El Do*ra*do (noun)
[Spanish, literally, the gilded one]
1 : a city or country of fabulous riches held by 16th century explorers to exist in So. America
2 : a place of fabulous wealth or opportunity

It was just one of those things.

Various issues - work, stress, health or lack thereof, the need to climb something, anything - had me looking for a place to be for Labor Day weekend. I pinged my regular partner Brian to see if he was free, but a recent trip to New Hampshire and an imminent vacation had him tied up. I shot email to various points on the map, New York, Colorado, California, Utah, Washington, to see what folks were up to/for. After receiving various replies, I'd narrowed it down to a solo ascent of something big and tall in the Rockies or something cold and likely wet in the Cascades. My good friend and becoming steady Cascades compatriot, Brett (Smoker), graciously took me up on the opportunity to climb something. Two days were reserved, tickets were purchased. All we had to do was pick something.

I'd had a secret jones for Mt. Shuksan. It's a classic, probably overclimbed, but beautiful and definitely on my list. Brett had climbed Fisher Chimneys and mentioned it as a good route for us. I was immediately psyched, particularly about the varied terrain on that line. But, like I said, Brett had done the route, and it wasn't completely fair to ask him to go back for a repeat. Brett had not climbed Eldorado, surprisingly, and he recommended we try to snag a permit on the busy weekend and go for it. If no permit, then Shuksan. Fortunately there were five of six permits left at Marblemount. Eldorado it would be.

And so, agreed. Pack, fly, drive, re-pack, get lighter, saddle up. Ready, steady...