After mutually agreeing about nine times to "just go up a little further," we suddenly ran out of runway. I had gone up first over a short mixed section and had seen what looked like a flat spot just ahead, directly below what would be the first ice pitch. Snow and ice are odd mediums in that angles can look quite benign, until you're on them. What looked flat and spacious below became a 30-degree, cramped neve and ice slope. It would have been easy climbing, but these situations are often deceptive. The danger in continuing up unroped is that you and your partner just might find yourselves on ground difficult enough that [the organization involved in] roping up (getting the packs off, getting the harness on, flaking the rope, building an anchor) might not be convenient¹⁰. Which is quite an ironic situation in which to find oneself (and one Brian and I experienced last year, a couple of gullies to the north of our now current position on Shoestring).

Since we weren't quite there yet and the terrain allowed us to somewhat gingerly get things together (don't drop anything, including yourself), Brian recommended that I stop, sink my tools, clip in to them, then build an anchor. It made sense. I drove a picket about one-third of the way in the neve, clipped my pack off to it (the picket was not a part of the belay anchor), got things shakin', including my knees. We got our harnesses on, I built an anchor and dropped a bight of one of our ropes to Brian. He clipped the second of our half ropes to it, I pulled it up and flaked our lifelines, then dropped them to Brian. We both tied in and were ready to go. It took a while to sort out (and the angle was somewhat medieval), but it was the right thing to do, and in retrospect, we probably didn't rope up too soon, or too late.

Brian led up a short bulge and was quickly out of sight. We were climbing.

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¹⁰Allow me to elaborate, lest you think I'm more off my rocker than usual. Strictly speaking, there is always opportunity to rope up, no matter how dire the predicament. Brian and I had all of our gear in our packs. For safety sake and for equal opportunity suffering, we split the rack and ropes between us. By doing this we more or less ensure that if one of us got hurt, the other has enough gear to assist the other, or get down and go for help, etc. It is possible, however, to work oneself into a position where, since all of the gear is stowed, it is more difficult to retrieve and put into use. I could go on, but the point is: rope up early, while the terrain allows you to do it reasonably comfortably and safely.