Foursquare Mountaineering

Mt. Rainier, Lower Nisqually Glacier 9-3-11

2011-09-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Foursquare Mountaineering took a trip up to Mt. Rainier to have some fun and hone our mountaineering skills. We set out to find the biggest, baddest crevasse on the lower Nisqually Glacier. We found it! It had deep vertical walls made of hard ice. It was topped off with a layer of last winter's soft snow. We spent the day rappelling, ice climbing, prusiking and setting up a z-pulley rescue system.

The first thing we did was set up a few bombproof anchors and safety lines. Dan, Dennis, Jim and Caroline.

Dennis, Jim and Doug watching Dave finish his climb up from the bottom.

Jim rappelling into the abyss.

Dan moving up the rope with ascenders.

We even managed to find a snow bridge on the way out.

It was good to spend the day up on the mountain with friends. Now some of those harder routes on Rainier seem just a little bit easier and if one of us falls into a hidden crevasse, we will all know what to do.

Ingalls Lake 8-27-11

2011-08-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for some awesome scenery close to home, Ingalls Lake is the place to go. Dave, Dani, Wendy, Mark (and Doug) taking a break on the way up to Ingalls Pass.

We saw a lot of mountain goats on this trip.

It was a warm day and people were cooling off in the lake.

Mt. Stuart and Ingalls Lake. What a view!

Mt. Adams, South Climb 7-9-11

2011-07-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Mt. Adams as seen from Trout Lake. There was still a lot of snow on the mountain.

This was the first year that we were not able to drive to the trailhead. There were snow banks and a lot of downed trees blocking the way. We had to hike over 2 miles and 900 vertical feet just to get to the trailhead.

Even though there was a lot of snow down low and up high, we were pleased to discover that there was less than last year at Lunch Counter (9,300'). There were plenty of dry tent sites and running water.

Climbers making their way up the south face to the false summit.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

One group of climbers on the summit. They are about 4,000’ higher than Mt. St. Helens, in the background.

Another group on top. It was about 32 degrees and windy on the summit.

Climbing a mountain gives you a real feeling of accomplishment. You take on a big challenge with no guarantee of success. You are actually out doing something that most people only dream about. Climbers must deal with the weather, snow conditions, high altitude, lack of sleep, loss of appetite, dehydration and fatigue, all while trying to maintain a positive mental attitude. This year was harder than most. It was a big accomplishment just getting to Lunch Counter. Congratulations to those that made it to the summit.

Mt. Shasta, Avalanche Gulch 6-25-11

2011-06-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

Mt. Shasta had been on our radar for a while and since northern California had a good forecast, we decided to head south. It is the second highest volcano in the lower 48 (Rainier is the highest). This is the view from the trailhead at Bunny Flat (6,900'). The huge valley in this photo is Avalanche Gulch. The route starts up the left side, goes around Helen Lake (10,400') and ends up on the right side.

We seem to spend a lot of time standing still and looking up. The snow was firm and allowed us to make good time.

We made it above the Red Banks in time to see the sunrise. There is nothing like watching a sunrise from high up on a mountain. It was starting to get cold and windy.

The shadow of Shasta is projected onto the countryside as the sun comes up. Next, we had to climb a feature called Misery Hill and a few false summits. We finally made it to the true summit.

Doug and Dave on the summit. You would think that northern California would be warmer on June 25th, but it was cold at 14,162'!

When the conditions are good, you can glissade about 3,000' down this route. The snow was still too firm, so we had to walk down. There were still a lot of climbers heading up.

All that was left was the long drive home. We got to see a bunch of deer, antelope, turkey vultures and about 10 more snow covered volcanoes.

It was fun to take a road trip to a new area and finally climb this giant.

Mt. Rainier, Furher Finger 6-5-11

2011-06-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mt. Rainier finally had a good weekend forecast, so it was time to attempt the Furher Finger route.

Our route is shown in red. We descended the Kautz Glacier route, shown in blue.
Dave on the Nisqually Glacier passing some crevasses on our way to high camp.
Our camp at Turtle Rock (9400').

We got an "alpine start" at midnight, so we could hopefully get to the top and down before the snow got too soft. Dave moving up Furher Finger.

Doug near the Hourglass.
Doug and Dave on top with a little snow falling.
Dave below the steep pitches on the Kautz Glacier, just above the Turtle Snowfield.

The weather was great on day one and OK on summit day. The fresh snow from a few days earlier made the climb pretty tiring. We ended up using our snowshoes to keep from sinking into the mushy snow on the way down from high camp.

It was fun and challenging to climb a new route on Rainier.

Prusik Peak, West Ridge 9-4-10

2010-09-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

Washington state is a great place to live if you are into climbing. Mountaineers fly in from all over the world to enjoy what this area offers. We can drive to some of these awesome destinations in just two hours!

We seem to make it up to the Stuart range at least once every year. This time we climbed Prusik Peak. The approach to the peak was as good as the climb. We went right through the heart of the Enchantments. There was still a lot of snow up there feeding the numerous small lakes.

This photo shows the south side of the peak. We would climb the north side of the west ridge.

A group of climbers ahead of us on the route. Two of them were from Chile.

Mark finishing one of the 5.7 sections of the climb.

Doug near the summit.

Another self-timer summit shot.

Little Annapurna, Dragontail Peak and some small lakes. What a view!

The fun was not over yet. It took 5 rappels to get back down.

We saw mountain goats all over the place on this trip.

It was another day making memories in a very special part of creation!

Glacier Peak 7-31-10

2010-07-31T23:02:00.001-07:00

After years of trying, we finally made it up to climb Glacier Peak. At 10,541', it is the fifth highest peak in Washington. It is located northeast of Seattle, way out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, all aspects of the 15 mile approach are beautiful. It is hard to keep your eyes on the trail. The forest features huge Douglas fir and cedar trees.

The trail goes through about 7 miles of forest and then climbs up to join the Pacific Crest Trail. The hillsides are covered in Heather and numerous wildflowers. We must have crossed 20 small streams on the way.

After almost 10 miles of hiking, we get our first look at the mountain. At this point we are still several hours from our high camp.

The clouds started to roll in during the night. We had to get going earlier than we had planned to try to summit while we had a chance. Our route took us over parts of the Gerdine and Cool Glaciers. This large crevasse was near Disappointment Peak.

Climbers nearing the top.

Emily, Doug and Dave on the summit. The Glacier Peak Wilderness is full of inviting snow covered peaks.

We broke camp and started the long hike back to the car. As we headed out, clouds began to cover the mountain. Pretty soon we could hear distant thunder.

We saw a few marmots along the way.

Tiger Lilies beside the trail.

We made it back to the car before dark. The downpour began soon after that.

With the low elevation trailhead, the long approach and a lot of ups and downs, this climb was as taxing as climbing Mt. Rainier. It was nice to finally stand on top of the mountain that we have seen so many times from other summits.

Mt. Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge 7-18-10

2010-07-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Tina drove Mark and I around to Mowich Lake and dropped us off. We would have to climb Ptarmigan Ridge and descend the easier Emmons Glacier to get to the other car waiting at the White River Campground. This picture shows the northwest side of Mt. Rainier. Ptarmigan Ridge is on the left.

Moss covered rocks by a small creek.

The "entrance" to Spray Park.

Kids playing on the snow at Spray Park.

Colorful rocks and Indian paintbrush on the lower slopes of Ptarmigan Ridge.

This is what we came to climb! A steep 2,000' face, the icy chute below the buttress and a short rock climb.

Our route is shown in red.

The snow was absolutely perfect. It was firm, but not too hard for crampons or ice axes.

The air was about 40 degrees and calm. There wasn't any rock or ice fall while we were climbing.

Mark swinging his ice tool near the top of the face.

The sun rising near the Stuart Range as seen from 12,000'.

After climbing the face, we had two options. One was to go left and cross below a large ice cliff and get right on the Liberty Cap Glacier. We chose to go right, break out the ice screws and climb the icy chute below the rock buttress.

The ice was also in great shape.

The views looking down on the glaciers and valleys were amazing.

The last obstacle was this exit gully. It was a bit of a challenge to climb rock wearing crampons and carrying a large pack.

Our shadows projected onto the rock as we head towards Liberty Cap.

Climbers moving over the sun and wind sculpted snow at about 13,500'.

Mark checking out a bergschrund near the summit.

Doug and Mark on Liberty Cap.

A black bear at Glacier Basin.

It was a nice change to approach a climb on Mt. Rainier from a new area. It was great to finally make it up Ptarmigan Ridge. This is one climb we will never forget!

Mt. Adams, South Climb 7-10-10

2010-07-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone relaxing around base camp after setting up tents and eating dinner.

It looks like the surface of the moon, but it is actually our high camp at Lunch Counter. Most of the tent sites were buried, so a bunch of us ended up setting our tents up on the snow.

It was a nice evening on the mountain with just a light breeze.

We had a dozen climbers reach the summit the next day. Our usual exhilarating mile-long glissade back to high camp was followed by a fast, fun descent on snow that extended most of the way back to the cars.

Mt. Rainier, Little Tahoma 6-18-10

2010-06-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Another wet weekend forecast for Mt. Rainier caused us to change our plans from a three day climb of the Emmons Glacier to a one day attempt on Little Tahoma. We spent most of the day walking on snow. Dave and Brad crossing over Fryingpan Creek.

Brad, Mark, Doug, Norm, Collin (and Dave) almost to Summerland. Little Tahoma is in the background. Our view of the summit did not last for long.

Collin and Norm nearing Meany Crest and the Fryingpan Glacier.

After going up the Fryingpan Glacier, we crossed a ridge to the Whitman Glacier. The five tiny dots are climbers from our group heading up into a lenticular dome (with GPS units on).

Mark, Dave (Doug, Norm and Collin) at our high point of 10,300'. Unsafe conditions and worsening weather made us turn around 800' from the summit.

Mark was able to ski about halfway back to the car. We enjoyed great views of Fryingpan Creek beside the trail. Although we did not summit, it was still good to spend the day outside exploring another part of creation with friends.

Mt. Hood 3-20-10

2010-03-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

For our first climb of the year we went on a "winter" climb of Mt. Hood. This was an all-nighter. We drove down Friday evening and started hiking at about midnight. Mike and Mark, father and son, near the top of the ski area.

We climbed the Old Crater Variation. There was a constant shower of small pieces of snow coming off the cliffs above. Mark near the top, about 700' above the crater fumaroles.

We got to the top ahead of schedule. We wanted to see the sunrise from the top, so we killed some time by taking a chilly nap at 11,200'. It was worth the wait! Mark on top.

Doug on the summit.

We had to walk along the crater rim to get back to our route. To Mark's right is a 2,000' drop, to his left is a 700' drop into a fumarole. Not a good time to stumble!

Looking down into the crater and Timberline ski area. The line of snow on the left is the Hogsback. To the right of it are some fumaroles.

Mark had skinned up to 9,000' while Doug packed his skis and boots. It was nice to ski out in 15 minutes after taking 3 hours to climb up to that point. We could not have asked for better weather and snow conditions in March.

Mt. Stuart, West Ridge 9-20-09

2009-09-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

We were treated to this rainbow on our way down to Ingalls creek.

Staying warm at our camp while it sprinkled a little.

The climbing in the couloir is so much fun that you gain a thousand feet in elevation without realizing it.

Higher up the couloir, we encountered a little fresh snow and ice.

Dave and Jim overcoming the last challenge before the summit.

Mark, Nicholas, Dave, Jim, Mike and Doug on top.

Bear Creek Mountain 8-29-09

2009-08-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

A bunch of us decided to get out of town and try something new, so we headed for Bear Creek Mountain. The first 3 miles are fairly flat and feature several meadows.

Most of the elevation gain is at the end of the hike. Some pikas kept running around and whistling in this rocky area.

The kids enjoyed themselves in a large deposit of Mt. Saint Helens ash that we found on the way up.

Dahlia, Lily, Bill, Daisy, Danielle, Jennifer, Doug, Tania, Tina, Bethany and Dreamer, the dog, on top. Our view was limited, since we were in a cloud. It was nice to get out, see some new sights and spend the day in a place where the high was only 60 degrees!

Mt. Adams, South Climb 7-11-09

2009-07-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of young campers and climbers this year.

Chowing down on a spaghetti dinner with the group from First Presbyterian Church.

Heading up Widowmaker, the steepest part of the climb.

Hanging out at high camp.

Here are 6 out of our 9 climbers that reached the summit.

Annette Lake & Silver Peak 7-4-09

2009-07-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

It was a warm 4th of July at Annette Lake. We could see trout swimming near the shore.

Tania, Michael, Michelle, Danielle, Becky, Bethany, Tina and Doug.

A gang of bloodthirsty mosquitos chased us up the mountain.

Traversing around the summit block.

Michael, Tania, Danielle, Bethany (and Doug) on top of Silver Peak.

Boot-ski race on the way down.

Mt. Adams, North Ridge 6-28-09

2009-06-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Northwest side of Adams as seen from our high camp. The North Ridge is the one on the left edge of this photo. Our camp for this climb was at 6,900' and had running water!

Emily, Tania and Mark heading up the lower snowfields towards the ridge.

A small lake at 7,500'.

The upper part of the North Ridge.

Tania crossing over the ridge.

Taking a break, having a snack and staying hydrated.

Jason climbing a unique lava formation near 10,000'.

Ascending some scree high on the ridge.

We all made it to the top under clear skies. Doug, Mark, Tania, Emily and Jason. Congratulations to the 3 newcomers.

Tania descending beside the lava formation.

A couple of mountain goats at home on the colorful slopes.

It was nice to finally climb a different route on this mountain. The terrain, greenery and wildlife made it seem like it was a different mountain altogether.

Mt. Si 6-13-09

2009-06-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

Mt. Si is the big hill, with the rocky top, right behind North Bend. For the most part, it is a hike on a dirt trail in the shade of tall evergreens. There is an inviting feature at the top called the Haystack. It consists of a few hundred feet of easy rock scrambling. It is fun to weave your own route to the top. For some reason it seems steeper on the way down.

The clouds rolled in as we reached the top. Pictured are: Dennis, Sabrina, Dave, Cody, Doug, Bethany, Danielle and Jim.

Mt. Rainier, Ptarmigan Ridge 5-30-09

2009-05-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

The plan was for Mike and Jonathan to climb the Emmons Glacier, while Mark and Doug climbed Ptarmigan Ridge. Things did not exactly work out. The weather was too warm and the snow was too soft. The going was OK for Mike and Jonathan until they got to the steep part of the Inter Glacier. There was no boot track and they started to sink up to their knees with every step. Making progress up a steep slope, with a heavy pack, in knee deep snow is extremely difficult. This put an end to their climb.
Mark and Doug had a long traverse, in soft snow, around to Ptarmigan Ridge. We had hoped to get to the 10,300' level on the ridge on the first day, but instead had to camp on the West side of the Carbon Glacier on the first night. We would make it to the 10,300' bivy the next day. This photo shows the Carbon Glacier with Ptarmigan Ridge in the distance.

The actual climb would have started on the lower right side of this picture and gone up and to the left.

The Liberty Cap Glacier and The upper part of Ptarmigan Ridge. There are 2 popular options once you reach the buttress at the top right of this photo. One is to go right below the buttress. We were leaning toward the other option, which is to take a left and find a path on the glacier. While we were killing time at high camp, we heard a loud noise, looked up and saw an avalanche. A huge block of ice had calved off of the LC Glacier and swept right through a large part of the route that we might have been on if our progress had been better! We spent the rest of the day napping and watching climbers on Liberty Ridge make slow progress. One group took 8 hours to climb a section that should have taken 2-3 hours. Between the ice-fall danger and slow going on steep snow, we decided to bail out on the climb.

We got up at midnight hoping that the snow would be firmer at night. It was better, but still pretty soft. The sun rose as we approached St. Elmo's Pass and we got to the car in time for breakfast. Maybe next time. :(

Mt. Hood 5-17-09

2009-05-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and Dennis starting up Mt. Hood going by the jumps at Timberline.

Our campsite and an awesome sunset behind Illumination Rock.

Dozens of climbers on the Hogsback and others traversing to the Old Crater Variation. There was a lot of falling ice on the mountain this weekend. Two climbers were seriously injured and many others had minor injuries. Dennis and I made it part way up the Hogsback when we saw a guy with a bloody face. He had been hit by ice. There was a definite need for speed if we were going to cross the shooting gallery. Dennis and a lot of other climbers called it good at the Hogsback. As I reached the traverse, I decided that I did not want to be trapped behind a bunch of slow moving climbers, so I opted for the Pearly Gates instead.

The Pearly Gates were not being used very much due to their steep, icy condition. I figured it was safer than spending 30 minutes in a shooting gallery. Everything went well until I stopped to take some pictures. Wouldn't you know it, I got smacked in the knee with a chunk of ice while I was taking pictures! I knew better.
I topped out, took some pictures and then turned to head down with the crowds. I discovered that while I was on the top, a guy had fallen off the traverse and tumbled 500'. He was seriously injured and had to be hauled off the mountain. Dennis had already broke camp and we had a nice descent in perfect snow.

Mt. Stuart, West Ridge 9-13-08

2008-09-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

We finally climbed the West Ridge of Mt. Stuart. It ended up being our last big climb of the year. Mark and Doug were the only two climbers. Since it was going to be a one day climb, we got up early and left Yakima at 3:00am and hit the trail at 5:00am. Our plan was to go light and fast. To accomplish this we decided to climb it without a rope. The forecast was good, so we were able to go light on clothing too. We made good time up to Ingalls Pass and then on to Ingalls Lake. After the lake we walked up a ridge and across a rockslide to get to the base of the climb.

We started climbing at 8:00am. The going was real easy and fun. My daughters would have had a ball climbing this lower section.

Glacier Peak in the background.

The West Ridge.

It turned out that we would not have used a rope if we had one. Most of the climbing was real easy. There were only two short sections that required any rock climbing skill and these were in safe areas.
We made it to the top at 11:00am in perfect weather. After spending about an hour there, we started the long descent, followed by the ascent up to Longs Pass and the descent to the parking lot. We got back to the car at 3:30pm and home in time for dinner. Thanks Mark, for leading the funnest rock climb I have ever done. I especially enjoyed the freedom of going light and only carrying items that we knew we would use. It was a great day exploring a special part of God's creation.

Chalk up another one for Foursquare Mountaineering!

Dragontail Peak 8-9-08

2008-08-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Lake.

Giant boulders at the South end of the lake.

The Serpentine Arete starts on the left, then goes to the right of the dark area.

Mark on the crux of the climb.

The Colchuck Glacier.

Colchuck Lake from the summit of Dragontail Peak.

Ingalls Peak 7-26-08

2008-07-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

It was like a garden between Ingalls Pass and Ingalls lake. Danielle wants to live there.

The mountain goats were pretty friendly.

Snow on the edge of Ingalls Lake.

Dani exploring the shoreline. Mt. Stuart in the background.

Climbing Mt. Ingalls, North Peak.

Dave, Nicholas, Mark, Mike (and Doug) on the summit.

Nicholas rappelling down.

Ingalls Lake and Mt. Stuart as seen from Ingalls South Peak.

Mt. Adams 7-12-08

2008-07-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mt. Adams from the Southwest.

Carbo-loading at the Cold Springs base camp.

High camp at Lunch Counter.

Climbers on the South face.

A beautiful day on the summit.

The 2,000' glissade down to Lunch Counter.

Dani glissading.

Wipeout!

Mt. Rainier, DC 6-14-08

2008-06-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Starting the climb in fresh snow.

Taking a break.

Mt. Adams and the Tatoosh Range.

Tent city on the Cowlitz Glacier at Camp Muir.

Camp Muir above a sea of clouds with Mount Adams in background.

Sunrise with Little Tahoma on the right.

Mount Stuart Range on the left.

Ascending Disappointment Cleaver.

The Ingraham Ice Fall.

Bethany's high point. The top of Disappointment Cleaver at 12,300'! Gibraltar Rock and Mt. Adams in the background.

Four of the finest on top of Rainier!

(Jim, Mark, Theresa and Dave)

Descending Disappointment Cleaver. The tiny dots, at the top center, are tents at Ingraham Flats.

Mt. Rainier, Emmons Glacier 9-16-07

2007-09-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

We wanted to get in one more big climb before winter. We chose the Emmons Glacier route. This is the Emmons Glacier and Steamboat Prow as seen from Mt. Ruth.

The glaciers are full of vertical voids in the fall.

Jason, Didzis, Jim and Dave at Camp Schurman. Didzis flew over from Europe to join us on this climb and visit family.

A sea of clouds below us at sunset.

A snowbridge we crossed on the way to the summit early in the morning.

Sunrise at 13,000'.

Working our way up the mountain. The late season snow was like concrete.

We stepped into a crevasse to try to get out of the cold wind during a short break.

Jason retrieving his mitten from a large crevasse.

Going around another crevasse.

Finding a way around the bergschrund.

Ice in a water bottle.

The summit crater.

Dave, Jason, Doug, Mark, Didzis and Jim all summit on our international fall climb.

We encountered snow and rain on the way down. This climb was a challenge. The snow conditions and weather were not ideal. All the climbers did a great job and toughed it out. It was definitely more of an accomplishment than going up on a nice summer day.

Little Annapurna 9-1-07

2007-09-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

The group decided to go on another ambitious day trip. We chose Little Annapurna, in the Stuart Range. The climb was not very difficult, it just had a long approach. It was hard to keep our eyes on the trail with Ingalls Creek providing such awesome views!

After 7 miles, we left the trail and headed cross country up towards the peak.

This part of the trip consisted of going over, under and around large granite boulders.

The dry gully leading to the South face.

We were really pleased to find some water up high, since we, uh, sort of waited too long to refill our water bottles.

The South Face of Little Annapurna.

Mark at a belay station. Jim and Dave had gone up a different route. Dave is looking over the edge

Jim, Mark, Doug and Dave on top. The rock formations are incredible everywhere you look!

Jim boot-skiing down.

There are numerous beautiful lakes, like this one, all over the Stuart Range.

Prussik Peak is on our short list of Mountains to climb. The long approach seemed twice as long on the way out even though it is downhill. As we hiked out in the dark, using our headlamps, we couldn't stop thinking about the cougar tracks we had seen earlier. It was another great day with friends in an awesome part of creation!

Mt. Baker 8-4-07

2007-08-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

The other guys had to head home after Shuksan, but Dave and Doug stayed to climb Baker the next day. As the forest thinned out, we came to a staircase of flat rocks.

We see a lot of awesome flowers on our climbs.

Sulfur gas and clouds high on Baker. We climbed the Easton Glacier.

An icefall area low on the Easton.

Baker is known for it's numerous huge crevasses!

Dave taking in the view.

Climbers on the edge of Sherman Crater. Sulfur gas is rising behind them.

Sherman Crater as seen from the summit.

Sulfur gas is constantly hissing out of fumaroles in Sherman Crater.

Dave and Doug on the summit.

Doug looking down at the Easton and Deming Glaciers.

Mt. Shuksan 8-3-07

2007-08-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mt. Shuksan had been on our list of mountains to climb for quite a while. It would be a new climb for most of us. So we made plans and headed north. We got off to an early start so we could make this a day trip. Here we are above the treeline heading for the glacier.

We were in and out of the fog and clouds for most of the morning.

This is one of the steeper sections of the Sulfide Glacier.

A climber approaching the 500' high summit pyramid.

Flowers at 9,000'

The easy rock climb up the summit pyramid makes for a great finish on this climb.

Dave picking a route to the summit.

Dennis, Dave, Jim, Doug and Mark on the top at 9,127'. Mt. Baker, our objective for the next day, in the background.

Dave looking down on the Mt. Baker Ski Area.

Some Foxglove growing by the road.

Mt. Adams 7-14-07

2007-07-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our Foursquare group along with Tim's group from First Presbytarian.

Chuck came up to cook our dinner and then send us off with a good breakfast the next morning.

There is a lot of beauty in this harsh environment.

The mountain was covered by a million butterflies like this one.

Eating some good chow at our high camp at Lunch Counter.

Climbers heading up the South face early in the morning.

Young and old on the windy summit.

It takes 2 hours of hard work to climb up the South face and just 10 minutes to glissade down!

Getting down the fast way!

"It's like whitewater rafting"

Sherpa Peak 6-30-07

2007-06-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sherpa Peak is a large bump on the east shoulder of Mt. Stuart. It does not get climbed near as often as Stuart. It was nice to climb something new in the range. Mark and Doug did it as a day hike.

Climbers near the false summit of Mt. Stuart. There was still a lot of snow at the end of June.

Mark leading the way up the West Ridge.

Doug working his way up.

Sherpa Balanced Rock is a feature visible from all over the Stuart Range. It doesn't get climbed very often. It looks like the wind could blow it over, but it is actually pretty well built. We couldn't leave without climbing it. Mark led the way up and Doug followed. It was nice to finally stand on top of that rock we have looked at so many times.

Sherpa Peak is the shaded peak on the right shoulder of Mt. Stuart as seen in this photo from Longs Pass. It was another memorable day spent above treeline!

Mt. Rainier, Liberty Ridge 6-2-07

2007-06-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Jim and Dave saw this mother black bear and her two cubs cross the White River and head off into the woods!

Mama bear and cub crossing river.

Other cub crossing river.

Skiers going over and around crevasses, on the Emmons Glacier, near Camp Schurman.

Glacier Basin.

House sized seracs on the Winthrop Glacier.

Doug, the Willis Wall, Liberty Ridge and Ptarmigan Ridge as seen from Curtis Ridge.

Liberty Ridge.

The Carbon Glacier and North side of Rainier.

A tilted serac on the Carbon Glacier.

Alpenglow on Liberty Ridge.

Sunset the first night.

Mark at our bivy site on the Carbon Glacier.

Mark starting up Liberty Ridge.

Sunrise on Liberty Ridge.

Mark watching the sunrise.

Mark climbing above Thumb Rock.

Mark high on Liberty Ridge with Willis Wall in background.

Doug below the Black Pyramid.

Mark beside the Black Pyraimid.

Nearing the icy section at the top of Liberty Ridge.

Crevasse at 14,000'.

A decade of snowfall layers exposed in the Liberty Cap Glacier.

Doug crossing the bergschrund.

Mark leading up the steep icy section at the top of Liberty Ridge.

Climbing into a cloud!

Doug following up the steep ice.

Mark on Liberty Cap.

Doug on Liberty Cap.

Doug heading toward the Emmons Glacier.

Doug dropping into a hidden crevasse right by Camp Schurman.

Doug and Mark down at Camp Schurman, with Jim and Dave, for our second night on the mountain.

Sunrise at Camp Schurman.

Mark, Dave, Jim (and Doug) at Glacier Basin heading out. Meanwhile a storm is brewing high up on the mountain. We had to shorten this climb by one day to beat the storm. It was another awesome climb, with good friends, enjoying God's beautiful creation!

Colchuck Peak 4-29-07

2007-04-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Colchuck Peak, in the Stuart Range, was to be our first real climb of 2007. We camped near the trailhead the night before and then got a 4:00am start on the climb. The road to the trailhead was closed due to a mudslide that needed to be cleaned up. We pushed and rode bikes for 4 miles up the dry gravel road.

Mark crossing the bridge over Mountaineer Creek.

Doug, Mike and Dave enjoying the view.

Dragontail Peak is on the left, Colchuck Peak is on the right and the Colchuck Glacier is in-between. Our route would start directly below the summit as seen from this angle. Colchuck Lake was still frozen. We were able to save a lot of time by going straight across the lake.

Our route was the North Buttress Couloir (NBC). It is the snowy strip going up the left side of this photo. This is the NE side of the peak.

Heading up the lower part of the NBC. The snow was in great shape on this side of the peak. We could easily kick in steps and they were solid.

Dave, the moraine and the end of the lake.

We made it up to the notch and crossed over to the NW side of Colchuck. The snow on this side was loose dry powder.

Mark with Colchuck Lake in background.

Mark, Doug and Dave on top of Colchuck Peak with Mt. Stuart and Sherpa Peak behind us.

The Colchuck Glacier consisted of hard icy snow. We were numb by the time we finished glissading down to the lake!

Dave takes a lot of flower pictures. Here is just one. We hopped back on the bikes, made good time coasting down to the pickup, ate some real food and headed for home.

Mt. Rainier, DC 9-24-06

2006-09-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

We wanted to see what it was like to climb Rainier in September. So we chose a date, made plans and drove to Paradise. There was a menacing cloud cap over the mountain threatening to change our plans! We made it up to Camp Muir later that day in good weather.

We were very pleased when we got up at midnight and started our summit bid under clear skies!

There is nothing like watching the sunrise from 13,000 feet!

The storm that almost stopped us left beautiful ice formations all over the upper mountain.

These palm sized formations were all over the crater area.

This 5 foot tall icicle was found inside the steam caves that are under the snow and ice in the crater.

A blue light illuminates the upper portion of the caves.

The view looking down one of the caves. Farther down the cave, it is completely black.

The view looking up from farther down in the cave. These caves go down hundreds of feet and all the way across the crater.

Dave, Doug, Mark and Jim on the top. We were blessed with awesome weather on our summit day!

More ice figurines on the way down.

The long traverse back to

Disappointment Cleaver.

The mountain is a jumbled mass of crevasses and seracs in the fall.

This part of Disappointment Cleaver is made up of crumbly red "rock."

We made it home later that day. As always, we were a little dehydrated, famished, sunburned and tired. But it was well worth it!

Mt. Adams 7-15-06

2006-07-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Our 2006 Adams climb featured some little kids with strong legs as well as a dozen adventurous big people. We eat dinner and spend the first night at the trailhead. In the morning, we will have a big breakfast then hit the trail.

The bear grass was in full bloom at the trailhead.

On Friday, we hike up to our high camp at Lunch Counter. The wind was blowing so strong on the top of the mountain that climbers were turning around short of the summit. The shape of the cloud cap was constantly changing, disappearing and reappearing. We were hoping for better weather on Saturday.

It was windy at Lunch Counter, so we huddled in one of the shelters to cook and eat our dinner. It had a little volcanic ash added to it this year.

We woke up to find better weather. It was still windy, but at least it was clear on the summit.

A little climber follows her dad up the south face.

More climbers stair-stepping on the steep part of the south face.

Well above the clouds, we all take a break at the False Summit.

The last 600' to the summit.

Three generations of this climbing family made it to the top!

It was a little chilly on the 12,276' summit. Two 9-year-olds and a 10-year-old made it to the top!

The funnest part of this climb is the mile-long glissade back down to Lunch Counter! It was another memorable climb for Foursquare Mountaineering.

Mt. Rainier, Kautz Glacier 7-2-06

2006-07-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

After climbing the easiest routes on Rainier, we wanted to climb something a little more challenging. So we decided to try the Kautz Glacier.

We crossed the Nisqually Glacier, then we went up a gully called "The Fan." It is full of rocks that break loose each day as it warms up.

We headed up the Wilson Glacier and found a great camp site just below the Turtle Snowfield. The rock wall would serve as a windbreak and there was running water close at hand. Unlike Camp Muir, we did not have 99 people camping right beside us. Mt. Adams in the background.

Jonathan in the kitchen area.

The main challenge of the Kautz Glacier route is a short section of 45 degree ice.

The shadow of Rainier just after sunrise. If you want to get the most out a sunrise, you need to be above 11,000' in elevation!

Jonathan finishing the fun part of the route.

Dave just above the icy section.

One of several large crevasses on the upper mountain.

Dave and Jonathan on the summit. The upper mountain was really windy and covered by a cloud cap.

Doug (holding onto his hood) and Jonathan. We took pictures and headed right back down.

Jonathan found a hidden crevasse on the way down!

Here are 3 tired and hungry climbers just a couple of hours from the car and some real food. Jonathan was able to summit an intermediate route for his first attempt on Rainier! It was fun to climb something new and challenging in this awesome part of creation.

Mt. Rainier, Emmons Glacier 7-24-05

2005-07-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Emmons Glacier on the northeast side of Mt. Rainier.

James basking in the early morning alpenglow. Camp Schurman and Steamboat Prow are far below.

The extreme weather high on Rainier creates beautiful features like the wind sculptured snow in this photo.

Climbers crossing the snow and ice filled crater.

Doug, James, Dave and Robert on top.

Mt. Adams 6-18-05

2005-06-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Our group at the Cold Springs trailhead. We had our usual spaghetti feed for dinner on Thursday. Rain, then freezing rain, fell on us that night.

We had to hike up through fresh snow to get to our high camp at Lunch Counter. It got cold and windy and then snowed some more on the second night. Everyone was pretty worn out after two hard nights. The weather was still unsettled on Saturday morning.

Out of the 29 climbers that started this climb, only 7 toughed it out and made it to the top!

Mt. Rainier, DC 7-17-04

2004-07-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

Mt. Rainier as seen from the southeast. We climbed the Disappointment Cleaver route, which is on the right side of the mountain in this photo.

Our climb from high camp began in the middle of the night. We encountered these knee-high suncups just above DC.

Climbers on the upper mountain, zigzagging their way to the top.

A huge crevasse at about 13,000'.

We took some time to explore the summit steam caves. They are created by the steam and sulfur gas that comes up through the crater. The fumes can be dangerous if they are concentrated.

At this point the cave is about 10' high and 20' across.

This picture was taken without a flash. The blue light is filtering down through the thin ceiling. A person could spend hours and hours exploring the caves.

Jim, his son Jordan, Doug and James on the summit. It was another great adventure, exploring creation with good friends.

Mt. Hood 5-31-04

2004-05-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

We Chose Mt. Hood for our first volcano climb of the year. It is a good early season climb. While we were down sleeping at the Mazama Lodge, a storm was plastering the mountain with a heavy layer of snow and rime ice. Climbers can be seen ascending through the Pearly Gates.

James at the bergschrund.

Dennis a few yards from the summit. The storm had deposited these incredible ice formations all over the upper mountain.

This photo was darkened to show the huge wing-like features that we were walking through on our way to the summit.

Dennis, James (and Doug) at the highest point in Oregon.