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If you're interested in low-cost, non-energy-intensive, do-it-yourself housing—and who isn't these days?—here's new-old way to make that dream come true.
Planning to build your own house or cabin? Want to save a bundle on materials AND add to your dwelling's visual appeal? Then by all means, use green wood in your project!
Now please hear me out! I know the idea of constructing a house of unseasoned wood registers with most folks like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard . . . but doggone it, fresh-from-the-tree lumber is [1] only one-fifth to a third as expensive as kiln-dried pine, [2] no harder to work with, in my opinion, than "ordinary" materials, and [3] stunningly beautiful. It's also real, in a way that Formica and stucco and linoleum can never be.
Sure, raw timber does shrink as it dries out. You can circumvent this problem, however, with the right construction techniques . . . and I'm sure that once you've compared the aroma, appearance, and sheer good karma of a green wood house with the aura of any other wooden structure, you'll agree that shrinkage is of trivial importance. (Well, almost trivial.) Besides: Green wood is organic, non-energy-intensive, and just plain fun to work with! How else can a guy build a home for a family of six for under $6,000?
Green Wood is Inexpensive
Yep, that's all I spent on the 1,800-square-foot structure that keeps the rain off my wife, myself, and our four kids. Working together, we constructed the 100% green oak cabin ourselves in nine months for a cost far below what we'd have paid a contractor to do the job. And, as you can see from the accompanying photos, our humble abode is really quite livable.
And that's not all. Over the past five years I've built four other green oak cabins, ranging in floor space from 450 to 700 square feet, which we rent out for additional income. None of the four cost more than $2,000. The smallest, in fact, set us back only $1,100.
One thing I've discovered from these experiments is that green oak lends itself well to all the conventional construction techniques used for foundations, windows, doorways, partitions, etc. My own house, for instance, is a fairly standard stud-wall structure with studio ceiling. The various "raw" materials I used, though, cost much less, and look a heckuva lot better, than the usual drywall and veneer paneling.
Take it from me: when you buy freshly hewn and cut wood, you're getting what you pay for in terms of an all-round pleasurable building experience.
Where to Get Unseasoned Wood
Simply go to your local sawmill and tell them what you want. Traveling around the U.S., I've noticed an amazing abundance of these outfits . . . in fact, I'd hazard a guess that perhaps 75% of the population lives within 100 miles (a reasonable shipping distance) of a sawmill. If you have any trouble at all locating a mill, your State Forest Service or any large contractor for custom-built homes should be able to put you onto one . . . which will probably be closer than you think.
Green lumber is sold by the board foot (144 cubic inches) and where I live, a board foot of green oak costs around 10¢. That's for full dimension lumber, too . . . two-by-fours, in other words, that really measure 2" X 4" rather than 1-1/2" X 3-1/2" (which is the current size of a lumberyard 2 X 4). This means you end up saving money two ways: first, because you buy direct from the mill . . . and second, because you get stronger materials that you'll use less of.
I buy oak exclusively, simply because it's available where I live (Virginia). Other suitable varieties of wood can usually be found in areas where oak is not abundant. For example, spruce, though not as strong as oak, is plentiful in Colorado, and cypress (an ideal wood to work with) is common throughout the South. Poplar is another fine building material, as is California redwood. All I can say is, look around . . . you'll find what you need.
How Green is Green?
I use lumber when it's very green, and by that I mean a day away from having been a tree. My philosophy is "the sooner you build with it, the better".
I don't air-dry the wood I use at all, for several reasons. First, if the sap-laden lumber is stacked and left to sit, it stains very easily and can quickly become ugly. Secondly, air drying, when done properly—requires too much time, space, and attention. (Authorities say you should allow one year of drying time for every inch of a board's thickness: a year for one-by-sixes, two years for two-by-fours, and so on. Follow this rule and you'll be walking around hip deep in curing wood clear into the 1980's before you finish your cabin!) In addition to that, green oak can be cut with less difficulty, bends fewer nails, and is all-round nicer to work with than after it's seasoned. Thus, if you ask me, the air drying of wood earmarked for construction is not only unnecessary . . . but maybe even counterproductive!
By the way, I also don't treat my lumber with any preservatives-although I have applied linseed oil to one living room wall to bring out its grain because green oak is naturally decay resistant. Most other woods DO need to be preserved, though, so be sure to have some creosote on hand if you're planning to work with spruce, poplar, etc.
Let the Builder Beware
Remember at all times that green wood is ungraded lumber. This means, among other things, that you should check to be sure all load-carrying pieces: studs, joists, beams, columns, etc., are free of any splits, cracks, or bark sawed into the wood. Set blemished pieces aside to use later in less critical areas.
The fact that you're working with ungraded lumber also may mean that you're in violation of building codes. This is worth checking out on a local level. Here in Albemarle County, Virginia, the codes are (as far as I know) among the strictest in the state . . . and they prohibit the use of ungraded stock unless the material can be proven superior in strength to kiln-dried lumber. With oak, fortunately, this is no problem.
To paraphrase Will Rogers, I never met a building inspector I didn't like . . . but then again, your experience and mine may not be the same. The only way you'll find out for sure what your code requirements are is to go downtown and apply for a building permit. Before - not after - you start construction.
About Shrinkage...
As sure as a toad croaks, all green wood shrinks. The idea when it comes to making a house out of this material, then, is to work with the shrinkage and not try to fight it. (Like it or not, the forces of shrinkage are mightier than you are and will win every time!)
It's therefore important when you design your home to incorporate overlapping details into your plans . . . details which by their very nature, will not allow great yawning gaps to open up in your walls, floor, or whatever. Similarly, a good rule of thumb is to avoid the use of boards wider than six inches wherever possible, since such pieces of lumber, naturally, tend to shrink more than narrow ones.
Remember that the greatest overall size reduction in a plank of wood occurs at right angles to the annular growth rings of the tree from which it was cut. This means, in actual terms—that a 1" X 6" X 10' board will contract about 1/16" in the 1" direction, approximately 3/8" in the 6" direction, and something under 1/4" in length (see Fig. 1). Less dense timbers - pine or fir, for instance - will shrink slightly more.
Green wood will complete 70 to 80% of its total shrinkage within three to four months after it leaves the sawmill—assuming the climate is warm and dry, while for the next year or so, only minimal contraction will occur. To keep inordinately large stresses from accumulating in the wood, then, unseasoned lumber should not be allowed to dry out too quickly during the first few months of use. Hence, the best time to purchase and use raw lumber is in the fall, when the sap is down and the weather is cool.
Nails and Nailing
If you plan to work with green oak, be sure to buy only common nails: 8d for one-inch-thick stock, and 16d for two-bys. Box nails are unsuitable because their smaller shanks allow them to bend more easily than common nails.
And you don't need coated nails when you're working with raw lumber! The coating is only there to increase holding power . . . and believe me, if you use oak you'll have no problem with the nails falling out or pulling loose. As a matter of fact, you can count on destroying the wood before removing a misdriven spike.
One-by-sixes (no doubt the size material you'll work with most often) should be nailed at intervals of three feet along their entire length to preclude undue warpage. Reduce this spacing to two feet if you want the planks to stay absolutely flat forever. And remember that the maximum distance between nails under conditions of damp climate, northern exposure, etc., should never be more than six feet.
Drive nails in pairs at each station along the board, as shown in Fig. 2. Ideally, the fasteners should be placed exactly 1-1/2" in from the edge of the board and no more than 2-1/2" to (at most) 6" from the ends.
Each nail also should be hammered in at an angle of 60 to 70°—measured from the flat surface of the wood - and oriented so that the tip points toward the edge of the plank (Fig. 2). This allows the wood to bend the nail slightly as shrinkage occurs . . . which is what you want. You don't want the nail to hold so tightly that the board develops enough stress to split down the middle. (Which is exactly what will happen if you pound the nails in perpendicular to the plank's surface.)
You can nail two-by stock: two-by-fours, two-by-sixes, and so on, in the same manner as you would kiln-dried pine or fir, because the greater thickness of such studs makes it unlikely that the wood will ever split or warp.
Ditto for four-by material. I've installed 4" X 6" X 10' beams with two bolts at each end, and the middle left unsecured, and not seen any trace of twist or warp, ever.
Joists, as usual, can be nailed top and bottom to a box frame at the periphery of the floor or ceiling, with two-by bridges attached at interior points.
Board and Batten Siding
Here's an example of a shrink-proof covering for a wall that's both good-looking AND easy to build.
In case you're unfamiliar with board and batten construction, the general configuration is presented in Fig. 3. To make this kind of siding, all you do is fasten 1" X 6" and 1" X 4" boards vertically, and overlapping, to the horizontal members of a basic stud-wall frame.
Begin by nailing one-by-sixes to the horizontal studs so that there is no more than a two-inch gap left between any pair of neighboring boards. Then you can affix the battens made of 1 " X 4" stock to the siding boards (Fig. 3). An inch of overlap should exist where the battens and boards meet.
Be certain, when you attach the battens, to hammer the nails in at a 60 or 70° angle . . . and be doubly certain to drive the nails in pairs, one spike to each edge of the wood. If you were to drive only a single spike into the edge or center of the batten, as is usually done in this kind of construction, the strips would later curl so much that you could poke your little finger between them and the boards underneath. On the other hand, if you attach your siding as shown in Fig. 3, the boards will pull each other together tightly as they shrink . . . giving you a sturdy and curl-proof structure.
Lamentably, some of the green battens, perhaps as many as five percent, will tear themselves apart as they cure, no matter what . . . especially on south-facing walls. When this happens, all you can do—if it bothers you, is go around the house after the wood has dried and replace the split members. Still, this isn't as bad as it sounds . . . and when you're finally done, you'll have walls to be downright proud of.
That's Not All
Unfortunately, in the last 2,000 words or so I've only been able to give you the most abbreviated introduction to the art of building with raw lumber. I haven't told you about the marvelous furniture you can make from green oak . . . or about the energy-efficient homes I'm designing around asymmetric frames which [1] are incredibly strong, [2] use little wood, and [3] can be assembled quickly at a reasonable cost . . . or about the 930-square-foot house you can build right now for $4,000 . . . or about, well, a few hundred dozen other things.
If you want to learn more about how to build with uncured lumber, you might want to read my book The Green Wood House (which should soon be available from The University Press of Virginia, Midmont Lane, Charlottesville, Va. 22902). But better still, go out and get some fresh-from-the-sawmill planks and timbers and work with them . . . that'll teach you more about the subject than anything that's ever been written.
I've always believed that low-cost dwellings ought to be beautiful. And that's just what the Green Wood House is to me, in more ways than one.


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subset: commoncrawl


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The FREE Investment Newsletter That Really Works!
Jobs Galore?
On Friday we got the non farm payroll report, and boy…if the powers that be ever wanted to paint something to look perfect, this was their Rembrandt moment. Not only did the headline number beat the estimates of a gain of 235K by coming in at 257K; they went back and did some of the most aggressive "revisions" to prior reports that I've ever seen.
Let me paint the picture for you. According to our Government bean counters the last few reports have shown the most job gains in 17 years. They say that wage growth was the best since 2008, as they told us wages grew by 0.5%. The BLS did revisions to the entire year of 2014, and remember the "polar vortex" last January? They said at the time we only got 144K jobs. Now they say that looking back, it was really 247K. But that was nothing compared to what they did to November. Now they say November posted a gain of 465K jobs. That's the most monthly gains since the tech bubble boom of the late 90's. A time when there really were jobs galore.


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Among Events DC's standout moments was the unveiling of DC's newest sports tradition: the AT&T Nation's Football Classic®, which is held annually at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Organized by Events DC, the AT&T Nation's Football Classic® showcases the tradition, service, unity and heritage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and offers an enriching cultural experience that can't be matched. Since 2011, the Classic has featured Howard University and Morehouse College, two of the nation's most prominent HBCUs.


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Dog waste covers northwest Albuquerque trail
At the base of the Petroglyphs and along a running trail near Marie Hughes Elementary, one Northwest Albuquerque woman said there is so much dog defecation, she doesn't know what to do anymore.
Dana Pomroy contacted Target 7 for help after reaching her breaking point, when her pup fell in a fresh pile of another dog's feces and jumped on her, getting the mess all over her face and arm.
Indeed, Target 7 went to check out this feces fiasco and saw dog defecation everywhere. It left runners having to maneuver around the mess.
Target 7 contacted the city and they said they will have a crew come clean it, and will consider putting in trash cans at the trailheads. But both Pomroy and the city want to remind pet owners it is their responsibility-- by city ordinance-- to clean up after their own animals.


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MoneyGram said Friday that it has agreed to set up a $100 million compensation fund as part of a settlement of government allegations of fraud through money-transfer scams from 2003 to 2009.
Under the terms of the deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice, MoneyGram International Inc. said it has also taken other steps to prevent more scams. These include adding more investigators and beefing up technology to detect fraud.
The payment services provider said it has terminated relationships with the agents suspected of masterminding the fraud. It said it has also overhauled its corporate compliance program and began a new training program for agents to better sniff out and report scams.
The company previously set aside the money to compensate victims.
"The conduct described in the (settlement agreement) is unacceptable to MoneyGram and counter to everything we strive to stand for," said Pamela H. Patsley, chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement. "We take compliance very seriously at MoneyGram, and nothing angers us more than when our services are used to perpetrate illegal activity."
The Dallas-based company also said Friday that it lost $54.1 million, or 77 cents per share, in its third quarter due to costs related to the fraud settlement and related legal expenses. It had net income of $15.8 million, or 22 cents per share, a year ago.
Its revenue rose 5 percent to $338.6 million from $322 million a year ago.
It now expects full-year earnings to come in at the low end of its previous expectations.
— The Associated Press


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Consider how all events are interconnected. When we see the lightening, we listen for the thunder; when we hear the wind, we look for the waves on the sea; in the chill autumn, the leaves fall. Everywhere order reigns, so that when some circumstances have been noted we can foresee that others will also be present.
The progress of science consists in observing these interconnections and in showing with a patient ingenuity that the events of this ever-shifting world are but examples of a few general connections or relations called laws. To see what is general in what is particular and what is permanent in what is transitory is the aim of scientific thought.
— An Introduction to Mathematics by Alfred North Whitehead


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Disney XD has ordered a fourth season of its popular live action comedy series "Kickin' It," it was announced today by Adam Bonnett, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channels Worldwide. Production on the martial arts inspired series will resume in Los Angeles this November for a 2014 premiere.
"'Kickin' It' continues to pack a punch with relatable storytelling, aspirational characters and non-stop action," said Bonnett. "Viewers have watched the Wasabi Warriors grow from inexperienced misfits into inspiring martial artists and we look forward to continuing their journey in the fourth season."
One of Disney XD's highest rated series since its June 2011 premiere, "Kickin' It" was created and is executive-produced by Emmy-nominated Jim O'Doherty ("Grounded for Life," "3rd Rock from the Sun"). Season four will star Jason Earles as Rudy,
black-belt martial artist Leo Howard as Jack, Mateo Arias as Jerry and Dylan Riley Snyder as Milton. Jason Earles also serves as co-producer.
Olivia Holt, who for the past three seasons has played the popular character Kim on "Kickin' It," will leave the series to star in the Disney Channel comedy series "I Didn't Do It" premiering in early 2014.
Year to date, "Kickin' It" is Disney XD's #1 series in Total Viewers (873,000), Kids 6-14 (586,000/1.7 rating), Kids 6-11 (453,000/1.9 rating) and Kids 2-11 (526,000/1.3 rating). Moreover, season three to date, the series is outperforming season two by double digits in target demos, including by 10% in Total Viewers, by 13% in Kids 6-14, by 17% in Kids 6-11 and by 10% in Kids 2-11.*
Season three of the top-rated series is currently airing Monday nights on Disney XD and follows the Bobby Wasabi crew as they face bigger opponents, embark on new challenges and set their sights higher than ever before as they learn more about themselves and one another.
The series is produced by It's A Laugh Productions, Inc. and carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 80 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates.
* [Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, most current. Season 3 to date: 4/1/13-8/12/13; Season 2: 4/2/12-12/3/12.]


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Note: Power supply (#59-199) and GigE Cable sold separately.


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I almost thought the BBC went a wee bit overboard in its coverage of Nelson Mandela's memorial service this week – they sent 120 people! But the distribution of chairs in our places of higher education (of all things) has made me reconsider. It would have been a good use of the licence fee, if the liberal Left in Britain had learnt anything at all from Mandela's story. But those in charge of our universities appear to be completely deaf to what the man was trying to say.
The reason we feel something close to awe about Mandela is down (I think) to the way he overcame the rage and despair that would be the cell-mates of most long-term prisoners. Somehow he put that to one side, to build a "rainbow" nation. We don't need to look at his successors as South African president to lament the gap between that dream and the stained reality. In Britain, "Universities UK" (the rebranded committee of principals and vice-chancellors) has given succour to injustice-merchants whose politics are just as wicked as those who devised race-based apartheid.
Because whatever the adjective in front of the noun, forcible segregation is unjust. Whether you keep blacks from whites or Jews from gentiles – or women from men – then you are tolerating apartheid. Apartheid, n: A policy or practice of separating or segregating groups.
If religious obsessives visit our campuses and request gender-based segregation then it's not time to mince words. Such practice is alien to the British way of life, and intolerable. By extension, to let such views pass unopposed – to support them by omission – is to commit the secondary sin. Which comes first? The outrageously un-British practice? Or the liberal fools who encourage it?
"We're just promoting tolerance of those who wish to be segregated." My response to that is unprintable in The Daily Telegraph. If you come to my house and I ask you to remove your shoes, would you refuse to comply? Would you like to be the young woman on campus who stands up, alone in a room of bearded men, to declare her desire not to take her seat in the female-only enclosure?
It is the more disgusting that Universities UK attempted to defend its decision on the basis of equality. When segregating women, the report urges, don't shove them to the back of the room (oh, that you were with us now, Rosa Parks). That would be discriminatory, and you could fall foul of some statute or other.
No, the trick to a smooth cordoning-off exercise lies in pretending that the second-class status you bestow on every female is actually a badge of equality. I am not making this up. The report says: "Assuming the side-by-side segregated seating arrangement is adopted, there does not appear to be any discrimination on gender grounds merely by imposing segregated seating. Both men and women are being treated equally, as they are both being segregated in the same way."
It's the doublethink, the weaselly "inequality-equals-equality" guff that makes you sick. Even the "Equality and Human Rights Commission" (thank God we've got one of those! Because none of this is the predictable outcome of the Left's obsession with identity politics, is it?) has suggested that the advice may be illegal. They're now "working" with Universities UK to revise the segregation guidance.
But it's not the New Labour-ish discussion of legal inequalities that bothers me: it's the despair that creatures exist in British public life capable of writing such moronic "guidance" in the first place. By telling women "You are not fit to sit next to men" (and by tolerating that practice, you are saying it, even if you prefer to look the other way), you are not treating men and women as equal beings in any important sense, other than in the fatuous one that the insult, and its imposition of anti-British religiosity, is applied to both genders.
Thus the endpoint of Labour's equality fixation: medieval Islamism can be imposed on public spaces, and that's fine, so long as it's imposed on us all equally. This is how we help those British Muslims who risk everything to fight against the extremists? By saying: "You know, they've got a point. Now go and sit over there, in the Muslim-only section."
Am I over-reacting? In a statement, Universities UK says: "It is for example very hard to see any university agreeing to a request for segregation that was not voluntary and did not have the broad support of those attending." Is it really "hard to see" these requests being granted? Some of our most prestigious institutions have already acceded to such requests. (Who will measure the "broad support", by the way? Your betters, no doubt.)
Let this stand, and why stop at permitting Islamic extremists to control public meetings? Liberals are fond of prioritising their rational, logical reasoning over the Tory's preference for accumulated British instinct: so if this segregation is permitted, why would the practice not be extended to lecture theatres? To GP surgeries? To cinemas and restaurants?
You woke up in Britain – the mother of parliaments, Magna Carta, freedom of conscience; how we like to remember our glory days, don't we, lest we lament the gap between our own dreams and the downtrodden reality. You read about Universities UK and think: imagine if those people had been in charge of apartheid-era South Africa. And then you wonder: how in God's name did we let them take charge of us?


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A woman who works with her hands is a LABORER; a woman who works with her hands and head, a CRAFTSMAN; but a woman who works with her hands, her head and her heart is an ARTIST. ~ Louis Nizer
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Diet Melanie, Caffeine Free (and Blog Candy)
So now, water is my friend. I haven't had sodas for over three months and I am completely OVER it! My mood is so much more even and I sleep like a baby, go down quickly and wake up 8 hours later in pretty much the same position I lay down, feeling alert and rested. Wow! Nice! I've noticed too I don't feel all bloated, and I've read many times that drinking diet sodas make you want to eat more, because of the empty calories. I believe it! Anyway, I don't miss the soda. What do I drink now at my desk? Water. Wonderful caffeine free teas.
Just thought I'd share in case maybe any of you have wondered how much caffeine affects you, or maybe even very small amounts could be throwing you off. It can be hard to quit because you usually get headaches from withdrawal, no fun, but when you stay super-hydrated, you really don't and being hydrated is key. Unfortunately, my iron was still too low to donate blood these last two months, I wondered how could my iron be low now? Get this: I am so hydrated my blood is "runny" says the tech, and it's diluting my iron! Huh, go figure! It's a better problem to have, for sure.
I am also super excited to tell you about my recent weight loss (10 pounds and counting!) and the huge changes I've made in how I eat, I hope it will inspire and encourage you, I just really needed to finish and post this since I started it for you at the end of the summer! Hello Fall! (I am also trying to get my craft room super clean so I have room to craft, that was getting a little out of control, too!)
Have you made a healthy change in your life/schedule recently? Please share! Leave a comment below, I will draw one name tomorrow to win a copy of my set "Spring Basket", great for mixing with my most recent sets: Holiday Basket, Basket Additions, and Basket Buddies! (BTW, I am so stinkin' excited for you to see what I have coming out for you in a couple weeks, eek!)
Have a terrific day! (tea-rific! I really should go make a tea card with Mugs and Kisses...hmmm...) :)
39 comments:
Great job, Mel. That's a hard one for me to give up. My change lately has been to take a 30 minute walk in the morning. I am so challenged to find time to exercise regularly. So, I decided that when I walk my son out to the bus stop in the morning, I would just keep walking, down and around the neighborhood, up an extra street or two. I'm trying to make it a habit.ReplyDelete
Yep! I have gone on weight watchers and doing well. Also stopped taking meds that were probably hurting me anyway. I've noticed improved mobility in my knees and am sleeping a little better too. I plan to keep it up until I'm back to "where I should be"!!ReplyDelete
I've been off caffeine for a very long time and I know it helps tremendously. I drink water most of the time but I think I need to up my water intake. My DH and I have added walking to our evening routines. Exercise makes a big difference too. I'd love to lose ten more pounds so I'd be interested to read how you changed your diet. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Way to go Mel!!! I want to give up sodas...I have been craving them something terrible lately and overindulging. Diet Cherry Pepsi is my soda of choice...but decided after vacation to go cold-turkey. Well, that was a week ago and seems...today is the day after reading your inspiring post. Will see how it goes :)ReplyDelete
Well congratulations! I'm trying to ween myself off of my guilty plesure... diet cherry vanilla DR Pepper!!! It is awesome... but, I've been mostly unemployed the last two years and hubby just got laid off from company he's worked for 41 years... but God has been so faithful during the past 2 yrs and I know He will continue to take care of us and I'm very aware that there are also so many families out there who are truly suffering...ReplyDelete
So I'm cutting back where I can and those sodas aren't cheap even when on sale...
Having a slight headache-y feeling the last two days which I figure is the caffeine withdrawal but this too shall pass, right?!
It will be interesting to see if my urge to snack in the evening after supper diminishes or disappears completely just by removing the caffeiene from my diet... I'll let you know...
I love everything you do Mel and am so thankful at your willingness to share your talents and ideas... thanks so much!
Would love to win some blog candy... don't think I can do any shopping for the foreseeable future! Guess I'm gonna have to get reacquainted with what I already have (and have forgotten that I have)! ;)
Well done Mel! Keep up the Great Work! Right now I am having a hard time with keeping on track with daily walks and exercise, which I dearly miss, due to family issues and stress. I stay away from caffeine but do love green tea, and sodas have never really done it for me. I tend to put myself second to family needs, even though I shouldn't. Even with all that is going on in my life right now I have managed to bring my blood pressure under control and no longer require medication to regulate it. Yippee!ReplyDelete
Good for you. I am becoming more aware of how important it is to take care of ourselves and especially now in my 60's. Last week I decided to take charge; I am on Reliv products now. I know what incredible results people have with them so I am excited that I will be feeling better, having more energy, and yes, losing some weight very soon.ReplyDelete
In the last 5 months I have lost 30 pounds by diet and exercise. I do not eat anything with processed sugar and try to stay away from anything made with white flour. I drink at least 4 big bottles (25 ozs each) of water a day, and have limited myself to only one cup of coffee in the morning. Soda has been eliminated from my diet and from my families diet for at least a year. I just don't buy it anymore.ReplyDelete
Keep up the great work.
Hi Melanie, wow, congrats on ditching the soda. I haven't had a soda in over 2 years. I had a kidneys stone and swore off soda since then. Not that it had anything to do with the stone. LOL.ReplyDelete
I made a Walking journal from a composition notebook and log my time, steps, calories burned, etc. I have lost 20 lbs in 4 months. I started running and I feel great. Mind you, I am in my 50's and I feel better than I have in decades. I started logging any inspirational tips into my journal to help me stay on track.
I love herbal teas and WATER.
Nice to see you put this on your blog.
I just cleaned out my craft area in the basement.
I have all 20 bins of Christmas decoration out and I have started decorating. It takes me a few days to get the house decorated, then I will go back to my scrapbooking and card making.
Have a wonderful day.
Congratulations. I gave up soda about 5-6 years ago. I used to have a Dr. Pepper with me at all times. I started Weight Watchers and little by little any drinks with sugar are too sweet. I only drink Tea with no sugar and water, will have juice once in awhile but it is a thick fruit enhanced one.ReplyDelete
I am trying to eat more unprocessed food--especially what we grow ourselves or what grows locally.ReplyDelete
slrdowney at hotmail dot com
Great job! I have recently cut back on the amount of coffee that I drink in the evening. It doesn't seem to effect me like it does others. Of course, the milk and sugar that I add to my coffee wasn't helping my weight and fit of my clothes. I also have made a concerted effort to do a better job of portion control too. Now I am five to six pounds lighter and happier about how my clothes fit!ReplyDelete
I have finally started PT so I can wean myself off my back brace and resumed taking a multi-vitamin again. Congrats on being soda-free Melanie! And thanks for the chance to win!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 8, 2011 at 1:20 PM
And you look GREAT! Bottom line is exercising more and setting goals...you are an inspiration!...MaritaReplyDelete
Great job!! I don't drink but maybe 1 or 2 sodas a year and then they are diet. I do try and drink a lot of water, especially since I have gained so much since I retired from the Army!! i am trying to drink more water and lose a few pounds. Thanks for sharing and the chance to win!ReplyDelete
Great work, Mel! Isn't it wonderful to see such immediately results from the changes you make? I've recently determined to get more rest/sleep. I've been really awful to myself that way for many years. Now, instead of accomplishing less because I'm sleeping enough, I'm actually accomplishing more during my waking hours. Silly me! I should have known!ReplyDelete
Does getting a kitten count? You can't help but take a break from the hustle and bustle of life when this furry ball snuggles onto your chest or your lap and wants to share their easily-attained relaxation mode with you for an extended period of time. Listening to the purring and then the non-sound of peacefulness -- definitely helps settle the human spirit!ReplyDelete
I'm trying to cut down my portions and eat more fruits and veggies. Did you notice the TRY? It's hard but I'm determined. I quit baking too.ReplyDelete
Way to go Mel!!! I've started going to a Zumba class and I feel so much better!ReplyDelete
Well done Melanie - I have been gradually getting my weight down - mainly through cutting out the chocolate treats, biscuits (coolies to you) and ice cream for dessert....ReplyDelete
WTG, Melanie! I was where you are several years ago...diet pepsi and I were best friends....I learned that it's not just the caffeine that destroys us, it's the phosphoric acid they use for the "fizz". Here's a link to some good information. http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/cocacola021605.cfmReplyDelete
Also, they call them "diet" drinks, but the only time we lose weight is when we stop drinking them (hmmmm).
Congratulations on the weight loss. High Five!!!!
- AnonymousNovember 8, 2011 at 4:35 PM
Good work, Mel! I was diagnosed with IBS a couple of months ago and am now on a very high fibre diet to control it. It's very difficult!ReplyDelete
The big healthy change I made was that I quit smoking. I had smoked for over 40 years and then one day quit.ReplyDelete
Fantastic job Mel!! It makes a whole lot of difference to your life with all the little changes don't yo think!!! 11 weeks ago I started a 12 week health and fitness challenge which included a huge dietary change and personal training sessions twice a week ( I had never done paid exercise before then) and to date I have lost 11 kilos (about 24 pounds I think) I still have 4.5 kilos to go but I am feeling fit and fabulous!!! Congrats again!! HUgsxxReplyDelete
Good for you! I'm a diabetic, and I've been drinking water only when I'm out (and water and/or iced tea unsweetened at home) for over 9 years! I'm starting a new diet this week, bless my brother who has lost over 50 pounds since June - so we'll see how this goes! Thanks also for a chance to win.ReplyDelete
Great job I can't imagine how hard this must have been.I am a diabetic and lucky for me I am a very occasional diet coke drinker;mostly I drink ice water or Crystal Lite pink lemonade-diluted at that-lol.I want to give you a great thumbs up for your determination.Keep it up girl.I do have to say I LOVE all of your stamps.You are one creative lady.ReplyDelete
Love your determination and I am sure you will have great success. I was a Diet Coke addict and switched to water several years ago. If only I could give up bread and cookies, lol!ReplyDelete
That's wonderful! The only one in our family that drank a lot of water was my husband. Me and the kids didn't like the taste of our well water. So in August we decided to get bottled spring water delievered to our house. Now everyone drinks more water and less pop and cafinated drinks. It has felt great to have good water to drink.ReplyDelete
Way to go with this, Mel. 10lbs and counting is fantastic! I'm a huge coffee fan, so I'm trying to cut back to 2 cups a day only with at least 2 cups of water per cup of coffee.ReplyDelete
Way to go Mel!!! I gave up sodas years ago and now rarely have one, maybe 2 or 3 a year. As for recent changes, I have been working very hard on increasing my whole grains and reducing highly processed grains. It is hard at times some things just don't taste as good. Luckily though others are just as good if not better. Thank you for a chance to win one of your fabulous sets.ReplyDelete
Congrats!!! I know that is a hard thing to do, wish I could do it. Been trying to eat healthier and stay away from eating out as much.ReplyDelete
Congrats, Melanie!! For being soda free and losing 10 lbs!! That's a great achievement. I don't drink soda, nor coffee(maybe ocassionally) and my best friend is water!! Even during the winter when I'm in NZ, I drink only water instead of hot chocolate or tea. Having a mum who is a diabetic also forces me to watch what I eat and drink. But...I can't give up ice-creams & chocolates. Hehe. Have a great day!ReplyDelete
- Candy GardnerNovember 9, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Good for you Melanie! I hope you meet your new weight goals. I've had kidney stones twice. The last attack was over 7 years ago. I have been on distilled water only for almost 3 years. I also add lemon to the water, that prevents the formation of new stones. One important thing to remember is you need to make sure your are getting enough salt if you drink lots of water. One quarter teaspoon for every quart (32 oz). I also take a sublingual vitamin B complex tablet. A few years ago I read "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" by Dr. Batmanghelidj, MD. He says that the minimum amount of water to drink for each person is: half your body weight in ounces daily. It's a great read if you are interested in staying healthy.ReplyDelete
I'd love a chance to win a stamp set. I have a couple of your stamp sets and I love them. Thanks for all your inspiration Mel.
Just what I Need to hear..Im reading the book EAT CLEAN DIET by TUSCA RENA...so iM working on improving by eating habits too..I dont drink any soda either..mostly water..Trying to stay away from junk foodReplyDelete
Good Job!!! Keep up the good work! I am trying to stay away from the sodas too...the more I do, the better my water tastes!!!ReplyDelete
Way to go Melanie. Quitting diet pop is really hard to do. One of the changes i made recently was to eat a better breakfast that is good for your heart. I eat oatmeal with added flax, fruit and walnuts or almonds. Taste great and makes a great breakfast.ReplyDelete
Good job Melanie!! I too used to be a diet pop, caffeine drinker. Once in a great while I will still have one but the horrible headache the next day hardly makes it worth it. I drink tons of water. I carry a gallon jug with a straw everywhere I go. I get lots of comments about its size. I drink 3-4 of these jugs a day. I feel so much better since I quit the caffeine, plus the water is cheaper too. I also pay close attention to nutrition labels. Its scary when you see what's in the food you eat.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the chance to win one of your stamp sets. I have a number of them on my wish list.
- Julie SNovember 9, 2011 at 8:28 PM
Great job Melanie! Especially giving up the diet pop, that is something I haven't mastered yet. I just recently lost 15 pounds (with the intention to lose 20 - these last five are hard!). I gave up (mostly) junk food and cut back the sugar. I also make sure now that I never skip meals, something I've had a bad habit of doing in the past.ReplyDelete
Hi. I have never been a fan of "soft drinks", and ESPECIALLY of diet ones. I don't know if anyone in the comments has addressed "excitotoxins", but diet stuff is FULL of it. Google "excitotoxins", and you will never even look at aspartame again!(can I use that work on here?) I am drinking more ionized and purified water...still drink coffee though. Starting my walking regimen again, and am looking to lose a few pounds as well. Love your site.ReplyDelete
Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)


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I'm a long time user of Sirius and have installed several receivers in the past.
Long story short.
Installed a Pioneer deck with a SXV200v1 SiriusXM receiver. Got it activated and has been working fine for a few months. Couple days ago I had to do some work on my car and had the battery disconnected for a few hours. After that the receiver lost it's subscription and only gets channel 0 (zero) and 1.
I attempted to send a refresh to the receiver 3x over a couple of hours time. No change.
Then I called Sirius, got the typical robot support only to end the day in the same situation.
Today I strapped on my climbing boots for the long haul. Ended up at tech support only for them to tell me I needed to take the SXV200v1 receiver to a stereo shop and have a "hard reset" performed on it. When I interrogated the support person on exactly what that detailed all I got was (what I think) a non descriptive BS answer.
Is there any such thing as a "hard reset"? If so, is this something I can do on my own.
And yes I defaulted/reset my deck and unplugged the SXV200v1 for a few hours during my own troubleshooting process.
Thanks in advance for any help.


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The Pickets can be divided into a southern half and a northern half. The panorama below—taken from the summit of Bacon Peak in the North Cascades—captures the entire range, with the Northern Pickets on the left and Southern on the right. The major summits in each range are listed in this section.
A set of climbs has emerged as the "must do" list of the range. That said, almost any climb in the Pickets is worthy due to the challenge and sheer beauty of the area.
"For future alpinists, [Henry] Custer counseled, 'Always select, the longest leading spur ... Never select a ravine or watercourse, coming from the peak to be ascended, if you follow one of these, you will find many difficulties, in your way, consisting of sudden drops, dense brush, and dense vegetation.'"
There is no easy way into the Pickets. Nearly every approach into the Pickets involves its share of sweating, vegetable belaying, and cursing. But it is always worth the effort, and the difficult approaches and rugged terrain is part of what makes the Pickets so special.
There are 7 main approach routes into the Pickets, numbered in the map above (note that there might be other ways besides these 7 routes to get into and out of the Pickets, these are just the ones that have been the most used over the years). These approach routes also serve as the exit routes. I have done 6 of them, as well as pioneered two other routes I wouldn't recommend unless you crave bushwhacking and treacherous wet cliffs. I'll do my best to give sufficient detail for the 7 main approaches, but for planning a trip into the Pickets, it would be foolhardy to go without Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 3 or Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle. There are many pages of detail on these approaches (and exits) into (and out of) the Picket Range.
Any entrance-exit pairing is possible for the approach routes described in this section. The section after this (Section 4) gives some popular traverses between the various approach routes. One thing to consider when planning an entry and exit route into the Pickets is the road distance between the trailheads. All but one of the routes into the Northern Pickets start at Ross Lake (with a possible water taxi), while the routes into the Southern Pickets start at Goodell Creek trailhead or Diablo (Stetattle Creek). All of these trailheads are within 20 miles along the North Cascades HWY, so it is feasible to enter via one and exit via the other. However, if the plan is to enter via Easy Ridge, then a 2-hour car plant is in order (or, a clever trick is to meet friends who came from the opposite direction and exchange car keys midway).
There are four main approach (or exit) routes for the Northern Pickets. (Of course there are always other creative approach options, but most that I can think of come up some obscure creek valley or ridge and would involve a lot of 'shwacking and car plant problems.) The numbers on the following approaches correlate with the maps on this page.
This is a popular way to get to Mount Challenger. The advantage of the Easy Ridge approach is that there is not too much bushwhacking, and you have a scenic walk along the spine of Easy Ridge. The three disadvantages are: (1) the Hannigan Pass trailhead is a long drive from any other approach route into the Pickets, (2) it is a rather long approach with ups and downs, and (3) the Perfect Impass (aka Imperfect Impasse) shortly below Perfect Pass is a perplexing feature, sometimes easy walked across on snow, other times requiring a long detour down and back up through brutish brush. When I did the Easy Ridge approach in 2005, we opted the detour down and around the Impasse; but when I returned to the area in 2012 (this time using the Easy Ridge route as an exit route), I did indeed do the Impasse and I have included some photos at the end of this section.
To get to the Hannegan Pass trailhead drive the Nooksack River road to a left turn on road FR 402. The trailhead is at 3100 feet, starting from a large parking lot at the end of the 4 mile long road.
From Hannegan Pass, you can descend to Copper Creek Camp above the Chilliwack River at about 3200 feet (marked as "campsite" on USGS map). This is a good strategy if you came in Friday evening and want to make it to Perfect Pass Saturday night. From the campsite hike two more miles, then start looking for an unmarked trail descending a little bit to the river. You'll ford the river here and find the Easy Ridge Trail on the other side. At first, the trail is pretty brushy and you'll get wet from dew in the morning. Eventually it starts climbing steeply as it works from 2800 feet up to 5000 feet, where you leave deep forest and enter huckleberry bushes at a pass on the ridge. Congratulations, now you can enjoy the scenery!
You'll follow the ridge to Easy Peak (6615 ft) in beautiful terrain. After Easy Peak, travel east on the ridge until walls of Whatcom Peak begin to loom. Drop gently down from the ridge in grassy terrain heading southeast. You'll want to lose about 1000 feet, dropping from about 6200 ft to 5200 ft to get to the base of a buttress of Whatcom where an imposing sight will greet you: the Imperfect Impasse.
Going early in the year you may barely notice the Impasse: just walk across what is actually a very deep gorge on snow. But when it melts out there is no easy entrance or exit. Climbers have climbed in and above the gorge to find a way across, but it has "terrifying exposure" as one climber noted; at a minimum, be prepared to get the rope out, but also know there is little protection on the slabby terrain.
To avoid the Impasse, as I did in 2005, you can descend (another) 1000 feet or so until the gorge ends and you can walk easily across the stream. On the other side grimace and enter the brush and start climbing back up. If benighted, there is a flat spot on the west side of the gorge for a camp. You'll climb up through thick brush and slabs until the way eases below Perfect Pass (6200 feet). Great camping is available here on the edge of the Challenger Glacier.
(To climb Challenger from here, just drop down onto the glacier—there are a few options, depending on conditions—and traverse across the large glacier to the saddle below Challenger Arm. Then, climb up Challenger Arm. Although the approach up the arm is an easy hike up snow, in the last few years, a gaping bergschrund just below the summit has turned around many parties. There is almost always a way around if you detour to the leftmost ridge, but sometimes this can be tricky as well. Once you have surmounted this obstacle, the final climb to the summit involves a 50 foot fun rock corner (5.5). Usually it is sufficient to have a rope and a few slings to clip to the 3 fixed pitons. Most parties take a couple of hours from the base of Challenger Arm.)
This is the only approach into the Pickets that lacks bushwhacking altogether. The main disadvantage is that it begins with a somewhat long slog along a trail.
Getting to the Little Beaver trailhead requires a water taxi across Ross Lake. (Unlike the Big Beaver approach described below, a water taxi is necessary in the Little Beaver approach as there is no trail that goes this far around the lake.) Information about fares and booking a water taxi ride can be found on the website for Ross Lake Resort; as of 2011, the water taxi to Little Beaver trailhead is $125 per party. Ross Lake is easy to find along the North Cascades HWY. The water taxi dock is a downhill 0.8 mile hike from the parking lot.
Once at the Little Beaver trailhead, it is about 18 easy trail miles to Whatcom Pass. Usually, parties camp at Twin Rocks camp about 14 miles along the trail before tackling the 2200ft of elevation gain to Whatcom Pass the next day. From Whatcom Pass, head east (left) along a climbers towards the obvious Whatcom Peak, which you will have to climb over. The trail soon peters out, but the going is easy (Class 3). Just keep heading up towards the summit on the north ridge, and below the summit head to the south side of the peak to gain the saddle. From here, you can look down at Perfect Pass (obvious heather-covered saddle below) and you can easily scramble up the final couple of hundred feet to the summit of Whatcom Peak. If there is good snow, the descent down the south side of Whatcom Peak towards Perfect Pass takes all of 10 minutes. In the late season, this might take a bit longer.
(In 2002, instead of going over the easy north side of Whatcom Peak, my dad and I contoured the peak via the Whatcom Glacier. This route is described in Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle. There are some nice slabs below the glacier which offer a feasible crossing. However, at least in 2002, the Whatcom Glacier is experiencing a process of rapid shrinking, and frequently large chunks of ice go careening onto the slabs below the glacier. My dad and I were actually walking right underneath a truck-sized ice chunk when it slid off; had it had just a few extra feet to pick up speed before it hit us, we would have been swept off the mountain with it. We were quite lucky as it was to not be injured. So, I'm not sure I would recommend the Whatcom Glacier as a route, but it is a possible line of approach; at some point—perhaps even by now—most of the ice chunks will have slid off, opening up nice slabs that are no longer as hazardous to cross.)
Perfect Pass lives up to its name. Granite slabs interspersed with heather and streams make it a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. From the pass, you can enjoy a sunset over the Pacific, or gaze upon the vast expanse of the Challenger Glacier. This is one of my favorite sunset--viewing spots in the Cascades.
This is probably the most frequented approach to Mt. Challenger, for whatever reason. Usually, enthusiasm to get into the Pickets will inspire the the trip to begin with a water taxi ride across Ross Lake to the Big Beaver Landing, which avoids about 7 miles of hiking around the lake. Information about fares and booking a water taxi ride can be found on the website for Ross Lake Resort. If you don't want to pay for the water taxi (which as of 2011 is $50 per party to the Big Beaver Landing), you can always just walk the 7 miles, but it is flat and rather boring, and makes it a lot of trail hiking to reach Big Beaver Pass in one day. Ross Lake is easy to find along the North Cascades HWY. The water taxi dock is a downhill 0.8 mile hike from the parking lot.
From the Big Beaver Landing, about 14 easy trail miles bring you to Big Beaver Pass. There is a lean-to shelter that is the last sign of civilization you will see before heading up Wiley Ridge towards the Pickets.
To get onto Wiley Ridge, you leave the Big Beaver Trail about 0.3 miles south of Beaver Pass. The best tact is to go headlong into the underbrush, aiming towards the left-hand timbered rib. I've heard vague stories of the existence of a path, but I did not find it when I made this approach in 2007. On the timbered rib, the brush thins out and you'll spend the next few hours slowly climbing up steep pine needles and clambering over fallen logs. Continue to timberline at about 5,500 ft. Here, the broad Wiley ridge starts to take shape.
As the terrain opens up, hike from one bench to another on the crest or just south of the crest on talus fields or heather slopes. There is sometimes a faint path, and it's pretty friendly terrain. Pass Eiley Lake on its south shore (good camping here), and from west of this lake follow a glacier past Wiley Lake (often frozen). At this point, you will have views of Mt. Challenger looming ahead. Some parties choose to cross over the north slope of Pt. 7374 and descend east down to Challenger Glacier. When I was here in 2007, we choose to go left down a snowfield to Challenger Arm where there is a nice camp overlooking Luna Basin (you can get to this camp by going over Pt. 7374 too).
Now you've done the hard part, and you can bask in the amazing views of the Northern Pickets and climb up Challenger Arm towards the summit, where the view is even better.
Like the Wiley Ridge approach (described above), this route begins on the Big Beaver trail. You will hike about 9 miles from Big Beaver Landing before turning off the trail. As I found out the hard way in 2007, turning off at the right point is the trickiest part of this approach (so it might be best to use this route as a deapproach route before attempting it as an approach route). The turnoff is about 1.5 miles north of Luna Camp, just north of the entrance to Access Creek with flows NE from Luna Peak. Hike through forest and cross Big Beaver Creek. Some years you can find a convenient log to cross, and some years you will have to wade. [2014 update: Apparently there was a big log jam deposited in Spring 2014, which might stick around for awhile. Thanks to Josh Kelling for the following beta: To use the log jam, first pass Luna Camp. Just past the second brushy clearing in the forest (and before the third and largest such clearing), head toward the creek through dense brush. Cross Big Beaver using the log jam. Next use an upward right-trending bushwhack through moderate and often open forest toward Access Creek. Cross Access Creek to join the normal approach route.] Hike along the north flank of Access Creek in semiopen forest. Near 3,700ft, where travel becomes very brushy, cross to the creek to its south bank. From here, look for cairns and a faint trail that will lead towards the obvious basin at the headwaters of the creek. There is good camping here. Overall, this approach is not as brushy as you might think given that it goes up a creek valley.
From the Access Creek headwaters, ascend leftward along a bit rockslide stream, between cliffs, heading up towards a noticeable gap in the ridge. From here there is a traverse of several moderately steep basins to the south flank of Luna Peak. A saddle at the base of the SW ridge makes a great campsite. From here, the climb to the summit of Luna Peak is an easy exposed scramble. Luna Peak offers some of the best views of the entire Picket Range, as shown in the panorama near the top of this page.
This is a route I have not done (apart from a snowshoe adventure up to Sourdough Mountain/Stetattle Ridge in March 2013), and for whatever reason it does not seem to be a popular climbers' approach route into the Southern Pickets. This route begins on the Sourdough Mountain Trail, but leaves the trail just prior to reaching Sourdough Creek. Traverse the ridge until it is necessary to descend to the head of Torrent Creek, then make a rising traverse above timberline westward below Elephant Butte. Traverse above Azure Lake at about 6,200ft to a saddle 1 mile east of East McMillan Spire. According to Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 3, which has a more detailed description than provided here, this approach takes 1-1.5 days to reach the saddle. As almost every Pickets approach, there will be some brushy travel involved en route to the high country.
From the saddle, it is possible to traverse into Terror Basin (again, refer to the Cascade Alpine Guide) or traverse under the northern faces of the Southern Pickets via McMillan Cirque, one of the great hellholes of the North Cascades. Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle has a good description of the latter.
This is the most popular approach into the Southern Pickets. It is short and steep, and in recent years there has been a well-defined (albeit steep and sometime brushy) path most of the way, making access to McMillan, Inspiration and the Chopping Block possible for a weekend trip.
To get to the trailhead, drive a short way up Goodell Creek (off the North Cascades HWY near Newhalem) until the road ends. Begin walking up the old road. After about 4 miles you'll come to a wide spot in the forested trail with a small cairn (In 2008, this cairn appeared as an arrow-shaped pile of stones, but when I returned in 2009 it was arranged in a pyramidal pile). The elevation at the end of the old roadcut is roughly 1800ft. To get to climbs out of the Terror Creek basin (like West McMillan Spire, Inspiration Peak), this is your signal to turn up on a steep side trail. The trail heads straight up to the east for 3000+ feet to treeline. There is no water, so stock up at the creek just before the cairn. At least it is good trail, only getting brushy for a brief period near the top before breaking out into stunning views of the Terror Basin to the north.
Now enjoy a glorious traverse north on heather and boulders. The trail climbs to a 6200 foot high spur on the ridge, from which you can look down to an obvious flat camping area at 5800 feet. Descend on scree or snow to the camp. This is a wonderful camp, with an easy water source and a flat gravel bed, with tremendous views of the Southern Pickets.
From this camp, any of the peaks out of Terror Creek Basin are a short approach away. West McMillan Spire and Inspiration Peak are common and worthy objectives with some stellar climbing.
The west wall of Terror Basin is called the Barrier, and you'll need to cross it if your plan is to traverse into Crescent Creek Basin, where you can climb The Chopping Block, Mt. Terror, or other points to the west. The Barrier often lives up to its name, and has turned around many parties (Section 5 on this page—on traverse "cruxes" in the Pickets—describes crossing the Barrier).
If, on the other hand, you don't want the complexity of crossing the Barrier, or you've set your sights on climbs in Crescent Creek Basin (such as the Chopping Block, Himmelhorn, West Ridge of Terror), you can ascend from Goodell Creek to Crescent Creek Basin. This way is brushy and hot and less scenic but is quicker if you are heading for Mount Terror or other western summits of the Southern Range.
The approach begins as for Terror Creek basin, on the 4 mile old roadbed along Goodell Creek. When you get to the stone arrow/cairn, continue straight ahead on a faint trail. (Do not turn off to the right on the more defined trail, as this is the trail that takes you to Terror Creek Basin, as described above.) From the cairn, continue traversing through relatively open forest on faint trail. You are heading due north until you hit Terror Creek (you'll hear the roar of water). The faint path now contours above the creek for about a 1/2 mile. Eventually a massive log jam marks the point to cross Terror Creek (roughly 2100 feet elevation). Become hyper-attentive for signs of passage around here. There is plenty of brush on both sides of the creek. Fill up with water at the Creek.
You definitely want to find the trail heading up the ridge on the west side of Terror Creek. The first time I took this approach route, we did not search hard enough for the trail, figuring its existence was a myth; as a result we battled rock band after rock band. The next time, we found the trail (albeit faint) and had a much easier time. Once you have found it, somewhere near the logjam creek crossing, follow it faithfully up to the forested ridge crest at about 3800 feet. There is a minor saddle here, and in 2008 there was a balloon tied to a tree to mark this spot for climbers descending via this route (not there in 2009). Pat yourself on the back here because many folks have gotten lost on the ascent or descent of this trail and endured not only bushwhacking but difficulties with hidden cliffs in the forest.
You are now on the lower part of the Barrier. From here, follow the brushy ridge crest. The going is a bit easier, although the faint trail is not always easy to find. At timberline at 5,600 ft, you can traverse easily up slopes and snow in "Stump Hollow", an open slabby/heather basin between the Barrier ridge and the Chopping Block (marked as Pinnacle Peak on the USGS maps). There is good camping on the Chopping Block ridge.
From Crescent Creek Basin, common objectives include the Chopping Block, West Ridge of Terror, Himmelhorn, and other western Southern Pickets. It is possible to cross the Barrier into Terror Basin to the east (where you will need to go to access Inspiration and McMillan Spires, for instance). However, descending the Barrier to Terror Creek Glacier is tricky (see description in Section 5) and you cannot see this route from the western side. Unless you have crossed the Barrier from the east and are familiar with the route, it is best to access Terror Basin from the Terror Basin approach (described above).
Once you have done the hard work of getting into the Pickets, it is time to enjoy some high alpine traversing and climbing. Any pairing of the approach routes discussed in the previous section is possible. For all but the Easy Ridge approach, the trailheads are only miles apart and a loop trip can be done with a short car plant or hitchhike.
Primary resources for climbs and traverses in the Pickets are the Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 3 and Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle. There are countless options for an adventure in the Pickets, involving any permutation of approach route, summits en route, ridge traverses, exploration days, exit routes, etc. Almost any trip you can think of is doable, but whether it is enjoyable and safe depends on your personal enjoyment of masochism and your experience. Take a look at the maps in this section to get some ideas of ways you can link different route lines. Below I will mention some of the more popular and/or aesthetic cross-country traverse options in the Pickets. While most can be done in either direction, I have described them in the direction that in my opinion offers the best views and climbs and up-down terrain along the way.
The section after this details a couple of the main traverse cruxes in the Pickets.
Wiley Ridge - Luna Basin - Luna Col - Access Creek
5-6 days. Could substitute the Easy Ridge approach for Wiley Ridge, but this would entail a more distant car plant and crossing the Challenger Glacier.
WHATCOM Peak (3rd) - CHALLENGER (cross glacier and climb, 5.6) - Luna Basin - Luna Col - LUNA (4th) - FURY (3rd) - Access Creek
6-7 days. 4 summits, but any can be bypassed. Involves crossing a major glacier. Approach Whatcom Peak via Little Beaver or Easy Ridge approach (Easy Ridge involves a distant car plant, Little Beaver involves expensive water taxi). Could also approach via Wiley Ridge.
Wiley Ridge - Luna Basin - FURY North Buttress (5.8+) - Luna Col - Access Creek
6-7 days, could be much longer if more summits are added. The climb of Fury is very committing and should probably be done as a carry-over (you can camp on summit). Other summits include Whatcom (if Little Beaver or Easy Ridge approach), Challenger, Luna, Outrigger (on the north side of Fury), Fury W Peak (not often climbed), Swiss Peak (from Luna Basin), etc.
**In 2005, Wayne Wallace and Josh Kaplan did a high traverse of all the major summits of the Northern Pickets, from Luna to Challenger. As far as I know, as of 2011, this rugged route has not been repeated.
Terror Basin - Stetattle Ridge
4-6 days. Can be done in either direction. Great views of the Southern Pickets. Augment with exploration side-trips from camps.
Terror Basin - WEST MCMILLAN Spire (3rd) - Barrier Crossing high - The PYRAMID (3rd) - Crescent Creek Basin - TERROR West Ridge (mostly 3rd, some low 5th) - The Barrier
4-6 days. 3 summits, but any can be bypassed. It is also possible to just climb West McMillan and exit via the Terror Basin approach. Or just climb Mt. Terror and enter and exit via The Barrier. Entrance and exit trailheads are the same.
Terror Basin - INSPIRATION East Ridge (5.9) - Barrier Crossing low - CHOPPING BLOCK (5th) - Crescent Creek Basin - HIMMELGEISTERHORN Wild Hair Crack (5.7) - TERROR Stoddard Buttress (5.8+) - The Barrier
6-8 days. 4 summits, but any can be bypassed or more can be added, such as West McMillan, Degenhardt, and The Pyramid. Could climb Inspiration West Ridge (5.6) or South Face (5.8) as well or in place of the East Ridge. Could climb Terror's original North Buttress route instead of the Stoddard Buttress, either of which is very committing. The approach to the north side of Terror involves very rugged terrain passing through the Otto-Himmel Col and crossing the Mustard Glacier. Could break this trip into two, one just for Crescent Creek Basin climbs and one just for Terror Basin climbs. Entrance and exit trailheads are the same.
**In 2003, Wayne Wallace, Mark Bunker, and Colin Haley did a high traverse of all the major summits of the Southern Pickets, from Little Mac to Frenzelspitz. As far as I know, as of 2011, this rugged route has not been repeated.
"East Side Traverse": Wiley Ridge - Luna Basin - Luna Col - Picket Pass - Otto-Himmel Col - The Barrier
"West Side Traverse": Easy Ridge - Perfect Pass - Pickell Pass - Picket Pass - McMillan Cirque - Stetattle Ridge
7-10 days. Several route variations possible—entering via either Wiley or Easy Ridge, traversing either Luna Basin or the west side of northern Pickets; exiting via either Otto-Himmel Col / The Barrier or McMillan Cirque / Stetattle Ridge. Any route goes through Picket Pass. The first route listed above travels through areas described on this page. The second route listed above travels through more obscure terrain: the first half via Pickell Pass up to Picket Pass is described in the back of the Cascade Alpine Guide, while the second half via McMillan Cirque—which has the potential to be one of the great hellholes of the North Cascades—involves traveling under the towering northern walls of the Southern Pickets and is described in Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle. The second route listed above also involves trailheads that are a much further drive apart than the first route listed above. Via any variation, this entire route covers very rugged terrain.
"Technical Traverse": WHATCOM Peak (3rd) - Perfect Pass - CHALLENGER (cross glacier and climb, 5.6) - Luna Basin - FURY North Buttress (5.8+) - OUTRIGGER (4th) - Picket Pass - TERROR Stoddard Buttress (5.8+) - Crescent Creek Basin - CHOPPING BLOCK (5th) - The Barrier
7-10 days. 6 summits, but any can be bypassed. Could bypass Fury's North Buttress by going to Luna Col (from where you can add another summit by climbing Luna) and around the backside of Fury. Could bypass Terror's north side by passing through the Otto-Himmel Col (from where you could climb Wild Hair Crack on Himmelgeisterhorn to make up for your lost summit, or even decide to climb the W Ridge of Terror). Involves crossing a major glacier, and the terrain and climbs on this route are very rugged and committing. Approach Whatcom Peak via Little Beaver or Easy Ridge approach (Easy Ridge involves a distant car plant, Little Beaver involves expensive water taxi).
Also, I often get emails relating to route-planning in the Pickets. I've included some of the more popular questions and my responses at the end of this section.
That said, it is possible to cross the Barrier. There are 2 ways: (1) a lower crossing on a loose ledge system at the lower end of the Terror Glacier or (2) a higher crossing over moats and steep choss at the upper end of the Terror Glacier just below Degenhardt. Either way takes less than an hour. Both ways are equally harrowing, classic "Pickets Class 3." Wet conditions (such as from recent rains) could make it downright death-defying. And either way, melt patterns will influence how tricky it is to get off the snow and onto the rock. The photos below show the two Barrier crossing options.
The lower crossing takes you from Terror Basin into Stump Hollow, from which you can traverse easily to the Chopping Block and Crescent Creek Basin. This is the crossing to use if you plan on camping on the Chopping Block ridge or climbing Chopping Block. The upper crossing bypasses the Chopping Block ridge and takes you from Terror Basin into Crescent Creek Basin. This is the crossing to use is you plan on camping at the camp below Terror and climbing one of the Southern Pickets (Degenhardt, Pyramid, Terror perhaps) from here.
It is possible to cross The Barrier from either direction at the high or low crossing, although having done the crossing myself, I would recommend crossing from east to west (Terror Basin to Crescent Creek Basin) as this way you can see the cliff you must surmount rather than trying to find it blindly from above.
From the north, parties typically approach Picket Pass after a climb of Mt. Fury. This route is described in the Cascade Alpine Guide, and involves descending the SE glacier on Fury and climbing over Outrigger Peak to gain the ridge. By various reports, traversing over Outrigger can be anything from 3rd class to low 5th; the 3rd class can probably be achieved by traversing around the west side and not heading to the summit too early (as my party did in 2008). From Outrigger Peak, it is mostly easy ridgetop hiking to get to Picket Pass. There is one 50-ft section that most parties rappel if coming at it from the north, although I have heard at least one report of 4th class ledges on the east side that can avoid the need for a rappel and also make this section surmountable if coming from the south. There is superb camping at Picket Pass with stunning views of the sheer north walls of the Southern Pickets.
(Update of an alternative route that was pointed out to me after I posted this page: "Missed a major exit from E. Fury to Picket pass. No need to go over Outrigger Peak. Go off E. Fury on its west. A small bit of class 3 maybe. More like sandy class 2 on slab. Missed the main route from Luna Col to E. Fury as well that most parties take. The ridge crest. 1 move of class 5.0 3rd class with awesome views in all directions and NO glacier travel going up E. Fury. One can traverse the entire picket range without touching a glacier if one wishes. Just as the original party did. Look up Tabor and Crowder's Routes and Rocks." (Note: I have not done this route variation, so you might want to check the noted Tabor/Crowder resource to confirm it.))
To continue the southwards traverse from Picket Pass, there are a couple of options. Some climbers have dropped onto Mustard Glacier from Picket Pass, but this proved to be a tricky and tedious descent. In 2008, on a complete traverse of the Pickets, my party stayed on the ridge as it heads southwards towards the Ottohorn-Himmelhorn Col. This requires a few pitches of low-fifth climbing to a spectacular campsite (I debated whether or not I should reveal this little gem, but finally decided that anyone who gets this far deserves to know about it!). From here, continue to scramble up the ridge until sheer granite walls impede further travel. At this point, a short Class 3 descent brings you directly onto the Mustard Glacier. You can now traverse around to the North Ridge of Terror, or continue straight ahead up to the Ottohorn-Himmelhorn Col and into Crescent Creek Basin. Reaching the col from the north is straightforward if snowfilled, but later in the season, it will take some loose and tricky 5th class to reach the notch. The south side of the col is a bit more friendly, and once in Crescent Creek Basin, the technical part of the traverse is over.
A. I've done this, and it's a good way to do it. However, it is admittedly going to be tricky to descend the Chopping Block approach without ever having come up it. The first time I descended this way no one in my party had used this approach before, and we did deal with several hours of cliff bands and steep bushwhacking to finally get ourselves out. But that's part of the Pickets experience. The second time I descended this way we were more familiar with the terrain and we had an easy time out. Another cruxy aspect to this is the Barrier crossing, which was described above.
Q2. Or, since the Terror Basin approach is well-defined, would it be better to take the Chopping Block approach in and start with Terror then finish with McMillan and head out via Terror Basin?
A. The Terror Basin approach is certainly more defined than the Chopping Block approach, and would lead to an easier exit for sure. However, it's the Barrier crossing that would be the problem. Going at it from the Chopping Block side, you are approaching it blind and unless you've done it already from the other side, you will likley get into a lot of trouble. The Barrier really should be crossed from the Terror side, especially for first timers.
Q3. What's the best way to the base of the north buttress of Terror from Picket Pass?
A. I've heard stories of parties trying to descend directly from the pass and encountering a lot of sketchy cliffs. My party found a good route was to stay on the ridge and head from Picket Pass towards the Otto-Himmel col (see photo just above). There's a couple of hundred feet of 4th to low 5th to go up (we got out a rope because we had one), and then near the top of the ridge we found a 3rd class ramp that dropped right onto the Mustard Glacier. If the glacier is not opened up, it would be a simple descent and then traverse to the base of the north side of Terror. However, any approach across the Mustard Glacier is better to do before the glacier really starts to open up in the late summer.
Q4. Is getting into Luna Cirque from Challenger Arm difficult?
A. Getting into Luna Cirque is just a tedious sidehilling traverse and descent, if you manage to avoid the cliff bands. I've gone into the cirque three times, two of these times it was fine and once it was harrowing getting-out-ropes-and-chucking-packs cliffs. I think the secret is to not head down to early. Stay high until you can see a snow or talus slope to pick your way down, and don't get suckered into the cliffs thinking you can find your way down the slabs.
Q5. I noticed you did the complete Pickets traverse from north to south. Can it be done from south to north?
A. Sure, although this direction will make it so you cannot incorporate climbing the classic north sides of Terror or Fury into the traverse. Instead, you traverse through Otto-Himmel Col, to Picket Pass, across the south side of Fury (add a couple of hours to tag the summit while you are there), to Luna Col, across Luna Cirque to Challenger Arm (add a couple of hours to tag the summit while you are there) and then out via Wiley Ridge or a Perfect Pass approach. However, you'll end the trip with a sore neck, from the constant looking over your shoulder to see the Pickets towering behind you.
Q6. Are glaciers in the Picket Range a problem in the later summer? Are there some areas that should be avoided in the later summer?
A. The glaciers usually start to open up in August, making for some large crevasses and moats that will make some parts of the route difficult or unsafe. Areas that are particularly problematic as the snow melts are: Challenger Glacier crossing and the bergschrund near the summit; snow approach at the base of the North Buttress of Fury route; Mustard Glacier approach to the North Buttress of Terror; north side of the Otto-Himmel Col (very loose rock and moats necessitating steep rock climbing), moats on the Terror Glacier. In general, in the Picket Range, traversing and accessing routes is easier in the early summer when there is more snowcover.
A permit from the North Cascades National Park Visitor Center in Marblemount (360-873-4500) is required for any overnight stay in the park, almost mandatory for a visit to the range. (A few have climbed The Chopping Block or West McMillan Spire in a day, but almost any Pickets adventure involves at least one night.)
There is also a lone wooden shelter at Beaver Pass. You are only supposed to use it in case of emergency, though I've seen that rule ignored more often than not. Say Hi to Frank the resident deer mouse before plunging up towards Wiley Ridge.
The Pickets are much more fun in good weather. With their ruggedness and route-finding challenges, poor visibility or uncomfortable dampness can make it a harrowing adventure. Because of the notorious unpredictability of Pacific Northwest weather, it is best to plan a rather flexible weather window for scheduling a foray into the Pickets.
I've been in the Pickets at least eight times. My obsession with the range began in 2002, when my dad and I (then 19 years old) backpacked into Luna Basin (Northern Pickets). Denied of the summit of Challenger by poor weather, I vowed to come back. Since then, I've tracked all over the range, doing all approach routes but one and spending numerous memorable nights in some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain on Earth. Links to my trip reports for the Pickets are given below.
...two climbers were bushwhacking out of the Pickets and got separated in the green hell of the descent. The first climber stumbled out onto the Big Beaver trail and waited half of a day for his buddy. At long last he was spotted, stumbling packless out of the brush. "Hey, where the F^&% is your pack?" "F&^* that stuff (tent, rope, ice ax, crampons...)," he replied. "I ditched it!"
Based on a true story. I can vouch for it.
I've had the amazing opportunity to fly over the Pickets on several occasions, with pilot and aerial photographer John Scurlock. To see some of these aerial photographs of the Pickets (as well as other summits in the North Cascades) go to my aerial photography page.
And finally, here is a 4-min video clip of flying over the magical wintery Picket Range in February 2013. (Soundtrack: Our Shangri-La, Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris, All The Road Running, live version.)
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