I/xoOypp5XrY8/s1600/Barad+Dur-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LajJs7IR3T0/UgMyMR4fLFI/AAAAAAAAJ6I/xoOypp5XrY8/s640/Barad+Dur-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0Hi8AQDrAA/UgMyID5f-II/AAAAAAAAJ6A/BuCgvfm25rs/s1600/Barad+Dur-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0Hi8AQDrAA/UgMyID5f-II/AAAAAAAAJ6A/BuCgvfm25rs/s640/Barad+Dur-4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 6 - Bohle working with 5.11 crux. Woo! That's some serious exposure - amazing pitch on mostly bomber rock. The goods. </i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V6e_BMgh8E4/UgMx3cFiMBI/AAAAAAAAJ5U/bwDJDjpCLKk/s1600/Barad+Dur-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V6e_BMgh8E4/UgMx3cFiMBI/AAAAAAAAJ5U/bwDJDjpCLKk/s640/Barad+Dur-11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Starting pitch 7. Psyched to be past the crux and getting into hundreds of feet of low fifth class terrain. For pitch 7, cut sharp left towards the crest and then up until you can belay.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvTMzMtigLI/UgMyEaP8ZeI/AAAAAAAAJ54/Rtxr0q8jHLU/s1600/Barad+Dur-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lvTMzMtigLI/UgMyEaP8ZeI/AAAAAAAAJ54/Rtxr0q8jHLU/s640/Barad+Dur-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle 3rd-classing the summit ridge. If you can stomach the exposure and suspect rock, pack up the rope. The pro sucks anyway.</i> </td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CYAKmiSilQ/UgMyAbJPMqI/AAAAAAAAJ5s/_6Vl5KdWNMg/s1600/Barad+Dur-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CYAKmiSilQ/UgMyAbJPMqI/AAAAAAAAJ5s/_6Vl5KdWNMg/s640/Barad+Dur-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j5dT4oh7fu4/UgMxyPMckYI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/DIRP_LazlnM/s1600/Barad+Dur-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j5dT4oh7fu4/UgMxyPMckYI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/DIRP_LazlnM/s640/Barad+Dur-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Headed down. The descent looks intimidating but is kind of like walking off Snow Creek Wall. A couple of cairns mark the general direction. </i></td></tr>
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This is definitely one of the best routes in Oregon, so go check it out. </div>
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Rack: 1 set of nuts, 1-2 sets of cams to #3, 13-15 slings. </div>
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Other beta: </div>
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<a href="http://chossclimbers.com/testing/us/oregon/the-cascades/barad-dur/" target="_blank">Team Chalupa</a></div>
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<a href="http://natetack.blogspot.com/2010/10/barad-dur.html" target="_blank">Tack-Tannenbaum</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mountainproject.com/v/barad-dur/107230099" target="_blank">Mountain Project</a> - The pitch by pitch beta on MP is pretty reliable. </div>
<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-58056922535773096542013-05-30T21:03:00.001-07:002013-05-31T09:59:44.024-07:00Hells Canyon 2013<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHtWIA7LxnA/UabYsLjveMI/AAAAAAAAJrU/kSMjzGiuBKM/s1600/Doug+on+the+Flatiron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHtWIA7LxnA/UabYsLjveMI/AAAAAAAAJrU/kSMjzGiuBKM/s400/Doug+on+the+Flatiron.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doug enjoying sunny limestone in Hells Canyon</i></td></tr>
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Three years ago, I made a <a href="http://chriswinter.blogspot.com/2010/06/hells-canyon-trip-report-sssshhh-dont.html" target="_blank">pilgrimage</a> to Hells Canyon over Memorial Day weekend. Armed with just enough beta to find this remote valley, we explored numerous unknown sport climbs of unknown grades, met a few committed regulars and even picked up some tidbits of information that I filed away for future trips.<br />
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I promised myself a return trip but fast forward three years later and I still hadn't managed to make the time. When the weather gods recently washed out a planned trip into the mountains for Memorial Day weekend, Hells Canyon immediately came to mind as Plan B. The forecast looked a bit marginal but drier than pretty much everywhere else north of the Sierras. By 10 pm Friday night, we rolled into Allison Creek campground and unloaded our kit down by the river. <br />
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The beta for this place is sparse, but the climbing is quite engaging, usually well protected by bolts and mostly easy to locate. All in all, its perfect for those willing to explore a bit and to launch up unknown routes with a fist full of quick draws and a bail biner (which we thankfully never had to use). We started on the South Face of the Flatiron, highlighted by ascents of what I think were Desperado and a route next to it, both of which felt like 5.11 or so. Both these routes are quite long with mid-point anchors that we now know are supposed to be used as lower offs. We ended up climbing both routes in multi-pitch style, which worked just fine, but probably wasn't ideal. In the shot above, Doug is finishing off the steep 5.11 pitch that starts in a small, triangular alcove off the ledge and then finishes high on the face through several roofs and bulges. Poke around up there, and you'll find lots of cool routes - there's way more to explore than we had time to check out. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O4p-lVnO0lA/UabYoA6HT4I/AAAAAAAAJrE/H3z8sPuECSo/s1600/Doug+on+ledge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O4p-lVnO0lA/UabYoA6HT4I/AAAAAAAAJrE/H3z8sPuECSo/s640/Doug+on+ledge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Turning the corner on the Flatiron and headed towards the West Face</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RqMG4pGYb1k/UabYvm6DcNI/AAAAAAAAJrc/444be70y-Tg/s1600/West+Face+of+the+Flatiron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RqMG4pGYb1k/UabYvm6DcNI/AAAAAAAAJrc/444be70y-Tg/s640/West+Face+of+the+Flatiron.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A small portion of the West Face of the Flatiron</i></td></tr>
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At the end of the day, we climbed a cool route that starts off the ledge leading towards the West Face. It climbs up through a bulgy corner system - maybe called Lady - maybe not. Who knows but the route was cool with a fun crux through some bulgy rock. At the end of the day, we checked out the west face and looked for lines of bolts leading up the 300 ft formation. We eyeballed a couple of routes but of course had no idea what they were. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAO-0VEqpZtCtx2i1vHdmD5s2OOPb_O48Wim6Kk0fGTKOrStJMx5jWHR9c4OF6Q3k7BtJdSogcSadSxm43cKvXAAgnvFDUZZFJbIZskF5sO9vKV7C9v4IVqUHk9HWZ6IGrOy1L8JlbwG0/s1600/Doug+on+approach+to+big+bar+buttress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAO-0VEqpZtCtx2i1vHdmD5s2OOPb_O48Wim6Kk0fGTKOrStJMx5jWHR9c4OF6Q3k7BtJdSogcSadSxm43cKvXAAgnvFDUZZFJbIZskF5sO9vKV7C9v4IVqUHk9HWZ6IGrOy1L8JlbwG0/s640/Doug+on+approach+to+big+bar+buttress.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The approach to Big Bar Buttress</i></td></tr>
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On Sunday, we went up to Big Bar Buttress, hoping to stay in the shade all day. The highlights were definitely the two routes we climbed on the north side of the buttress, which we managed to squeeze in before getting bouted by a downpour (right as I was cruxing at the lip on what I think is Saturday Jesus). We finished the day off with a couple of quick pitches on the Glass Wall after the rain abated. <br />
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Monday, armed with a bit of beta from the Yoder/Ford camp, we went back up to the Flatiron and knocked out two of the multi-pitch routes that we had early eyeballed on the West Face. Oh yes! These lines are really high quality and would be heavily traveled classics at most crags. The right hand line sports pretty consistent 5.10 climbing throughout the three pitches. The left hand line included a stellar pitch 3 crux that involves delicate 5.11- face moves off the anchor into an airy 5.easy roof system way off the deck. Cool! We were back at the car and on the road by 1 pm. Major props to Team Yoder/Ford for putting up these excellent lines! If you can find 'em, climb 'em, because they're definitely worth it. <br />
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This place is remote and adventurous - 2.5 hours from I84 at the bottom of what's supposedly the deepest river gorge in North America. Its well worth checking out for the solitude and climbing, and the few regulars we met have been very friendly and welcoming. Hopefully the last few pictures intrigue you enough to go check it out. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWzcQx1sM0M/UabYb4WhQ8I/AAAAAAAAJqs/NdTQ3hoeEzA/s1600/Doug+on+West+Face+of+Flatiron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWzcQx1sM0M/UabYb4WhQ8I/AAAAAAAAJqs/NdTQ3hoeEzA/s640/Doug+on+West+Face+of+Flatiron.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_PrMq3K53Q/UabYVz8WleI/AAAAAAAAJqg/J_dNzaE7sGc/s1600/Doug+Leading+on+West+Face+of+Flatiron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_PrMq3K53Q/UabYVz8WleI/AAAAAAAAJqg/J_dNzaE7sGc/s640/Doug+Leading+on+West+Face+of+Flatiron.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNFNjn6W6lk/UabYV5uVi_I/AAAAAAAAJqk/fFynMvn_r54/s1600/Allison+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNFNjn6W6lk/UabYV5uVi_I/AAAAAAAAJqk/fFynMvn_r54/s640/Allison+Creek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allison Creek Campground along the Snake River - a former orchard used to feed the local miners</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXcDDkqZQfWar00CxqSm4XtU3aZHo1StXOhJDt54244lRKmBCtfks9O5jE6cI79k02IjEKzOCSJxzfWmhyphenhyphencGK9_WLt22HxwLbUlCrG6b98w9N6k2HmoMLph0mc1ikh6dm9iZ3vBzrVNc/s1600/Doug+Rapping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXcDDkqZQfWar00CxqSm4XtU3aZHo1StXOhJDt54244lRKmBCtfks9O5jE6cI79k02IjEKzOCSJxzfWmhyphenhyphencGK9_WLt22HxwLbUlCrG6b98w9N6k2HmoMLph0mc1ikh6dm9iZ3vBzrVNc/s640/Doug+Rapping.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-37940253811427078622013-05-14T20:43:00.000-07:002013-05-14T23:22:35.561-07:00A Week in the Creek<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKoP4FZxFSU/UYBvAxpQfNI/AAAAAAAAJiY/mhIR-Ftb3sw/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKoP4FZxFSU/UYBvAxpQfNI/AAAAAAAAJiY/mhIR-Ftb3sw/s400/Indian+Creek+2013-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Evening light on the Disappointment Cliffs</i></td></tr>
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With only a week to burn, Kristin and I recently made a dash for southeast Utah and the splitter cracks of Indian Creek. Our most recent and only <a href="http://chriswinter.blogspot.com/2010/11/desert-diaries-indian-creek.html" target="_blank">prior trip</a> was in the fall of 2010, and we had been dreaming and scheming of our return even since. Having sworn off of recreational air travel for the year, 2013 was the perfect time to make it happen. The opportunity to plug into an incredible landscape is one of the great attractions of climbing, and Indian Creek did not disappoint.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>But before we could take in that desert landscape, we had to negotiate the punishing drive from Portland. We left early on a Friday afternoon and made it to Salt Lake City by 2 am, where we crashed in a Priceline special out by the airport. We hoped to get in a few pitches on Saturday afternoon, but we slept in after a brutal drive the night before. We finally got rolling and eventually pulled into the Bridger Jacks campground at about 4 pm on Saturday.<br />
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We scoped a sweet campsite, parked the car, pulled out the gear and immediately set off up the hill towards the towers to climb Easter Island. And then started what came to be know for the week as the "Winter Sh*t Show."<br />
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The mad dash to the Creek following a full week of work took a toll on our bodies and our minds, and it would take a couple of days to shake off the cobwebs. We managed to tag the summit of Easter Island, but not without some major bumbling. A cam walked way back into a crack at the start of the second pitch (we abandoned it), and I yarded on everything I could through the cruxy and sandy face climbing to the summit. But despite all the shenanigans, I was extremely happy to be in the desert, alone with Kristin, on a tower of sandstone. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDxOmPO0kvs/UYBusl8U-QI/AAAAAAAAJhk/glbBNYmvjN8/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDxOmPO0kvs/UYBusl8U-QI/AAAAAAAAJhk/glbBNYmvjN8/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-20.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin rappelling off of Easter Island</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lGBbh2yd_Y/UYBujS4hWsI/AAAAAAAAJhQ/UegIIuGbH30/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lGBbh2yd_Y/UYBujS4hWsI/AAAAAAAAJhQ/UegIIuGbH30/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Bridger Jacks cast their shadow over Indian Creek</i></td></tr>
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We rapped off and retreated back to camp, feeling a bit spanked and needing some beer and a good night sleep.<br />
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On Sunday, we drove down Beef Basin Road towards the Pistol Whipped Wall and arrived to find about 15 cars in the parking lot. Party time at the Creek. I "warmed up" on a .75 finger crack and got spanked, forgetting how to either ring lock or lay back. The trend continued for the next few pitches until I finally found a nicely sized - and short - hand crack that I could actually climb. I rock!<br />
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That evening, we unpacked our stuff and suddenly realized I had left our guidebook up at the wall. The Winter Sh*t Show continues! We jumped back in the car, coaxed the Subaru over the rough road out of the Bridger Jacks and eventually found ourselves making the approach back to the Pistol Whipped Wall as the sun was setting. On the way back up the trail, we got buzzed by an <a href="http://aerobot.com.au/cinestar-octocopter" target="_blank">octocopter</a>, ran into <a href="http://pamelashantipack.com/" target="_blank">Pamela Pack, </a>and eventually found our guidebook.<br />
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After two days of struggles, we slowly started to ease into a groove, both with the climbing and the peaceful day-to-day rhythm of the Creek. From an incredible camp site, we watched the sun rise and fall, witnessed a full moon rise opposite a stunning sunset, and we even managed to squeeze in a few pitches of rock climbing. The Winter Sh*t Show slowly started to fade into the background - but we could always feel its presence just around the corner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9eYpOYynKgjrLhhomR8bBLrbumfOPDGpUDqJYZQjJsKPy09E0sq108pBSIiPV7iNMfOUEpU3hOknMZZ1z9mhRREoAcAvgzByJU7YHKkyZMlD5m42EkPeIUjplC_NclI1zXkWx4bk8xU/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9eYpOYynKgjrLhhomR8bBLrbumfOPDGpUDqJYZQjJsKPy09E0sq108pBSIiPV7iNMfOUEpU3hOknMZZ1z9mhRREoAcAvgzByJU7YHKkyZMlD5m42EkPeIUjplC_NclI1zXkWx4bk8xU/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our campsite in the Bridger Jacks</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooCToqU6RT8/UYBuaoo_hzI/AAAAAAAAJg8/Hi8OZ8r-TFE/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooCToqU6RT8/UYBuaoo_hzI/AAAAAAAAJg8/Hi8OZ8r-TFE/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rUt6C0oDjhFR3Gg7bENzkP9jn84LEcWBxCdwOqi4rsDaZ68p-kuNNesMHSpOGA7mQG5baiTy-R1v_I8vuHHAEe-U0rPpZpgh2cGulQsjjCsuUsCGLeXs4MPXnPcazYDaFjp4uH-1bko/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rUt6C0oDjhFR3Gg7bENzkP9jn84LEcWBxCdwOqi4rsDaZ68p-kuNNesMHSpOGA7mQG5baiTy-R1v_I8vuHHAEe-U0rPpZpgh2cGulQsjjCsuUsCGLeXs4MPXnPcazYDaFjp4uH-1bko/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-viWLtLSt4BE/UYBuNB6JH0I/AAAAAAAAJgg/8pNokQ4Vc6o/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-viWLtLSt4BE/UYBuNB6JH0I/AAAAAAAAJgg/8pNokQ4Vc6o/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A sunset over North Six Shooter</i></td></tr>
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The highlight was definitely the moonrise/sunset combo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81ShU6u3l9Y/UYBuMaBFjqI/AAAAAAAAJgU/pxqzcuGLV50/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81ShU6u3l9Y/UYBuMaBFjqI/AAAAAAAAJgU/pxqzcuGLV50/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-13.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A full moon rising over the Reservoir Wall</i></td></tr>
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I was preoccupied shooting the rise of the full moon, only to eventually turn my head to witness an incredible sunset at the opposite end of the sky. I almost missed it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKoP4FZxFSU/UYBvAxpQfNI/AAAAAAAAJiY/mhIR-Ftb3sw/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKoP4FZxFSU/UYBvAxpQfNI/AAAAAAAAJiY/mhIR-Ftb3sw/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tTkf1UoaLco/UYBu6CaIM-I/AAAAAAAAJiE/wozKY8G-jfk/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tTkf1UoaLco/UYBu6CaIM-I/AAAAAAAAJiE/wozKY8G-jfk/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunset over the Shooters</i></td></tr>
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Towards the end of the week, we set our sights on the Scarface Wall, because ever since our first trip in 2010 I had been thinking about the onsite of Scarface itself. We arrived early on what we thought might be a hot day, and as we approached the base I saw the route and decided to jump on it first thing.<br />
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As I racked up, I looked at the little roof and then the .75 ring locks into changing corners and thought that looked pretty hard for .11-. I got bouted after 10 feet and called for tension, frustrated that I sucked. I plugged in some more gear and suffered through until I finally got to the hand crack and then clipped the chains without using any of the #2 cams I had on my harness. Something didn't feel right.<br />
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After getting lowered off, I was determined to figure this thing out and took two more laps on a TR. On the last lap, I sussed out the ring locks and managed to get it clean. When I lowered off, I untied and then finally stopped to take in my surroundings and explore a bit. As I turned the corner and looked down the wall, there was Scarface. Yes, I had been cruxing on the Sicilian, a stout 5.11 off fingers bastard of a pitch. The Winter Sh*t Show continues!<br />
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I had a few good chuckles and Kristin got in a few light hearted jabs at my dumbassedness before I finally tied in for real at the base of Scarface. The first 10-15 feet were tricky, but they were way easier than the Sicilian. I pushed through one little crux and then stood up and plugged a #1 cam into the tight hand crack. One or two more moves, and I found a locker hand jam. And then, my visions of perfect hand jams during an onsite send materialized, and I milked that beautiful crack all the way the chains. Sweet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--FwpqtCteSU/UYBuMdSTvJI/AAAAAAAAJgY/vxDyj5DthM0/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--FwpqtCteSU/UYBuMdSTvJI/AAAAAAAAJgY/vxDyj5DthM0/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin after we had actually found Scarface</i></td></tr>
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Despite occasionally climbing like crap and making some stupid mistakes, Kristin and I had an absolutely sublime and peaceful trip to the Creek. We managed to send a few really good routes, and most of all we fell more in love with this incredible place. We can't wait to go back - and maybe next time we'll leave behind the Winter Sh*t Show in Portland. Enjoy the rest of the pics!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YyVmu8g7dBA/UYBt9_EB1HI/AAAAAAAAJf8/R3JMpHlrwZ4/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YyVmu8g7dBA/UYBt9_EB1HI/AAAAAAAAJf8/R3JMpHlrwZ4/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cactus Flowers</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rD8mwOaVnUw/UYBuJN0Yu1I/AAAAAAAAJgM/RBHg_1-Oc4k/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rD8mwOaVnUw/UYBuJN0Yu1I/AAAAAAAAJgM/RBHg_1-Oc4k/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarface!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Horses on the loose!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on the approach to Second Meat Wall</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vnk8T4-T48s/UYBuyIBTwxI/AAAAAAAAJh0/mIDBtspHu04/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vnk8T4-T48s/UYBuyIBTwxI/AAAAAAAAJh0/mIDBtspHu04/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin rappelling off of Second Meat Wall</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGhCrbLdPl0/UYBuv9BUTsI/AAAAAAAAJhs/axxERX2uGwE/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jGhCrbLdPl0/UYBuv9BUTsI/AAAAAAAAJhs/axxERX2uGwE/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Second Meat</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wk2HgQFcRQ/UYBug0upaMI/AAAAAAAAJhI/EYHA3cmSA1Y/s1600/Indian+Creek+2013-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wk2HgQFcRQ/UYBug0upaMI/AAAAAAAAJhI/EYHA3cmSA1Y/s640/Indian+Creek+2013-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Happy times on our last day at the Creek</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-41045672565173955832013-04-01T19:13:00.000-07:002013-04-01T19:13:13.967-07:00St. Helens Easter Day Corn Harvest<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZMeL93WLD8/UVoz1K5gEGI/AAAAAAAAJd0/hF6cOqg71XI/s1600/03-13+-+-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZMeL93WLD8/UVoz1K5gEGI/AAAAAAAAJd0/hF6cOqg71XI/s400/03-13+-+-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The "new" lava dome and the Mt. Margaret Backcountry from the crater rim</i></td></tr>
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Last weekend saw unseasonably warm weather with a ridge of high pressure locked in over the region. Fresh off an incredible week of powder skiing, I figured it was time to go harvest some spring corn. After climbing at Ozone in perfect weather on Saturday, I drove up to Marble Mount trailhead with some friends and crashed out in the parking lot. Up at 3:30 and on the trail by 4:15 or so, we topped out around 9 am to clear skies, calm winds and the promise of a buttery corn cycle on the descent. Enjoy the pics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunrise over Mt. Adams</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We enjoyed a perfect morning on the way up</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Met some new friends and drank some beer on the crater rim</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZMeL93WLD8/UVoz1K5gEGI/AAAAAAAAJd0/hF6cOqg71XI/s1600/03-13+-+-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZMeL93WLD8/UVoz1K5gEGI/AAAAAAAAJd0/hF6cOqg71XI/s640/03-13+-+-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We soaked up some incredible views of the blast zone and Mt. Rainier</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eventually more people made their way to the top, including one guy with a huge pack that included a parasail</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4YLYtm990A/UVo0uovVRBI/AAAAAAAAJfU/7h0m1C0j0xI/s1600/03-13+-+-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4YLYtm990A/UVo0uovVRBI/AAAAAAAAJfU/7h0m1C0j0xI/s640/03-13+-+-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And then it was down time!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Givt8fde0uQ/UVozpHIGajI/AAAAAAAAJdo/v4gp9H_n6zg/s1600/03-13+-+-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Givt8fde0uQ/UVozpHIGajI/AAAAAAAAJdo/v4gp9H_n6zg/s640/03-13+-+-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Keeping it classy in the parking lot for lunch</i></td></tr>
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Yeah, it was a great day out. Thanks to Daniel, Andrew, Chris, Matt, and Jaime for keepin it real. Maybe next week we'll get some powder snow! <br />
<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-74287675137042996282013-04-01T18:54:00.000-07:002013-04-11T20:26:59.097-07:00Fairy Meadow Brain Dump<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kP1m4nlnYik/UVJPmLAkOSI/AAAAAAAAJbM/2_YZOc0-qIQ/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kP1m4nlnYik/UVJPmLAkOSI/AAAAAAAAJbM/2_YZOc0-qIQ/s400/Fairy+Meadows-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bohle dropping the pow</i></td></tr>
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On those cold, early
mornings, standing above a face of untouched fluff, a chemical reaction inside
my head starts to etch a permanent image of that moment in my memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can recall those times when
everything falls perfectly into place and I drop into bottomless, blower pow
(or even coastal cement), as if it happened just last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a rolodex, I can flip back through 35 years of history, pulling out cards on individual runs,
complete with notations on snow conditions, mental state, and partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
The human brain works in mysterious ways . . . especially on
powder days.<br />
<a name='more'></a>It’s a phenomenon that, for me, is unique to skiing and, to
a certain extent, climbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I
the only one who experiences this unique sensation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I could predict in advance when it will click into place so I could hook up my brain to a computer. Maybe the screen would light up like a Christmas tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it would go black (how much
blacker could it get?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
rainbows and ponies would go dancing across the monitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for some reason, I can recall all
the little details from these individual runs from as far back as 1987-88.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Recently, my brain was on etch a sketch ovder drive for an entire week in the Northern Selkirks of British Columbia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based out of the incredible Fairy
Meadow Hut north of Rogers Pass, we gorged ourselves on runs of faceshots and
cold, fluffy snow set amongst towering granite peaks and old-growth
forests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect snow, a perfect
setting and perfect company made for one of those memorable experiences that
will stay permanently filed away in my mental rolodex for the rest of my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That quest for timelessness
inspires our adventures, and the sweet taste of success holds us over until our
next vacation.<br />
<br />
Brian pulled together some good video clips. Check it out:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/62764624" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/62764624">Fairy Meadows</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5882452">Brian Litmans</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
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I’ll let the photos take care of the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only advice is this – go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You won’t be disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the weather sucks, ski the
pow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the bluebird days, explore
the high alpine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In between, drink
all the booze you flew in on the helo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What could be better?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/fairy.html" target="_blank">Fairy Meadow Hut Info</a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3VSslveqw0/UVJOamrKgJI/AAAAAAAAJSs/VwRCr9Z3_3k/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3VSslveqw0/UVJOamrKgJI/AAAAAAAAJSs/VwRCr9Z3_3k/s640/Fairy+Meadows-23.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Views of the Canadian Rockies from Golden, BC</i><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_Pzg5uDO3E/UVJPg_U3iLI/AAAAAAAAJaM/p5uY30vI2rA/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_Pzg5uDO3E/UVJPg_U3iLI/AAAAAAAAJaM/p5uY30vI2rA/s640/Fairy+Meadows-79.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NGkyNzEr2G0/UVJPfaq1FGI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/ymaOXebQHI0/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NGkyNzEr2G0/UVJPfaq1FGI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/ymaOXebQHI0/s640/Fairy+Meadows-78.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inside and outside the bird</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JWTDWqSuQ98/UVJPc9ka92I/AAAAAAAAJZ0/NFJ4_ZqRETE/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JWTDWqSuQ98/UVJPc9ka92I/AAAAAAAAJZ0/NFJ4_ZqRETE/s640/Fairy+Meadows-77.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NkvLI2HSeZU/UVJPa20r_zI/AAAAAAAAJZc/HhmaLHIWapI/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-75.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NkvLI2HSeZU/UVJPa20r_zI/AAAAAAAAJZc/HhmaLHIWapI/s640/Fairy+Meadows-75.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5G5lnlv5QY/UVJPaQmi2qI/AAAAAAAAJZU/OtbmiLsie6Q/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-74.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5G5lnlv5QY/UVJPaQmi2qI/AAAAAAAAJZU/OtbmiLsie6Q/s640/Fairy+Meadows-74.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shots of Kinbasket Lake on the flight in. Check out the monster slide paths down to the lake shore. </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On our planned drop off day, a low ceiling had us concerned, but our skilled helo pilot managed to get us in. Low in the valley it was mist and overcast skies. But when we rose up over the last ridge line and descended towards the hut, the snow was coming down. </span><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9YU6W0liGM/UVJPcVKlU1I/AAAAAAAAJZo/EIVVdMLHYS4/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9YU6W0liGM/UVJPcVKlU1I/AAAAAAAAJZo/EIVVdMLHYS4/s640/Fairy+Meadows-73.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNMSAJ59nTc/UVJPYL3dhgI/AAAAAAAAJZM/uKCl8DjH7r0/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNMSAJ59nTc/UVJPYL3dhgI/AAAAAAAAJZM/uKCl8DjH7r0/s640/Fairy+Meadows-72.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OctGdaKPD64/UVJPXpX9tSI/AAAAAAAAJZE/aj2rtJRDJXA/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-71.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OctGdaKPD64/UVJPXpX9tSI/AAAAAAAAJZE/aj2rtJRDJXA/s640/Fairy+Meadows-71.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>When we landed, it was nuking! We had two feet of fresh, light powder on the first day. </i></td></tr>
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<i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hnf2hI6JUw/UVJOTJf_Y3I/AAAAAAAAJQ8/uCdzizr7DeU/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hnf2hI6JUw/UVJOTJf_Y3I/AAAAAAAAJQ8/uCdzizr7DeU/s640/Fairy+Meadows-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pA6N_OzI85o/UVJOcHD-0KI/AAAAAAAAJS8/TvOKdDOHUfU/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pA6N_OzI85o/UVJOcHD-0KI/AAAAAAAAJS8/TvOKdDOHUfU/s640/Fairy+Meadows-27.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to the Fairy Meadow Hut</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We spent the first couple of days wading through deep snow with some tough visibility at times, but the skiing was awesome. The prior week saw a couple of feet of heavy snow, and the light pow on top made for a stable snowpack. </span><br />
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<i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWzigvARy8w/UVJPXU1Vc0I/AAAAAAAAJY8/W-gKpXRdsVo/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWzigvARy8w/UVJPXU1Vc0I/AAAAAAAAJY8/W-gKpXRdsVo/s640/Fairy+Meadows-70.jpg" width="480" /></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXghMjA8WgE/UVJPVy9boGI/AAAAAAAAJYw/udhWcneneG0/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXghMjA8WgE/UVJPVy9boGI/AAAAAAAAJYw/udhWcneneG0/s640/Fairy+Meadows-69.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xiz_EahM4mM/UVJPT4WRBEI/AAAAAAAAJYk/lvQEs_oQCU4/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-68.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xiz_EahM4mM/UVJPT4WRBEI/AAAAAAAAJYk/lvQEs_oQCU4/s640/Fairy+Meadows-68.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Up in the storm and down in the powder. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1PevO_Dvlo/UVJPSg7ipMI/AAAAAAAAJYY/oxXJ0K7RW4o/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-67.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1PevO_Dvlo/UVJPSg7ipMI/AAAAAAAAJYY/oxXJ0K7RW4o/s640/Fairy+Meadows-67.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jon Haftel at the entrance to the Meadow Chute with Double Top towering over Swan Creek</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy4k5MGjGbPzCUfUgfYEid-DZRgAVR0yMZpNdud60kQ87PpO-FeGCnB6U_7QomS5YRfcMWn4Q_b61yAYLkKsBQG1L_SmpVy4YEJ3qL5qElnWl_mycsQD75N9cDc8GXvdQZbXgIOnX6YA/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-66.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy4k5MGjGbPzCUfUgfYEid-DZRgAVR0yMZpNdud60kQ87PpO-FeGCnB6U_7QomS5YRfcMWn4Q_b61yAYLkKsBQG1L_SmpVy4YEJ3qL5qElnWl_mycsQD75N9cDc8GXvdQZbXgIOnX6YA/s640/Fairy+Meadows-66.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kAoGTyA8zOI/UVJPmbon97I/AAAAAAAAJbU/CYerG_YsdcM/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-87.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kAoGTyA8zOI/UVJPmbon97I/AAAAAAAAJbU/CYerG_YsdcM/s640/Fairy+Meadows-87.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fk44NOJbvEU/UVJOZwN_nwI/AAAAAAAAJSc/cXX5pVHFfAc/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fk44NOJbvEU/UVJOZwN_nwI/AAAAAAAAJSc/cXX5pVHFfAc/s640/Fairy+Meadows-22.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Practice Slopes - a 600 ft face immediately out the back door of the hut. </i></td></tr>
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<i></i><br />
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<i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HY0HgZwPHS8/UVJOYcQBVtI/AAAAAAAAJSU/UV94Km3CN8A/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HY0HgZwPHS8/UVJOYcQBVtI/AAAAAAAAJSU/UV94Km3CN8A/s640/Fairy+Meadows-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssHOX4ncBK4/UVJPRGiQrRI/AAAAAAAAJYM/Ob9jbdbx-kk/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssHOX4ncBK4/UVJPRGiQrRI/AAAAAAAAJYM/Ob9jbdbx-kk/s640/Fairy+Meadows-65.jpg" width="480" /></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qF5zhJbJeM4/UVJPPV2s1cI/AAAAAAAAJYE/p-D3XJ_PN2Q/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qF5zhJbJeM4/UVJPPV2s1cI/AAAAAAAAJYE/p-D3XJ_PN2Q/s640/Fairy+Meadows-64.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div>
<i>Happy times!</i><br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t6N4Nlsfhk/UVJPPX3KpHI/AAAAAAAAJYA/L5CNxVjcaWU/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-63.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t6N4Nlsfhk/UVJPPX3KpHI/AAAAAAAAJYA/L5CNxVjcaWU/s640/Fairy+Meadows-63.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Skinning back up from the bottom of the old-growth</i></td></tr>
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<i></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qeHQUN8ffks/UVJPO_wslMI/AAAAAAAAJX0/iNPZLYvt6Go/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-62.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qeHQUN8ffks/UVJPO_wslMI/AAAAAAAAJX0/iNPZLYvt6Go/s640/Fairy+Meadows-62.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Byx53jg3x90/UVJOXUqGQuI/AAAAAAAAJSE/JcCJ7r4aWAQ/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Byx53jg3x90/UVJOXUqGQuI/AAAAAAAAJSE/JcCJ7r4aWAQ/s640/Fairy+Meadows-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The snow eventually gave way to sun and blue skies and we bolted for the alpine. We toured up the Echo Glacier towards Friendship Col and then summitted Sentinel Peak.</span><i><br /></i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kDnYN4NO2HQ/UVJOuTasq2I/AAAAAAAAJdA/JMxZYqRX5bk/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kDnYN4NO2HQ/UVJOuTasq2I/AAAAAAAAJdA/JMxZYqRX5bk/s640/Fairy+Meadows-26.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrhaugMp1Cu9MEyWAA6yMQ2bIEy_bnxSER0NmCdyzmjCnD-bQGVoV79yB2KzdfMGqsVcOGCseWGbBwQgvSYS8fjF2E9-ddZOdsW0C1OdfSi2-0-tPWWbbLMMbualLIXxliYwp191y1AY/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrhaugMp1Cu9MEyWAA6yMQ2bIEy_bnxSER0NmCdyzmjCnD-bQGVoV79yB2KzdfMGqsVcOGCseWGbBwQgvSYS8fjF2E9-ddZOdsW0C1OdfSi2-0-tPWWbbLMMbualLIXxliYwp191y1AY/s640/Fairy+Meadows-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>On the first bluebird day, we climbed up to Friendship Col en route to the summit of Sentinel Peal</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John Connor on the SW Ridge of Sentinel Peak with Mt. Sir Sanford in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Views from the summit of Sentinel Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A little sloughage</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Senitnal Peak and turn descending from Friendship Col</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After skiing back down from Friendship Col, we toured across the basin and then up this beautiful ramp towards the col to the east of Quadrant Peak.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Run two for the day found us on the beautiful ramp below Quadrant Peak</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> After a bluebird day in the alpine, more snow fell overnight and we retreated back into the trees for another couple of days of bottomless turns. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The, on the final day, the weather cleared once again and we headed up on the Granite Glacier destined for the Unicol.</span></div>
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<i> I think this is Mt. Tsar</i><br />
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<i> Skinning up the moraine of the Granite Glacier</i><br />
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<i> Cheech on the skin up to Unicol</i><br />
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<i> Traversing the slopes of Colossal Peak towards the Unicol</i><br />
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<i> Approaching the Col</i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlO45U2FRE0/UVJPk_kzkxI/AAAAAAAAJa8/jXTmylCvh1A/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BlO45U2FRE0/UVJPk_kzkxI/AAAAAAAAJa8/jXTmylCvh1A/s640/Fairy+Meadows-84.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> At the Col with Unicorn Peak and the Horn in the background</i><br />
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<i> Looking into the awe inspiring Selkirks</i><br />
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<i> Team Litmans/Dalton</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJNG3UwTe-CT88044_Jd_ZKY_YA2iq4226l3qNciyTZtXynShRE6oqycqk_3hDt94Q8UtwFpbMaY092yWYmm7A4stT_uc-4cD00BmLLN_whvB4__JgTjYmV96XRzMqiE_491GMkZjUkU/s1600/Fairy+Meadows-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJNG3UwTe-CT88044_Jd_ZKY_YA2iq4226l3qNciyTZtXynShRE6oqycqk_3hDt94Q8UtwFpbMaY092yWYmm7A4stT_uc-4cD00BmLLN_whvB4__JgTjYmV96XRzMqiE_491GMkZjUkU/s640/Fairy+Meadows-38.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>An attempt at switch gone horribly wrong!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We finished off the final<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>day with beers and a beach party on the back porch complete with a jibber-style kicker.</span></div>
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<i> Check it out dude!</i><br />
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<i> Bohle</i><br />
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<i> Dalton</i><br />
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<i>Cheech</i><br />
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<i> John Connor</i><br />
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<i>Haftel throws the kiss ass blaster off the kicker</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And the next morning, we got picked up by the bird.</span></div>
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<i>Adios Boys!</i><br />
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-16870355702196152532013-02-19T18:49:00.000-08:002013-02-19T22:48:42.182-08:00Sunday on the Zig Zag<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NDss2UqFaGc/USHMv_ocFCI/AAAAAAAAJOc/xxlt1budw6w/s1600/Couple+at+IRock+3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NDss2UqFaGc/USHMv_ocFCI/AAAAAAAAJOc/xxlt1budw6w/s400/Couple+at+IRock+3.jpg" width="300" /></a>With just one day to play this past weekend, I kept it local and headed up to Mt. Hood to check out the conditions with JB and Ryan. We'd received a bit of fresh snow and the temps were pretty moderate, so we decided to check out conditions higher on the mountain. Persistent W/NW winds had scoured the Palmer, but lee slopes held some nice, windbuffed powder in between sections of an icy death crust, which sat on top of 2-4 inches of unconsolidated sugar.<br />
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Just as we arrived at Illumination Saddle, a couple of skiers dropped in off the east side, and I captured some nice images of the ever photogenic Illumination Rock. After some lunch and a quick beer, we repeated their line and enjoyed some nice turns down the Zig Zag until we traversed back in towards the top of the Magic Mile. The best snow was tucked away in the little gullies and depressions, where we could carve super fast turns on a smooth surface. Good times and well worth the drive from Portland. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Above the deck</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Illumination Rock</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Carving the wind buff</i></td></tr>
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<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-4214147026013661402013-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:002013-02-12T21:54:45.795-08:00Winter Sun at Smith RockI spent last week in the chilly confines of Barrow, Alaska, and when I left on Thursday evening the temps had dipped down to -35 degrees F. Brrr. When I deplaned in Anchorage, it was a balmy 10 degrees F. Several hours later on Friday morning, I walked out into the early morning gray of Portland to find tropical temperatures hovering around 50 degrees F. The 85 degree swing wreaked havoc on my system, and I promptly fell asleep.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I finally woke up at 6 am on Saturday morning after about 15 hours of sleep, and Kristin piled me into the car with our climbing gear and a duffle bag of clothes. I immediately fell back asleep and, apart from a quick bagel break, stayed that way until we rolled into Smith Rock at 10 am. Coming off of a red eye from Barrow, 18 hours of shut eye and a drive down to Smith Rock, I was still pumped to see the glow of the morning sun off the Picnic Lunch Wall. I love Oregon.<br />
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We spent the next two days climbing mostly trad lines on the front side, including Lion's Jaw, New Testament, Wartley's and then, at the end of the day on Sunday, Solar. In between, we managed to sneak in a few pitches of sport climbing as well, with the highlight being Fish and Chips, a really unique line in Shipwreck Gully with a pumpy, steep finish - very UnSmith like for 5.10 sport climbing. Exhausted from all the travel, the camera stayed in the pack most of the weekend, but I did strap it on for our short multi-pitch on Solar. Enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ymKVv90FJMI/URslrRGykXI/AAAAAAAAJNo/pUvuKrZmGII/s1600/01-13+-+Smith+Rock-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ymKVv90FJMI/URslrRGykXI/AAAAAAAAJNo/pUvuKrZmGII/s640/01-13+-+Smith+Rock-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on the fun 5.9 corner pitch on Solar</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And the rappel with contrail above</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-66468412991566754962013-01-22T22:05:00.001-08:002013-01-22T23:02:46.679-08:00The Junuary Inversion<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marcel Gesmundo eyeing thousands of feet of corn on Mt. St. Helens</i></td></tr>
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With sunny weather in Central Oregon and a persistent inversion in the mountains, I couldn't decide whether to climb or ski this past weekend. Luckily, with a three day break, I could do both! The Pacific Northwest delivered again with two days of sunny climbing at Smith Rock and a stellar day of skiing corn on Mt. St. Helens. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>Saturday and Sunday, Kristin and I bathed in the winter sun of Smith Rock, climbing volcanic tuff and soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible. Everyone was sporting sunglasses and mile wide smiles. With the winter sun low off the horizon, the park was filled with beautiful, warm light that was cut by the shadows of the surrounding spires. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iiHCA2O7wc8/UP9v-AEvO8I/AAAAAAAAJK8/SVMoy8qQIgQ/s1600/Kristin+on+Phone+Call+from+Satan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iiHCA2O7wc8/UP9v-AEvO8I/AAAAAAAAJK8/SVMoy8qQIgQ/s640/Kristin+on+Phone+Call+from+Satan.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on Phone Call from Satan</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaUVWBOq4lM/UP9vWMspXHI/AAAAAAAAJKE/Yeuv60fb8tk/s1600/Bohle+on+Caffeine+Free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaUVWBOq4lM/UP9vWMspXHI/AAAAAAAAJKE/Yeuv60fb8tk/s640/Bohle+on+Caffeine+Free.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mr. Bohle on Caffeine Free</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9-5QmeYlbxM/UP9vMrJixHI/AAAAAAAAJJ0/E9HGEEBr9PI/s1600/Climber+on+the+Peanut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9-5QmeYlbxM/UP9vMrJixHI/AAAAAAAAJJ0/E9HGEEBr9PI/s640/Climber+on+the+Peanut.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unknown climber on the Peanut in late afternoon light</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNfmrzz1wn0/UP9vg79tKVI/AAAAAAAAJKM/68fiDfPkwj4/s1600/Climber+on+the+Magic+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNfmrzz1wn0/UP9vg79tKVI/AAAAAAAAJKM/68fiDfPkwj4/s640/Climber+on+the+Magic+Light.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unknown climber on the Magic Light</i></td></tr>
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As we walked back to the car on Saturday afternoon, I turned and looked up the hillside and caught a glimpse of two solitary climbers on a striking arete high above the park. Backed by a perfectly blue sky, they almost shimmered in the fading afternoon light. A seed had been planted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azMeNBansSo/UP9vVqm6W8I/AAAAAAAAJJ8/tqGUYq1dSSc/s1600/Climber+on+the+Voyage+of+the+Cow+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azMeNBansSo/UP9vVqm6W8I/AAAAAAAAJJ8/tqGUYq1dSSc/s640/Climber+on+the+Voyage+of+the+Cow+Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspiration</i></td></tr>
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That night, we ID'd the climb in the new guidebook and agreed that we'd go check it out on Sunday. By the time we got out of the car the next morning, I could hardly contain myself. Hello!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lkG52mycgiU/UP9wjunag4I/AAAAAAAAJLs/DuRuKMGIFI0/s1600/Picnic+Lunch+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lkG52mycgiU/UP9wjunag4I/AAAAAAAAJLs/DuRuKMGIFI0/s640/Picnic+Lunch+Wall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Picnic Lunch Wall</i></td></tr>
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<b> Voyage of the Cow Dog, 5.9, 3 pitches</b></div>
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Starting at the top of the Shipwreck Gully, Voyage of the Cow Dog climbs to an airy perch high above the front side of the park. The first two pitches are pretty cool, but the third pitch, up a striking pillar of volcanic rock with gut churning exposure, is one of the best 5.9 pitches at Smith Rock without question. </div>
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I was lucky enough to climb the route with three very cool women, and having led the last pitch I got some great pics in more incredible light to capture a special moment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6IcjkdUi57Y/UP9v2w0-JYI/AAAAAAAAJKs/vEHSJTkTIwQ/s1600/K+on+2nd+belay+cow+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6IcjkdUi57Y/UP9v2w0-JYI/AAAAAAAAJKs/vEHSJTkTIwQ/s640/K+on+2nd+belay+cow+dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin very excited to be right there right then</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aW3ZHB45kxM/UP9v7qbMO7I/AAAAAAAAJK0/b-uDvlu0v7A/s1600/K+on+3rd+pitch+of+Cow+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aW3ZHB45kxM/UP9v7qbMO7I/AAAAAAAAJK0/b-uDvlu0v7A/s640/K+on+3rd+pitch+of+Cow+Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on the 3rd pitch of Voyage of the Cow Dog</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hfULavP6ZA/UP9wSqjx9mI/AAAAAAAAJLM/aZF-sTVYnNU/s1600/Leigh+on+Voyage+of+the+Cow+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hfULavP6ZA/UP9wSqjx9mI/AAAAAAAAJLM/aZF-sTVYnNU/s640/Leigh+on+Voyage+of+the+Cow+Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leigh Schelman leading the final pitch</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_rwN6Rz8pw/UP9wSJFwnBI/AAAAAAAAJLI/YnvGn5xr83w/s1600/Leigh+finishing+Cow+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_rwN6Rz8pw/UP9wSJFwnBI/AAAAAAAAJLI/YnvGn5xr83w/s640/Leigh+finishing+Cow+Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8CVZtnJ12gU/UP9vjRgkHiI/AAAAAAAAJKU/-pfb7s1ABjw/s1600/Gullies+and+Mountains-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8CVZtnJ12gU/UP9vjRgkHiI/AAAAAAAAJKU/-pfb7s1ABjw/s640/Gullies+and+Mountains-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An unusual view of Smith Rock and the Cascades</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ADFPHdMx8c/UP9wiq5vzaI/AAAAAAAAJLk/sBFUwusgxxc/s1600/Moira+on+Cow+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ADFPHdMx8c/UP9wiq5vzaI/AAAAAAAAJLk/sBFUwusgxxc/s640/Moira+on+Cow+Dog.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0E9xYOtdi0/UP9wUfj9NVI/AAAAAAAAJLY/ta2QQU48fZs/s1600/Moira+on+Cow+Dog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0E9xYOtdi0/UP9wUfj9NVI/AAAAAAAAJLY/ta2QQU48fZs/s640/Moira+on+Cow+Dog+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moira cruising the last pitch</i></td></tr>
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Exposure, sun, ice on the river, and volcanic spires in all directions - what a day for January!! The approach takes about 30-40 minutes from the car, and the route isn't very long, but the position is absolutely incredible, and the rock quality on the third pitch is phenomenal. The route was apparently hand drilled on lead, which must have been exciting. If you're into this kind of thing, definitely go check it out and appreciate the fine efforts of the first ascensionists. <br />
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Buzzing from an incredible weekend, I spent a good part of the drive home lining up partners for the final outing of the three-day weekend, hoping that the warm, sunny conditions in the mountains would hold for one more day. After a flurry of texts, the plan was set for a 5 am departure from PDX en route to Mt. St. Helens.<br />
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We left the car around 7:45 am and topped out around 12:45 pm to absolutely incredible views, blinding sunlight, and calm winds. In the clear winter air, we could see from Mt. Baker to the Olympics and south to the Sisters and beyond. After gaping at volcano country, laid out before us like a map on the wall, we eventually gave into temptation and clipped into our bindings for the 5000 ft. run back to Marble Mountain Sno-Park.<br />
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I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking, but major props to Guy, Scott and Marcel for rallying and to Neve for not falling into the crater and not spending too much time on my tails. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49cJzDDE5Q0/UP4I44BP-dI/AAAAAAAAJIU/NhTBt4KNNdI/s1600/Low+on+the+Worm+Flows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49cJzDDE5Q0/UP4I44BP-dI/AAAAAAAAJIU/NhTBt4KNNdI/s640/Low+on+the+Worm+Flows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyNK0PQvJiw/UP4Jg1sL48I/AAAAAAAAJJI/elTBsVYHeJI/s1600/Neve+on+the+Worm+Flows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyNK0PQvJiw/UP4Jg1sL48I/AAAAAAAAJJI/elTBsVYHeJI/s640/Neve+on+the+Worm+Flows.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Neve in huskie heaven</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLrEoqTR-K7oFL0PRffKt_4jJ66wTs7812qb810OA8PnWunnRjra7z5HpncBiOWnIHH8UdoEXfAv4wIzJ0Qk8JBIlFfTAR4wXBiKwes5W_7ZJsR9vQattYc63YwL8T_UOUVg60-Qnl9k/s1600/Descending+climbers+on+Mt.+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLrEoqTR-K7oFL0PRffKt_4jJ66wTs7812qb810OA8PnWunnRjra7z5HpncBiOWnIHH8UdoEXfAv4wIzJ0Qk8JBIlFfTAR4wXBiKwes5W_7ZJsR9vQattYc63YwL8T_UOUVg60-Qnl9k/s640/Descending+climbers+on+Mt.+Adams.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Climbers on the way down from an early morning summit with Mt. Adams behind</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HBdX00y6tU/UP4ImT58MrI/AAAAAAAAJIA/aQ31HOqF1vM/s1600/Jerger+and+the+Reservoir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HBdX00y6tU/UP4ImT58MrI/AAAAAAAAJIA/aQ31HOqF1vM/s640/Jerger+and+the+Reservoir.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Scott nearing the Crater Rim</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKvS1JBIKrc/UP4IT5dyfLI/AAAAAAAAJHs/Z639Xvhzp88/s1600/Jerger+Mid+Stride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKvS1JBIKrc/UP4IT5dyfLI/AAAAAAAAJHs/Z639Xvhzp88/s640/Jerger+Mid+Stride.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRxEiaSZfFs/UP4HcYi7O-I/AAAAAAAAJGY/ruLP3tVfCzk/s1600/Climbers+and+Mt.+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRxEiaSZfFs/UP4HcYi7O-I/AAAAAAAAJGY/ruLP3tVfCzk/s640/Climbers+and+Mt.+Adams.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chillaxin on the Crater Rim</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiFzlzTkEKQ/UP4JkKCbOgI/AAAAAAAAJJQ/F5KMt8CFBhI/s1600/Two+Skier+and+Adams+on+Crater+Rim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiFzlzTkEKQ/UP4JkKCbOgI/AAAAAAAAJJQ/F5KMt8CFBhI/s640/Two+Skier+and+Adams+on+Crater+Rim.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf1n7um3Bdo/UP4JSTClmSI/AAAAAAAAJI4/CTLFO0eMGTA/s1600/Mt.+Rainier%252C+Spirit+Lake+and+the+Crater+Cliffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qf1n7um3Bdo/UP4JSTClmSI/AAAAAAAAJI4/CTLFO0eMGTA/s640/Mt.+Rainier%252C+Spirit+Lake+and+the+Crater+Cliffs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Rainier, Spirit Lake and the walls of the Crater Rim</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDlcZSMuG8o/UP4H06tqGVI/AAAAAAAAJG0/tp5INnkwxPM/s1600/Guy+Topping+Out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDlcZSMuG8o/UP4H06tqGVI/AAAAAAAAJG0/tp5INnkwxPM/s640/Guy+Topping+Out.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrorZ0g8waw/UP4IJdiqyKI/AAAAAAAAJHg/GRJEW9Zt5ZU/s1600/Guy+on+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrorZ0g8waw/UP4IJdiqyKI/AAAAAAAAJHg/GRJEW9Zt5ZU/s640/Guy+on+Top.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy topping out all smiles despite some heckling from the peanut gallery</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2CzTj4XccUI/UP4H8srGAxI/AAAAAAAAJHE/oybS36cI3Z4/s1600/Guy+and+Neve+on+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2CzTj4XccUI/UP4H8srGAxI/AAAAAAAAJHE/oybS36cI3Z4/s640/Guy+and+Neve+on+Top.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Does it get any better that this?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AOHIzUOAV8g/UP4JcwILD8I/AAAAAAAAJJA/750D0c3FSQ0/s1600/Neve+and+Mt.+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AOHIzUOAV8g/UP4JcwILD8I/AAAAAAAAJJA/750D0c3FSQ0/s640/Neve+and+Mt.+Adams.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Don't eat the yellow snow!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoAbDqstAylK4UySanbWJISZiV9DfXIMwSDwjdHxaZvWMTOkkMOcNkOBiNKnoyQ0X2siiTMhK-PEl1CJ_um6BHVkTjS5aIfwtiIEVtK6Cu8jz1SGkgLQkYB5G9DYDz1b1zlR0ruN9ZM0/s1600/Jerger+and+Guy+on+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoAbDqstAylK4UySanbWJISZiV9DfXIMwSDwjdHxaZvWMTOkkMOcNkOBiNKnoyQ0X2siiTMhK-PEl1CJ_um6BHVkTjS5aIfwtiIEVtK6Cu8jz1SGkgLQkYB5G9DYDz1b1zlR0ruN9ZM0/s640/Jerger+and+Guy+on+Top.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Down time!</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKsRhOR8RQplQMOKOhtLWA4SOQXyXyJSM4QpghqRTxTH1XdeDp0W_WfPbXs-NiaiHoVt3YNAM0nFjgyi515DwrclbbswHK2Z-47q7Fvmeyd4kt_8sUwI83UPeg-TPavlqpzS0MEW9tfo/s1600/Marcel+dropping+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKsRhOR8RQplQMOKOhtLWA4SOQXyXyJSM4QpghqRTxTH1XdeDp0W_WfPbXs-NiaiHoVt3YNAM0nFjgyi515DwrclbbswHK2Z-47q7Fvmeyd4kt_8sUwI83UPeg-TPavlqpzS0MEW9tfo/s640/Marcel+dropping+in.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdl_VPTS42XafJm5f9QpdSz6oc7S93IUw6k0xW3111PfWBJ59dfZMFXJw8ygNlC7Xo13nClpSXdIi_fw5KZYFIQX6a-NypC3KyXvhCZ6IxtDDMs1Y1TP4TkpcVZZ3ywA_VMRGrzuJSoA/s1600/Guy+and+Neve+on+the+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdl_VPTS42XafJm5f9QpdSz6oc7S93IUw6k0xW3111PfWBJ59dfZMFXJw8ygNlC7Xo13nClpSXdIi_fw5KZYFIQX6a-NypC3KyXvhCZ6IxtDDMs1Y1TP4TkpcVZZ3ywA_VMRGrzuJSoA/s640/Guy+and+Neve+on+the+run.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiIwwYm6fV8/UP4I8j7-jsI/AAAAAAAAJIg/z7BwipXbQF4/s1600/Jerger+riding+with+Mt.+Hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiIwwYm6fV8/UP4I8j7-jsI/AAAAAAAAJIg/z7BwipXbQF4/s640/Jerger+riding+with+Mt.+Hood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phD-_YJZojo/UP4HcTwJCvI/AAAAAAAAJGc/2D_oRBMrmb4/s1600/Guy+Skiing+with+Mt.+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phD-_YJZojo/UP4HcTwJCvI/AAAAAAAAJGc/2D_oRBMrmb4/s640/Guy+Skiing+with+Mt.+Adams.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4kMRgH1wN7o/UP4H2ZEkcoI/AAAAAAAAJG8/jeK50DIlpQw/s1600/Guy+and+5000+ft+of+skiing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4kMRgH1wN7o/UP4H2ZEkcoI/AAAAAAAAJG8/jeK50DIlpQw/s640/Guy+and+5000+ft+of+skiing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Headed home</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-23621185586623348852013-01-13T19:12:00.001-08:002013-01-13T19:12:56.391-08:00More Mt. Hood!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsDPRL0OF8WhyphenhyphenngUlVhOgionBDjPW4AwSsS3LqnQypj_o5Z6lNb1gRzSBzEwev4HXHsF7xOraGdhNskBatMfNVsHUV3VJGHCHPiVCVQPVb8j3poRAWLPguZDixzvYRSUJmLxAE5flhg4/s1600/South+Side+of+Mt.+Hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsDPRL0OF8WhyphenhyphenngUlVhOgionBDjPW4AwSsS3LqnQypj_o5Z6lNb1gRzSBzEwev4HXHsF7xOraGdhNskBatMfNVsHUV3VJGHCHPiVCVQPVb8j3poRAWLPguZDixzvYRSUJmLxAE5flhg4/s640/South+Side+of+Mt.+Hood.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The South Side of Mt. Hood from Tom Dick and Harry - January 13, 2013</i></td></tr>
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This January has produced beautiful conditions on Mt. Hood, with lots of sun, fresh snow, and cold temperatures, although it looks like a warming trend is going to settle in this week. We just got back from a quick tour up to Tom Dick and Harry, and we saw exactly zero (0) other skiers all day, despite excellent conditions consisting of light powder over a hard packed surface.<br />
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The shot above provides a great overview of an excellent spring tour from Timberline Lodge, up to Illumination Saddle and then down to Paradise Park en route to the trailhead past the west side of Mississippi Head. The trailhead sits at 2800 feet - a spring run from the summit would net you 8000+ ft. Go check it out!Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-28767810576727182832013-01-10T22:23:00.000-08:002013-01-10T22:23:55.682-08:00Red Rocks Into a Year-Long Grounding<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VN-EwRxF31s/UOiJ3Ub7bsI/AAAAAAAAJAY/HkH4ScZwc_s/s1600/Guy+in+the+Split+Boulder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VN-EwRxF31s/UOiJ3Ub7bsI/AAAAAAAAJAY/HkH4ScZwc_s/s320/Guy+in+the+Split+Boulder.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Split Boulder</i></td></tr>
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For Kristin and I, 2013 will be the "year of the car." For a variety of reasons, we've decided that we aren't going to board a plane for personal enjoyment (i.e. climbing) for the entire calendar year. Many of our friends have already asked, "Why the hell would you do that?" Well, the primary reason is because our travel habits have gotten out of control - run amok - taken over. We've found ourselves in an endless cycle of planning, travel, incurring bills, paying bills and then the mental process of anticipation, the highs and lows of climbing, and the psychological roller coaster of re-emergence into the working world. This lifestyle is what we crave, but I began to feel like it had become a burden to maintain that endless momentum of packing and unpacking, moving from one trip into the next all while trying to be a responsible co-worker and husband. Air travel isn't the only contributing factor, but it plays a pretty big role especially in terms of the financial stress. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>We decided to intervene before we started to take our ridiculously privileged lifestyle for granted. I figured the best way to appreciate what we have is to go without for a short period of time. On top of that, we've also found that it's difficult to reign in our lifestyle without drawing a line in the sand. Another climbing trip, another ski trip, another family vacation - another journey always finds its way onto our calendar. The only way to say no to anything is to say no to everything! (Yes, it kind of sounds like an addiction.) <br /><br />
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So for the next 12 months, we have sworn off of commercial air travel. I may have to fly for work, and I have allotted myself one exception, a yet-to-be-disclosed helicopter ride that had already wormed its way into the schedule well before we hatched this hair-brained idea. (This particular helicopter ride is going to be so worth it!) But apart from those transgressions, Kristin and I will not be boarding a plane until 2014.<br />
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Of course, that meant that we had to make the most of 2012! On December 26th, we departed for our last trip prior to the temporary hiatus and boarded a flight for sunny Las Vegas, Nevada! Cha-ching! We met up with a couple of friends and were lucky to stay at a beautiful ranch in Calico Basin a short walk from some world-class climbing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuQ538EhLWc/UOiKlipXTXI/AAAAAAAAJBM/jGMXQzfm6w4/s1600/Sandstone+and+Limestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuQ538EhLWc/UOiKlipXTXI/AAAAAAAAJBM/jGMXQzfm6w4/s640/Sandstone+and+Limestone.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The last hurrah</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxxff5w-V2M/UOiJbP5ssWI/AAAAAAAAJAA/kU47ZSlETQ4/s1600/Atman+Crack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxxff5w-V2M/UOiJbP5ssWI/AAAAAAAAJAA/kU47ZSlETQ4/s640/Atman+Crack.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x_QMr98sRhc/UOiKRnF4hKI/AAAAAAAAJA4/wixgUj2J82A/s1600/Kristin+on+Atman+Crack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x_QMr98sRhc/UOiKRnF4hKI/AAAAAAAAJA4/wixgUj2J82A/s640/Kristin+on+Atman+Crack.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Atman Crack!</i></td></tr>
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The first day there, I busted up my big toe pretty good, which kind of put a damper on my climbing for the rest of the trip. But no worries - we put it on cruise control and enjoyed four very fun days of mostly sunny, moderate climbing in the desert. On December 31st, the last day of 2012, we boarded a plane bound for the dreary Pacific Northwest, squeezing all we could out of the fading year before our self-imposed, year-long airline abstinence. Our little gimmick was already working! Because we weren't going to be on a plane for another year, we enjoyed the trip that much more. <br />
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From deprivation comes appreciation. And, in this case, even just the anticipation of deprivation lead to a greater appreciation of our good fortune. <br />
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Enjoy the rest of the photos. And a huge thanks to Guy and Virginia for the good times! Here's to 2013!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnwFcOfY0L8/UOiKus5hBAI/AAAAAAAAJBY/TdeH0Li_LBE/s1600/The+Cadet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pnwFcOfY0L8/UOiKus5hBAI/AAAAAAAAJBY/TdeH0Li_LBE/s640/The+Cadet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The approach vehicle - out of my way beotches!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eEA_yyJSJU/UOiJsZJ0ZPI/AAAAAAAAJAQ/ehGgSJdO1sw/s1600/Ginny+on+Atman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7eEA_yyJSJU/UOiJsZJ0ZPI/AAAAAAAAJAQ/ehGgSJdO1sw/s640/Ginny+on+Atman.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Virginia on Atman Crack</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy on Yin and Yang</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2Sm9CRuCIM/UOiKGHn71RI/AAAAAAAAJAg/O9OfBxTYfV4/s1600/Guy+on+Top+of+Atman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2Sm9CRuCIM/UOiKGHn71RI/AAAAAAAAJAg/O9OfBxTYfV4/s640/Guy+on+Top+of+Atman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tM7P5v53XsI/UOiKlF3KcCI/AAAAAAAAJBI/3KJU7MsoZNc/s1600/Ladies+in+Boulders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tM7P5v53XsI/UOiKlF3KcCI/AAAAAAAAJBI/3KJU7MsoZNc/s640/Ladies+in+Boulders.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Where's Waldo err Kristin?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfHxG9KdbxA/UOiKylH02_I/AAAAAAAAJBg/KE5F51uQAes/s1600/WAlking+off+Shark+Vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfHxG9KdbxA/UOiKylH02_I/AAAAAAAAJBg/KE5F51uQAes/s640/WAlking+off+Shark+Vegas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Walking off from the top of Shark Vegas</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fun in the Sun on Birdland - we cropped out the other 15 people that tried to climb the route with us</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUAmDtiG_C4/UOiKGMNt8JI/AAAAAAAAJAo/qQK10a0KdIQ/s1600/Guy+on+Slab+Climb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUAmDtiG_C4/UOiKGMNt8JI/AAAAAAAAJAo/qQK10a0KdIQ/s640/Guy+on+Slab+Climb.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy leading a face climb just to the left of Physical Graffiti</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvGho9TU_tRE_vjb4pnR5CHl2AfkN_2K6fxAaX3cNpx478GC6VjZrzoA7JNPG1W0J57exMMfu4Np78rj-EPTASD_k2WAa184ghQWn3sJZI_JoZ-GyQpU8oggvfeRbQK4DKXw52vdiw9I/s1600/Physical+Grafitti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvGho9TU_tRE_vjb4pnR5CHl2AfkN_2K6fxAaX3cNpx478GC6VjZrzoA7JNPG1W0J57exMMfu4Np78rj-EPTASD_k2WAa184ghQWn3sJZI_JoZ-GyQpU8oggvfeRbQK4DKXw52vdiw9I/s640/Physical+Grafitti.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And the first pitch of Physical</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-78595859527814768742013-01-06T20:12:00.000-08:002013-01-06T20:12:20.868-08:00Sun, Snow and a Big 'Ole Volcano - January in Oregon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-54yb-h6Lni8/UOeaGeYhiaI/AAAAAAAAI-A/DpiwEegJDNs/s1600/Andrew+at+Hogs+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-54yb-h6Lni8/UOeaGeYhiaI/AAAAAAAAI-A/DpiwEegJDNs/s400/Andrew+at+Hogs+Back.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crater Rock and the bootpack towards the Old Chute</i></td></tr>
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The first week of January brought relatively calm weather and sunny skies over the Oregon Cascades. Easing back into the day-to-day after the holiday season, I played hookey on my birthday this past Thursday and then squeezed in one more day in the Mt. Hood backcountry on Sunday. After the recent storm cycles, the mountain is holding a lot of snow, which is mostly stable and well bonded. The skiing conditions have been a little tough, but the calm, sunny skies and the wilderness solitude have been sublime.<br />
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I'm always amazed that I don't see more people in the Mt. Hood backcountry during the winter. The south side climb is mobbed on any given spring day, but the climbing/skiing conditions and the atmosphere oare often far better from January through March. The weather can be a role of the dice, but you have to be on the mountain to see how it unfolds. Often the wind will be howling on the drive up to Timberline Lodge, only to let up for 2-3 hours right after sunrise. Or, like today, a cold, dense fog will sink into the valleys while the mountain itself basks in warm, winter sunlight. Anything is possible on Mt. Hood if you show up. <br />
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<a name='more'></a><u><b>Thursday - Ski of the Old Chute</b></u><br />
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On my 41st birthday, I was hoping to take advantage of the stable weather window to ski the Old Chute, hoping to find some soft snow left over from the last storm. I talked Ralph and Andrew into coming with me, and we left Portland around 5:30 am headed towards Timberline.<br />
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We started up around 7-7:15, and were soon greeted by a stunning sunrise over the mountain.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3z6ixgywuFM/UOea0eZkSXI/AAAAAAAAI_M/EM-8LgXTF-w/s1600/Ralph+and+Andrew+on+skin+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3z6ixgywuFM/UOea0eZkSXI/AAAAAAAAI_M/EM-8LgXTF-w/s640/Ralph+and+Andrew+on+skin+up.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We made pretty good progress on the slog up to the top of the Palmer, which followed a well groomed climber's trail maintained by the good people at Timberline Lodge.<br />
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<br />Up to the Triangle Moraine.<br />
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From the Hogsback, I bootpacked it up towards the Old Chute.<br />
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I waded towards the summit ridge through hip deep snow with just a little bit of crust on top, where I was greeted by 30-40 mph winds and spindrift blowing up the mountain into my face. After topping out on the ridge at about 12:15, I saw weather moving in quickly turned tail back towards the Chute. <br />
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I put the skis back on, and enjoyed some really fun, steep turns down towards Crater Rock on wind affected snow with 2-3 inches of penetration. From there, the three of us went back down to the Lodge, where we enjoyed a couple of beers, before skiing down to Government Camp. <br />
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From the summit ridge to Govy - 7000'. Not bad for a mid-week day in January. Apart from our party, I saw only two other people on the upper mountain the entire day. They summitted through the Peary Gates and descended through the Old Chute, reporting a short step of ice and lots of wallowing. They descended just as I was getting to the Hogsback, so I had the upper mountain virtually to myself. What a birthday gift! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_bj42MC0ho/UOeaPiVab3I/AAAAAAAAI-U/BQkv2DW7iSI/s1600/IRock+and+Rain+Clouds+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_bj42MC0ho/UOeaPiVab3I/AAAAAAAAI-U/BQkv2DW7iSI/s640/IRock+and+Rain+Clouds+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Illumination Rock and Rain Cloud</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwggYNGhOHzyARAw2w-MoKeMZk3Bk3KyFX6vuZ_OQPFSX4BRPBtnudEnc8hyxWDDOxT0nxn7ol9zId_3GMafimRtcvnjeyBD1u_Dlvjqfw4x-n1j-W54KdySWPu525CGkDSR4T1xrcgc/s1600/Ralph+and+Andrew+Skiing+Summit+Slopes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwggYNGhOHzyARAw2w-MoKeMZk3Bk3KyFX6vuZ_OQPFSX4BRPBtnudEnc8hyxWDDOxT0nxn7ol9zId_3GMafimRtcvnjeyBD1u_Dlvjqfw4x-n1j-W54KdySWPu525CGkDSR4T1xrcgc/s640/Ralph+and+Andrew+Skiing+Summit+Slopes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The final turns of the day on the Alpine Trail </i></td></tr>
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For the night session, Kristin and a few friends met me at Ski Bowl, and I got in another 8-10 runs under the lights in between beers at the Warming Hut - the birthday 2fer! Mt. Hood by day, Ski Bowl by night. <br />
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<u><b>Sunday - Pea Gravel Ridge</b></u><br />
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I knew the snow conditions were getting worse, and the weather looked suspect, but I had a free day this weekend, and I couldn't resist one more day on Mt. Hood. I went in without expectations just looking forward to getting a little exercise and being on the mountain.<br />
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As we drove up Highway 26, a thick, dense layer of fog slowly started to give way, and by the time we drove around the mountain towards White River, the upper slopes of Wy'East were glowing through the fading mist, lit up by the morning light. We pulled into the Hood River Meadows parking lot to clear skies, 2-3 inches of new snow, and calm winds. <br />
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We decent time up Pea Gravel Ridge and eventually emerged from the trees to be greeted by Mt. Hood in all her wintry glory. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_guL0xoBsY/UOo-BSp7UCI/AAAAAAAAJDw/8YPmbPVo9eo/s1600/Wy%2527East+to+Heather+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_guL0xoBsY/UOo-BSp7UCI/AAAAAAAAJDw/8YPmbPVo9eo/s640/Wy%2527East+to+Heather+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We peeled the skins and dropped off the northeast side of the ridge towards Newton Canyon. The snow on the way up had been a really challenging frozen crust and that made for tough skinning conditions. We chose an aspect that was getting early sun in the hopes that it would soften up first. The first turns off the top were excellent, but then it started to get a little tough a few hundred feet down. But it was well worth the walk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1PYlE93_XVo/UOo97n1MjzI/AAAAAAAAJDg/7MORfMSeslY/s1600/Turns+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1PYlE93_XVo/UOo97n1MjzI/AAAAAAAAJDg/7MORfMSeslY/s640/Turns+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Run #1</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iztkwyv22vk/UOo9azs_iXI/AAAAAAAAJCg/SPaR_lKXxNw/s1600/Jaime+Dropping+in+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iztkwyv22vk/UOo9azs_iXI/AAAAAAAAJCg/SPaR_lKXxNw/s640/Jaime+Dropping+in+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime Dropping into the First Run</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_8585GyJ6HE/UOo9RFBkHdI/AAAAAAAAJCY/QrxWAmTg_oE/s1600/Black+Spider+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_8585GyJ6HE/UOo9RFBkHdI/AAAAAAAAJCY/QrxWAmTg_oE/s640/Black+Spider+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mt. Hood and the Black Spider</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkuuiAX6b6Q/UOo9o1bpXJI/AAAAAAAAJDA/9h21vhIQ1uE/s1600/Luis+Headed+for+Round+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkuuiAX6b6Q/UOo9o1bpXJI/AAAAAAAAJDA/9h21vhIQ1uE/s640/Luis+Headed+for+Round+2+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Luis headed up for Run #2</i></td></tr>
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For Run #2, we dropped off the other side, hoping that the afternoon sun would soften up the south facing slopes leading into Heather Canyon. We found everything from corn to crust to glop, but it was skiable and definitely fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nt399k5dg04/UOo9b_pZTKI/AAAAAAAAJCo/vfPvcrbzAxo/s1600/Jaime+Skinning+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nt399k5dg04/UOo9b_pZTKI/AAAAAAAAJCo/vfPvcrbzAxo/s640/Jaime+Skinning+2+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime Headed up for Run #2</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRemKBOqJY8/UOo93mBuusI/AAAAAAAAJDY/E1dUWjgoyY0/s1600/Pea+Gravel+and+Black+Spider+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRemKBOqJY8/UOo93mBuusI/AAAAAAAAJDY/E1dUWjgoyY0/s640/Pea+Gravel+and+Black+Spider+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Upper Pea Gravel Ridge, Wy'East and the Black Spider</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8zKUJ4x1u14/UOo9N0e4TlI/AAAAAAAAJCM/mVvpCNHZruM/s1600/Hood+and+Lenticular+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8zKUJ4x1u14/UOo9N0e4TlI/AAAAAAAAJCM/mVvpCNHZruM/s640/Hood+and+Lenticular+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wy'East and Lenticular</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_DPDlb9zA2-H-M5QYPPNCDzsxbQ-yTl4JlqJRtdOfqNH5tZFRrEryYJpfdeW65jjBoalCU2pkyzZUsITAUJKpkiroihfnCUTawIQuLsF9SQKfTdLIqguoK39c3TJc81rdnnz1rH3-K4/s1600/Jaime+with+Hood+in+background+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_DPDlb9zA2-H-M5QYPPNCDzsxbQ-yTl4JlqJRtdOfqNH5tZFRrEryYJpfdeW65jjBoalCU2pkyzZUsITAUJKpkiroihfnCUTawIQuLsF9SQKfTdLIqguoK39c3TJc81rdnnz1rH3-K4/s640/Jaime+with+Hood+in+background+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Run #2 in Heather Canyon</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o6eGsnnEA4/UOo91fAF1gI/AAAAAAAAJDQ/pJqXbaxLocs/s1600/Luis+and+Mt.+Hood+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o6eGsnnEA4/UOo91fAF1gI/AAAAAAAAJDQ/pJqXbaxLocs/s640/Luis+and+Mt.+Hood+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Afternoon turns in Heather Canyon</i></td></tr>
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After a couple of runs, we called it a day and headed down to Hood River for beer and football. We arrived just on time to watch the second half of the Seahawks/Skins game! Perfect timing. Oh yeah, and the total number of people we saw up on Pea Gravel? 2.<br />
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2 days, 15,000 ft of vertical, 4 other people and one big, snow-covered volcano in my back yard. Om. Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-35725550497203797332012-10-26T20:38:00.001-07:002012-10-26T23:12:11.672-07:00Boom!The season seems to change awfully quick after the first week of October, and earlier this past week I was lucky enough to spend a day on the Mt. Hood National Forest checking out a proposed Forest Service project. The North Side of Mt. Hood stood watch over the Hood River Valley, bathed in a fresh blanket of fall snow. Inspiration in the making ... enjoy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuohv6Gr8srcO69x3kv1QtCTMzoLw_CtnkmoL5jX0Ex8O2rmuLhcev3Jx7Waw0zwfWB3o89im4EJkpvHL9sCYPfIP1eKPbhM66omXrufSSd9t12k6RPBtq75E4keMgZDYLhqW1iLlMrQ/s1600/Mt.+Hood+in+Fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuohv6Gr8srcO69x3kv1QtCTMzoLw_CtnkmoL5jX0Ex8O2rmuLhcev3Jx7Waw0zwfWB3o89im4EJkpvHL9sCYPfIP1eKPbhM66omXrufSSd9t12k6RPBtq75E4keMgZDYLhqW1iLlMrQ/s640/Mt.+Hood+in+Fall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-91957113567873213782012-07-16T22:27:00.001-07:002012-10-26T23:25:13.137-07:00Anniversary on the Marsupial Traverse<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yA348m-e8gQ/T_ZGveNvseI/AAAAAAAAIm0/Vdwad-ZKZSI/s1600/K+on+summit+of+Brogan+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yA348m-e8gQ/T_ZGveNvseI/AAAAAAAAIm0/Vdwad-ZKZSI/s320/K+on+summit+of+Brogan+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin celebrating our 8th anniversary on Brogan Spine</i></td></tr>
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This year, July 4th - our 8th Anniversary - fell on a Wednesday, during a stiff period of work
for the both of us, and so we hemmed and hawed a bit about what to do.
Although we have been climbing quite a bit this spring and early summer,
we've been confined to the crags and haven't really spent much time off
the ground. After some back and forth, we finally decided on the
Marsupial Traverse at Smith Rock, rumored to be the longest route in the
park and a mini-adventure on typically variable Smith tuff. After a
reasonable 7 am departure from Portland, we managed to bag the route,
enjoy a fancy anniversary dinner at Abby's pizza in Madras, and then
arrive back in Portland by 10 pm. A fine day!<br />
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Overall, I really enjoyed the route, but its not for the weak minded. Although the first pitch and the last two pitches are well bolted, the middle sections of the route is extremely run out on very moderate terrain with some serious exposure. But with that caveat, it's a route well worth doing - at least once - to experience the terrain, the min-summits, and the incredible views of the surrounding Central Oregon landscape. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InOUrwuC8QI/T_ZHJs4LK8I/AAAAAAAAInQ/3JjUVDAk2WU/s1600/K+on+top+of+the+Mudpile+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InOUrwuC8QI/T_ZHJs4LK8I/AAAAAAAAInQ/3JjUVDAk2WU/s640/K+on+top+of+the+Mudpile+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin atop of the 5.8 first pitch - aka Carla the Stripper - this is a long, fun, well bolted journey up the Mudpile. Good stuff.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RANmW_6bCI0/T_ZGvh8HP8I/AAAAAAAAIm4/T4PeK2ByBDg/s1600/K+on+top+of+the+Mudpile+B-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RANmW_6bCI0/T_ZGvh8HP8I/AAAAAAAAIm4/T4PeK2ByBDg/s640/K+on+top+of+the+Mudpile+B-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K descending off the top of the Mudpile towards Mini-Half Dome. Let the runout chossaineering begin!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ3SAg8sjpU/T_ZGVVLkF1I/AAAAAAAAImo/33mxcUahE80/s1600/K+on+knife+edge+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZ3SAg8sjpU/T_ZGVVLkF1I/AAAAAAAAImo/33mxcUahE80/s640/K+on+knife+edge+copy.jpg" width="483" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At the second belay on the Mudpile. One 5.7 move off this belay is well protected by a bolt - enjoy the exposure!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHZJnVgvJyA/T_ZGEZ_whyI/AAAAAAAAImU/URFqCffRzyc/s1600/K+from+Mini+Halfdone+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHZJnVgvJyA/T_ZGEZ_whyI/AAAAAAAAImU/URFqCffRzyc/s640/K+from+Mini+Halfdone+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin headed towards the summit of Min-Half Dome - After the 5.7 move, the route steps over an airy gap to Mini-Half Dome - fun. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSUU3KPQsjQ/T_ZILMpD_AI/AAAAAAAAIoA/i3ty2HV8f9Y/s1600/K+on+top+of+Mini+Halfdome+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSUU3KPQsjQ/T_ZILMpD_AI/AAAAAAAAIoA/i3ty2HV8f9Y/s640/K+on+top+of+Mini+Halfdome+copy.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDH9c1ov3W8/T_ZHJ_UYpyI/AAAAAAAAInU/fZ9_1-gunk8/s1600/K+rapping+mini+halfdome+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDH9c1ov3W8/T_ZHJ_UYpyI/AAAAAAAAInU/fZ9_1-gunk8/s640/K+rapping+mini+halfdome+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The rappel off the backside of Mini-Half Dome</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4H6oldJLijg/T_ZHdjogBFI/AAAAAAAAInw/_hWIX2CEMpE/s1600/West+Ridge+of+Brogan+Spire+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4H6oldJLijg/T_ZHdjogBFI/AAAAAAAAInw/_hWIX2CEMpE/s640/West+Ridge+of+Brogan+Spire+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The headiest part of the route is the climb from the notch behind Mini-Half Dome to the summit of Brogan Spire. This section requires two pretty long pitches of suspect rock with crappy, sparsely spaced pro with plenty of exposure. This shot looks back down from the summit, with an anchor draw visible after about 30-40 feet of runout 5.4-5.5 climbing. Exciting but not very hard. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yA348m-e8gQ/T_ZGveNvseI/AAAAAAAAIm0/Vdwad-ZKZSI/s1600/K+on+summit+of+Brogan+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yA348m-e8gQ/T_ZGveNvseI/AAAAAAAAIm0/Vdwad-ZKZSI/s640/K+on+summit+of+Brogan+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin rapping off the summit of Brogan Spire. Two single rope rappels bring you down to the namesake cave on the well-known Cave Route. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6rOqZfA8fk/T_ZG5K1pJ5I/AAAAAAAAInI/ywg16dpEJKw/s1600/K+on+the+Tail+Belay+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6rOqZfA8fk/T_ZG5K1pJ5I/AAAAAAAAInI/ywg16dpEJKw/s640/K+on+the+Tail+Belay+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K at the semi-hanging belay on the route up The Tail. This traversing, 5.7-5.8 pitch was really cool, pretty well bolted, and airy. A nice change of pace. From this anchor, one single rope rap will get you to the ground. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9GR-osx8dP8/T_ZGUekyNpI/AAAAAAAAImg/xWwIqudRaC8/s1600/K+on+Opposum+Summit+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9GR-osx8dP8/T_ZGUekyNpI/AAAAAAAAImg/xWwIqudRaC8/s640/K+on+Opposum+Summit+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K on the top of the Opossum managing the rope. We rapped from the top of the Tail back to the anchor in the photo above and then to the ground. It worked pretty well and avoids the gut churning knife edge and rap off suspect anchors on the Opossum. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNoygotKmoY/T_ZF_aVwULI/AAAAAAAAImM/8uC1McDA8kM/s1600/8+years+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNoygotKmoY/T_ZF_aVwULI/AAAAAAAAImM/8uC1McDA8kM/s640/8+years+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summit Shot - Eight years!</i> <i> Dang we're old. But we're still climbing. </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql9J_LQfWqU/T_ZF9zYit2I/AAAAAAAAImE/WZ1pOI7iBps/s1600/GBH+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql9J_LQfWqU/T_ZF9zYit2I/AAAAAAAAImE/WZ1pOI7iBps/s640/GBH+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60Cv5Em14oc/T_ZHUpEkoeI/AAAAAAAAInk/VHdxccXkYCE/s1600/Monument-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60Cv5Em14oc/T_ZHUpEkoeI/AAAAAAAAInk/VHdxccXkYCE/s640/Monument-Edit.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And some of that beautiful Smith scenery for the walk out.</i></td></tr>
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Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-68065451031141485942012-07-10T00:32:00.000-07:002012-07-10T16:54:20.969-07:00Acid Baby --> SW Chutes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2UVvk-Ryq4/T_u__97Ev5I/AAAAAAAAIrg/4KVd5odhzBQ/s1600/Upper+Route+Overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2UVvk-Ryq4/T_u__97Ev5I/AAAAAAAAIrg/4KVd5odhzBQ/s400/Upper+Route+Overview.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday - Acid Baby</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBIzDzvQ6hU/T_u_3JlSvsI/AAAAAAAAIrM/3kSUUnFQk_Y/s1600/SW+Chutes+Overview+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBIzDzvQ6hU/T_u_3JlSvsI/AAAAAAAAIrM/3kSUUnFQk_Y/s400/SW+Chutes+Overview+copy.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunday - Mt Adams SW Chutes</i></td></tr>
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Last weekend, Jaime and I pulled off an alpine 2fer - PDX Weekend Warrioring. We left Portland late on Friday after work, and we got back into town on Sunday evening almost exactly 48 hours later. Saturday, we climbed Acid Baby in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness above Colchuk Lake and then drove down to Mt. Adams. Sunday, we skied the SW Chutes and were home by 8-ish after beers in White Salmon. Alpine rock climbing and volcano skiing - summer in the Cascades. <br />
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Sometimes I get frustrated living in Portland, having to drive so far to get to the mountains,
but then I remember what it was like growing up in Pittsburgh, where
hills were called mountains and a long drive meant hours of torture on
the PA turnpike. When I start to get down on living in this city, I have to stop and remind myself of the big picture. The Pacific Northwest is pretty much as good as it gets - at least for me. The Cascades are wild and beautiful, and despite a few hours drive, they're basically in our backyard. Oh yeah, and the food here in Portland is WAY better than Seattle! Washington suckers. <br />
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<b>Saturday - Acid Baby, III+, 5.10+</b><br />
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We crashed out at the trailhead on Friday night at about 12:30 am and woke up at 4:30 am for the approach hike in towards Asgard Pass. We made it back to the car and left for Mt. Adams around 8 pm. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPLEB-yY9kU/T_u-XZqQt7I/AAAAAAAAIo4/Cx87R5UtHOU/s1600/Colchuck+in+Morning+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPLEB-yY9kU/T_u-XZqQt7I/AAAAAAAAIo4/Cx87R5UtHOU/s640/Colchuck+in+Morning+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Colchuk Peak in Morning Light</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9zVSeY-6CM/T_u-R7fdmlI/AAAAAAAAIoo/gfObsbKRnJ4/s1600/Dragontail+in+Morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9zVSeY-6CM/T_u-R7fdmlI/AAAAAAAAIoo/gfObsbKRnJ4/s640/Dragontail+in+Morning.jpg" width="483" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Northeast side of Dragontail Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UFNtTWj8l0/T_u-ypR21GI/AAAAAAAAIpg/qg-V_tlJiP0/s1600/Jaime+on+P1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UFNtTWj8l0/T_u-ypR21GI/AAAAAAAAIpg/qg-V_tlJiP0/s640/Jaime+on+P1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 1</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PLbuF0qE7ww/T_u-81YiUdI/AAAAAAAAIp0/VFJeZv74_90/s1600/Jaime+on+P4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PLbuF0qE7ww/T_u-81YiUdI/AAAAAAAAIp0/VFJeZv74_90/s640/Jaime+on+P4.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0tlbPdeBMNg/T_u-2O7BLqI/AAAAAAAAIps/5y4QmE3p-Is/s1600/Jaime+on+P4+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0tlbPdeBMNg/T_u-2O7BLqI/AAAAAAAAIps/5y4QmE3p-Is/s640/Jaime+on+P4+v2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 4</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gv6LxBNN9O0/T_u-WXMPLhI/AAAAAAAAIow/zMCdjQ04Xrk/s1600/Acid+Baby+to+SW+Chutes-230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gv6LxBNN9O0/T_u-WXMPLhI/AAAAAAAAIow/zMCdjQ04Xrk/s640/Acid+Baby+to+SW+Chutes-230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO87yqofVL2Uos3bejTrDjIPYb_Tu1zu1yJ9eEkfD9VZJZ7R5acJ3EtrxBuhZH3l8XnsJ-wUsMpMGQcN4Qv00jCF88RLv2YBD3S3kKguyqIVKlr9C8py5WEwxRoO1ObQyyIxZOR54GPk/s1600/Jaime+on+P6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO87yqofVL2Uos3bejTrDjIPYb_Tu1zu1yJ9eEkfD9VZJZ7R5acJ3EtrxBuhZH3l8XnsJ-wUsMpMGQcN4Qv00jCF88RLv2YBD3S3kKguyqIVKlr9C8py5WEwxRoO1ObQyyIxZOR54GPk/s640/Jaime+on+P6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 6</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pc8G0tH8uOI/T_u-sZlwGgI/AAAAAAAAIpY/1tLIxsfT3nA/s1600/Jaime+Starting+p7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pc8G0tH8uOI/T_u-sZlwGgI/AAAAAAAAIpY/1tLIxsfT3nA/s640/Jaime+Starting+p7.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90rkNqXlIJU/T_u-gS4M8oI/AAAAAAAAIpE/VahwFtmtN2o/s1600/End+of+P+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-90rkNqXlIJU/T_u-gS4M8oI/AAAAAAAAIpE/VahwFtmtN2o/s640/End+of+P+7.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pitch 7 - Beautiful knife edge finish!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FERyOygbXKw/T_u_KjBxCpI/AAAAAAAAIqI/oOqdiDPGv44/s1600/Jaime+on+top+of+P7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FERyOygbXKw/T_u_KjBxCpI/AAAAAAAAIqI/oOqdiDPGv44/s640/Jaime+on+top+of+P7.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking back at the top of the route with Dragontail in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSGIhRol9fQ/T_u_W7s_3EI/AAAAAAAAIqc/r-TqXcBnvO0/s1600/Little+Annapurna+and+Clouds+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSGIhRol9fQ/T_u_W7s_3EI/AAAAAAAAIqc/r-TqXcBnvO0/s640/Little+Annapurna+and+Clouds+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Views of the plateau from the top</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--BjDAhr0VYc/T_u_qmeyeDI/AAAAAAAAIq4/vwPgKMUmlyY/s1600/Route+and+Jaime+from+descent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--BjDAhr0VYc/T_u_qmeyeDI/AAAAAAAAIq4/vwPgKMUmlyY/s640/Route+and+Jaime+from+descent.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View of the route from the descent</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2UVvk-Ryq4/T_u__97Ev5I/AAAAAAAAIrg/4KVd5odhzBQ/s1600/Upper+Route+Overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2UVvk-Ryq4/T_u__97Ev5I/AAAAAAAAIrg/4KVd5odhzBQ/s640/Upper+Route+Overview.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Overview of the route - Up the right facing corner, under the roofs from left to right, and up the right hand prow to the top</i></td></tr>
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Acid Baby features varied and challenging climbing on sound rock with an excellent position overlooking Dragontail and the Colchuk Lake basin. The last pitch is one of the cooler I've done in the Pacific Northwest on a comically narrow knife edge ridge. Highly recommended! The information available online is pretty much spot on and will see you to the top. <br />
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Rack: 1 set stoppers, 1 set TCUs, 2 sets cams to #3, 1 #4. <br />
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<b>Sunday - Mt. Adams, SW Chutes</b><br />
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After leaving the Stuart Lake trailhead around 8 pm or so, we finally arrived at Cold Springs camground at around 2:30 am. We woke at 5:30 am after a quick nap and met up with Ryan, who had driven up to meet us from Portland. After a great day of skiing and a rather long traverse back from the base of the chutes, we got back to the car around 4:30 pm or so. My camera battery died, so I only got a few shots, but we had a great day on the mountain and a fast, velvety ski down the chutes. We capped off a weekend of manic binging with beer at Everybody's Brewing before Jaime drove my asleep arse down I84 to PTown. Snooze time! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfrHLrfJx6U/T_u-mBSz1MI/AAAAAAAAIpM/o0OZvy0LmbM/s1600/Haydar+and+Mt.+St+Helens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfrHLrfJx6U/T_u-mBSz1MI/AAAAAAAAIpM/o0OZvy0LmbM/s640/Haydar+and+Mt.+St+Helens.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Haydar enjoying lunchtime views from Pikers Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1m1ahpd9wAU/T_u_wIW6aiI/AAAAAAAAIrE/1Iue-l6vM2I/s1600/Ryan+and+Chutes+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1m1ahpd9wAU/T_u_wIW6aiI/AAAAAAAAIrE/1Iue-l6vM2I/s640/Ryan+and+Chutes+copy.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ryan at the top of the Chutes</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5muzUBbdII/T_u_5uQGMrI/AAAAAAAAIrY/nEjfmKimMTQ/s1600/Skiers+and+Chutes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5muzUBbdII/T_u_5uQGMrI/AAAAAAAAIrY/nEjfmKimMTQ/s640/Skiers+and+Chutes.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Skier dropping into the Chutes</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-di5K-zg9nYs/T_u_jc1oO7I/AAAAAAAAIqw/fHWQP7rpYRk/s1600/Party+in+the+Chutes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-di5K-zg9nYs/T_u_jc1oO7I/AAAAAAAAIqw/fHWQP7rpYRk/s640/Party+in+the+Chutes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Party in the Chutes - we skied it with about a dozen other folks - and a dog. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBTp2O5ne1w/T_u_ePYC72I/AAAAAAAAIqk/HeOhFCu_sQI/s1600/Mt.+Adamas+and+Cloud-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBTp2O5ne1w/T_u_ePYC72I/AAAAAAAAIqk/HeOhFCu_sQI/s640/Mt.+Adamas+and+Cloud-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thunderheads building over Mt. Adams</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBIzDzvQ6hU/T_u_3JlSvsI/AAAAAAAAIrM/3kSUUnFQk_Y/s1600/SW+Chutes+Overview+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBIzDzvQ6hU/T_u_3JlSvsI/AAAAAAAAIrM/3kSUUnFQk_Y/s640/SW+Chutes+Overview+copy.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The SW Shutes - They are in great shape right now and should be for another couple of weeks. With the warm temps, try his it by noon or so. </i></td></tr>
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</div>Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-86924632914725593422012-07-01T15:35:00.000-07:002012-07-01T15:35:16.187-07:00June RecapJune was wet here in Portland - really wet - the second wettest in recorded history. But there was still climbing to be had, mostly on the east side. No matter how damp and dreary it gets in the Pacific Northwest, you can always find dry rock and good people who want to climb. Here are a few quick shots from the last month . . .<br />
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<i><b>TROUT CREEK </b></i></div>
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Trout Creek opened after BLM confirmed the golden eagles had abandoned the nest on the Main Wall. The salmon fly hatch was insane! And the climbing was pretty good as well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3_w6JuiAyw/T_DLsYTStCI/AAAAAAAAIkA/3GX6eD03mZg/s1600/K+on+TCreek+Approach-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3_w6JuiAyw/T_DLsYTStCI/AAAAAAAAIkA/3GX6eD03mZg/s640/K+on+TCreek+Approach-Edit.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin on the approach with Mt. Jefferson and the Deschutes River in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8g9MllDSZekRmR7_azFwdKZYwumLn9MZ9zdJMsYLpueu6W3UAHVxRp32GI22wiTo0b1vDTVGkS1fo78GUehIoRhjBWmJv2HHSWkQqJKDHEvEFAyQLGd6IsrMuoJqNGP3TL_m2WU22H0/s1600/Guy+Belaying+Jaime-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8g9MllDSZekRmR7_azFwdKZYwumLn9MZ9zdJMsYLpueu6W3UAHVxRp32GI22wiTo0b1vDTVGkS1fo78GUehIoRhjBWmJv2HHSWkQqJKDHEvEFAyQLGd6IsrMuoJqNGP3TL_m2WU22H0/s640/Guy+Belaying+Jaime-Edit.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guy giving Jaime an attentive belay on Fun Soup, 5.10</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InogZDsixUk/T_DL0ZThgGI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/QSL4XoG7HL0/s1600/Jaime+on+Lead-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InogZDsixUk/T_DL0ZThgGI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/QSL4XoG7HL0/s640/Jaime+on+Lead-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More Fun Soup, 5.10</i></td></tr>
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<i><b>SMITH ROCK - THE ZOO</b></i></div>
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I had heard rumors of cool, steep and juggy routes at a relatively new crag called the Zoo down by Smith Rock. We found the goods and had a great day climbing with some nice folks. </div>
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<i><b> </b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNPFV13LqK8/T_DMj6MPlMI/AAAAAAAAIlM/jiYWCJ0EDDM/s1600/Zac+on+Scream-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNPFV13LqK8/T_DMj6MPlMI/AAAAAAAAIlM/jiYWCJ0EDDM/s640/Zac+on+Scream-Edit.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zac Fleischer sending A Scream Comes Across the Sky, 5.11a</i>. <i>Photo by Kevin Won.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y285dwbRnHM/T_DMDOWo8mI/AAAAAAAAIkc/4QphaZkJPzo/s1600/Kevin+on+New+Project-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y285dwbRnHM/T_DMDOWo8mI/AAAAAAAAIkc/4QphaZkJPzo/s640/Kevin+on+New+Project-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kevin Won cleaning a new project</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m0QcSKPZn38/T_DMbvAwqXI/AAAAAAAAIk4/3kI_Lhu91Kk/s1600/Tasmanian+Devil-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m0QcSKPZn38/T_DMbvAwqXI/AAAAAAAAIk4/3kI_Lhu91Kk/s640/Tasmanian+Devil-Edit.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Tasmanian Devil</i></td></tr>
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<i><b>THE MENAGERIE</b></i></div>
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Sneaking away mid-week, I made a quick trip to the Menagerie for a site visit to discuss the Forest Service closure for nesting peregrine falcons. We managed to get in a great pitch at the end of the day (outside the closure area). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtH15ghg5XQbF-MAe7PBdCRQ9_-jxv7zh6Vu9l67wwVbAoVpNYdZ9AClOFWyPyBrYCg1iZcjcd_N_cdT47vkI-10N8ZUDyft_ZvhftK4KVK-UgW-gMRDaaZETyJQLIW1Snaj_H5eKqe0/s1600/Menagerie-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtH15ghg5XQbF-MAe7PBdCRQ9_-jxv7zh6Vu9l67wwVbAoVpNYdZ9AClOFWyPyBrYCg1iZcjcd_N_cdT47vkI-10N8ZUDyft_ZvhftK4KVK-UgW-gMRDaaZETyJQLIW1Snaj_H5eKqe0/s640/Menagerie-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Panorama Point, The Rabbit Ears, Turkey Monster and the Spire (clockwise from top left)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jnppmypd2JI/T_DMctzDyaI/AAAAAAAAIlA/pn3dHNnJVvA/s1600/Zac+2-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jnppmypd2JI/T_DMctzDyaI/AAAAAAAAIlA/pn3dHNnJVvA/s640/Zac+2-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0bQBcHLnhc/T_DMvBt89QI/AAAAAAAAIlY/29lFQfRXJzA/s1600/Zac+on+Winter+Sunlight-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0bQBcHLnhc/T_DMvBt89QI/AAAAAAAAIlY/29lFQfRXJzA/s640/Zac+on+Winter+Sunlight-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zachary Lesch-Huie from the Access Fund enjoying the summer solstice on Winter Sunlight, 5.9, The Hen</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tcym7M1CVZs/T_DMQWvXSHI/AAAAAAAAIkw/SgYXjV-6XAM/s1600/Orton+on+Winter+Sunshine-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tcym7M1CVZs/T_DMQWvXSHI/AAAAAAAAIkw/SgYXjV-6XAM/s640/Orton+on+Winter+Sunshine-Edit.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Guidebook author Greg Orton on Winter Sunshine, 5.9, The Hen</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-47525780179706119342012-06-29T22:59:00.001-07:002012-06-29T23:08:03.657-07:00Merriam Peak - Direct North Buttress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Yi7g37EGZ2ECmZnY_6KpZUueb49GbLWW4F6osk2P_GLwlRnv-wBl5f5Qwdq8ZqY7e-Lf4gOYUlDdC5UCvOmeIJ-J8hNhhCCH2Gq9wshEJTDyD8CId7X2QB-cpIdyygXR8YHYgIc6zo/s1600/North+Buttress+from+Descent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Yi7g37EGZ2ECmZnY_6KpZUueb49GbLWW4F6osk2P_GLwlRnv-wBl5f5Qwdq8ZqY7e-Lf4gOYUlDdC5UCvOmeIJ-J8hNhhCCH2Gq9wshEJTDyD8CId7X2QB-cpIdyygXR8YHYgIc6zo/s400/North+Buttress+from+Descent.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The North Buttress of Merriam Peak</i>, John Muir Wilderness</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Merriam Peak</b></div>
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<b>13,103' </b></div>
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<b>Direct North Buttress</b></div>
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<b>IV, 5.10</b></div>
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<b>June 23, 2012 </b></div>
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Suffering from a severe case of early season restlessness, Jaime and I arranged for a three-day weekend of alpine rock and started to consider our options. We could drive 7 hours to the North Cascades, which was threatened with mediocre weather, or we could stretch out the motorized approach and put in a solid 15 hours to the east side of the Sierras. Folks around these parts are still skiing on a deep maritime snowpack, but with a lean snow year down south the alpine conditions in California were rumored to be excellent. Crappy Cascades weather or California sun and golden granite? <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Despite having only a brief three-day window, we choose the Sierras and left Portland at about 5 pm on Thursday evening. By 4:30 am Friday morning, we were asleep on the side of 395 in a canyon of granite. After a few restless hours on the side of the road, we drove down to Bishop, picked up our permit and a couple of supplies and then started the hike from Pine Creek trailhead around 2 pm. We finally rolled into camp at about 11,000' at 9 pm to cold, blustery conditions. We brewed up some hot water and hit the sack after a long 24+ hour push from PTown.<br />
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We got a late start on Saturtday morning after an uncomfortable night of sleep interrupted periodically by wind trying to flatten our tent walls. Once we got on route, we enjoyed sunny conditions for a few pitches and but then found ourselves in the cold shade of the north facing buttress. We finally topped out to more sun and more wind, and then made it back to camp at 6-7 pm. <br />
Sunday morning, we woke up as soon as the sun hit the tent and packed up the kit for the hike out. Back at the car by 1 pm or so, we got back on the road and arrived in Portland around 2:30 am early Monday morning. <br />
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We enjoyed the route, which has a reputation for being a bit chossy by Sierra standards, but compared to the Cascades we found the rock to be pretty darn good. The setting was beautiful, remote, and peaceful. The wind ... well ... it was persistent. But overall, we had a great weekend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7RZXoNvAxE/T-k7vxr3NfI/AAAAAAAAIbo/9wa_QNbtAIs/s1600/06-12+Merriam+Peak+Edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_7RZXoNvAxE/T-k7vxr3NfI/AAAAAAAAIbo/9wa_QNbtAIs/s640/06-12+Merriam+Peak+Edited-1.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The approach from Pine Creek trail head into the John Muir Wilderness</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HraQHiU_il4/T-k7pg8DjZI/AAAAAAAAIbg/KFuE5dBGN9M/s1600/Banded+Rock+and+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HraQHiU_il4/T-k7pg8DjZI/AAAAAAAAIbg/KFuE5dBGN9M/s640/Banded+Rock+and+Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Banded walls of stone above Pine Lake</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv4TsHP3h5eMgHCwnCZPfHkuMy5YdPgomuMXRsaXbu6VjyDoB6XAClj_LASIF-gMozRO8GM53c-wYWsh5XJLvDtgEArdohQyWAKJFLvYAgkxxWDjNX6X0ZLwAD_wSwkReth1umw4dHHc/s1600/Buttress+and+Tent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv4TsHP3h5eMgHCwnCZPfHkuMy5YdPgomuMXRsaXbu6VjyDoB6XAClj_LASIF-gMozRO8GM53c-wYWsh5XJLvDtgEArdohQyWAKJFLvYAgkxxWDjNX6X0ZLwAD_wSwkReth1umw4dHHc/s640/Buttress+and+Tent.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our bivy site on the banks of Upper Royce Lake underneath Merriam Peak</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1V5yCBbnsA/T-k9U7SNYNI/AAAAAAAAIdg/l7W6BjMA7yE/s1600/Rocks+and+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1V5yCBbnsA/T-k9U7SNYNI/AAAAAAAAIdg/l7W6BjMA7yE/s640/Rocks+and+Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Whitecaps on Upper Royce Lake</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzhvhf3D3eI/T-k8FhzGN7I/AAAAAAAAIb8/DUMQDjpCJXs/s1600/Jaime+on+Approach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yzhvhf3D3eI/T-k8FhzGN7I/AAAAAAAAIb8/DUMQDjpCJXs/s640/Jaime+on+Approach.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Late morning approach to the route</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75YtWT-JoJo/T-k8Drc6SoI/AAAAAAAAIb0/E9R22fCqjAU/s1600/Jaime+on+P2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75YtWT-JoJo/T-k8Drc6SoI/AAAAAAAAIb0/E9R22fCqjAU/s640/Jaime+on+P2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime making it look easy on the first pitch</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-09b2VVgirr4/T-k8Nh9JrxI/AAAAAAAAIcI/AHKFOQpx8zg/s1600/Jaime+on+P3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-09b2VVgirr4/T-k8Nh9JrxI/AAAAAAAAIcI/AHKFOQpx8zg/s640/Jaime+on+P3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime cruising a cruxy .10a face section on pitch 2</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrb_photos/7464891842/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1030243e by jrbohle, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030243e" height="430" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7464891842_ce5b5cd217_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Following pitch 2. Photo by Jaime Bohle</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZHzW-55SWvK2Hig5IYBEPvWUaR87k5Uju7Sj2FBloYQFtOODqiMjlXuWu8k2qx1m6Eohdou0l25gfBhfXf1ZW2UCith09R2pqWmjjkr1pHfCWJI_e6CpL9AmBgOlqlAsOc0o3Msh20A/s1600/Jaime+on+P5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">\<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZHzW-55SWvK2Hig5IYBEPvWUaR87k5Uju7Sj2FBloYQFtOODqiMjlXuWu8k2qx1m6Eohdou0l25gfBhfXf1ZW2UCith09R2pqWmjjkr1pHfCWJI_e6CpL9AmBgOlqlAsOc0o3Msh20A/s640/Jaime+on+P5.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The impeccable triple crack corner that defines the route</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yB3qc1Lqpw0/T-k8cgV7LqI/AAAAAAAAIcU/ZZsfUqWPJeM/s1600/Jaime+on+P5+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yB3qc1Lqpw0/T-k8cgV7LqI/AAAAAAAAIcU/ZZsfUqWPJeM/s640/Jaime+on+P5+b.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrb_photos/7454324170/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1030249e by jrbohle, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030249e" height="360" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7454324170_dfe786dfaf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Following the triple cracks. Photo by Bohle.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrb_photos/7464892626/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1030264e by jrbohle, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030264e" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/7464892626_6a5c658b61_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Somewhere high on the route. Photo by Bohle.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrb_photos/7464892996/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1030269e by jrbohle, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030269e" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/7464892996_10c2b7c1e3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Slightly off route but into a sweet 5.10 finger crack</i>. <i>Photo by Bohle.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrb_photos/7464893142/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1030271e by jrbohle, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030271e" height="487" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7464893142_76d6f9fc9d.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Traversing under the summit capstone. Photo by Bohle.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxJ4nCvJGC0U7utZzsP_BscL3KzRnd4VnwPWo_QtfcKDan4XvwxAMdzZ_gxGuWJe8bL9IF6Vb2Zfat2hrbjviSJuHEsRLHSrQO4-65xgAeamAyMvzKIojpYr-bBZLT0RFnIRhVI8IUdM/s1600/Jaime+and+Summit+Register.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxJ4nCvJGC0U7utZzsP_BscL3KzRnd4VnwPWo_QtfcKDan4XvwxAMdzZ_gxGuWJe8bL9IF6Vb2Zfat2hrbjviSJuHEsRLHSrQO4-65xgAeamAyMvzKIojpYr-bBZLT0RFnIRhVI8IUdM/s640/Jaime+and+Summit+Register.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>On the summit</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9N9NXDWJLG0/T-k9reuPEyI/AAAAAAAAId0/Oxjc4BMLtGg/s1600/Summit+Views.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9N9NXDWJLG0/T-k9reuPEyI/AAAAAAAAId0/Oxjc4BMLtGg/s640/Summit+Views.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summit views</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaBD5oW0_5g/T-k9iM9F4SI/AAAAAAAAIdo/G2KFv5IjuMc/s1600/Royce+Basin+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MaBD5oW0_5g/T-k9iM9F4SI/AAAAAAAAIdo/G2KFv5IjuMc/s640/Royce+Basin+Panorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Views of the Royce Lakes Basin</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH4ScEG8itBGvF36HBjlk1NsK8fYMRAlzzSh5XgJT-L1V2lpelVAFBCv0S5Af8L6WEx9NLcaLh_tyEU-FVXCuNLVrFEwtUc1vjsjDLohbhgew4JVr5-2rQLxIB3ed3HsK8rHrM7GnWm4/s1600/Pine+Creek+Drainage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH4ScEG8itBGvF36HBjlk1NsK8fYMRAlzzSh5XgJT-L1V2lpelVAFBCv0S5Af8L6WEx9NLcaLh_tyEU-FVXCuNLVrFEwtUc1vjsjDLohbhgew4JVr5-2rQLxIB3ed3HsK8rHrM7GnWm4/s640/Pine+Creek+Drainage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Pine Creek Drainage</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg7skqlnqsY/T-k8uimn0xI/AAAAAAAAIc0/PcTCxoVhJzI/s1600/Marmot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg7skqlnqsY/T-k8uimn0xI/AAAAAAAAIc0/PcTCxoVhJzI/s640/Marmot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marmot</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UNxbvGTlZEg/T-k867N8njI/AAAAAAAAIdA/1Tlnqaa9PKY/s1600/Meadow+Stream+and+Marble+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UNxbvGTlZEg/T-k867N8njI/AAAAAAAAIdA/1Tlnqaa9PKY/s640/Meadow+Stream+and+Marble+Mountain.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BLnxwRAQZqs/T-k98mTQoCI/AAAAAAAAIeE/hm0HCf6NcEQ/s1600/Treasure+Peak+and+Pothole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BLnxwRAQZqs/T-k98mTQoCI/AAAAAAAAIeE/hm0HCf6NcEQ/s640/Treasure+Peak+and+Pothole.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_cP6iplP9k/T-k-F1zD9cI/AAAAAAAAIeQ/49zEgyybShM/s1600/Tree+and+Meadow+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F_cP6iplP9k/T-k-F1zD9cI/AAAAAAAAIeQ/49zEgyybShM/s640/Tree+and+Meadow+Creek.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsXQjXHZyho/T-k8rgi4H3I/AAAAAAAAIcs/6l721Ecau20/s1600/Marble+Mountain+and+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XsXQjXHZyho/T-k8rgi4H3I/AAAAAAAAIcs/6l721Ecau20/s640/Marble+Mountain+and+Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Views from the descent</i></td></tr>
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Rack Notes: single set of TCUs, single set of nuts with some brass, double set of cams to #3, a #4<br />
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<br />Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5525787241320244341.post-8324462163305072922012-05-30T20:50:00.002-07:002012-05-30T23:14:05.854-07:00Back to the Tieton<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwaBBjMbUIw/T8bgR7V7ekI/AAAAAAAAIXc/d6zYzZ7Z3Hk/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwaBBjMbUIw/T8bgR7V7ekI/AAAAAAAAIXc/d6zYzZ7Z3Hk/s400/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-13.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melanie McMahon on Lava Sundae, 5.10a, Dream Wall</i></td></tr>
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The mountains keep pulling at my gut, but the lowland rock climbing has been really good over the last few weeks. With questionable weather threatening many of the usual climbing destinations from Idaho to BC, a bunch of us "settled" on some of our old stomping grounds in the Tieton Valley. We found perfect weather, sublime light and a big 'ole party complete with a posse from Portland and a bunch of tree climbing.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Friday evening, Kristin and I rolled into the valley with enough time for a few pitches at the Bend. We warmed up on Cruel Harvest, 5.9; Hallowed Ground, 5.9; and Salmon Song, 5.10a - all fun crack climbs. At the end of the day, we enjoyed a cold beer and watched the evening sun light up the Bend before dipping below the hills.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GqGF0QF5Rg/T8bh4Rq1SkI/AAAAAAAAIZw/UloSZRozl48/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GqGF0QF5Rg/T8bh4Rq1SkI/AAAAAAAAIZw/UloSZRozl48/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Bend in evening light</i></td></tr>
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Saturday, we went back to the Bend for a couple of objectives. The tick list included:<br />
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People, Places and Things, 5.8<br />
Mutiny in Manila, 5.10a - Really cool finger crack up high on the wall<br />
Cruel Harvest, 5.9 - Kristin styled this on lead<br />
Cherry Bomb, 5.10a - Cool sport climb up a bear hug pillar <br />
Winds of Change, 5.10d - This was the route I really had my eyes on for the weekend, taking a direct line up the tallest section of the North Wall. A short, stout crux climbs through about 15 ft of finger crack right at the top. It's a really great route, and I was psyched to get the onsite. I took another lap on a TR it was so good.<br />
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Here are some shots from the day:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-743lQkLfRGI/T8bhrT1krII/AAAAAAAAIZY/TADZnkIdNVc/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-743lQkLfRGI/T8bhrT1krII/AAAAAAAAIZY/TADZnkIdNVc/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-24.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOIKaNriUFQ/T8bh3whczFI/AAAAAAAAIZo/5yC6zs8WqRA/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOIKaNriUFQ/T8bh3whczFI/AAAAAAAAIZo/5yC6zs8WqRA/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-23.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin sending Cherry Bomb</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7K-q_3TaKfw/T8bhj_LAfrI/AAAAAAAAIZA/-NFzUqmda40/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7K-q_3TaKfw/T8bhj_LAfrI/AAAAAAAAIZA/-NFzUqmda40/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-22.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Winds of Change with the stellar finger crack crux looming at the top</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxOcCGgm9lg/T8bhn8Y9G7I/AAAAAAAAIZQ/XgGc8y_UdCo/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxOcCGgm9lg/T8bhn8Y9G7I/AAAAAAAAIZQ/XgGc8y_UdCo/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-21.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hetmtKgYq1w/T8bhkoTk70I/AAAAAAAAIZI/hfq1z8sHGvU/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hetmtKgYq1w/T8bhkoTk70I/AAAAAAAAIZI/hfq1z8sHGvU/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-20.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtTp0lwy44Y/T8bhVRKhifI/AAAAAAAAIY0/lDN2nAxoiuU/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtTp0lwy44Y/T8bhVRKhifI/AAAAAAAAIY0/lDN2nAxoiuU/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unknown climbers on Peace, Love and Rope, 5.9</i></td></tr>
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Sunday we went down to the Dream Wall to soak up some sun and clip some bolts.<br />
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Ring of Fire, 5.10a - Stellar, steep and long route on good rock.<br />
Spanky, 5.10c - Cool route with a weird crux, challenging for the vertically challenged, but fun<br />
In the Flow, 5.10c - Really good sequential moves on a steep cruxy headwall<br />
Lava Sundae, 5.10a - Fun route I climbed on a TR to shoot some photos - also really cool with a positive finger crack, thin hands section at the crux<br />
Nothing Else Matters, 5.11a - Super fun jug haul out of a cave and over a big roof into 5.10 face climbing to the anchors - highly recommended and a cool position up high.<br />
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Some more shots:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-krtoIOWCAY4/T8bhJdnAG_I/AAAAAAAAIYo/i6kDbE84728/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-krtoIOWCAY4/T8bhJdnAG_I/AAAAAAAAIYo/i6kDbE84728/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Descending to the Dream Wall</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIvxwlSa97Q/T8bg3n2OHUI/AAAAAAAAIYU/upTasMM2SdU/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIvxwlSa97Q/T8bg3n2OHUI/AAAAAAAAIYU/upTasMM2SdU/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-17.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime stoked to clip some bolts!</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xlUMKhrkUpE/T8bgqJZhQxI/AAAAAAAAIX8/y1D0CEjfgGo/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xlUMKhrkUpE/T8bgqJZhQxI/AAAAAAAAIX8/y1D0CEjfgGo/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO7_7Ys2vZM/T8bgwWF6snI/AAAAAAAAIYM/WcuGdfbEgbQ/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO7_7Ys2vZM/T8bgwWF6snI/AAAAAAAAIYM/WcuGdfbEgbQ/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1euFm6vjsv8/T8bggL4vBUI/AAAAAAAAIX0/K_wfnX4h8ng/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1euFm6vjsv8/T8bggL4vBUI/AAAAAAAAIX0/K_wfnX4h8ng/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-14.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwaBBjMbUIw/T8bgR7V7ekI/AAAAAAAAIXc/d6zYzZ7Z3Hk/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwaBBjMbUIw/T8bgR7V7ekI/AAAAAAAAIXc/d6zYzZ7Z3Hk/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-13.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mel making it look easy on Lava Sundae</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-toDS_KZH02o/T8bgYB0nwfI/AAAAAAAAIXk/aCWegffwSWk/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-toDS_KZH02o/T8bgYB0nwfI/AAAAAAAAIXk/aCWegffwSWk/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doug hamming it up on In the Flow</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a19Jr3xMvs0/T8bgKnYoaDI/AAAAAAAAIXQ/3qS_cu-UB90/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a19Jr3xMvs0/T8bgKnYoaDI/AAAAAAAAIXQ/3qS_cu-UB90/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAYCssDekyk/T8birhKLdpI/AAAAAAAAIa0/0zD5OQ-R-AE/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAYCssDekyk/T8birhKLdpI/AAAAAAAAIa0/0zD5OQ-R-AE/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-9.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mel on Nothing Else Matters</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PqijBBkUHPw/T8bgKU5zRnI/AAAAAAAAIXM/E304RwDhpTw/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PqijBBkUHPw/T8bgKU5zRnI/AAAAAAAAIXM/E304RwDhpTw/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-10.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The deproach in afternoon light</i></td></tr>
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That night, the kids got a little crazy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NwQqmsuW5z8/T8biopBu2kI/AAAAAAAAIas/BGjCP5Oldow/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NwQqmsuW5z8/T8biopBu2kI/AAAAAAAAIas/BGjCP5Oldow/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The sun going down</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4TOxi59pLs/T8biaQzUGWI/AAAAAAAAIag/Mf42lKVXpmI/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4TOxi59pLs/T8biaQzUGWI/AAAAAAAAIag/Mf42lKVXpmI/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The girls</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9w9Cuh6Oohg/T8biX4tdvAI/AAAAAAAAIaY/ciS6YHr9JlY/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9w9Cuh6Oohg/T8biX4tdvAI/AAAAAAAAIaY/ciS6YHr9JlY/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-6.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kristin decided she needed to climb this tree - in her socks - in the dark</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW4FfW-4tsQ/T8biSsSbRvI/AAAAAAAAIaM/LJ-0P_mRX_Q/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW4FfW-4tsQ/T8biSsSbRvI/AAAAAAAAIaM/LJ-0P_mRX_Q/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-5.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1J9-oVYUhs/T8biPMtTDMI/AAAAAAAAIaE/WbPkljDPI5k/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1J9-oVYUhs/T8biPMtTDMI/AAAAAAAAIaE/WbPkljDPI5k/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-4.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our friend Josh followed and topped out!</i></td></tr>
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And finally, Monday came 'round, and we were feeling a little run down for some reason. We went to the Chunkyard, a newish crag close to Moon Rocks. After checking out some of the fun sport routes, we finally packed it up and headed back to Portland with sore toes, bloody knuckles and big smiles. Tieton rocks. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOuQE6B-Q9s/T8bh_4sxmqI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/kBPZml0yY48/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOuQE6B-Q9s/T8bh_4sxmqI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/kBPZml0yY48/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-3.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqPd4vHOt-4vR3_d3dVaZKq2TcgsbuwYkPDhyphenhyphenik341E31fDj5xKjWO6wIWayrjksPItewXU-mmx3PX21kce9vinl8wYLPwgpJdRbZBhvHpDgvTNqG6rm3y7dAr2mCzMebuUoWiYdpiAo/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqPd4vHOt-4vR3_d3dVaZKq2TcgsbuwYkPDhyphenhyphenik341E31fDj5xKjWO6wIWayrjksPItewXU-mmx3PX21kce9vinl8wYLPwgpJdRbZBhvHpDgvTNqG6rm3y7dAr2mCzMebuUoWiYdpiAo/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-2.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m28sy_1sHYY/T8bgBsKPJPI/AAAAAAAAIXE/7iD1EG_5ClU/s1600/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m28sy_1sHYY/T8bgBsKPJPI/AAAAAAAAIXE/7iD1EG_5ClU/s640/05-12+-+Tieton+Mem+Day+Edited-1.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jaime enjoying Salvaged, 5.10a</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chris Winterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663969202662435138noreply@blogger.com0