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pioneerian

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Everything posted by pioneerian

  1. Thanks Josh! That will save at least two hours next time. However, it will also save two beers for which I am totally against...
  2. Did you type it in Word and copy and paste into the link? This happened to me a few days ago. Once I retyped everything without copying from Word it worked. If that doesn't do it than the only conclusion can be someone on the website has been watching too much porn...
  3. Oh blessed be the wonderful Pac NW hiking and climbing community. Such admiration for a fellow's beer! Don't go chang'n
  4. After years of scampering up south side variations, I finally worked up the nerve to swear off the spring traffic jams and look to the other side of the mountain. Snuck out of work early and my buddy Dylan and I headed for the mountain. We staged a car at Timberline and were off to Tilly Jane. We made it to the trailhead around 7PM. With the usual pre-climb anticipation, signs of sleep didn't look to be on the menu, so we figured an evening approach would be a fine way to round out the day. We appreciated the sight of a mottled lenticular on the way up and hoped the evening would push it out by morning. Got to the A-frame around 9PM. Fortunately for us, the cabin was reserved by a solo skier from SEATAC who invited us in. THANKS ALEX! After chatting around the fire for a bit, we turned in to grab a wishful few hours of sleep. Got up at 2:30 and thought, OH SH#@!, it's late and the temp didn't drop. Hovering somewhere in the low 40s, it was time to get a move on if we wanted any shot at getting off the sun struck slope before it started to sluff. An absolute gorgeous night with no wind - provided one of the stillest nights I've experienced. Made it above timberline to see that frickin' lenticular still hanging on. We agreed you can't take the good without the bad so despite the probability of 'no vis' and a good shot of wind, it would at least shield the sun a bit. Passed the stone shelter and made it to tie-in-tock around sunrise. We hit the cloud in another 500' and sure thing, we were treated to a healthy dose of wind and cold. With a quick wardrobe change, it was onward and upward. The gusts were manageable and it was kind of nice not having the north face exposure as a distraction. The snow pack was solid and climbing easy despite the warm conditions so we kept the rope and pickets in our packs and decided to solo. We reached the chimeney as the sky opened up. Within minutes the sun was beating down on us. At 10500', the slope was stable but we knew that wouldn't last long. One last hard quick push and after a few exchanges of kicking in steps, we topped out just after 8AM. The cornice was small (2') and soft, so easy to punch through. Snapped a few glamor shots and descended through the gates.
  5. I'm just outside of PDX and still have some open slots on my schedule. Sounds like a similar skillset and I'm definitely not a guide so hit me up if you'll help pack a role and have any climbs is mind! Going up Hood's sunshine on May 6th a need 1 or 2 more.
  6. Great photos bud! Mind asking what lens (and setting) you used?
  7. pioneerian

    nooob

    welcome gixxer! south side is pretty straight forward as I'm sure you've heard. I generally tell people if you want a little extra security on the upper slope, leave the rope and bring another axe/2nd tool. I think this gives you better options between routes (chute, pearly gates, mazama) and can go for whatever is least crowded. Bronco's comments are as what I've experienced for skiing. Good luck!
  8. I used the hybrid G12s with Evos for years and felt pretty good about the system. However, I'd opt for full-bail if I were to do it again since there a little easier.
  9. I tried it in the longest position with the long bars which gave me about 1/4" gap from the back tabs but still a no go... Cursid big feet!
  10. I tried moving the bail and that makes it worse and the bar is maxed out with the size of boots. Appreciate the info on the other crampon options!
  11. I've been having an issue with my beloved G12 new-matic crampons locking to a new pair of Scarpa Mont Blanc boots. Is anyone familiar with this? The G12s have seen a good deal of use but I don't think it's a wear issue. The boots are size 48 which I know is the upper limit but they locked well to my old La Sportivas. The MBs have a rounded heal so the lever doesn't seem to go forward enough to actually "lock". If a new crampon is needed, I've been looking at the G22s, Cassin C14s, Cyborgs, or Sarken if you've had experience with any, please share. Thanks!
  12. In a lot of ways, experience = comfort in climbing and vise versa, meaning you're on the right track just getting out there. I started the same way and even if you're going up Helens in the winter that's generally more advanced than nearly everyone taking a basic climb class/school. My tactic (right or wrong) was just use good judgement and climb until I didn't feel comfortable going for the next pitch. And if you want to meet fellow climbers just climb the south side of Hood and half of them will be there! If not, I live an hour away, shoot me a PM if you're heading up.
  13. People make fun of me but I actually have had pretty awesome luck with the cheapo energizer headlamps. My BD SPOT has decent features but sucks at altitude/cold weather. My Petzl Tikka XP is decent all around. In the end there's no best, just what you end up shelling out the dough for.
  14. Ha! Thanks bud. I got a "GPS guy" for a partner who wants to download the track. Fitness is good with the newbs. They're marathon folks but we'll be shuttling for sure, since two are fresh out of climb school (and I'm lazy...), besides I'm hoping to do Cooper Spur the next weekend anyway.
  15. I'm looking for some fine folks out there to provide some details/beta on Hood's sunshine route. Looking to go in early May (if Rd to Cloud Cap is open) with one other experienced and a few newbs. Debating on bivying somewhere along the route to spend a little more time checking out the north side.
  16. Unfortunately agreed. We bailed
  17. I was thinking about heading up Sunday morning. Went through the P.G. a few weeks ago and it looked decent from the summit with some nice steps kicked in. There were two climbers that appeared to be just starting the route around 5AM. If you give it a go before then I'd appreciate the condition report. Thanks!
  18. For bags, the price reflects quality and durability more than a lot of other gear in my opinion. Make the investment and you'll be much more comfortable when you're out. This is huge if you're just getting into the sport as a few nights freezing your a$$ off will make you think twice about taking your next venture or exploring further. I use a Cal 13 and love it. I've also been extremely impressed with all feather friends products. Get a silk liner to keep oils away - you're bag will hold up a lot longer.
  19. Trip: Mt Hood - Leuthold Date: 6/1/2014 Trip Report: 9 PM @ T-line and trying catch some sleep in back of the good old F150. Doing everything I can not to think about the one and a half hours of sleep I have before me. That coupled with the last 6 months of a solid beer diet and a general overall indulgence; basically forgetting about anything and everything that would help me prepare for climbing another mountain. F*&$, am I about to do this again?! To my surprise the alarm hit pretty easy. Midnight moonlight start, oh yeah, “this isn't going to be so bad.” The dreaded slog up the Palmer was almost nice. Yeah, I said it, "nice". Remembering what it was like to be heading up that first peak, put back in the place where you fell in love with climbing. It hits me every year. The little things like remembering the silencing effect of the snow or in this case the steady meteor shower over the mountain. A good omen. My buddy Dylan and I hit Illumination saddle around 2:30 slightly annoyed to see the south-siders who started with us much higher up on the mountain. Alrighty, “time to give it another go.” Snap a pic and rope up, trying not to focus on the last two failed attempts on the Leuthold. The drop down from the saddle and crossing the Reid Glacier was pretty straight forward. The snow God was with us today. The crevasses were open and for the most part easy to navigate. We both laughed at the memory of Dylan falling through up to his arms last year. I don’t know why but they always bring out the little kid in you. You just have to take a peak. We kept left across the Reid and got to about 9600’ where we decided to start placing pro. The hour glass began raining down the light snow particles – the type that sounds like a rain stick. We took a quick break while my buddy adjusted his gear. As I started to slip into a Zen state looking out on Illumination rock, it started, the flow from the hour glass. Hit by a tennis ball sized ice chunk right in the back of the neck. F##%* #*# *#!!! I can’t believe that just happened. I mean, anywhere but the neck. Alright, time to get up this mountain! We quickly set pickets up to the hour glass. The snow was pretty firm so I was glad I brought a hammer – no need for screws. Everything stayed pretty light through the hour glass and above. And for whatever damn reason, the biggest thing that peeled off the upper slopes that day, hit me in the damn neck. Around 10500’ we both started to see what we saw back at the pickup. 6 months of sitting on your ass in a season where the # of stouts in a week > the # of miles ran in a week. Thinking “I could be sleeping right now! What the hell did I want to do this for?” Counting every 50 steps before allowing myself a little pause, we finally hit the summit ridge. What a site. Perfect timing with a good group of fellow climbers standing on the summit. It was the calmest day I had ever experienced on a climb so we decided to take our time. Descended via the Old Chute and back to the truck by 10. The snow stayed surprisingly firm until beyond Silcox. The SS slog was well worth it to have gotten off the beaten path for a bit. Just a good day to be back in the mountains. Gear Notes: 4 screws, picketts, alpine rope, Approach Notes: An intense drive to Timberline
  20. I'm looking for a good route to get a familiar with Baker. I've been up there skiing but have never made the opportunity to climb it. Not looking for anything too technical. I'm going with a few buddies whose experience is around Mt. Hood SS and Shasta. Thanks
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