North Cascades Mountain Guides -

Aug
26

Traverse of the Lobhorner

To continue their "training" for Mt. Kenya Pat and Jeff decided to spend some time climbing some sunny limestone near Lauterbrunnen, just a short train ride from Grindelwald. The plan was to traverse the Lobhorner. The traverse of the Lobhorner includes climbing over five prominent towers. This is a picture of the descent off of the third tower. The views of the surrounding peaks are impressive and the idyllic Swiss setting...

Aug
25

SW Ridge of the Monch

We really have no idea how this plan was hatched but the original goal was to climb Mt. Kenya. While researching the climb we came up with the brilliant idea of accclimatizing in the Alps instead of acclimatizing on Mt. Kenya. We had to fly through Europe anyway, so why not get off the plane and do some climbing. Below are some shots from our trip up the SW Ridge of the Monch. Here Pat Luke is enjoying some nice solid rock climbing at 12,000 feet. The SW Ridge...

Aug
23

Rock Climbing in Chamonix

NCMG guides Mark Allen and Jeff Ward had a few days off in Chamonix and were able to get out and enjoy some of the nice weather. Here are a few shots. Mark topping out on the classic Frison Roche. You can see the Chamonix Valley far below. The climb actually starts with an easy walk downhill from the Brevant Lift and tops out within 100 feet of the top station. The day didn't start out bluebird. The first few pitches were climbed in the clouds. ...

Aug
21

Lovetts - Saas Fee climbing Aug 17-21, 2010

After taking a several year hiatus from climbing in the Alps, Les and Jolene Lovett decided to join Larry for a week of climbing in Saas Fee this year. The Saas valley sits one valley away from the major alpine mecca of Zermatt, but is much quieter, while still offering plenty of great climbing options. On day one we spent the day at a small rock climbing crag, working on rock skills and working through some jetlag, as the Lovetts had just arrived the day before. Our next...

Aug
14

Chere Coulior, Chamonix

On a day off in Chamonix NCMG guides Larry Goldie and Mark Allen got together for an ascent of the Chere Coulior on the Triangle du Tacul on Mt. Blanc. We began by riding the first cablecar on the Aiguille du Midi. Here Mark exits the ice cave and begins the descent down the narrow snow arete that leads to the Valee Blanche. The approach takes about 20 minutes of mostly flat walking to the base of the triangle. After crossing the bergshrund, we made our way up to the start...

Aug
2

West ridge of Forbidden Peak Aug 1-2, 2010

Returning NCMG guest Kevin Hines recently contacted us with a desire to climb the classic West Ridge of Forbidden peak. As one of the 50 classic climbs, this is undoubtedly one of the best climbs in North Cascades National Park. Kevin and Larry met up in Marblemount under thick, grey skies with a weather forecast that didn't inspire too much confidence, but looked good enough to possibly squeak the climb in. Hiking in on the first day we got soaked on the overgrown trail before...

Jul
30

Wallabee peak July 30, 2010

Part time Mazama resident Les Lovett had a friend from kentucky come out for a visit with him and wanted to give him a small taste of the North Cascades. Since John had no real climbing background, they joined Larry for an ascent of Wallabee peak. Les and John in front of Wallabee peak with the climb shown here as the right hand skyline. This route is largely a scramble with a few short sections broken by stretches of rugged hiking. After coffee and pastries at the Mazama store,...

Jul
29

Highpointing Goode July 26-29,2010

Highpoint enthusiasts John Mitchler and Steve Mueller of Colorado contacted NCMG about assisting them on an ascent of Mt. Goode. These gentlemen have ticked many highpoints including all 50 states as well as all of their home state's 14,000' peaks. Mt. Goode at 9,200' happens to be the highest peak in the North Cascades National Park and the 52nd national park highpoint for John who is currently writing a guidebook to the highpoints of all the national parks in the lower-48. His final...

Jul
27

Mondzac Climbing July 22 & 27, 2010

Longtime NCMG guest Will Mondzac decided it was time to take his son Max (13) out for some big multipitch climbs. With a strong climbing background from the gym and sport climbs, Max was quite a technically skilled young climber. With that in mind, we decided to tackle Sysiphus (III 5.11a) on Goat wall for our first objective. Max at the start of the climb, looking stoked! Max works his way up the fourth pitch while Larry belays from above. Max heads into the steep, thin crux...

Jul
25

Forbidden traverse in a day July 25, 2010

Mihai Ianco is an exceptionally fit and motivated climber. After several aborted attempts to get out in the mountains during our extremely wet Spring, his patience was rewarded with a few days of great weather and climbing this past weekend. With the forecast calling for hot and sunny weather Mihai suggested to Larry that they get up into the high, glaciated peaks and try a traverse of Forbidden peak, in a single push from the car. Here is a great view of Forbidden, showing the...

Jul
24

Campbell's adventures July 21 & 24, 2010

Scott Campbell and his family from Ohio were visiting the Northwest this summer on vacation and thought it would be fun to get in a couple of days of climbing while visiting the Methow valley. For the first day, they joined Larry for an ascent of the classic Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. Here Lliam, Scott and Meaghan pose during a break on the hike to the base of the climb. Lliam at the top of the second pitch with the North Cascades in the background. Here Meaghan...

Jul
23

Nichols, SW Rib SEWS July 23, 2010

Part time Mazama residents Henry and Karen Nichols are avid climbers, but haven't yet experienced some of the finest alpine rock the area has to offer. For one of their first climbing outings to the Washington Pass region, Larry suggested the SW rib of South Early Winter Spire. The route is shown to advantage here in red, though there wasnt quite this much snow on the day of our ascent. We hiked easily to the base in approach shoes. Here Karen works her way up the much feared,...

Jul
19

Sahale Up and Over

Making the most of a business trip to Vancouver, B.C., Al Marchiando from Illinois fit in a first-time trip with Paul to the spectacular Cascade Pass area for a big loop trip up and over Sahale Peak. The weather as of late had been excellent and we were fortunate to experience Boston Basin in great conditions. The trip up the memorable Boston Basin trail went smoothly with minimal suffering and soon we were rewarded with the alpine views of the basin. Due to a snowy spring and cool June, the...

Jul
17

Matterhorn and Ober Gabelhorn

My first trip to the Alps this year started off with some great climbing with two great climbers. Leslie and Tracy have been climbing with me for the past couple years. This year we decided to go back to the Alps and climb the Matterhorn. We started our trip in the Saas Valley climbing some rock and working on our acclimatization. We then moved back to Zermatt for our main objective. This is a picture of the Matterhorn when we first arrived in Zermatt. ...

Jul
12

Chockstone route -NEWS - a cold summer day

Mimi Bilyeu had just finished a few days of incredible alpine climbing. She climbed the West Ridge of Forbidden peak and Sharkfin Tower with Jeff, and the Beckey Route with Austin, all with the most perfect summer weather imaginable. Not yet satiated, she decided for one more day with Larry on the Chockstone Route on North Early Winter Spire. Unlike the previous week of T-shirt weather, a cold front blew through the mountains and it was quite cold the morning we hiked up to the...

Jul
9

Boston Basin

In mid-July Mimi Bilyeu spent three days in Boston Basin climbing with Jeff. Her timing could not have been better. The weather and route conditions were perfect. The plan was to climb the classic West Ridge of Forbidden and finish it off with an ascent of Sharkfin Tower. The climb of the West Ridge Couloir went smoothly, with snow all the way to the ridge crest. Here Mimi climbs a bit of rock in her crampons after topping out on the couloir. Soon...

Jun
25

Paint It Black

The Desmond brothers, Tom and Matt, were back in the North Cascades again after a one year hiatus. This year on the tick list was the alluring and adventurous NE Ridge of Black Peak. Before hiking in from Rainy Pass for a two-night stay near Lewis Lake, we headed up toward Liberty Bell for a quick excursion on one of the finest, yet shortest routes there, Overexposure. The approach went quickly, mostly on snow and perhaps because of the cool weather plus it being mid-week, we had...

Jun
16

Ski Mountaineering 201

After postponing the overnight portion of the Ski Mountaineering course due to scheduling conflicts, brothers Ryan and Coron Polley joined Larry for 3 days on Mt Shuksan to round out the curriculum of this four day skills course. The hike began in tennies, on a dry trail with temps in the 70's. It was pretty close to perfect in other words, perhaps even a bit too warm, if anything. The clouds began to move in and by the time we were on skis and skinning it was pretty overcast. ...

Jun
12

Mascioli Rock Climbing 6/8-11/10

Paul Mascioli returned this June for a few days of early season rock and alpine rock climbing with Larry. While the weather forecast was a mixed bag, the pair managed to get a few great days of climbing in, both in the Methow and at Washington Pass. With a late start on day one, Paul and Larry headed up to the Methow Inspiration Route (II, 5.9+) on Goat Wall. Here Paul gets ready at the scenic base of the route. The first pitch finishes with some fun, steep climbing on big holds. Paul,...

Jun
2

Glacier Travel Training: Boston Basin

While hoards of RV's poured into the Methow Valley for Memorial Day weekend, Jeff Ward and Kevin Grimstad headed west to meet up with brothers, Tom and Brian Walker for a glacier travel training course. The two parties met at the Marblemount Eatery and proceeded to drive up to the trailhead of Boston Basin. The road to the actual trailhead was still gated, so we started our hike on the road a little less than a mile from the trail. Due to the wet conditions, our cars were the only ones parked...

May
18

AMGA Guide Training

Often guides come to NCMG to train for their AMGA guide courses and exams. Both Jeff and Larry work as instructors for the AMGA in the alpine and ski disciplines. This May guides Brian Warren and Erica Engle came out for a few days of technical training and mixed climbing at WA Pass. Day one was spent at fun rock working on transitions and day two was up at the Pass climbing mixed conditions on South Early Winter Spires. The South Arete was in perfect mixed conditions with water...

May
14

Spring Climbing on Goat Wall

With the weather heating up, and the rock drying out, Larry and I decided that it would be a perfect day to get up on Goat Wall. We chose the route Sysiphus, a beautiful line with fun and varied climbing. We met at the guide shop at 10am and were hiking up to the base of the climb soon after. Larry connected the first two pitches in one lead, then handed me the sharp-end for the first really nice pitch of the route. The third pitch of Sysiphus with Mt. Gardener in the distance. This pitch is...

May
12

Mesachie Glacier Tour

Washington pass is well know for easy access roadside tours. One of the lesser known tours of the area requires a bit more work to get to, but the rewards are plentiful. While we knew it was bordering on too late in the season for this tour this year, Paul and Larry decided it would be worth a bit of hiking to complete this classic tour. After climbing up to Easy Pass, we began the spectacular tour along the ridge above Fischer creek, straddling the border of North Cascades...

May
8

Ski Mountaineering 101

Spring is the time of year for ski mountaineering. Many people have dreamed for years about expanding their skills to take skiing into the realm of steeper, more technical and glaciated terrain. With this in mind, brothers Coron and Ryan Polley joined Larry for a ski mountaineering course in the North Cascades. This is generally a 4 day program, though due to schedule constraints, they began with a single day tour and will conclude the 3 day overnight portion in the upcoming...

May
7

May Powder Days

After the winter-like snowfall on Cinco De Mayo, I really had to get up to Washington Pass to see the May powder for myself. A crew from Bellingham and Tacoma came out on Thursday night and camped at Early Winters, a nice campground just north of Mazama. We met at Early Winters before the sun had a chance to emerge and bake the snow. The pass would also be closed at noon for avalanche control, so we opted for a quick run down Spire Gully. The snow down low had a thick, hard...

May
5

Cinco de Pow

Cinco de Mayo. We awoke today in Mazama to an inch of new and heavy snow at our house. We could only guess what would be in store for us up at Washington pass. Paul and Larry decided that it was best to check it our firsthand and see what was happening up high. Morning surprise at home! On our first run we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the skiing. Here Larry drops in. This was arguably one of the best powder days of the year! With up to 50cm of recent...

May
2

Kangaroo Tour

Kirk Shumacher joined Larry for day of ski touring this weekend. As often the case, Kirk has a great sense of timing. The forecast didnt look promising, but the weather cooperated just enough to allow the two to complete one of the classic tours of the Washington Pass area. The tour involves climbing over four different cols to make a loop circuit offering great descents in four separate drainages. Due to the length of the tour and the gray skies, the photography...

Apr
22

The Ski Season continues....

The North Cascades Highway opened last week on April 16 and the snowpack is just shaping up now for what promises to be an excellent spring touring season. Now is the time to make plans for a day or two of guided skiing and take advantage of the easy access of phenomenal terrain from Highway 20 near Washington Pass. Larry and Paul were out last Monday and found some sweet corn skiing on a variation of the Kangaroo Tour. The weather forecast looks promising the next few weeks. Give the...

Apr
12

First Ascent of Mt. Bradley's SE Buttress

After a few challenging days on the mountain, NCMG guide Mark Allen and Graham Zimmerman have established a new route on Mt. Bradley. Check out this latest dispatch: April 5th at 4pm we summited Mt. Bradley via a new route on the SE buttress. This 4600ft buttress of sustained mixed climbing required twenty-nine pitches, nineteen of which are M5 or WI4 or harder. After sixty-six and a half hours including three on-route bivies, Vitalogy, Alaska grade V, M6+ WI5...

Apr
5

Dispatch from Mark Allen

Mark Allen and Graham Zimmerman have been camped out in the great Ruth Gorge since the 31st, and are attempting a first ascent of the SE face of Mt. Bradley. Mark has sent us this dispatch detailing their recent attempt on the route: We retreated yesterday after about 7 pitches on the SE face of Bradley so we did not continue up and bivy. As we were coming down the route, from our high point our ropes got stuck and we had to resort to some alpine trickery to get our the ropes...

Apr
2

Last Chance 3/31/2010

While the North Cascades Highway is being plowed in preparation for its Spring opening, access to quality backcountry skiing can get tricky. Recently however the road to Harts Pass was plowed for about 10 miles offering easy access to the classic ski objective that sits at the head of the Methow valley, Last Chance Point. Larry Miller and faithful companion Jasper joined Larry Goldie and Scooby for a day of Spring powder skiing this Wednesday. Here Larry and Jasper climb up with Mazama in the...

Apr
1

Update on Mark Allen's Alaska Expedition

Mark Allen Just set up basecamp for his Alaska climbing expediton and just sent us this dispatch. "Paul Roderick dropped the two of us off in the great Ruth Gorge at 4,450 feet on the glacier between Mt. Dickey and Mt. Bradley. We spent the first two days getting dug in, setting up tents, building snow walls, so that our camp will be safe from the weather unattended. We took several ski tours up and down the glacier from camp to see what was in good climbing condition...

Mar
23

Valhalla Mountain Touring hut trip 3/14-21/2010

After a great week of skiing in the Valhala range, I am back at home and working on putting together a trip report. Karen Holt, of Mtneye.com who joined us on this trip put together this small slideshow that gives a good taste of the fun we had last week. Enjoy!

Mar
6

Backcountry skiing - Liberty Bowl

Dave Waag of Off Piste magazine visited recently. Being the visiting dignitary that he is, I thought I'd better show him some of the fine skiing we have been enjoying recently. He shot these photos from a tour in Liberty Bowl on Friday. We explored a seldom visited basin the following day and I will put in some photos from that adventure soon. Enjoy!

Feb
14

Paul and Laurie Sherman - First Bowl 2/14/2010

Paul and Laurie Sherman of Anacortes were spending President's day weekend in the Methow and decided to go out for a day of backcountry skiing with Larry. The trio headed up into First Bowl after approximately 14" of new snow had fallen over the last few days. The trailbreaking was deep, but the skiing promised to make our efforts well worthwhile. Here Laurie and Paul get ready to drop in for our first run. The weather began quite cloudy so we stayed in the trees and...

Feb
8

Avy course

NCMG just finished its last Level 1 avalanche course of the season. The weather cooperated really nicely offering us sunshine and creamy snow. The snowpack is amazingly stable at the moment, but the skiing remains quite good.

Here Larry demonstrates a compression test as the group looks on before practicing this skill on their own.

Feb
3

Still Good Skiing!

Despite the recent lack of snow and all of this talk of El Nino we have still been finding some great skiing in the North Cascades. Fun, cold, fast and silky - all with great stability!

Here Ray Thomas shreds an unnamed Coulior high in Huckleberry creek.

Jan
23

Kerstin Harding - Hairpin Valley 1/23/2010

Kerstin Harding was able to make it out for a day of skiing last Saturday. She and Jeff found some great boot-top powder up the Hairpin Valley. The conditions around WA Pass continue to provide great skiing. We have been lucky enough to avoid all to the warmth that has plagued the rest of the state this season. The Spires above the hairpin. Kerstin touring up Hidden bowl with Kangaroo Ridge in the background A happy Kerstin de-skinning...

Dec
23

Washington Pass backcountry skiing 12/23/09

After having an epic day of powder at Washington Pass two years ago, Kathryn and Rick were back for more. They were able to squeeze in a day just before Christmas. They were able to pull this off while at the same time making the whole family happy with grandma watching their new baby girl and grandpa taking advantage of the 200+ kilometers of groomed nordic trails in the valley. Kathryn unloading her skis from the sled. Highway 20 is closed during the winter but the use of snowmobiles...

Dec
4

Recent ski shots

Well the skiing isn't quite as epic as it was in late November when the video below was made, but we are still managing to hunt out some good turns here and there. Below are a few shots from recent outings that show how any day in the mountains beats the heck out of a day at the office!

This photo, taken right around Thanksgiving, show Larry Miller and NCMG guide Jeff Ward high above the clouds on Delancy ridge during a big inversion. The air temps were quite warm, but the north facing slopes still held cold powder.

This photo, taken on December 4th in Liberty Bowl, shows NCMG summer office guy Dave Betts touring up with the Early Winter Spires in the background. The upper slopes of Liberty Bowl skied well with several inches of cold, buttery snow laying over the fun, rolling terrain.

Here NCMG guide Larry Goldie and faithful companion Scooby set a track up below Liberty Bell and Concord towers.

Nov
21

Early season turns

It's been a great start to the year here in the North Cascades! Here is a quick teaser video that Paul Butler shot of a few of us skiing the backcountry near Harts pass last week. Enjoy!

Nov
16

First turns of the year 11-11-09

Winter has come early to the North Cascades and with the highway still open, Larry Goldie and NCMG equipment manager, Ray Thomas decided to go poke around at Rainy Pass. We got an alpine start to maximize our time, and still get back to the valley in the afternoon. Here Ray approaches the trailhead as the sun just starts to rise in the East. While folks had been up the trail a few days earlier, it had continues to snow and we had to break trail all the way to Heather Pass. ...

Oct
28

Reports from the field - Red Rocks

NCMG had a great 10 days in Red Rocks recently. If you haven't climbed in this amazing area, it should be on your short list of places to climb in the future. Stay tuned for full trip reports from this time, but for now here is what long time NCMG guest Lew Miller had to say about his time there. "Larry and NCMG, Just a quick note to thank you again for suggesting a trip to Red Rocks this year. I had heard of it, of course, but didn’t really...

Oct
2

Women's Yoga and Rock Climbing Retreat- Aug. 28-30.

A fabulous crew of women from the Seattle area joined Michel Eubank Spruance of Be Yoga and Meditation and Anne Keller for a wonderful opportunity to stretch thier edge in one of Washington's most beautiful places! Michel is an inspiring and empowering yoga instructor. She promotes the building not only of physical strength and flexibility but more importantly a balanced, joyful and aware mental state. For those of you who do not know Anne, she is a long-time climber and guide with the North...

Sep
6

Holts - Saas Fee climbing 9/1-6/09

After a wonderful week of climbing in Chamonix last summer, Todd and Cheryl Holt decided to return to the Alps for another week of mountaineering this summer. For a slightly quieter venue, they met Larry in the charming town of Saas Fee, Switzerland. The first objective was the Allalinhorn. This peak is clearly visible from town and seen here from town with the first sunlight of the day hitting it. After riding two gondolas and the worlds highest subway, they...

Aug
31

Mike B. -Chamonix climbing 8/22-31/2009

Mike B. made his first pilgrimage to the birthplace of Alpinism this August for ten days of climbing with Larry. Having just arrived the day before, Mike wanted a reasonably short objective for our first day. We chose the classic SE ridge of the Aiguille de l'Index. This 500' climb is accessible with a 15 minute approach and offers some incredible, moderate climbing. This photo shows the spire, but the climb is on the opposite side. This photo shows the SE ridge on...

Aug
21

John Gould - Berner Oberland and Chamonix climbing 8/14-20/2009

For the second year in a row, John Gould of Boston, joined Larry for a week of climbing in the Alps. After a great week of climbing in Chamonix last year, they decided to break up this year's trip with a few days in the Swiss alps and a few days in Chamonix. . They met in the charming Swiss village of Wengen, in the heart of the Bernese Oberland. Home to such famous peaks as the Monch, the Jungfrau and the Eiger, with access provided by an incredible cog railway that tunnels right...

Aug
15

Tim Carmody SW Rib of South Early Winter Spire

The weather of mid-August this year changed dramatically as a storm dropped temperatures into the 30's and brought a few inches of snow to the mountains. With a clearing pattern forecasted, Tim Carmody from Kitsap County joined Paul for a go at the classic Southwest Rib on South Early Winter Spire at Washington Pass. Clouds lifting off Whistler Mtn. and Cutthroat Peak. It didn't take long to dispatch the first few pitches of the route and soon Tim was making short work of the infamous "nervous...

Aug
10

Will Mondzac East Face of Lexington

Despite a ominous forecast for rain, Will Mondzac, who the week before had made a sunny ascent of the Direct East Buttress on North Early Winter Spire with Larry, headed toward Washington Pass with Paul for a shot at one of the area's classics: the east face of Lexington. The approach went quickly as patchy clouds made the day look promising. The old snow was mainly avoided and a quick pitch of scrambling from the right side gully set us up for a long warm-up pitch consisting of flakes and ledges. The...

Aug
7

Pete Vogt - Alpine Rock 8/5-6/09

Longtime NCMG guest and part time valley resident Pete Vogt recently joined Larry for a few days of alpine rock climbing at Washington pass. Since Pete was coming from Seattle the two decided to meet at the Blue lake trailhead. Since they were getting a later than normal start, they decided on the Northwest face of Liberty bell - a climb that doesn't get sun into mid afternoon anyway. The route can be seen here in red. There are multiple starting pitches as well as a fun...

Aug
4

Sahale and Sharkfin 8/2-4/09

After a mid-August trip to Mt. Shuksan last year that was memorably cold, rainy and snowy, Arturo Oti of Carson City, Nevada, returned to the North Cascades for a few days of peak bagging in the resplendent environs of Boston Basin. This time the weather was hot and sunny. The approach into Boston Basin off the Cascade River Road is always an adventure in itself. The best never comes easy and this is true with gaining access into the alpine landscape of the area. Here, Arturo moves through a...

Aug
3

Direct East Buttress - Will Mondzac 8/3/09

Part time Mazama resident Will Mondzac returned this year for another climb of one of Washington Pass' more challenging classic routes. After discussing options with Larry, they decided on the Direct East Buttress (DEB) of S.E.W.S. The climb follows the red line up the striking crest of the buttress. Where it turns the corner of the arete, the climb gains some incredible exposure. The start of the climb - here Will begins the 5th class climbing. Several pitches up, the route...

Aug
3

Beating the heat at Washington Pass

With temps consistently in the upper 90's to low 100's for the past few weeks, the best place to beat the heat has been up high. Office Manager Dave and his good friend Tim spent Saturday climbing up at the Pass and found relatively cool to moderate temps by picking their aspects carefully.

Starting with Rappel Grappel on Liberty Bell, then the N. Face of Concord Tower and finally finishing up the afternoon shift on the S Arete of South Early Winter Spire, we enjoyed alpine climbing in shorts and shirtsleeves in a nice breeze all day!

Jul
29

Boston Basin - 7/26-28, 2009

When the weather is good, there is hardly a nicer place in the North Cascades than Boston Basin. Paul Mascioli and Larry hiked into the basin on Sunday, July 26th the morning after a flash flood had washed out the road near the trailhead. The two were lucky enough to get a ride up the 3 miles of closed road with some Park service rangers. Here Paul hikes through the old growth forest on the approach route. Soon after we break out of the forest into the wildflowers of...

Jul
19

Liberty Crack 7-19-09

With much notoriety for being one of the 50 classics, Liberty Crack on Liberty Bell stands out among climbers as a superb rock route with a short approach and great access. After making plans to get out for the day on Sunday, Mazama locals Katharine Bill and Larry Goldie decided that nothing sounded better than a day on Liberty Crack. Here Katharine works her way up the thin, 5.11 first pitch. In addition to being thin, sustained climbing, the first pitch comes right at you without any warmup. ...

Jul
14

Busted in Boston Basin 7/12-14/09

After postponing their trip for a week, Larry and Lew Miller headed into Boston Basin on Sunday the 12th, for a go at the West Ridge of Forbidden peak. Our hike in was much a much nicer than forecast day. We had great views of Forbidden peak and Mt Johannesburg. The West ridge can be seen here as the left hand skyline of the peak. Here is Johannesburg from the approach trail, just after crossing one of the sections of avalanche debris across the trail. That night, a huge...

Jul
8

East Face of Lexington 7-5-09

On July 5th, Paul, Larry and Alex Hall decided on one of the longer moderate classics in the Early Winter Spires - the East face of Lexington Tower. With lots of great climbing in the 5.8-5.9 range, this strenuous climb ascends the steep, clean east side of the spire. Beginning the third pitch, Larry belays as Alex starts up the corner crack. Alex runs the rope out just before making a belay below the giant roof above. The climb is charecterized by lots of hand size cracks...

Jul
5

Intro to Alpine Rock -Roedell 7/1-2/2009

After joining Katharine last year for a day of introductory rock skills and a climb of the South Arete on South Early WInter Spire, Carlyn and Michael Roedell wanted to return to brush up on skills and attempt to climb Liberty Bell. Both years, they climbed just a few days before Michael's birthday as a birthday gift to him, (though it did seem like Carlyn's idea.) Joining Larry for the Intro to Alpine Rock (ITAR), they began by working on movement skills at Fun Rock. Here Carlyn...

Jul
1

5 Spires in a day 6-30-09

In an annual attempt at climbing all of the Early Winter Spires in a day, NCMG guides Larry and Paul left the Blue Lake parking at at 7:30 for what would be an amazing day of climbing. We began with the quickest way to the summit of Liberty Bell - Overexposure. This is the route that most people just rappell past on their way down. With 1 long pitch of high quality 5.8 climbing before scrambling to the summit, this route is a classic example of the hidden gems at Washington Pass. ...

Jun
28

SW Rib, SEWS 6-26-09

With a friend visiting from out of town, Paul Jennings wanted to show his buddy Reggie some of the best climbing Washington Pass has to offer. They called Larry and arranged a day on South Early Winter Spire climbing the classic SW Rib. This 8 pitch 5.8 route offers lots of great moderate climbing in a spectacular setting. The route iself follows the red line in this photo. With pitch after pitch of fine climbing and ample belay ledges, its easy to see whay this route is popular. ...

Jun
28

Direct East Buttress, SEWS 6-27-09

With a day off for NCMG owners Larry and Paul and the forecast for a glorious day in the mountains, the two decided to climb the classic East Buttress of South Early Winter Spire. After hiking up Spire Gully and scrambling to the base, out comes the rope and the climbing begins. Here Paul cocks his head as if to say "put the camera down and start climbing Goldie". The climb is largely in 5.8 - 5.9 range with two crux pitches of 5.11 and a 5.10 pitch connecting the two. ...

Jun
22

Mt Shuksan - Sulphide Glacier 6/20-22/09

Jim Gardiner and Walt Talbot from Michigan joined Larry for an intro to Mountaineering and an attempt on the Sulphide Glacier route on Mt Shuksan. While the climb would take place over the summer solstice, the weather wound up being anything but cooperative. ...

Jun
17

Mt Shuksan - Fischer Chimneys 6/15-17/09

June has been a bit unsettled in the mountains this year with an unusual amount of thunderstorm activity. Lew Miller recently joined Larry for an attempt on the Fischer Chimney route on Mt Shuksan. They hoped the weather would cooperate. ...

Jun
11

Mascioli Alpine Rock 6/8-11/09

Paul Mascioli of Seattle recently joined Larry for 4 days of alpine rock climbing and skills training in an effort to improve skills and get warmed up for an upcoming trip to the Sierra. The weather was a bit unsettled and kept them on guard for thunderstorms for much of the time. While this is fairly unusual for the East side of the crest, it is...

Apr
30

Haute Route April 23 - 30th, 2009

NCMG's final trip of the 09' Alps season was on the famed Haute Route, from Chamonix to Zermatt via Verbier. The trip started off with several days of fine weather, though this would soon change and it was anything but fine weather which characterized our trip. ...

Apr
20

Ortler Tour April 14 - 20th, 2009

For our second Ortler tour of the season, Tim and Larry were joined by a group of friends from Seattle, WA. The weather continued to be favorable and with the Easter holiday, there were many skiers out enjoying the mountains. ...

Apr
11

Ortler Tour April 4 - 11th, 2009

Each year Jack Hart and a group of friends travel somewhere during the first week of April to climb and ski. This year they joined Larry and Tim Connelly from NCMG to explore the Ortler region. The group was blessed with a week of perfect weather and great ski conditions. ...

Mar
29

Powder Creek Lodge Hut Week March 22-29, 2009

After an incredible trip to the Valhalla lodge last year, we decided that an annual week of powder gluttony needed to be a part of the NCMG schedule. Many of last year's crew returned and we were joined by a few new friends as well. After hearing raves of the hut and the terrain for years, we finally made it to the Powder Creek Lodge in the Purcell mountains, near Nelson B.C.

Our first full day of skiing dawned beautifully clear. Here Larry stands in front of the lodge and gets ready to hear out for the day.

After touring up toward Sugarloaf peak, we got this view looking back at the lodge.

We continued up and had a spectacular tour along Sunrise ridge. Here NCMG office manager Alexa smiles as we head for Jenga peak, the next prominent summit on the ridge.

Touring the ridge was fun, but the cold, new snow below beckoned. We took a quick lap on "Cirque du Soliel" before continuing on toward Jenga.

The run "Jenga" held incredible snow and was a most enjoyable way to get acquainted with the area. Here Carl drops a tele toward the bottom of the run.

Jake finds some room for a fresh line.

In between full days out touring, we enjoyed the luxurious hut. This lodge has thought of almost every detail to make life utterly comfortable. Here custodians Heather and Chris enjoy a moment of down time at the dining room table. Note the lazy susan built into the huge table!

The living room was also quite comfortable. It looks a touch crowded here as I shot this photo shortly before we flew out and our gear is taking up one whole couch.

We had quite the variety of weather on the trip. During storm days we would play in places like "the enchanted forest". Here Ira drops into the north facing basin that somehow would erase our tracks every time we went back.

We got over 50 cm of snow during the week and at times it came down very heavily. As they say in Canada, it was puking toonies!

Within an hour the sun came out and we were getting face shots off of the top of Alberta Knob. Rob gets one here.

After another storm, we got the day we were waiting for. Blue skies, fresh snow and COLD temps. We went across the valley to the North Face and climbed to Grizzly Shoulder.

The touring was spectacular. Here the Powder Creek hut staff climb up the track.

While the touring was good, the skiing was great! Here Andy enjoys the wide open slopes of perfect powder.

Karen and Andy pose on top of Grizzly Shoulder for next year's holiday card.

Jake leaving a trail of cold smoke as he drops down toward Mosquito lake far below.

Skiing in the alpine rarely gets better than this.

Afterwards we were able to relax on the deck of the lodge with a beer and admire our tracks on the North face.

Next we poked into a seldom visited area known as "the Attic". to get in to the area, you have to climb through "the trap door". Here NCMG guide Scott Johnston kicks steps up the steep slope to the col.

Magically our tracks from the enchanted forest filled in each time we returned. here we ski a shot on the wide open slopes just adjacent to the glades of the forest.

We were sorry to go, though we all left feeling quite satiated and even a bit tired!

And yes, we are already planning next years trip......

Feb
28

Return to Winter Late February , 2009

After a strange and relatively dry winter here in the Northwest, winter has finally kicked back in with cold temps and lots of deep, new snow. Larry spent numerous days out touring with a variety of folks during the recent return to winter. ...

Dec
26

Backcountry Skiing Peter and Michel Spruance December 26 , 2008

Peter and Michel Spruance of Seattle were spending the holidays in the Methow and decided to get out for some backcountry skiing while they were here. They met up with Larry and headed up to the hairpin just below Washington Pass. ...

Dec
24

Backcountry Skiing - Whistler Bowl December 24 , 2008

It's been a slow start to the ski season this year in the Cascades. Finally, the snow pack has reached a critical depth to allow for some backcountry fun. A crew from the Methow valley, joined by a few visiting dignitaries got out on Christmas eve where they were treated to the best possible holiday gift...

Sep
22

Drew Gaylord Liberty Bell, SEWS 9/22/ 2008

Drew Gaylord of Wenatchee wanted to sample some Washington Pass granite before heading back to teaching high school math. He sold an old, but in demand, Hewlett Packard calculator on Ebay to help pay for the trip. Drew also wanted to crank out two routes in a day, the Beckey...

Aug
31

John Gould - Chamonix climbing 8/25 -30th, 2008

After several rainy trips to the North Cascades, John Gould decided to try his weather luck in the Alps and meet Larry for a week of climbing in Chamonix. This time he couldn't have hit it much better as he arrived as a week of high pressure was forecast to move in. John...

Aug
24

Todd and Cheryl Holt- Alps Climbing - 8/18 - 24, 2008

Longtime guests of NCMG, Todd and Cheryl Holt decided to make their annual climbing trip feel like more of a vacation this year. With that in mind, they met Larry in Chamonix for a week of classic routes. ...

Aug
10

Arturo Oti Sulphide Glacier, Mt Shuksan August 9 -10, 2008

With a sudden few days of vacation time on his hands, ER physician Arturo Oti of Virginia, planned to spend a few days in Seattle and take a shot at climbing to the summit of Mt. Shuksan, a striking 9,127-foot peak in the North Cascades National Park, via the Sulphide Glacier. ...

Aug
10

Guides Day Off - Frendo Spur, Auguille du Midi 8/10/2009

In the midst of a busy summer season guiding in the Alps, NCMG guides Jeff Ward and Larry Goldie finally had a day off to go climbing together. With perfect weather, they decided to tackle one of the classic alpine routes on the Mt Blanc Massif, the Frendo Spur of the Auguille...

Jul
27

Matt and Tom Desmond- Eldorado peak July 25 - 27th, 2008

Matt and Tom Desmond have ticked off several peaks throughout the North Cascades over the years....

Jul
18

Pete Vogt - Mt. Challenger July 15 - 18, 2008

After two successful trips into the wild and remote Pickett range over the last several years, Pete Vogt joined Larry for the last major summit in the Picketts that they had yet to explore; Mt Challenger. ...

Jul
13

Kirk Schumacher - Liberty Crack 7/12 -13, 2008

This year was a milestone for Kirk and his wife Jen as they welcomed a baby girl into their lives. This year, for his first Father's day, Jen bought Kirk a couple of days of guided climbing with Larry. Being a strong climber already, Kirk decided to push his limits a little...

Jul
10

Liberty Belles - 7/10/2004

July tenth and eleventh Amanda Esmond and Kit Vogel joined Anne for some advanced rock climbing skill development at fun rock as well as an ascent of the classic Becky Route on Liberty Bell Mountain. The program...

Jul
10

Mt Triumph Lew Miller - July 8 -10th, 2008

In what was planned to be a climb of Forbidden peak's West ridge, a closure of the Cascade River road called for a quick back up plan. Another 3 day objective with awesome views, exposed ridge climbing and a glacial approach, immediately brought to mind the Northeast ridge...

Jul
4

Cascade Classics Mike B. June 29th - July 4th, 2008

The weather has locked into a solid high pressure in the North Cascades and Mike B's timing for a week of climbing couldn't be better. Mike joined Larry for a few Washington Pass classics before heading into North Cascades National Park for the classic West ridge of Forbidden...

May
8

North Cascades Highway Opening Week , May 1 - 8, 2008

After a huge winter in the Northwest, highway crews finally got the North Cascades Highway open on May 1st. With easy access and Spring weather, we had to get up there and check things out a bit. ...

Apr
6

Ortler Tour March 31 - April 6th, 2008

It was an odd year in the Alps. From mid March to the end of April, it was cool, unsettled and at times, very snowy. This years first trip on the Ortler brought a group of friends from Washington state over to the Sudtirol region of Italy for what turned out to be a most...

Mar
22

Valhalla Mtn Lodge Hut Week March 15 -22, 2008

After joining NCMG in 2006 for a trip on the Haute Route, Karen Thorpe and Andy Riemenschneider asked Larry to put together a week long hut trip in Canada. The goal of the trip was a week in the mountains with good friends and mostly to ski powder. ...

Mar
7

Chute to Thrill Tour - March 7, 2008

Well, with no new snow in over a week and good stability, it seemed an ideal time to ski some of the more committing lines of the area. Joined by partners Larry Miller and Scooby, Larry Goldie proposed an ambitious linkup of three of the area's classic couliors. ...

Mar
5

First Bowl of Cutthroat Andy and Laurel Roof - March 5, 2008

Andy and Laurel Roof of Hood River, OR came to spend a few days in the Methow and planned to join Larry for a day of backcountry skiing. As with several other trips this year, First Bowl of Cutthroat provided the closest good skiing. And good skiing it was, with 8" of...

Feb
28

Big Kangaroo Tour 2/28/2008

While the last two weeks in the North Cascades have not been as abundant in snowfall as the rest of the season, we have had the good fortune of blues skies and good stability. Toward the end of February, local skier coach Chris "Flash" Clark, joined Larry and Scooby for one of the most classic tours of the area. ...

Feb
25

Michael Pickett & Ann Watson First Bowl -2/25th, 2008

On February 25th Michael Pickett and Ann Watson joined NCMG guide Katharine Bill for a day of backcountry skiing in the First Bowl of Cutthroat Creek. After steady rain in Mazama the night before, we were happy to find sunny skies in the morning, with plenty of untracked...

Feb
15

First Bowl,Jeff Montgomery and Anna Schaad- Feb 15, 2008

On February 15th, Jeff Montgomery and Anna Schaad started the day of backcountry skiing with blue skies in Mazama, high clouds in the mountains to the west, and a forecast for warming temperatures. They enjoyed hot chocolate after arriving below the First Bowl of Cutthroat....

Jan
15

Delancy Ridge skiing Sohier Hall and George Clarke - 1/15/2008

At 10 degrees, the morning snow was particularly squeaky underfoot as Sohier Hall and George Clarke joined guide Katharine Bill and friend Flash to head up Delancy Ridge. After sharing a thermos of hot chocolate to take the edge off the cold, a 40 minute skin uphill brought...

Jan
9

Delancy Ridge Steve Luther and Dick Eitel - 1/9/2008

In what continues to be the best winter in recent memory, Steve Luther and Dick Eitel joined Larry for yet another fantastic day of skiing on Delancy Ridge. With its wide variety of terrain options, easy access, old growth timber, Delancy is hard to ...

Jan
1

North Cascade Heli-Skiing Yurt Indiana Basin, North Cascades

There is a noted absence of backcountry huts or lodges in the Northwest. With our abundant snowfall and sometimes difficult access, an extended ski trip into the backcountry makes perfect sense. The trick is doing it in comfort. North Cascade Heli-Skiing has a yurt north...

Dec
31

Evan Freedman Goat peak - 12/28, and Delancy Ridge - 12/31 2007

Evan came to spend the holidays in the Methow, but made sure to get some time in the backcountry during his stay. He teamed up with Larry for several days of skiing during some ideal conditions. ...

Dec
26

Driveway Butte, Mazama Posse,Dec 26th, 2007

The lowland skiing has been incredible lately. To fully take advantage of that, a posse of Mazama locals including NCMG guides Katharine Bill, Scott Johnston, and Larry Goldie were joined by other locals Flash Clark, Midge Cross and Larry Miller toured up the local landmark...

Dec
24

Wade Pruett and Allisa Martz Cougar Mountain, 12/ 24/2007

Coming to the Methow for the holidays from Portland, Wade decided to surprise Allisa with a day of guided backcountry skiing. Neither of them had done any real backcountry touring before and wanted a day to learn the basic skills. They were both accomplished snowboarders...

Dec
21

West Ridge of Silver Star Mazama Posse- Winter Solstice, 2007

On the first clear day in a while, NCMG guides Scott Johnston, Katharine Bill and Larry Goldie were joined by Mazama locals Midge Cross and Flash Clark as well as visiting dignitaries Alan Watson and Steve House for a solstice tour on the West Ridge of Silver Star Mountain. ...

Oct
14

North Cascades Scenic flight with pilot Lew Miller- Oct 14th, 2007

Several years ago, local pilot and NCMG client Lew Miller took Larry for an amazing scenic flight around the North Cascades.(Click here to see photos from that flight) After completing a number of great climbs together this summer, Lew offered Larry the...

Oct
14

North Cascades Scenic flight with pilot Lew Miller- Oct 14th, 2007

Sep
18

John Gould Goat Wall, Beckey Route, South Arete- 9/17-18, 2007

For the second year in a row, John Gould came out to the North Cascades just as weeks of cloudless skies and high pressure were ending. Planning to climb with Larry, the two changed plans and played each day loose and flexible enough to find some climbing where the weather...

Sep
15

Lew Miller S. Buttress - Cutthroat peak - 9/15/2007

Rounding out a great summer of climbing Lew Miller came back up to the North Cascades for one last summit before the summer weather drew to a close. ...

Aug
25

Les and Jolene Lovett Swiss Alps-8/ 19 - 25, 2007

After an amazing trip to the Alps in Chamonix last summer, mountaineers Les and Jolene Lovett joined Larry for another week in the Alps, this time based out of Zermatt, Switzerland. ...

Aug
6

Beckey Route- Liberty Bell- 8/6/ 2007

After climbing Baker and Shuksan over a long weekend, you'd think that Don, Mark and Scott would be ready for a rest day. Instead this group of friends from Colorado, Ohio and Minnesota continued their Northwest climbing tour de ...

Jul
29

Steve Horton Paisano Pinnacle/Burgundy Spire - July 29th, 2007

In an interesting sequence of events, Steve Horton of Flagstaff, Ariz. came to Mazama for a good friend's wedding and wanted to make the most of his stay with some climbing in the North Cascades. Years ago, Steve spent some time up in Hozomeen on Ross Lake with the National...

Jul
26

Sean Baughn Trifecta of Fun- Liberty Bell- July 25 -26th, 2007

School teacher Sean Baughn from Shoreline, Wash. highlighted his summer break with a customized two-day rock skills workshop. The first day was spent at the renown Fun Rock in Mazama. The second day took place on Liberty Bell where we experienced what is fondly know as the...

Jul
24

Larry Lewin Mt Goode - SW Coulior - 7/18-23/ 2007

Larry Lewin, a Seattle Mountaineer for over 40 years came to NCMG after adamantly attempting one of the North Cascades prized summits six times. He wanted to achieve a fifteen-year goal of reaching the summit of Mt Goode. To Larry's credit he has had weather and partner issues...

Jul
17

Woody Crain Intro to Alpine Rock- July 16-17th, 2007

Woody Crain of Wenatchee and the Methow took a break from his arduous swimming program this summer for NCMG's two-day Introduction to Alpine Rock. After a day climbing and practicing skills at Fun Rock in Mazama, the following day we tackled the infamous Southwest Face (aka...

Jul
13

Lew Miller SW Rib - SEWS- July 13th, 2007

In what continues to be a very productive climbing season for Lew Miller, he teamed up with Larry for a climb of the SW rib of SEWS on July 13th. It should be noted that this was a Friday. It would be anything but a normal day in the mountains. ...

Jul
3

Holts - NE ridge - Black Peak 7/1-3, 2007

Longtime NCMG clients Todd and Cheryl Holt made their annual pilgrimage out to the Northwest again this year. The goal this year was Black peak and its knife edged Northeast Ridge. ...

Jul
3

West Ridge Forbidden peak - 6/30-7/2, 2007

Wenatchee climbers Ruth Mahre and Mike Rossi organized a climb of Forbidden peak along with a friend Sarah Moles from Salt Lake city, UT. Scott and Katharine teamed up to guide the trio on one of the 50 classic climbs of North America - the West Ridge. ...

Jun
27

Varden Creek Spire North Arete - First Ascent- June 26-27th, 2007

After eyeing the line for years, Larry Goldie and Scott Johnston made an exploratory recon of this unclimbed spire near the East Ridge of Silver Star last Fall. What they found was a really long approach,great rock and minimal protection. After climbing several pitches, they...

Jun
23

Vince Minichiello South Arete- South Early Winter Spire- June 23, 2007

Planning a trip to Washington for business, Vince Minichiello of Maryland contacted NCMG to try and squeeze in a bit of fun on his work trip. After discussing possible objectives, Vince and Larry decided on the South Arete of South Early Winter Spire. With long term goals...

Jun
7

Steve Smith -Intro to Alpine Rock Beckey Route - Liberty Bell- June 7- 8th, 2007

In an effort to expand his climbing skills, Steve Smith from Miami, FL signed up for a private ITAR. Steve got the idea from an Outside magazine article which offered a suggestion for a series of climbs aimed at making one into a well rounded competent climber. One of these...

Jun
1

Lew Miller - Spontaneity Arete Le Petit Cheval, - 6/1/ 2007

After joining Larry two weeks ago for a climb of Prime Rib (of Goat), on Goat Wall, Lew Miller decided to come back and get up into the mountains for a climb. With the strong high pressure and high temps, they chose a route with minimal snow on the approach to avoid postholing....

May
30

Paul Jennings SW Rib - South Early Winter Spire- May 30th, 2007

Mazama resident Paul Jennings contacted Larry about getting out into the mountains a few times to help prepare for a big personal trip later in the summer. Paul loved the idea of a ski approach and descent with an alpine rock climb in between. This time of year is well suited...

May
14

Mooses Tooth Expedition Pat Luke and Robin DeSota - May 7 - 14th, 2007

NCMG guide Jeff Ward planned a trip with two returning guests to the Ruth gorge area of the Alaska range in Denali National Park. Their goal would be the "Ham and Eggs" route on the Mooses Tooth. ...

May
13

Southwest Coulior - Mihai Iancu South Early Winter Spire- May 13, 2007

Wanting to take advantage of the abundant snowpack still in the mountains, Mihai Iancu of Olympia contacted NCMG to arrange a climb of the Southwest Coulior of South Early Winter Spire. This snow climb has a limited season, and has been in great condition since the highway...

May
3

Ken Dolkart - Birthday Tour 5/3/2007

Visiting the Northwest on a business conference, Ken Dolkart of New Hampshire, decided to take a day and check out the North Cascades. After contacting NCMG, Ken met Larry Goldie in Mazama for a day of Spring skiing at Washington Pass. Larry had chosen one of the area's super classic Spring tours, the Birthday Tour. ...

Apr
23

Haute Route 2007 - 4/15 - 23

Once again this April, NCMG offered a crossing of the Alps on the legendary high route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Due to a few last minute changes in registration, we had a very small group this year, making our normally low ratio trip even lower. Joining IFMGA guides Jeff...

Apr
12

Ortler tour 2007 Southern Tirol, Italy- April 6-12

This trip was a long time in the making. After trying to get into this area for several years, IFMGA guides Larry Goldie and Jeff ward pulled off the inaugural trip to the Ortler region of Italy. Located in the heart of one of the largest national parks in Europe, this remote...

Jan
13

Introduction to Ice Climbing - Mazama - 1-13, 2007

Taking advantage of the best ice year in a long while, Bob and Lorina Davis of Seattle and Allison Crouse of Michigan got out on the Gate Creek flows which offer a great teaching spot for beginners to intermediates level ice climbers. ...

Jan
11

Backcountry Skiing - Mark Hamachek Washington Pass - 1/10-11/ 2007

Finding a short break in his schedule, Mark Hamachek decided on a spontaneous ski trip early this January. After contemplating where to go, Mark, from Seattle, realized that the Northwest had the best skiing of anywhere in the country. Having climbed and skied with NCMG several...

Dec
31

Recent skiing photos North Cascades - 12/2006

Well even with the dire weather predictions for an "El Nino" in the Northwest, the Winter of 06-07 has gotten off to a fine start. Below are a small sampling of some recent ski photos that show the diversity and bounty of skiing accessible from our base in Mazama. ...

Dec
31

Evan Freedman - Backcountry Skiing - Dec 29 & 31, 2006

Spending some of the Holidays in the Methow Valley, Evan Freedman joined Larry for several days of ski touring during the last few days of the year. ...

Dec
26

Neufelds - Backcountry skiing Delancy Ridge - December 26, 2006

During a period of almost non stop snowfall, the Neufeld family from New York came out for a visit to their Methow home. They contacted Larry to arrange a day of backcountry skiing for the whole family. With the exception of Shane, this would be everyone's first day skiing...

Nov
30

Delancy Ridge North Cascades -11/30/ 2006

On what is so far the best day of the season, November 30th started off simply enough. NCMG guide Jeff Ward was visiting from Leavenworth and he and Larry awoke to about 3" of cold light snow on the deck of Larry's home in Mazama. By the time they met locals Katherine,...

Nov
26

Kangaroo Ridge - 11/ 24 -26th 2006

Winter came early to the Northwest this year. With 6' of snow in the high country by Thanksgiving, the November touring felt more like mid winter. Kangaroo Ridge, located just off of the hairpin turn of Hwy 20 offers about 2200' of wonderful, open tree skiing. It was so good,...

Sep
20

John Gould - North Cascades climbing9/14 - 20, 2006

John Gould planned his climbing trip for mid - September; a week of one on one skills training with Larry. As luck would have it, this proved to be the wettest week of the entire summer! Always trying to make lemonade out of lemons, the ...

Sep
7

Frank Sainburg - French Alps - 8/22-9/7/2006

When loyal NCMG client Frank Sainburg heard that Larry was going to be guiding in the Alps this year, he jumped at the chance to climb in the birthplace of Alpinism. Taking advantage of a trip overseas, he scheduled 2 weeks of climbing to allow for weather and a few rest...

Sep
3

Eric Hunter Gale - Lexington Tower -9/3/ 2006

September 3rd was a quiet day on the east side of the Liberty Bell massif, and despite being a Sunday on Labor Day weekend, there wasn't a soul around except Paul and Eric Hunter-Gale of Seattle who settled on the classic East Face of Lexington Tower for a granite adventure....

Sep
1

Martha Johnson- Liberty Bell - September 1, 2006

Martha Johnson of Vashon Island started the month of September out on the right foot with an ascent of the classic Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. ...

Aug
31

Paisano Pinnacle and Burgundy Spire Will Mondzac - August 31,2006

If there is one quintessential, long and moderate route near Washington Pass, it would have to be linking the West Ridge of Paisano Pinnacle and the North Face of Burgundy Spire. The adventure and climbing found on this link-up, not to mention the spectacular position, makes...

Aug
20

Les and Jolene Lovett European Alps - 8/14-20, 2006

Longtime NCMG clients, Les and Jolene Lovett of Bowling Green, Kentucky joined Larry this summer for a week of climbing in the Alps. Based out of the alpine mecca of Chamonix, they rented an apartment for a week and did daytrips each day in the birthplace of alpine climbing. ...

Aug
11

Sean Baughn - Soutwest Rib of SEWS 8/11/2006

Before the school year begins anew, Seattle teacher Sean Baughn took to the alpine rock of WA Pass for the first time with an ascent of the SW Rib of South Early Winters Spire. The route has become popular, and for good reason, it has some great climbing. The increased traffic over the years has cleaned the rock nicely and for the number of pitches (roughly ...

Aug
8

Liberty Bell - Beckey Route 8/8/2006

Liberty Bell - Beckey Route Jane and John Bowman- August 8, 2006 On August 8th, Jane Bowman of Salt Lake City came out with her son, John, who is currently hanging his hat in Port Townsend, to climb the Beckey route on Liberty Bell. After making good time up the Blue Lake hiker's trail and the ...

Jul
23

Liberty Bell - Liberty Crack Steve Bontempo - 7/22-23, 2006

Jeff and Steve Bontempo first started thinking about potential long alpine rock climbs after their trip to Red Rocks this Fall. Unfortunately his "better half" Darcy was unable to join them on this outing. ...

Jul
22

Silver Star Mountain - Terry and Galen Hunt - 7/21-22, 2006

The Methow Valley is home to a wide variety of amazing and talented people. Within the musical community, few would argue that classical guitarist and composer Terry Hunt ranks high among talented individuals. This year Terry wanted to celebrate his 50th birthday by climbing...

Jul
20

North Early Winter Spire - Labor Pains - July 20, 2006

On a recent day off, Larry and Paul headed for North Early Winter Spire to check out Labor Pains, an obscure route put up by Steve Risse and Donna McBain in 1988 according to Beckey's red bible. ...

Jul
18

Jacob Engelstein - Liberty Bell - July 18, 2006

If there is a better introductory alpine rock route than the Southwest Face (AKA the Beckey Route) on Liberty Bell Mountain in the state of Washington, we would love to hear about it. Jacob Engelstein of Seattle recently discovered this on a beautiful day in mid-July. ...

Jul
17

Eric Malmassari and Lee Cooper- Liberty Bell - July 17, 2006

After winning a day of climbing for 2 people at the Nordic Ski Ball at Sun Mountain last winter, Eric Malmassari found a partner and called to schedule a day in the mountains with Larry this July. The Beckey Route was the obvious choice for these two climbers. ...

Jul
7

Paul Kent-Snowsell - Eldorado peak - July 5-7, 2006

Paul Kent-Snowsell, of Vancouver came down for the mountaineering classic Eldorado peak, just post Independence day and Canada day. While the weather forecast looked great, some unlikely weather did indeed move in and provide...

Jun
30

Holts - Forbidden Peak , 6/28- 30/2006

Todd and Cheryl Holt have been climbing with NCMG practically since our beginning. They have climbed numerous classic peaks in the North Cascades and the next on the list was the west ridge of Forbidden in the North Cascades National Park. The route, first climbed in 1940...

Apr
21

Haute Route - April 12-20,2006

For the second year in a row, IFMGA guides Larry Goldie and Jeff Ward teamed up to lead several trips on the fabled European Haute route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. The first group consisted of Clare Rhoades and Lore Thorpe from Santa Fe, NM, Lore's daughter...

Mar
31

2006 Ski Season Photos

The winter of 05-06 is going to be one to remember. Characterized by an early season start and a January that just wouldn't quit snowing. February proved quite dry, but with incredibly stable cold, clear air and excellent touring. March came in...

Jan
15

Early season ski photos 05-06

The 05-06 ski season has begun very reminiscent of last year - great early season conditions, followed by a long cold, dry spell. As I write this, there is a major avalanche cycle occurring in the mountains, so it is a perfect time to ...

Dec
25

David King and Emma James -skiing - December 2004 & 2005

David and Emma are avid nordic skiers. As such they come to the Methow to enjoy some world class X- country skiing each winter. English by birth, they currently live in Sweden and enjoy all aspects of freeheel skiing. They connected with Larry for a couple day of touring...

Aug
11

Frank Sainburg - Prime Rib and Spontaneity Arete - Aug 10-11, 2005

During the biggest heatwave of the summer, Frank Sainburg left the California heat for what would prove to be some intense Northwest sun! Trying to stay out of the blazing sun they chose to climb Prime Rib on Goat Wall due to its Northwest aspect. ...

Jul
31

Advanced Rock climbing skills - July 30-31, 2005

Having climbed with Larry before (Intro to Leading), Kirk Shumacher and partner Jen Webster decided to come back and hone their climbing skills even further. After competing a High Angle Rescue course last fall, the two wanted to work on improving their efficiency when leading...

Jul
28

Ovi Horvat - South Early Winter Spire - July 28, 2005

After completeing the Glacier Travel Training course in July, Ovi Horvat had some extra time and wished to take in an alpine summit. Not having done any rockclimbing in the past, but with good athletic skills, Ovi and Larry decided to take a shot at the South Arete of South...

Jul
27

Glacier Travel Training North Cascades - July 25-27, 2005

In the first Glacier travel training course of the year, Ovi Horvat, Joao and Muriel Bras-Jorge joined Larry for 3 day of skills training in Boston Basin. The weather was clear, dry and HOT! We hiked into camp on Day one and after setting up our base, we went through a glaciology...

Jul
23

Paul Kent-Snowsell Liberty Bell - July 23, 2005

After his first taste of rock climbing several weeks earlier, Paul Kent-Snowsell of Vancouver B.C, decided to come back and test his skills on the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. Paul had some previous mountaineering experience,...

Jul
20

Mt Adams - Les and Jolene Lovett - July 18-20, 2005

Having climbed nearly every other volcano in Washington, Mt Adams was an obvious choice for a midsummer's climb for the Lovetts. Operating on a permit from our partner company, The Northwest Mountain School, Larry, Les and Jolene headed down to the second...

Jul
14

Forbidden Peak - Pete Vogt - July 12-14

Pete Vogt joined Larry to climb what is unarguably one of the most classic alpine climbs in the North Cascades. In what has been an unseasonably cool and wet summer, the forecast looked like summer was finally due to arrive just in time for their trip. With a track record...

Jul
7

Blue Peak 7/7/2005

Blue Peak - David Brooks and friends David Brooks recently called to tell us he had some friends visiting and wanted to organize a spectacular non technical outing. We knew just the place and took David, Carol, Joe and Susan on one of our favorite loops. ...

Jul
1

"Prime Rib" - NW Buttress Goat Wall Mazama, June / July 2005

Thanks to the hard work of Bryan Burdo and Scott Johnston there is now a new 11 pitch 5.8 climb on Goat Wall. Having been on the climb several times helping to clean it up, I thought I would share a few photos of this future...

Jun
26

Fabio Martinelli - Silver Star Mountain - June 25-26, 2005

A business trip brought Fabio over to the Northwest from his home in Rome, Italy. Taking advantage of a free weekend he decided to book a climbing trip in the North Cascades. We had originally planned to climb Sahale, but after...

Jun
16

Northwest Corner - NEWS Washington Pass- August 16, 2005

The Northwest Corner of North Early Winter Spire is a fun, steep crack climb that features several pitches of wide, strenuous climbing. On a beautiful summer day, Larry and partner Blue Bradley hiked up to escape the Methow...

Jun
14

Lovetts - Poster peak North Cascades - June 14, 2005

Local Mountaineers Les and Jolene Lovett have climbed the vast majority of peaks in the Washington Pass area. When I realized that they hadn't been up the striking Poster Peak, I knew it was a must do. ...

May
29

Intro to Alpine Rock - Leary- May 28-29, 2005

In the first Intro to Alpine rock course of the year, Mark Leary and his son Sean came out from Virginia for a little time in the Cascades. After spending some time on Rainier, Mark and Sean joined Larry for a day of rock climbing...

May
22

AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Exam Valdez, AK- May 15-22, 2005

After spending the winter training, Larry went to Alaska to take his AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Exam. After being awarded the Mike Hattrup Scholarship to help with the tuition of this exam, Larry arrived early to prep with some of his fellow candidates. This is a rigorous...

Apr
24

Haute Route - April 15-23,2005

In April, Larry Goldie and IFMGA guide Jeff Ward teamed up to lead a trip on the fabled European Haute route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. The group, which proved to be an amazing crew, came from a wide geographic area. The team consisted of NCMG's office...

Jan
31

Recent Ski Photos - January 2005

2005 started off with Cold, clear weather. Though most skiers were hoping for more snow, the cold, low density snow on the ground and the sunny, bluebird days made for some great touring weather. Here are some photos from a...

Jan
4

Evan Friedman North Cascades - Late Dec - Early Jan 2005

Evan Friedman, from Bellingham spent much of the holiday season in Winthrop this year. He and Larry managed to get out for 3 days of touring during this time. The following are a few photos from some of their tours. ...

Dec
31

Recent skiing photos - December 2004

Even with winter getting off to a slow start this year, we managed to find consistently good skiing this year at the higher elevations. Many of our favorite touring destinations still lacked sufficient snow cover and would have to wait until later in the season. In the meantime,...

Oct
15

Goldenhorn Peak- Les and Jolene Lovett - Oct 14 - 15, 2004

Mountaineers Les and Jolene Lovett have climbed the majority of high peaks in the Eastern North Cascades. This Fall, we decided to get off the beaten climbers path a bit and climb one of the lesser known peaks of the region. Named Goldenhorn for its Matterhorn like appearance, the peak is actually quite gentle until the final summit spire.

The hike in began at Rainy pass on the Pacific Crest trail. The trail took us through Porcupine basin and up to Cuttroat pass.

Continuing north for about 5 more miles, we took a spur trail up to the spectacular Snowy Lakes. Here, Les and Jolene hike past the lower lake. Note the sunny skies and minimal clothing.

Our camp was just above the upper lake near the base of the moderate slopes that led to Goldenhorn's summit. The summit is just out of view in this photo and is quite foreshortened by this angle.

We arose early the nest day and were treated to a spectacular sunrise. Skies were clear as far as we could see, though valley fog was prevalent throughout the range.

Les works his way along the scenic ridge with the sun just peeking over the horizon.

Looking back toward our camp from high on Goldenhorn. Snowy lakes provides one of the most spectacular campsites in this area.

After climbing quite high on talus and scree, we got our first view of the true summit pinnacle. Our route climbed this spire from the left with several hundred feet of class 3-4, capped off with a 5.7 mantle.

The view to the North was breathtaking with Mt Baker visible on the far left, then Shuksan, the Southern and Northern Picketts moving to the right.

Here, Les and Jolene enjoy a brief pause on the tiny summit pyramid. Mt Hardy is the summit directly behind them.

As we descended back to camp, we watched the clouds roll in from the West, blanketing everything along the way.

The hike out proved to be much different than the hike in with shells, gloves and hats on against the cold and rain. In all it proved to be a wonderful Fall outing with the weather moving in just as we were heading out.

Sep
23

Scenic flight North Cascades - 9/23/ 2004

Earlier this season, Larry had the good fortune of meeting Lew Miller on an Intro to Alpine Rock course in June. Lew had mentioned that he was a pilot and had his own plane. They discussed the possibility of a scenic flight through the Cascades in conjunction with Lew coming...

Jul
16

Northern Picketts - Pete Vogt - July 12-16

Last July Pete and Larry spent 5 days in the southern Picketts where they enjoyed great weather, awesome climbing and some of the most rugged and remote wilderness in the lower 48. From the top of one of their climbs they looked across to Luna peak and commented on how ideally...

Jul
4

Intro to Leading - Kirk Shumacher - July 2 - 4, 2004

In an effort to improve his own leading skills, Kirk Shumacher joined Larry for 3 days of instruction and private guiding with a focus on rock climbing skills. The two spent day 1 at 2 local crags working on climbing skills, leading techniques, placing protection, belay strategies...

Jul
4

Intro to Leading - Kirk Schumacher - July 2 - 4, 2004

In an effort to improve his own leading skills, Kirk Schumacher joined Larry for 3 days of instruction and private guiding with a focus on rock climbing skills. The two spent day 1 at 2 local crags working on climbing skills, leading techniques, placing protection, belay...

Jun
16

Forbidden Peak North Cascades - June 16, 2004

During a period of wonderful high pressure, Larry Goldie and partner Blue Bradley decided to make a light and fast ascent of the West ridge of Forbidden peak. Often climbed over a more reasonable 3 days, we decided to camp...

Jun
3

Bill Pardue - Alpine climbs- May 31-June 3, 2004

Coming from Atlanta, GA and deciding to mix in some pleasure on a business trip, Bill joined Larry for 4 days of climbing around Washington Pass. They began with a day of rock skills training to cover the techniques that they would be using the remainder of the trip. After...

May
29

Mt. Gardner - Les and Jolene Lovett - May 27 - 29, 2004

Coming out for their annual spring climb, Les and Jolene arrived in the Methow during a period of unsettled weather. Our initial goal was to climb Eldorado peak in the heart of North Cascades National Park, but the forecast called for rain, winds and high mountain snow. Making...

Apr
19

AMGA Advanced Rock Guides Course 4/19 -29/2004

April 19-29,2004 In an effort to continue on the path toward International guides certification, Larry took part in the AMGA's advanced rock guides course held this year in Red Rocks, NV, near Las Vegas. Red Rocks is an international climbing destination offering everything from single pitch sport climbing to 2000...

Dec
30

Poster Peak Bowl - Alex Pelman - Dec 30, 2003

During a period of cold weather, stable snow conditions and frequent low density snow showers, Alex Pelman joined Larry for a day of touring near Washington Pass. They chose one of the north facing bowls off of the hairpin for its easy access and cold protected snow. ...

Dec
26

Hidden Bowl -Bertany and Gordon - Dec 26, 2003

While enjoying the Christmas holidays in Mazama, Ed Bertany and Louis Gordon joined Larry for a day of backcountry skiing near the hairpin below Washington Pass. The day was very cold with highs in the low teens, but the snow was heavenly and the changing light made for some...

Oct
15

Copper Point- Les and Jolene Lovett- Oct 14-15, 2003

Immediately following the monsoon like rains that dumped nearly 3.5 inches of rain in Mazama, Les and Jolene Lovett joined Larry for an ascent of Copper Point. Since the North Cascades highway had recently closed for the season, the trio made the approach from roads end on...

Sep
28

Womens Yoga, Pilates and Rock Climbing Retreat - Sept 26-28, 2003

The Alpine finishing School for Ladies ran its first annual Yoga, Pilates and Rock climbing retreat this September over 3 days of beautiful fall weather. ...

Sep
13

Beckey Route - Clyde Cannon and Nick McClellan - Sept 13, 2003

On a beautiful Fall day, Clyde Cannon and Nick McClellan of Western Washington came over to enjoy one of their first days of outdoor climbing. Both strong gym climbers, they quickly learned just how different real rock can be. ...

Aug
16

Scott West and Seth Kurpiel North Cascades - August 12 - 16, 2003

Scott West and Seth Kurpiel, two cousins from the New York City area, came out for some skills training to be followed by an ascent of Mt Shukan. They arranged a custom itinerary with Larry and spent 5 days of spectacular weather climbing in the North Cascades. Scott had...

Aug
15

Gottlieb - Liberty Bell routes - August , 2003

On the last day out of three with NCMG Michelle Smallman, climbing and practicing skills on the valley floor, Greg Gottlieb of Seattle, his son Chris plus two friends, Eli and Chris, headed up to Liberty Bell along with guide Paul Butler for a day of alpine granite. Michelle...

Jul
25

Inspiration route - Andrea Jones - July 25, 2003

After a day of climbing at Fun Rock with her sister and friends, Andrea Jones decided to test her climbing skills on the 5 pitch Inspiration route on Mazama's Goat Wall. Andrea had already done quite a bit of climbing, and...

Jul
11

Southern Picketts - Pete Vogt - July 7-11, 2003

Pete Vogt joined Larry for 5 days in one of the most remote and rugged sections of the North Cascades in early July. The approach was one of the most taxing parts of the trip involving almost 6000 feet of elevation gain and over 10 miles of unrelentingly steep terrain. While...

Jul
4

Intro to Lead Climbing - Joel Wienstien - July 1 - 4

Having already done some climbing on his own, Joel Wienstien wanted to take his climbing to the next level and begin getting on the sharp end of the rope. With some guidance from Larry, the two of them created a custom itinerary that would both maximize the learning experience...

Jun
27

ITAR Mihai Ianco -6/26-27/03

In the first Intro to Alpine Rock course of the season, Lew Miller and Mihai Ianco joined Larry to improve their rock skills and learn to apply them in an alpine environment. The weather was a bit unsettled and we had several torrential downpours during our first day at Fun...

Jun
7

Mount Shuksan - June 7, 2003

Taking advantage of a spell of incredible high pressure and unseasonably warm temperatures, NCMG guides Geof Childs, Anne Keller and Larry Goldie were joined by fellow ski mountaineers Blue Bradley, Midge Cross and Otis Buzzard for a one day climb of Mt. Shuksan’s...

Apr
25

Haute Route - April 16-24,2003

In April, Larry Goldie and Canadian guide Grant Statham teamed up to lead a trip on the fabled European Haute route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. It was a strong group of friends mostly from the Seattle area, with the addition of one Canadian, Andrea Petzold....

Feb
24

Big Kangaroo Ski Tour - February 24,2003

During one of the best periods of skiing all winter Larry Goldie, Scott Johnston, and Michelle Smallman (NCMG guides) were joined by North Cascade Heli Skiing guide Dale...

Jan
27

Braun Ski Trip 1/27/2003

Braun Ski Trip North Cascades - January 27-30, 2003 At the end of January, Dennis and Shannon Braun, and David Ebert came to the Methow with a nordic ski...

Jan
1

Haute Route day by day description Page 2

Hut living in the Alps can take a bit of getting used to and there are certain strict protocols that would be considered a true "faux pas" if not adhered to. We will fill you in beforehand and save anyone the potential embarrassment of violating hut etiquette. ...

Jan
1

Haute Route day by day description Page 3

The following day we continue the classic route by skiing up to the Valsorey Hut. We have some flexibility here depending on weather and conditions to skip the Velan Hut and come straight here from Bouge St. Pierre, or bypass this section of the route with the Verbier variation....

Jan
1

Haute Route day by day description Page 4

The last day of the tour into Zermatt is considered by many to be the highlight of the tour crossing 3 cols and 5 glaciers over 25 Km with over 7500' of descent for a mere 3000' of climbing. ...

Jan
1

Haute Route day by day description Page 1

The Chamonix Valley has held a place in the center of alpine climbing and ski mountaineering longer than anywhere on the planet. Widely considered to be the birthplace of Alpinism, this small valley provides some of the best access to the widest range of alpine terrain imaginable....