June 19-20, 2004

Weather finally turned sunny after almost 5 consecutive nasty weekends.  Tao and I set out with Tina's mentor group to climb Eldorado Peak.  

After gaining 2000 ft, we emerged from the woods and were exposed to scotching sun in the open boulder field.

Crossing the boulder field with a full pack was quite a labor.

The view was rewarding.

Jagged Johannesburg was in the background

Marc looking onward

Johannesburg

A sweet nap during the break.  (Bruster is sound asleep!)

Priscilla getting a sip of water from the creek

Finally we reached the snow and got cooled down a little.

	Smile, Priscilla!

Climbing the last steep slope before reaching our camp

A small tent on the ridge top

Building camp at this perfect camp site.  Feels like an amphitheatre with 360 view of mountains

Glacier Peak

Tina and Geoff at camp

Jim Clinton

Day 2

We got up at 5 am and started climbing at 6:15.

Marc taking a rest

	Eldorado Glacier is flat and free of crevasse

	Spring's rope team approaching

Forbidden Peak

Geoff is giving a speech during a break.  He kicked steps the whole way up !!

tremendous view

A tough climber

	Geoff is ready to lead the knife-edge ridge

The famous ridge

Summit is ours!

One of the climber from another party of three took a tumble on the ridge.  The fall was stopped by his partners.

Descending the ridge

Footprints on the ridge

John and Tina on the summit

View of Forbidden on the summit

	Glacier Peak in the distance

We came back to camp at 1pm and got back to car at 6pm.  Awesome climb!