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Seems like a lot of accidents and deaths in the Cascades and the season just started. Weather seems to be worse than usual this year, many reports of tricky snow pack and glacial conditions. Be careful, be conservative.

ExcitableBoy wrote:Seems like a lot of accidents and deaths in the Cascades and the season just started. Weather seems to be worse than usual this year, many reports of tricky snow pack and glacial conditions. Be careful, be conservative.

Does anyone know exactly what it is about the snow pack this season that is contributing to so many accidents? None of the accident reports I've read so far seem to indicate this. Very interested as I am headed up to the North Cascades in about a week and a half myself. Thanks in advance for any info.

A.

AlexeyD wrote:

ExcitableBoy wrote:Seems like a lot of accidents and deaths in the Cascades and the season just started. Weather seems to be worse than usual this year, many reports of tricky snow pack and glacial conditions. Be careful, be conservative.

Does anyone know exactly what it is about the snow pack this season that is contributing to so many accidents? None of the accident reports I've read so far seem to indicate this. Very interested as I am headed up to the North Cascades in about a week and a half myself. Thanks in advance for any info.

A.

Snow pack is typically variable this time of year. Deep slide prone snow and hard ice all on the same route. I don't think this is all that unusual, perhaps it is icier this year, but my guess the weather has more to do with it - lack of good weather windows clouding folks' judge. Maybe folks are pushing on in less than ideal conditions in the short weather windows we are getting. Just arm chair quartbacking from me and conditions can change drastically in the week and a half between now and your trip. Also, these accidents have all been on Hood, Rainier, and Baker - big stratovolcanoes, likely different conditions than you will find in the North Cascades anyway.

AlexeyD wrote:Does anyone know exactly what it is about the snow pack this season that is contributing to so many accidents?

Just read one newspaper article that stated highly experienced and well respected local guide John Race had turned his clients around on the Emmons due to icy conditions which he judged to be too dangerous to continue on the same day of the accident. The same article said the party who had the accident leader had climbed the 7 summits. At the risk of arm chair quarter backing this thing, my guess is he climbed these mountains as a client. There is a difference between experience and judgement.