Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road Closed

The following email just arrived at the AAI office:

Last winter’s flooding caused landslides, road and bridge washouts that have closed Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road to motor vehicles at milepost 1.4 at the end of the couplet. Although the road will be opened temporarily on weekends to milepost 2.4 to give access to Mailbox Peak Trailhead, it will be closed to motorized vehicles from there through milepost 18.5 in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. King County and Forest Service engineers estimate finishing the repairs this summer or fall. For information call King County at 206-296-8100; or Forest Service at 425-888-1421.

Taylor Bridge on the Middle Fork Snoqualmine road.

Photo by Rick Driggs

Clearing the North Cascades Highway

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crewmembers on both the east and west sides of the North Cascades mountain passes are in the process of clearing snow from 37 miles of the highway, including Rainy and Washington passes. Work started on Monday, March 30.

State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, is the northernmost route across the Cascades in Washington. This scenic byway is part of the Cascade Loop, a 400-mile driving tour through the Cascades. WSDOT closes the North Cascades Highway in the winter when snow and avalanche danger threatens the safety of drivers and maintenance crews. On average, the highway is closed between late November and early December and reopens in the spring between late March and early May.



Clearing the North Cascades Highway is a significant effort each year. WSDOT crews will work 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, through April.

While it’s impossible to predict exactly when they will have it open – due to weather (the Cascades have gotten 32 more inches of snow in the last 21 days), avalanche danger, equipment breakdowns, and crew health – they are hoping they can match last year.

The highway reopened May 1 last spring and was closed for the season on Dec. 11. The cost to reopen the highway each spring typically runs from $200,000 to $250,000. WSDOT requires that climbers and skiers engage in frequent and varied spring skiing and climbing trips to make this a good investment :) .

A natural avalanche covering the roadway at mile post 165.

The same place . . . several hours of work later.

. . . Looking good! On Tuesday morning, this is the Lloyd Logging D-8 caterpillar cutting a pocket above the shoulder, below an avalanche chute along Cutthroat Ridge, so if any more snow slides, it won't end up on the roadway.

While clearing snow off SR 20, the crews see a lot of different wildlife. This time it was a rabbit. They said it's actually not uncommon for them to see rabbits along the snow-covered highway. They said that this particular rabbit was charging the snowblowers, and was following them as they worked.

Little (pre-powdered) snow donuts rolled their way down the hill and landed near our maintenance crews clearing snow from the highway.

Check out more photos on WSDOT's Flickr site!

Highway 20 Update

AAI just received the following email from the Washington State Department of Transportation:

There are more new photos from Monday's work on the flickr site and there's a special treat - SNOW DOUGHNUTS! By Tuesay, on the west side, they got to MP 154 (Swamp Creek) which is about 3-1/2 miles below Rainy Pass. The east side crew is busy cutting through the slides from the 11 avalanche chutes in the Cutthroat Ridge zone (MP 168-166, near Silver Star Mountain).

Last week, we made good progress with favorable weather and no equipment problems...until Thursday. When the snow started sliding and avalanche control became necessary on Stevens Pass, work had to stop on the east side. By law, our avalanche techs must monitor snow stability while the crews are working below active chutes. By Wednesday evening, they crew had gotten to CR1, but with the avalanche crew down on Stevens, no clearing work could be done Thursday. (So the Twisp crew spent the day doing regular maintenance from Winthrop to Loup Loup Pass.)

On Monday, Avalanche forecaster Mike Stanford showed up with the Avalanche crew's snow cat. While he kept an eye on the snow conditions, crews used it and an excavator to cut down the snow piled up below CR1. The Kodiak snow blower can take about an 8 foot “bite” and some of the snow slides through the Cutthroat Ridge zone are twice that deep. A second Kodiak snow blower from Stevens joined the effort on Tuesday.

By the end of Tuesday, they had cleared CR1 and CR2.

Today, the giant rental D-6 and D-8 caterpillars are traveling ahead up to the Liberty Bell Avalanche zone and to start cutting those huge snow piles down to size. We want that section ready for the snow blowers when they get that far, sometime next week.

Last week’s snow that hit the central Cascades hard didn’t dump as much in the northern Cascades and the weather today actually started out sunny, while it’s gone from two days of sunshine to overcast and foggy down on Stevens and Snoqualmie.
Obviously putting the snow shoe rabbit in charge and spotting some lucky snow doughnuts are good signs!

Climbing Commands

One of the most inconsistent things in the entire world of climbing are climbing commands. Climbers commonly hook up for a day of climbing with little knowledge of how to communicate with one another at the crag. It is always important to review your climbing commands with a new partner so that no mistakes are made.

The most common mistakes in a command series tend to come around the word "take." Climbers often use the word in two different ways. Some will say "take" in lieu of the command, "up rope." Whereas others will say "take" to mean "take my weight." A much larger problem arises out of the nature of a word that only has one syllable. "Take" could also be mistaken for the words, "safe" or "slack." Either of these mistakes could have tragic consequences. The result is that we try to teach people not to use the word.

The following sets of commands reflect what AAI guides are teaching in the field.

Toprope Commands:

Climber: On belay?
Belayer: (After checking that everyone's double-backed, that knots are correct and that the belay device is threaded appropriately.) Belay on.
Climber: Climbing.
Belayer: Climb on.

Once the climber reaches the top, the following discourse should take place:

Climber: Tension.
Belayer: (After pulling the stretch out of the rope and locking it off.) Tension on.
Climber: Ready to lower.
Belayer: Lowering.

It's important to close out the commands at the end. People often get lazy about the next set. Once the climber is back on the ground the following commands should take place.

Climber: Belay off.
Belayer: Thank-you. (Then after removing the device from the rope:) Off belay.

The "thank-you" exists in this series to get individuals ready for multi-pitch climbing where the words are used a great deal.

Multi-Pitch Commands:

You'll notice that the words "thank-you" are used heavily throughout this command series. We use to words to acknowledge that an individual heard the last command. For those who don't normally use the words "thank-you" as part of your personal series, I would recommend trying it. A lot of stress melts away on multi-pitch climbs when you know that your partner heard you.

Following are the commands that we teach in a multi-pitch setting:

Climber: On belay?
Belayer: (After checking that everyone's double-backed, that knots are correct and that the belay device is threaded appropriately.) Belay on.
Climber: Climbing.
Belayer: Climb on.

Once the climber has reached the top, built an anchor and tied-in, the following commands should take place:

Climber: Off belay!
Belayer: Thank-you! (The belayer will then take the rope out of his device.)Belay off!
Climber: Thank-you! (The climber will then pull up all the slack.)
Belayer: That's me!
Climber: Thank-you! (The climber will then put the belayer on belay.) Belay on!
Belayer: Thank-you! (The belayer will break down the anchor and then yell just before he is about to climb.) Climbing!
Climber: Climb on!

Ancillary Commands:

These are commands that are not necessarily said on every single climb. These are only said if there is a need. The commands are as follows:

Rock -- This should be yelled whenever anything falls. If you hear this, press your body against the wall and do not look up. Your helmet will provide some protection. Unfortunately, sometimes people yell "stick" or "camera." Such unusual commands often result in inappropriate reactions. In other words a person may not immediately attempt to get out of the way.

Watch me -- Climber will say this to a belayer if he is nervous and thinks he might fall.

Falling -- The appropriate command if you actually fall.

Up rope -- When a climber says this, he is asking that slack be eliminated from the system.

Slack -- The climber needs slack.

Tension -- Anytime a climber wants to sit back on the rope and rest they should use this command.

Clipping -- Periodically a leader will need more rope to clip a piece of protection. When a leader says this he's actually asking for a few feet of slack.

--Jason D. Martin

April and May Climbing Events

--April 2 -- Seattle, WA -- Climb for Life

Climb for Life is a fundraising event for HERA Women's Cancer Foundation, a national nonprofit that aims to empower women, researchers, and local communities in the fight against ovarian canter. While Climb for Life events are designed to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and raise funds for finding a cure, they are also a great introduction to the sport of climbing, and its physical and mental benefits. Climb for Life and other HERA events are held throughout the country year-round. For more information about HERA please click here.

--April 3 -- Lincoln, RI -- Collegiate Climbing Series - Rhode Island

USA Climbing began the inaugural season of the Collegiate Climbing Series in January 2009. The first Collegiate Climbing Series is held in six regions across the nation with 30 competitions. Competitors in the series must be currently enrolled in an accredited academic institution.

Each Series will include individual and team competition. USA Climbing compiles and tracks both the individual and team results on their website. Each series will consist of four local regular season events and a regional championship. Individual awards will be given out at each local event. At the culmination of the Regional Championship, a team champion will be announced as well as the individual series champions. Registration is open on the USA Climbing website. The Schedule of events can also be found there.

For more information on the CCS, go to www.usaclimbing.org.

--April 4 -- Marquette, MI -- Norther Michigan University's Annual Superior Climbing Competition

--April 9 -- Seattle, WA -- Skip Yowell Slideshow and Booksigning

--April 10 -- Seattle, WA -- FONWAC Snoball Dinner

The Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center is ramping up for the inaugural Snowball Dinner and Auction, an end-of-season celebration to support NWAC. Join the party on Fri, April 10 for some good food, great auction items, shared stories and maybe a prayer for more snow in 2010! NWAC is facing a potential budget shortfall of over $100,000 next year. Come out and show your support for a service we all rely on to plan trips and stay safe in the mountains. More info and tickets click here. Buy them now...tickets will not be available at the door.

News to you? Sign up for periodic updates from the Friends of NWAC and get in the loop about avalanche awareness in the Northwest.

--April 12 -- Joshua Tree, CA -- Trail Work Party

--April 17 -- Bellingham, WA -- Mount Baker Ariel Photography

--April 18-19 -- Shenendoah National Park. VA -- Shenendoah Rockfest

--April 18 -- Bishop, CA -- Buttermilks Clean-Up and Slideshow

--April 19 -- Duluth, MN -- Concrete Smorgasbord

--April 20 -- Seattle, WA -- Ken Burns National Park Film

--April 24 -- Rohnert Park, CA -- SSU CCS USA Climbing Comp

--April 25 -- Boston, MA -- Collegiate Climbing Series Regionals

--May 3 -- Lincoln, RI -- USAC Onsight Competition

--May 7-May 10 -- Carbondale, CO -- Five Point Film Festival

The 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, to engage passion with a conscience, and to educate through film.

On the edge between desire and fear, between the known and unknown, is a place deep inside us all where the spirit is transformed — pushed beyond its limit by our deliberate commitment to usher in something new and original. In this soulful place we are catalyzed to learn, expand and engender newfound understanding to inspire others on their journeys. It is this spirit, this thirst for adventure that the 5Point Film Festival celebrates and shares with the community and filmmakers that gather for its annual Festival in Carbondale.

The 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, to engage passion with a conscience, and to educate through film.

The 5Point Film Festival inspires us to explore wild places and to return with a renewed vigor to protect our natural world. Proceeds from the 5Point Film Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit, benefit 1% for the Planet, Carbondale Environmental Board and other non-profits throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.

--May 9 -- Seattle, WA -- Skip Yowell - Founder of Jansport

Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you Stoked!

Hey Weekend Warriors,

So, I don't know if you've heard yet but the Red Rock Rendezvous was a smash hit this year. There was a great turnout, plenty of good climbing, and amazing instruction offered by everyone involved. There was one thing missing though...me! And that brings about the theme of this week's videos, desert rock climbing. While everyone was away climbing on the incredible sandstone I was checking out these videos, taking a virtual vacation to the greatness that is desert rock.

The first video is actually a trailer for a movie that documents the first ascent of the ultra-classic Supercrack at Indian Creek. This was a historic ascent done by some truly brave individuals, using only hexes to protect the incredible parallel crack. The full length movie is definitely worth a watch.

The second video features some great desert climbing in Morocco, not to mention an awesome soundtrack. What can I say, I'm a sucker for that feel-good world music.

The final video is actually from this years Red Rock Rendezvous. Every year Pod Climber does a video summary of the event and this time he featured a lot of footage and interviews of our very own guides, Dawn Glanc and Mary Harlan to be exact. Way to represent you two! Click here to check out the video.

Alpine Snow and Ice—Working with a Mercurial Medium

Alpine climbing owes much of its complexity to the changeable nature of snow and ice. Experience, prior research, and good technique can help you adapt to the conditions you encounter on the mountain. The first step is appreciating just how much difference conditions can make. An illustrative example can be found in the North Face of Mt. Shuksan.

Shuksan's North Face. Forest McBrian

A Cascades classic, the North Face is long and moderate: 2,500’ of 35 to 45 degree snow, with a few sections at 50 degrees. The lower part of the face is formed by a small hanging glacier with several significant crevasses. Passing briefly beneath a hanging icefield and up a narrow gully, the route gains the long, steep snow slopes of the upper North Face and follows them to the mountain’s high plateau at 8,000’.

The first time I climbed it, the North Face glowered from the shade. It was mid-October, and the long hot summer, followed by the autumn freeze, had hardened the snow into ice. Selected Climbs in the Cascades had warned us, “Sharp tools and crampons will take care of the hard ice encountered this time of year.” Indeed, even the short sections of easy rock scrambling were streaked with verglas (a thin veneer of refrozen meltwater), making sharp points vital. Even well equipped, it was a long, strenuous climb, with lots of front pointing. We climbed with running belays, clipping the rope between us into ice screws and moving together. Eight hours on the face turned our triceps and calf muscles to jelly.

Five years later, I had the opportunity to guide an AAI climber up the North Face. It was early September, and the forecast was excellent, if a little warm. Temperature is not the only factor, however. A clear night allows for long-wave radiative cooling, which can have an almost magical firming effect on the surface snow. As we set foot on the face it was no colder than 40 degrees fahrenheit, and yet the snow remained a perfect styrofoam consistency for the duration of the climb. The face yielded to relaxed French technique, with judicious use of troisieme and just a little front pointing. We pitched out the upper, steeper face in order to provide more security to my partner (Remarkably, it was only his fourth day of ice climbing ever!). The belays went in quickly—perfect vertical pickets—and we made great time. Even pitching it out, we spent only six hours on the face.

This past year I went back, again with a former climbing partner from AAI. Mike and I had summitted Denali together, and I was pleased to be climbing with him in my home range. It was July, and a heat wave had me a little concerned. I knew that we might have to turn around if the snow proved too soft; the foundation of our security in the mountains is always balanced, secure movement, and slushy, unpredictable step-kicking can quickly turn precarious. But a clear, starry night at the bivouac reassured me a little. We set out in the morning, and the lower face proved discouraging. A thin crust had formed, and it was difficult to establish a rhythm; the snow supported one step, but not the next. Things slowly improved, however, and by the time we exited the gully, we had begun a perfect staircase up the face. Although kicking the steps was strenuous, the result was extremely secure footing. Belay anchors, had we chosen to use them, would have required t-slotting pickets in the soft snow. Confident in Mike’s footwork, I chose to move together on a shortened rope for almost the entire route, topping out on the shoulder after only four hours.

Snow and ice routes change dramatically through the season. The security of movement changes accordingly—the bucket steps of July become the bullet-hard front pointing of October. According to our comfort with a given technique, we adjust our roped travel scheme, from moving together on a short rope, to running belays, to full-blown pitches. It is interesting to note that conditions influence speed not only by influencing rope technique; my first climb was slower than my second, even though in theory running belays should be faster. The climbing itself was simply slower and more strenuous the first time around. Notice, too, that the same terrain alternately required t-slots, vertical pickets, and ice screws, according to the snow conditions.

Knowing the conditions before you go is ideal, but not always possible. Being prepared with the right repertoire of techniques, ample fitness, and appropriate gear will help you be ready for the unexpected. Most of all, mileage on snow and ice all through the seasons will help develop the intimacy with the medium that is key to more advanced climbs. Climbing the same route multiple times under varied conditions is a great exercise, and the sign of a dedicated student of the mountains.

-- Forest McBrian, AAI Guide