Not victory - but success

Encouraged by gradually clearing weather, I decided to give Shasta another go this last weekend.

I slept in a bit, spent a leisurely day of swimming and relaxing, and left Ashland to drive south by seven p.m.

By nine p.m. I was at Bunny Flat trailhead and hiking towards Horse Camp. The weather really shaped up nicely - not cold at all, no wild thunderstorms, and beautifully clear stars as far as the eye could see.






I reached Horse Camp a little bit later, and mingled with the random groups of hikers and climbers for a bit, then took off across trail. I climbed up the side of Green Buttes all the way to the base of Sargent's Ridge proper - hoping to continue to the top in one push. This didn't work. By about one a.m. I was pretty tired. I could see the faint lights of a couple tents at Helen Lake far below, and I eventually decided to make a quick bivy for a nap, some tea, and some warm soup. I traversed for a while, and eventually found a suitable spot - the wind was the killer. I ended up actually downclimbing a small rocky section to Helen Lake to find a more mellow spot.

This 'quick bivy' was one of the worst ones I've had in a while. On the Mugs Stump Bivy scale the location would probably have been very favorable, but I wasn't so stoked on needing to stop. In an effort to go light & fast, I removed several crucial bulky items from my pack - mostly bivy gear, since I hadn't actually planned on stopping. I did have my Ridgerest with me, however, so I wasn't going to freeze outright. I made tea, some soup, and then snuggled up with my thin foam pad - somewhere around one thirty. I'd removed my boots and stuffed them in my pack, and in order to dry my socks out a bit I ended up wrapping my legs and feet in my down jacket and emergency tarp. I pulled on my nano puff and my shell, as well as a thin fleece hat, and just huddled.

You could call it sleep, but that would be fairly inaccurate.

Around two-thirty I'd had enough. At least, I felt a bit more rested, and I was ready to start moving. One other climber was just waking up, and he got the drop on me by about twenty minutes. I followed his headlamp as he climbed. Soon after he was off, I was packed, and climbing diagonally back up towards the ridge on climber's right of Avalanche Gulch. Route finding wasn't difficult, but there were some exposed rock bands that definitely gave me pause up higher - bits of loose rock, and in some cases, a serious lack of snowpack. I climbed carefully. One of my favorite sections of climbing on Shasta is super accessible for everyone! Directly up from Helen Lake to Sargent's - awesome steep climbing, and really fun when the conditions are hard. It is really cool to see climbers headlamped up, moving slowly below you. Eventually I traversed to the upper part of Avalanche Gulch, right around Thumb Rock. Within the hour, more and more headlamps began appearing. Around 12,500 feet, pale blue light was just starting to creep onto the horizon. It was about 4:45 a.m. I counted more than twenty-five headlamps mingling about in the flats of Helen Lake's basecamp, far below. This number would increase, and the steady stream of lights eventually formed a small chain.

I suppose you could claim that you climb Shasta solo, but in reality, unless you're doing a seldom traveled route - Casaval, or more obscure routes on the north side, you're gonna be with people in the later season. In winter you get a bit more solitude. I climbed throughout the night east of Horse Camp, but never had the sensation of being truly alone - whether from the sight of lighted tents, or climbers below me in the gulch, Mt. Shasta has a community sort of feeling to it. Nice people you meet up in the hills sometimes!

By the time I was above Thumb Rock, at about 13,400 feet, the sun was coming up. The orange glow you get up there is so beautiful - so silent, illuminating everything in a glorious panorama. I was about 800 feet shy of the summit when the sun finally crested the side of the ridge - flooding the snowy slopes with glowing light. I stopped for a bit to admire the sight, catch my breath, and have a quick snack (A Clif Bar and Shot Bloks - with a lot of water, they really work well).

I was tired at this point. It's a lot of work to climb all through the night with virtually no sleep. My headache had arrived, and I was even feeling a bit loopy - mix of mild nausea and light of head. But it soon dissipated. Nothing that H20 can't cure!

By 6:40 a.m. I was on the summit plateau, crunching my way over the icy, glowing snow towards the summit pinnacle. I passed two climbers descending as I reached the summit. It was such a gorgeous, clear day! Visibility was awesome, and the sun felt great after an icy, chilly night of climbing. I was on the top for about ten minutes - enough time to shoot a little video panorama and make a phone call, then it was time to head back down.






Unfortunately I was a little bit early on the summit. To my dismay, the snow was still super icy almost the whole way down. This basically meant that glissading was out of the question - it was a long, long downclimb on some icy slopes. I was very happy to eventually reach Helen Lake, from where I could glissade a significant amount towards Horse Camp.

I cut across the valley from Horse Camp, meandering through snowfields and huge bare spots, and eventually ended up at Bunny Flat - right around noon.

All in all, I felt super solid about the climb. I wasn't as fast as I could have been, i'm sure, but I climbed at a fairly consistent pace all night, managed to go really light (pack weighed in just under 28 lbs!), and descended early.

Mt. Shasta cooperated beautifully, and I was very thankful for the weather window and the safe climb.

Conditions right now on Shasta are suprisingly good! There's a good amount of snow coverage all over, and though rock fall and wet avalanches still pose significant danger in the warmer parts of the day, there are plenty of ways to mitigate these risks!


I really do recommend climbing early and descending early. I met groups and groups of climbers on my descent - I was third on the summit at seven, and passed maybe forty people on the way down. The bulk of them weren't going to see the summit before noon. Not that this is especially dangerous, but the potential for rockfall is much greater in the hotter parts of the afternoon. Regardless of not being able to glissade because of the icy slopes, I was very thankful to be out of that bowling alley of a gulch before the heat picked up. So, climb early, descend early - bring plenty of drinking water with you outright - most of all, know when to turn around. The descent takes just as much effort and concentration as does the climb to the top.



Both the upper sections of Casaval and Sargent's ridge are in good condition right now - there is some moderately technical routefinding through rock bands and some exposed sections, but the majority of it is very reasonable for confident and experienced climbers. Below 9,000 feet expect plenty of scree and rock sections - to be quite honest, you don't really need crampons on these sections until higher up. But wear your helmet - you have no idea how many ascending climbers I passed on the way down from the summit with their helmets casually strapped on their packs - you know, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

If you bring a helmet, and leave it on your pack. . .

Then you might as well not bring a helmet at all.

And that seems a bit weird, right? Considering Mt. Shasta is renowned for accidents involving falling rock and ice. In fact, when looking up from Lake Helen, you can clearly see track upon track from where large rocks have detached and galumphed merrily along for thousands of vertical feet.

Thus, we can conclude that one should a) bring a climbing helmet, and b) wear said climbing helmet. Love your life, right?

Avalanche gulch is always non-technical, though just as strenuous and demanding as always. In retrospect - climbing Shasta in one day makes for a very, very long day. But it is always worth it, of course. I was exhausted, and swearing somewhere inside that it was the last time I ever did it in one day again without skis, but I was stoked to be up there with such perfect weather and easy climbing conditions. I love alpine climbing in its simplest form - each and every small step it takes to get to the top makes you stronger. It doesn't have to be fun to be fun, right?

I'll probably be headed up tomorrow or next weekend to tackle a different route before the coverage is lost, but until then enjoy the small video mashups Travis created from my footage. In three parts. Doesn't quite do the scale or beauty of that mountain justice, but it may provide some perspective and entertainment. I tend to ramble..

I urge everyone interested to get out on Shasta before the better part of the season comes to an end (two-three weeks max!) - even if just for a climb to Helen Lake, or a hike to Horse Camp. Plenty of wonderful climbers and hikers alike mingling around both locations, and even the view from the valley is worth the drive to Mt. Shasta City.

If you have questions regarding Shasta in whatever capacity, stop in to the shop and pick our brains!

Cheers y'all...

Bummer

I got turned around from Shasta by some gnarly thunderstorms! I was watching from the old highway, near the Pilot Rock access road - and the forecast was pretty dismal. Really awesome lightning though. Lit up the whole valley. I was all packed and ready to be climbing by midnight, so it was hard to turn around.

It's a shame - second weekend in a row where it hasn't worked out. I'm gonna wait and see if the forecast for tomorrow changes - if it is favorable, the plan is to climb from Bunny flat around 10 pm-11pm, past Horse Camp to Casaval Ridge, and eventually the summit - no later than 8 am.

But, either way a crew is climbing all day at Rattlesnake tomorrow. Come join the fun - we'll be out there by 9, swimming by 6 pm.

Enjoy your Friday!

Hot, hot heat

Ooooer!

The heat's got us cookin' this week. It's supposed to be ninety-five degrees today? Chances of thunderstorms, some crazy evening clouds, and plenty of heat to keep you satisfied during the day. I was off in the relative cool of the fairy ponds yesterday evening - enjoying some relax time.

If I didn't have to be at work on weekdays, I'd be out at the coast right now though. Or on the river. Or i'd be up somewhere high, where it's windy (in theory).

I hope everyone had a grand Fourth of July. This weekend was supposed to be adventure weekend on Shasta - however my solo trip was eventually cancelled. In essence, I got persuaded to stick around for the festivities. I slept through the parade, which was wonderful, and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon of BBQ and brews.

Travis enjoyed a leisurely weekend as well - Saturday he rode the Salmon River Loop down in California - 100 miles, starting in Etna, over 10k of vertical! Absolutely beautiful country down there. I was stoked to hear that Travis and team were hitting upwards of 60 mph on the downhills. Get 'em boys.

And this week? Travis, Davi, Bryant, Sarah, Mike and myself have all been hard at work - advising, selling, organizing, consulting, and facilitating. My weekend starts tomorrow! I'm off to Shasta finally to climb Friday and Saturday - about time I made up for my slacking.

Also, I should note that a group of local climbers and myself are heading up to the Greensprings tonight, 6:30 p.m., to meet with some folks from the Mail Tribune - they're doing a story on local climbing. If anyone wants to join, please feel free. We're meeting at the shop, or you can meet at the crag any time after seven!



There will be plenty of adventure coming your way soon - throughout the end of July and most of August! The Trinity Alps, the Sierra Nevada, plenty of backcountry climbing locations, and some awesome road trippin'. Stay tuned - and enjoy the sunshine!

The Dance

Now we can finally do the dance!

What dance do you speak of?

The summer dance of course! The grill-is-fired-up and I just-picked-up-some of-that-new-Lagunitas-seasonal-release type of dance. Sort of like funk, but better.

Don't have your summer dance down pat? Or do you feel unsure as to what I'm talking about? I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Summer is a wild time of year - done differently by everyone.

Alright,

So I've noticed in the last two weeks that we're getting an increased amount of inquiries with regards to backpacking in the Marble Mountains Wilderness and Trinity Alps Wilderness. It's definitely that time of year now, but we've got an interesting twist this season that I think everyone should be aware of!

I'd save packing through both Wilderness areas until August and September. Don't get me wrong - they're my favorite areas on almost the entire west coast, with the exception of the Sierra Nevada - but with 140% of normal snowpack this season, most of that extra falling very late, both the bugs and snow are going to be very thick for a while yet. Snow levels are still around 5,000 feet in some areas, meaning that the Forest Service trail crews still have some work to do. I don't know, has anyone else ever been to the Trinity Alps in July? The swarm of biting insects is enough to make it miserable in the evenings. With this much snow, we're not going to be able to climb high enough to escape the bugs until August!

If it were me, I'd pick the Rogue River trail or a Lost Coast trip to tide over the backpacking desire until August/September. The Kalmiopsis Wilderness is also a lovely choice, though the concentration of poison oak is very high. If anyone has any specific questions about any of these locations, come in to the store and pick our brains. They all pretty much allow easy access to water to beat the heat, but with no worries about full Gore-Tex boots and gaiters on a hot day!

Anyways, that's my two cents.

I was at the coast this weekend, as well as the Illinois river, and that water feels great. We're gonna have clear, hot weather all week, and great flow all-around - it's the perfect week for boating or some time at the beach, and also the best week for kicking back with friends on these late evenings. Longest day of the year was the 21st, so don't waste any time!

Have a nice week folks.

Yosemite

What a busy week! Traffic is picking up, the people are arriving. Summer is right around the corner. I've been bummin' about not having enough time to sit down and write a blog on Yosemite. Man, what a trip. I can't even come close to capturing it for you, but I'll do my best.


I'd like to make some key points before I go any further:

-First off. It's not that bad, driving to Yosemite. It's about a hundred bucks roundtrip for the weekend, and I was able to keep myself stoked as all heck the entire way. Takes about 8 hours one way.

-Second, the rock is absolutely phenomenal. It's the mecca. I mean it - I've gotta live in Yosemite for a couple years at some point in my life. Sooner rather than later. I don't care if I have to scoop Ice Cream for tourists and sleep on the ground without a pad. It'll be worth it.

-Third, climbing in Yosemite is hard. How hard? Really hard. Really, really hard. I met climbers who routinely climb 5.13 sport, and they were talking about how the fifteen pitches of the Steck-Salathe (5.9) on the Sentinel were some of the scariest and most challenging climbing they'd ever done..

I quickly found that climbing cracks was where it was at. Lying back a little finger crack and working your feet up the slab, alternating feet, finding those super solid small jams - it's possibly one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Akin to floating, or flying. Something airy.

The fabulous first pitch of After Seven (5.8)

Face climbing is scary in Yosemite. I love face climbing, small crimps, technical stuff - but the intense friction component required for Yosemite face is really an art form. Granite is amazing rock, but face climbing will probably always be scary. Like. . .5.9 face climbs were terrifying. Not to mention runout, exposed, and all-together adventuresome.

Some random .10d on top-rope. What a wimp. . .

I stayed with my sister in Mountain View, but left super early (4:30am) to drive east to Highway 120. My sister, myself and my brother-in-law were all climbing in the park by 10:30 am. We started off with a perfect two-pitch crack - Jam Crack. Absolutely spectacular, and I definitely recommend it to people out after their first vertical day in the park. Fresh rappel anchors, perfect rock. You can find Jam Crack on the Sunnyside Bench crag, right next to lower Yosemite falls.

Second pitch of Jam Crack, absolutely superb.

We were beat after our first day - it was hot, the mosquitoes were plenty, and the crowds were definitely huge.



I passed out soon after dinner.

You'd be surprised how many unlikely Yosemite travelers you find - tourists who look as if they've never ventured outside of anything air conditioned, and flocks of girls in heels and mini-skirts. Definitely similar to culture-shock. Imagine sweaty, dirty, dirt-baggish looking folks trekking through packed crowds of pristine polo shirts, laden with gear, and you get the idea. It's very funny. There are definitely ways to escape it, however. . .



Our second day we were up at six thirty, headed to Manure Pile buttress, which is right to the east side of El Cap. A group had already claimed the Nutcracker, a Royal Robbins classic, and two bears were wandering around close by, so the three of us opted to jump on the first pitch of After Seven, and then finish the last five pitches of After Six. The climbs went straight up to the top of the buttress, slightly to the left side. The first pitch of After Seven was one of the best pitches of rock i've ever climbed, and the next five pitches were all incredibly exciting, with unique anchor opportunities and some really fun moves. It was a bit funny to have dudes in approach shoes and chalk bags freesolo'n right on by, while I was laden with pounds of gear, but I was humbled, and had a great time in the sunshine. You can access all three of the above-mentioned climbs from the El Cap picnic area. The buttress is maybe a minute walk from the parking area. Pick your passion!

Topping out on Manure Pile

It was still light, and after a brief dip in the Merced, we headed over to the more casual Swan Slab area, where I climbed a really fun flake and set up a top rope for a couple climbs. We wrapped up the evening in Camp Four with some of my sister's friends from Stanford, checkin' out the moves on Midnight Lightning, enjoying a brew or two. It was a really fun atmosphere - packed with climbers of all skill levels and disciplines, everyone lovin' it and stoked for the early morning call.

Lena's Lieback

Yosemite is a blast. Though I will probably wait to head back til late season (less mosquitoes, less heat, less people), it was the perfect long-weekend destination. I came back inspired, daunted, humbled, and with increased respect for the spirit present in those rocks. Yosemite is a very spiritual and magical place, and only off the often-ventured path do you discover this.

Several notes to keep in mind - Bring water. A lot of it. and lastly, camping is hard to find. Get in touch with the Park and see what's going on in this regard. If you want to stay in Camp Four, get there 60 minutes before they open (really early in the morning), and line up. You might get lucky. The other campsites are packed with RVs and generators and screaming children - climb hard, it helps you get to sleep quickly.

Climbs I definitely recommend with three stars:

Jam Crack (two fabulous pitches, crux in the second, 5.9)
After Six (Six pitches, 5.8)
The Nutcracker (Six-seven pitches, 5.8+)
After Seven (First pitch is the best, 5.8) Belay off the tree in the middle, or become inventive :)
Lena's Lieback, Swan Slab (5.6 or 5.8, I can't remember. Look out for the free-soloing kids)
Reed's Direct (5.10a, exposed and scary! Bring two #4 cams for the top, and save them!)
Reed's Regular Route (5.9, totally classic, one of the best in the valley)

I miss it already. It was unbelievably awesome. The sunset on El Cap and Half Dome is so magical.. glacial polished granite glistening like jewels.

Looking toward Half Dome from the top of Sunnyside Bench

I hope everyone is gonna have a fabulous weekend. Check out our fabulous Father's Day deal we have running through the whole weekend on the Patagonia Nano Puff. Only $99.99! Also, don't miss Steel Pulse at Britt tonight! Starts at 6:30pm. One of the U.K.'s most classic and talented Reggae bands - one of the most influential and successful.

See you in the hills.

Well, last weekend was less than exciting. Frank, Mike, and myself all worked both days - enjoying the mix of both clear and strange weather, and our lovely customers.

Travis had some races up in Portland. Due to an error with timing, he beat second place by twenty minutes. Alright, he's not that fast. However, Travis is still very fast. Faster than you or me. I'm sure once they get their times sorted out up there, he'll find out that he placed very well.

At least for me, all this work and little amount of play is enough to substantially reduce morale. Luckily we're not stranded at sea, or we'd have issues. Here at the AOS we find ways of improving morale - this includes but is not limited to: dancing, tying knots, talking in weird voices, making bagel sandwiches, making fun of each other, and talking about people in 3rd person while they're present.

All of this works fairly well in keeping us motivated and excited. When these activities fail, we have an eight cup coffee-maker.

Oh! I should mention a note about our most recent SOU graduate, and 'morale buster' (This is actually a positive label, though it seems harsh). Sarah Spector somehow managed to graduate this last Saturday 'on good faith', though she still has three credits left to complete! We're very proud of her, and we are also very excited to be seeing more of her around the shop. Learn more about Sarah here. Stop in and give her a big high-five.

So, though the weekend was fairly depressing, Frank and I managed to get out climbing at the Greensprings on Sunday evening. A group of us from the shop joined several other climbers up at the crag last night as well. It was very refreshing to see so many people out on the rock! Michael Daole, our ski-tech. Mike Reinert, our encyclopedia. Even Mackenzie Duffy from the Rogue Rock Gym! First time in a while that i've seen more than one rope up at once. We got a bit of a drizzle around nine, but everyone was very happy to be out.

I'm not entirely sure what the rest of the staff will be up to this weekend, but I do hope that it is full of adventure and activity. I will be driving south to Yosemite on Friday night to climb some multipitch for the weekend, and I'll be back by Tuesday. Hopefully the weather holds - it's looking great so far.

Before we know it July will be here, so take advantage of the more moderate temperatures we're having this month! I was out in the park earlier this week on a sunny day and it was lovely - not too hot, not too cold. Whatever you find yourself doing this weekend, I hope that it is exciting and safe.

Cheers.

Summer is here. Maybe Thursday if we're lucky.

Well, this Memorial Day weekend was spectacular! It finally felt like summer to me, if only for those several days of sun.




Frank actually didn't end up going to the Marble Mountain Wilderness this weekend.

Funny enough, I knew that last week - soon after I wrote last week's post - but I purposefully decided to withhold it from you. The expedition has been postponed temporarily, pending snow-coverage. Apparently Frank didn't feel like digging out the cave entrance (Come on, Frank).

Frank Debaugh did, however, encounter incredibly thin snowpack on Mt. Mcloughlin. It was a less-than successful day of skiing. However, the Mammut Nirvana backcountry pack that Frank was carrying had a very successful day. Observe, the holiest of holy ski-carry systems - doin' double duty.



And Travis?
I never know what Travis does with his weekend. I think it usually involves bicycles.

Also - just a reminder to take care of yourself! Some of our lovely staff members were feeling a bit under the weather recently. Reminds the rest of us to eat healthy and get plenty of sleep!

I was lucky enough to enjoy the company of my whole family from New York City and the Bay Area this weekend - both sisters and my brother-in-law. I have several family members that love to climb as well! We spent a family day at Greensprings and climbed several routes, including Marge's Navel, and the classic Razor Crack. We had the whole crag to ourselves!


Marge's Navel (5.8)



Razor Crack (5.8, 5.11 var) gear to 3 inches.



As you local climbers know, both of these climbs are perfect for casual days at the crag, (and family outings, apparently) and they have excellent rap bolts. Marge's Navel can also be climbed all the way to the top past the first set of anchor bolts for a 'Full Marge', at 5.11a. Razor Crack has some of the burliest rap chains i've seen, period! Rock quality on both climbs ranges from good to great, and Razor Crack has some fun moves that are easily protectable. Stem without using the crack for the 5.11 variation!

Of course climbing is always most fun when you have more than one day in which to adventure, but on lazy Sundays with the family, sometimes the barbecue and the local microbrew can be more appealing! Which . . . was the case this weekend.

So, what did you do with your Memorial Day weekend? Boating, hiking, climbing, skiing? Entertain us with your stories - on our Facebook, at our front counter, or in the comment box below!

It's gonna be a busy week for everyone it would seem, but Summer is fast approaching!
Take care, and we'll see you all in the hills this weekend.