Argonaut Peak 8-5-12

The climbing season would not be complete without a trip to the Stuart Range.  It was hot out, so the icy water in Ingalls Creek felt pretty good.  We camped right beside the creek.

The group breaking out above the tree line.

There was snow and running water on the south side. 

We went most of the way up the south side together, then split up and assaulted the summit from different routes.

Jason starting up the NW Arete.

Part of our group on the summit.

Mark and Nicholas.
Mt. Stuart in the background.

Dave and Andrew

Doug and Jason

Kyle

Mt. Adams, South Climb 7-14-12

 One group at the start of a good climb on Adams.  

 Chris on the steepest part of the climb.

More climbers heading up Widowmaker.

Mt. St. Helens and sunset as seen from our camp at 9,300'.

Climbers starting up the south face early in the morning.

The true summit as seen from the false summit.  There were a lot of threatening clouds and even some wind-driven 1/4" hail, but it did not last long.

 One group on the summit...

and another...

 and another...

 and another.


What a great climb.  The road was clear, the weather was good and the snow was excellent.  The guides were awesome, the sherpas were strong and the climbers were determined.  What more could you ask for?

Mt. Rainier, Emmons Glacier 7-8-12

After postponing the climb for a couple of weeks, the weatherman finally gave us a green light to climb Rainier.  We have seen bears up here before, but not this close!  This encounter was the best part of the climb.

Our team high up on the Emmons Glacier just after sunrise.  Steamboat Prow and Camp Schurman are way below us.

Doug, Ron, Spencer and Jim on the summit.  The wind was blowing 50-60 mph.  We did not stay there very long.

This is one of the reasons that we rope up!   It was Spencer's turn to cross the dicey snow bridge.  This was the second best part of the climb.
Climbing would not be nearly as fun or rewarding, if it wasn't difficult and a little scary now and then.

Mt. Hood 5-19-12

Mt. Hood is a good mountain for a spring climb.  The weather was clear, cold and windy.  The snow was firm and all the ice and rock that can fall on climbers was frozen in place.  The shadow of Hood is pretty impressive.

We were not alone!  Mt. Hood is one of the most popular alpine climbs in the world.  There were just as many climbers below that point.

Climbers moving up the Mazama Route with The Hogsback, Crater Rock and Timberline Lodge Ski Resort in the background.

Dan walking along the narrow crater rim.  If you fall here, you will definitely get your name in the newspaper.  The gusty wind made it even more of a thrill.

Doug, Jason, Dan, Mark (and Stefan) on the summit.  We hiked back down to where we stashed our skis and skied back to the cars. 
Our climbing season is off to a good start.

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

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

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

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

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.