Godzilla spotted on Mt St Helens summit

2009 climb season came full circle with a Sept 1 summit of MSH to match the May one. Team Renee, Frank M, 1st-timer Lisa and two dinosaurs. Beautiful day, 8-hour round trip, can't think of a better way to kick off the best month of the year.

CLICK for the 30-sec Animoto show.

CLICK for summit antics and videos, including jump-roping, scree surfing and more.

Mt Adams by scree

Frank Mungeam asked me to be photographer for a summit antic on a peak he hadn't climbed ...so up we went today to snag those pixels. It was my 3rd Adams summit but the first with so little snow we never used crampons. Lots of scree scrambling instead, and more limited glissading than normal, making the 13-hour round trip longer than usual. But the CAVU day and summit success made for a glorious August outing.
More pics here.

Jump-roping in shorts on Mt Hood summit

I was joined on the summit today by pals BWB Brian Samore and 1-st timer Rayn Ryan Balfour for a photo shoot of various wild and crazy antics. We arrived on top at 7am, 6 hours after departing Timberline Lodge.

It was a delightful night for climbing, with near-full moon until the dramatic moonset, calm air, shooting stars, Milky Way, volcano shadow, sunrise over the Cascade Range.

Click link below if you dare to see photo and film proof of the scenery, costumes, effigy props and yoga poses these nutty climb partners of mine did this day. It was my 25th Mt Hood summit climb ...but my first in shorts, and first with a jump-rope.

CLICK for the 90-sec Animoto show.

Click here for the photo series.

Mt Jefferson, success on try #2

My first attempt on Oregon's toughest peak was in 2004 via the Jeff Park Glacier / KER route, where Brian, Vern and I turned back at the summit block, just a few feet from the top. Not so this year, when we used the direct Milk Creek route with a Mazama climb team of 6 lead by Monty Smith.

Here are 40 pics, including red-lined routes and summit movie.

Mt St Helens in a dress

The annual Mother's Day tradition continues, with climbers wearing dresses and hats to honor mothers everywhere. I was double sick this year, so struggled near the top, but made a short summit movie and did get to snowboard down from summit to car. This year I was awarded "best hat on the mountain."

11 pics here and a summit movie here.

Training: Nesmith Ridge hike, Columbia River Gorge

I joined a Mazama 4-man team today for a nice leg burner up the little-used bushwacking "Nesmith ridge" route starting above Elowah Falls, topping out at 3800' Nesmith Point, descending the usual route. A nice adventure making it a loop route! Snow above 1500' and snowshoes needed above 2700'. 5 hours up, 2 hours down. More photos here.

Tragic start to 2009 climb season

It's a been a rough January on Hood, with several rescues and a death.
Link to news report of latest accident.

(TR) Mt Hood winter climb to 9600'

Trip Report: 18.Jan.2009 Mt Hood climb to 9600' on SS route

Team: Mark Seker, Monty Smith
Start: 4:44am; End: 11:30am for beer at car
7:15 arrive at Palmer top; 9:30 turned at triangle moraine 9600'
Surface Condition: Hard Sastrugi above Palmer, slow going due to uneven footing, hard icy requiring crampons. Dramatic ice sculptures carved by wind, real nice to see and photograph but less so to walk among.
Air Condition: Oddly warm due to inversion: 25 degrees at govy 4000', yet 45 degrees at start 6000' and never below freezing on climb. Nonstop E wind 25-30mph avg, gusts to 45. CAVU skies, long visibility to Diamond Peak 130+ mi south. 1/3 moon allowed travel without headlamps.
Gear: 2 tools each, rope, 2 screws, picket, jumprope (all unused)
Climb team beta: About 7 summit teams on mountain, all started earlier; Only 1 team summited, using the devil's kitchen headwall and old chute descent. All others turned back primarily due to ice fall, beginning below crater rock.
That banner photo above credit Monty Smith at approx 9600' on Hood. Another beautiful day in paradise ...here's some more photo evidence: http://picasaweb.google.com/markseker/MtHoodClimbTo9600?feat=directlink