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Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 10958 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to Tukwila |
| kleet wrote: | | Sounds like a true NWHikers cliffhanger. 16.5 lbs. is a lot of Cocoa Puffs, dood. |
Ah, but I had both Cocoa Puffs *and* Froot Loops. The real weight was in the four apples, two bananas, and two pounds of powdered milk. 
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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kleet
meat tornado
Joined: 06 Feb 2002
Posts: 5303 | TRs | Pics
Location: O no they dih ent |
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kleet
meat tornado
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 Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:48 am |
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Thanks for adding your pictures, DHM. It's cool to see another perspective; great pics from all!
A fuxk, why do I not give one?
A fuxk, why do I not give one?
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reststep
Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
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reststep
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:32 am |
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Those are great pictures. It was worth waiting for them and there are lots of wallpaper shots there. I have a dialup connection so I went to the library to look at them but have to go back to see the ones I didn't get to yet.
I have a couple of questions. It is obvious that you traveled over a lot of talus. I am interested in what kind of footwear you chose for this trip. Did you use heavy duty boots or did you go for something lighter? How did your feet hold up?
I see that you took ice axes. Did you also take crampons or wished that you had?
Thank you
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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sooperfly
Member
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1234 | TRs | Pics
Location: North Central Wa. |
Bravo! Great report and pics you guys. All that and you had time to fish! I think a lot of work productivity this week has been wasted by folks checking these out. 
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Roald
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Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 367 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
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Roald
Member
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:39 pm |
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Ooo, those are some of my favorite places, all rolled into one trip. What an inspiration...
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Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 10958 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to Tukwila |
| reststep wrote: | | I have a couple of questions. It is obvious that you traveled over a lot of talus. I am interested in what kind of footwear you chose for this trip. Did you use heavy duty boots or did you go for something lighter? How did your feet hold up? |
My feet held up surprisingly well. They're usually my downfall. I think we were just at the limits for comfortable travel on each day. More talus mileage and I think the blisters would have gotten worse and ultimately resulted in a bailed/failed attempt.
SA both had Solomon boots, and I had a pair of REI Spirit IIIs.
| reststep wrote: | | I see that you took ice axes. Did you also take crampons or wished that you had? |
SA both had lightweight ice axes. I had just my trekking poles. The only place I felt a little exposed was in coming out from the upper tarn on the back side of Summit Chief. We had a long steep snowfield in one stretch with lots of melt and I would have been pretty FUBAR if something had gone wrong.
I felt pretty good on the glacier on the NE side of Hinman, but that was likely because we avoided most of the steeper stuff. It would have been nice to have had more protection there and we might have gone straight down the glacier instead of winding into the rocks if we'd had different gear, but for the most part I think it worked out okay.
It's all a tradeoff...a question of "bring more gear, or forego the extra weight and just make do with easier terrain?" In my case, I figured the sections that we'd need gear for steep snow and ice would be so rare that I wouldn't need it. I turned out to be mostly right...
In truth, I was pretty surprised at the amount of snow we found up there...snow pack has hung around a LOT later than in years past.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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reststep
Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
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reststep
Member
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:46 pm |
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Thanks Mike
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Spotly
Member
Joined: 06 Jan 2004
Posts: 3723 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spokane Valley |
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Spotly
Member
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:51 pm |
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Excellent TR! I'm envious.
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Sabahsboy
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Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 2484 | TRs | Pics
Location: SW Sno County |
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Sabahsboy
Member
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:34 pm 9 days in ALW
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Just plain amazed. I have now looked at the photos (all) 2x and part 1x (yesterday). Just so darned wonderful! What a great trip, TR and photos....thanks to all for posting all the photos...some were just too awe inspiring!
My one, lonesome wander to Williams Lake, La Bahn Gap and Hinman summit was in summer, 1980. That one! There was ash everywhere. The weather mostly "pooped - out", too. I was not too well and somehow, never scheduled a return to That high country. I am kicking myself, now!
I recall looking down through the clouds and spotting Rowena...I took a photo, then the fog closed in. Never saw the tall peaks from Williams Lake camp. Now...how did you go?
I must re-read the TR and try to figure this out on maps. Any chance the Three Amigos laying out the route on a map?
There are so many choices of great places shown, it is difficult to believe all that grand terrain is located in a fairly tight area. Can't wait until you all take on another 9 day pursuit!
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Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 10958 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to Tukwila |
| Sabahsboy wrote: | | Any chance the Three Amigos laying out the route on a map? |
Funny you should use that term...we had a long discussion about the Three Amigos after finding a rocky channel that enabled us to bypass a bunch of scrub, slide alder, and cliffy bands on Day 8. I volunteered to be "Dusty Bottoms" even though Tisha probably deserved the role, what with her patented and oft-used butt-scoot... 
I'll send you a PM with a map of the route tonight, but I prefer not to post explicit maps and routes with my TRs. That's all part of the adventure.
(Plus, there are sections of our route that I wouldn't wish on my enemies and I'd change if we were to do it again.)
For the most part, most of the segments are pretty straightforward when looking at a map. I'm always happy to provide details and recommendations privately re: elevations and landmarks we encountered on our trip.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Don
Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 2013 | TRs | Pics
Location: Fairwood, WA |
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Don
Member
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:14 pm |
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Wow DM and SA! Great TR and fantastic photos! You both really captured the trip with your lenses! Nice
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GeoTom
Member
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth |
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GeoTom
Member
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Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:12 am |
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tropeR pirT eciN
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CarolinaHiker
Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 8 | TRs | Pics
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Brand new to the board and ignorant on some geography....is ALW - Alaska Wilderness?
I am looking to branch out or ratchet up my level of difficulty of trips. I normally go to Canadian Rockies or Olympic NP and North Cascades NP. But your photos blow those away. Those are incredible.
Is that trip a 9 day no matter what or could one take 6-7 days and take an outlet somewhere back to a road? I am assuming there are trails but perhaps the word wilderness means just that - wilderness and no trails.
Any feedback or pointers you may have are greatly appreciated.
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Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 10958 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to Tukwila |
| CarolinaHiker wrote: | | Is that trip a 9 day no matter what or could one take 6-7 days and take an outlet somewhere back to a road? I am assuming there are trails but perhaps the word wilderness means just that - wilderness and no trails. |
We were wandering around in a big loop, but pretty much a day's walk out at every point along the way if we'd decided to bail mid-trip.
We crossed official trail once, used it once in the middle (from Williams to Ivanhoe), and then were on trail for both the approach and the exit.
The advantage we have is that all three of us had been to pretty much every destination (and most of the routes in-between) for the bulk of the trip, so we knew what to expect and where we were going. The only sections that were new for all of us were the high traverse from Tanks to La Bohn, the circumnavigation of Hinman, and the Ivanhoe to Escondido traverse.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke
"Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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CarolinaHiker
Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2007
Posts: 8 | TRs | Pics
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Is there any way that you can send me a link or other data source that spells out where that loop is? I have never considered hiking Alaska (visions of bears munching on my remains) until I saw your photos.
I assume you had GPS or at least a compass and know orienteering. I need to get a better skillset with those before I attempt such a trip.
I just do not have any working knowledge of where to go to get info on routes or established trail systems like you have done in that area.
Thanks for anything that you might offer.
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