EISPIRATEN

Sometime in spring '08, I want to head north to my buddy's pad in Seattle. he's a Cop, and I'm hoping to gets myself in on all that career jazz.

Anywho, I plan on driving, and hopefully climbing a few Cascade Volcanos on the way. My buddies invited me to go up Shasta via Avalanche Gulch last June, but I was unable to go.

Anyway, to cut it short, make it brief, etc, I'm looking at heading up the 5 and ticking off whatever I'm in shape for, physically, weather-wise, financially, etc etc, sometime around March through June, or so (flexible).

Anything I should pay attention to as far as when conditions are best, a permit that allows parking on all of Oregon, or Washington, or CA, etc etc?

Tips tips tips... this is still a while ahead so I'm throwing ideas around.

TacoDelRio wrote: a permit that allows parking on all of Oregon, or Washington, or CA, etc etc?

Wow, sounds like a very cool trip.

Regarding a all-in-one multi-state parking permit, I'm not sure such an animal exists. You can however get a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. See http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm. I think, if I'm reading this site http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/a ... hart.shtml correctly that one no longer needs an Adventure Pass if one buys the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Or am I mis-reading this?

$80 bucks...

If somehow the weather is miraculously clear on-time each time I reach one of the peaks, and I'm in fine shape, etc etc... it may be cheaper to buy this pass. That should also cover local stuff here, assuming that's federal land... I'm sure there's a mile of fine print and BS though.

Here is the list of possible peaks on the way. If the weather generally sucks, I'll hold off till the way down, or not go. Prefer to grab them while I'm up there.

Do you think $80 would be a good deal? My adventure pass expires in February, unless it peels off my tailgate first. (Like it makes a difference, i get tickets anyway...)



Peaks on the list:

-=CA=-
Shasta via Casaval Ridge
Lassen Peak via whatever the hell works. First one, so probably the standard route up (forget name).

-=OR=-
North Sister
Middle Sister
South Sister (Might try to combine all three in one shot, got all winter to train up)
Mount Hood
Three Fingered Jack
Mt Washington
Mt Bachelor
Mt Jefferson
Mt McLoughlin
Diamond Peak
Broke Top

-=WA=-

Glacier Peak
Shuksan (FTW)
Possible Olympic NP peaks; buddy lives in Olympia


Not including Rainier because it's glaciated, it seems too hard (though I always end up asking WTF all the commotion was about), and I've got zero glacier travel and rescue training, aside from reading and sitting on my ass. Probably going to remove a few from that list, but I hope Shuksan is still GTG (Good To Go) as it's a dream peak of mine. I don't quite like the idea of falling into a bigass frozen crack...

Any other peaks of interest anyone can suggest? I'm looking for climbing that's interesting, up to low class 5, preferably class 3-4, something do-able in a long two-day trip, with exception going to peaks around Olympia, since I won't have to sleep in a truck... errrr Murphy's Law.

This is the parking pass I used while living in Washington state. Good for most, if not all, of Oregon as well:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/passespermits/nwfp.shtml

Also, I would recommend Mnt. Adams in Washington. All you need for the South Spur route is basic crampon and ice axe skills.

TacoDelRio wrote:$80 bucks... Do you think $80 would be a good deal?

Um, let me give you a definite "maybe."

If you're headed for only a couple of Federal spots, then maybe not. Somewhere around three or four entry fees it makes sense to get the pass.

Let's say you're going to:
Cascades NP
Olympic NP
Ranier NP
A couple of National Forests

Then you're in the neighborhood where it makes sense to get the pass, $80 price not withstanding.

Wow, boring accounting crap. What a drag. There was a day, boys and girls, when your taxes paid for most of this stuff. No camping fees, no entry fees for USFS, no Wilderness Permits (dang, now I'm really dating myself). No old jokes or I'll hit you with my cane.

I wish those days were still around.

Muddeer, I'll look that route up on SP and add it to the list!

Thanks guys!

More on this as I think about it since I've got nothing better to do...

Anyone with experience in the Cascades have recommendation for routes, off-glacier, up to class 4 or so? I'm looking for a route up that's not the easiest way up, but also not something I can't handle, and not on a glacier, since we, uh, kinda lack those in SoCal where I do my stuff.

Thinking of stuff similar to ascending Shasta via Casaval Ridge, going down via Avy Gulch. Not against the easy way back down.