Anyone been up to the Boston Basin lately? Specifically interested in the state of the approach couloir to WR of Forbidden, and also the Quien Sabe Glacier.

Thanks!

A.

Haven't been to Boston Basin in about a year, but I was in the North Cascades yesterday. The snow has really melted out, there is a bit of haze in the sky coming from the Eastern part of the world.

Don't know if you are still interested but was there this past weekend. We tried to gain the east ridge from a couloir that supposedly cuts off the 5.8 section on Forbidden but got a late start and conditions were soft and slushy. Looking ahead it appeared there were some significant moats near the actual ridge. I did see some climbers heading up to do the West Ridge and there looked like a lot of moats to deal with up there, couldn't tell if the snow was connected the whole way. Quien Sabe looked ok,several groups were descending it in the afternoon after doing either Sharkfin, Boston or Sahale. There were significant sloughs of snow below Forbidden though. We saw large sheets chunk off and cut off the route we were thinking of bailing down. Car sized blocks in yard-sized sheets sliding down the slabs. This was on Aug 18.

Brian Jenkins wrote:Don't know if you are still interested but was there this past weekend. We tried to gain the east ridge from a couloir that supposedly cuts off the 5.8 section on Forbidden but got a late start and conditions were soft and slushy. Looking ahead it appeared there were some significant moats near the actual ridge. I did see some climbers heading up to do the West Ridge and there looked like a lot of moats to deal with up there, couldn't tell if the snow was connected the whole way. Quien Sabe looked ok,several groups were descending it in the afternoon after doing either Sharkfin, Boston or Sahale. There were significant sloughs of snow below Forbidden though. We saw large sheets chunk off and cut off the route we were thinking of bailing down. Car sized blocks in yard-sized sheets sliding down the slabs. This was on Aug 18.

Actually ended up heading south to Oregon due to unsettled weather in the North Cascades, but thanks anyway! From what you write it may not have been a bad decision anyway...Forbidden seems like a climb that is better to do mid-season than this late.