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Uh, dude, relax. I never said it was the smartest thing ever attempted and I am not blaming anybody for our decision to leave a rope. I also never said I wouldn't go back out there and get it myself. This post was meant to recover it if someone else beat me to it. I intend to let it settle a bit before returning there. Time for a Sunday morning group hug? Chris

gratuitious cross-post: Crown Jewel is somewhat "in" and we left a rope at P1. If you're out there and grab it, drop me a line if you feel like giving it back. Thanks! Chris The other post

Distracted by the possibilties of ice again in the Columbia Gorge, a pair of climbers went and took a swing at Crown Jewel yesterday. They managed to complete the first pitch just as an enormous part of the route "retired." Thankfully, the belay stance was out of the way and the follower was about three moves from it. It could have been rather ugly... This pair of climbers then retreated post-haste, simply tying a single rope to the manky anchor and rapping off. So yes, this means there's a rope hanging from the top of P1. If anyone is out today and snags it, please drop me a line and I will make sure it gets back to the proper owner... THANKS!! Chris PS - It was thin in spots, a little cauliflowered, but it took some stubbies if you placed them cautiously. Don't fall though, and make sure it's below freezing when you're trying to climb ice!

Shaun, This isn't so much good location advice but I'll pitch it to you anyway. I moved to Oregon years ago as a mediocre (at best) skier but was talked into joining the Mt Hood Ski Patrol by a co-worker. I tried out and mysteriously was selected for on-the-hill duties and went through a year as an apprentice. Let me say this about that: YOU GET ROCK SOLID ON YOUR BASIC SKILLS. It was a year of hell- dragging sleds, learning WFR stuff, dragging more sleds, setting ropelines, sweeping areas, dragging more sleds, setting ropelines, cleaning tower pads, dragging sleds, practicing evaluations on slope and dragging sleds. It was A LOT of work but when you're inducted you do have the confidence that you can handle whatever you need to wherever it may be. If you're worried about budget and want to learn to ski ANYTHING (granted maybe not with TGR style, but you'll get down it well), bust your hump to get on a patrol and work it for all it's worth. Many side benefits too- ski for free and cut the lines, lots of experience with beacon searches etc, avy classes, mucho education... Just my two cents. Either way, like the others have suggested learn rock solid skills on moderate terrain and 90% of the world will be your oyster! Granted none of the above tells you where you should go ski to learn, but that's the beauty of thread drift. Now back on topic... Chris

Oh studious one, care to grace us with some TR action? CK

Great post Chad. Some of the preceding comments are very poignant, and I’ll try my hand at it too. I know I’ll leave something out but it’s a start at what I know and don’t. What I know: climbing has changed my life. I didn’t always climb. Now I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live without it. It was something I literally one day “discovered,” and it hasn’t let me down ever since. I know that there are day-to-day challenges I face in life- mostly work crap. Stuff where effort, knowledge, skill and such have nothing to do with the outcome of a situation. What climbing provides me is an environment where I get to make decisions and live with their consequences, both good and bad. It provides me a touchstone to restore myself and my balance, and to feel (ever so briefly) as though I can be master of my own destiny. I know I used to climb the things that people would recognize so they would be impressed. This was when I first started climbing and I thought it validated the experience. That has changed. At this point I will drive hundreds of miles to try some route I probably read about here on CC and not be certain if I’ll get up it. Of course the competitive side of me wants to get up it, but the aesthetic side of me drives me more to climb the “cool route” with interest and flair rather than slog up some goat track. Either way, I don’t care if anyone knows where it is, what it looks like or if there is something else higher and/or more difficult. I know half the fun of climbing is all the planning and anticipation. The other half is reliving it on the drive home and later with friends (and spraying on CC.com) once it’s over. There is yet another half, which is that almost tangible moment when you’re basking in the radiant triumph of pulling off something you thought might just be a little bit beyond your abilities- calling "off belay" atop the last pitch of a stout (for me) multi-pitch alpine route, or finishing the last rappel to mild terrain off the summit massif of your first Grade V. You get the picture. If you had to pick the precise instant into which all the joy of climbing could be condensed, this would be it for me. It's the moment I know that I have met the challenge and will succeed, and it’s my own version of a climber’s high. This is my addiction. I know climbing introduces you to incredible, yet ordinary people just like you. You spend irreplaceable moments of your life with them and it forges friendships stronger than any others. I can’t say enough about the quality of the people I climb with. I know that the vivid memories I have from my ventures in the alpine will NEVER dim- watching spectacular Technicolor sunsets, hanging out at a phenomenal bivy, tagging the route I’ve always wanted to climb but never really thought I actually would, my first WI4 lead, lying in my bivy under a black velvet sky with a GAZILLION stars blazing above, the overwhelming physical and emotional torment of bailing from a climb simply because my feet had huge f****n’ blisters. Eldorado. Wedge. Jefferson. Johannesburg. Climbing anything with my dad. I know the more I climb, the more I want to climb more. And be better at it- but only for me. I do not care if someone at a party knows what or where I climb- unless they are climbers too and we can swap stories. I know I enjoy taking a newbie up something just as much as I enjoy climbing a hard route with a ropegun partner. The experiences are vastly different yet inherently similar and to me each is rewarding in its own right. I also really enjoy a climb of balanced responsibility, being able to swap leads and matching my partner with skills and route. “If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly.” – Despair.com. I know that I’m not ___ ___ (insert any famous name here). I climb for me, for my personal challenge, to spend time with people I choose, and to experience the beauty of being out there. I’m not afraid to say I max out after small pitches of WI4 and only lead 5.8 trad on a good day, but I keep climbing and try to get better. If someone is better already- that’s great for them! I do this for me. Climbing elicits incredibly strong emotions from me. It IS an addiction and I am completely hooked. How else can you explain the willingness to endure sufferfests time and time again and yet still be stoked to go back out. It also can be incredibly selfish and I probably haven’t learned to effectively balance that in relationships yet. I know it took me 31 years to discover North Cascades National Park. Yes, it is proof of heaven for me too. It is our country’s greatest secret treasure and I hope it is never developed into one of those Yellowstone/Yosemite circuses. I can honestly say that I don’t need to climb anywhere else (though I still will). But please don’t tell anyone about it as I am selfish and want to keep it “just between us.” You know, hush-hush like… Seriously, keep it quiet. I wish I was Canadian, or at least lived in Canadia. It’s like NOCA, but bigger. I wish I was modestly independently wealthy. I really don’t need a lot, but I want to do a lot. There is so much to do in this life and work crap keeps getting in the way. But it forces me to choose purposefully what I do with my time here so I don’t waste it. And that is why I go climbing with my good friends in god’s country. Climb on! Chris

Anyone with updates?

Kurt- Yeah, both Donn and I were "focused" and went right by the set of bolts. We ended up simul-ing just when it got spicy over the last step. Rather commiting... We laughed at each other when we saw them as we were rapping down. Good times and thanks for the excellent tip! CK

Hey Bala, Nice to meet you as well. Pics looked nice, looked like you had some fun too... Sunshine even! Good times. I put a couple pics up for a TR here. Later, Chris

Climb: Banff-Cascade Falls Date of Climb: 1/6/2006 Trip Report: Goods time were had by all. Cruised to the Great (not-quite-so) White North last week for a 2 day blitz with DonnV, vw4ever, and Rodney. Two days of frozen fun ensued. First day was at Cascade Falls. The Falls: The sunrise: The gang gearing up (vw4ever Chad, DonnV, Rodney): Rodney leading out: Chad leading out the last pitch: Action shot of the last pitch: (Photo by DonnV) Me cleaning up: (Photo by DonnV) Second day at Haffner Creek was really fun as well. More pics to come as they are in Rodney's and Donn's cameras. Gear Notes: Exactly what you think you should bring... No surprises. Approach Notes: Can't beat 10m to base of Cascade! Haffner was worth finding as well, not difficult if you know where to look. Edited to fix links to full size pics.

Kurt- I thought I saw you two down there! Just a small correction, Chad and I are the two small red dots on the ledge to the (climber's) right of the main flow about halfway up the Cascade pic. That's actually DonnV pulling over the top of the pitch and Rodney just leaving the belay stance. Thanks for the GREAT tip for the route. We headed to Haffner Creek the next day for a little ice cragging. We eventually even found it (long story, can't read well) and had a great time. For those interested, PDX-Banff is roughly 12 hours. GO GET IT!! Chris

12/30- No bueno. We headed up Friday (12/30) and after a ~3h drive to get there, ~2.5h "bivy" at the closed gate (opened ~1030), we drove to Narada Falls to watch lots of water (the NON-frozen variety) spilling over the falls. So, there is NO ice on the falls. Nothing else looked in. The biggest icicles we saw would fit *inside* the screws we brought. No really attractive ice anywhere... There wasn't enough snow on the ground to avoid leaving half of ski bases ground off on rock so we didn't bother heading to the Tatooshes. We couldn't see Lane through the clouds/fog so didn't bother with that as avy conditions were high. So we turned around and went home. Nothing like ~12h in the truck to not even put a boot on! Hopefully this post will prevent others from happening and encourage a little more beta on the board. Chris

Can anyone go this morning? Looking to get my Crown Jewel merit badge. Chris

I need a partner now too. Looking to try Crown Jewel tomorrow morning (12/19) if the highway is open. Anyone available? Chris

I am looking for a partner in crime for Weds AM if things are still worthy. PM me if you're up for something.

beaconben- let's connect. check your PMs. Chris

Hey, thanks for the unsolicited beta post. Saved me a 4h ride to find nothing white and frozen. Stayed home and got fat and sleepy instead. Good choice. Chris

I know it's turkey-day and all but anyone want to knock down something alpine and interesting Thurs night/Fri in the PDX area. Post here or PM me por favor. Chris

Chad, Check your PM's. Chris

Cross posted, click HERE Chris

On SS of Hood. Found it on Sunday. Tell me what it is and you can have it back. Reply here if it's yours. Chris

Normally I agree. In my defense, I had to be back in town early in the afternoon and had no time to wait for the snow to soften. We passed a half dozen people hanging at Hogsback waiting for things to bake. We probably would have ditched ours ~9k on the way up anyway and the snow above that was inconsistent and textured. I had vowed earlier that I wouldn't ever go up that thing again without skis, but it was actually the right thing to do this time.

Climb: Hood-South Side variation Date of Climb: 11/20/2005 Trip Report: I can't believe I am writing this but I had a great time on Hood's South Side this weekend. Left the lot @0530 after much debate about skinning up or hiking. In the end, the boards stayed in the car and we hoofed it up. Styrofoam snow enabled great hiking and cramponing and Jamie and I made great time to the flat just below Crater Rock. It was his first time going for the top but he'd done bit of climbing before and I was simply along as tour guide. Just before the steepening section below and east of Crater Rock I had the brilliant idea that maybe we should try something a little more interesting to gain the summit. At this point it was only around 0800 and the sun hadn't yet hit the steep slope on the West Crater Rim Headwall (name I made up but seems accurate). I threw the idea out of traversing over to the west side of CR, heading up the fun pitch and then a rising traverse up to the old chute to the summit ridge. We were both a little worried about the steepness and potential for warming with the sun and sliding but we'd evaluate that once we had to commit. He was game and off we went. And it was great! Rock solid snow, steep enough to be interesting, not enough to be in fear of death, sustained enough to make us work and BEAUTIFUL weather considering it's halfway through November. We gained the shoulder by the top of ridge and worked our way up the old chute dodging only minor snow cookies and small rocks. GOOD TIMES!! Summit ridge was fine but the summit strangely unoccupied (arrived at 1000). I had expected to see a large number of people up there but alas, we were the only two. Oh well, snack time and down we go... And then we found out why no one else was up there. There is an icy step which we could only guess the size when looking down from the top. There was one rope team which had just descended it but since we only had single alpine axes and no rope, we climbed back up to the ridge, traversed and descended back to Hogsback via the old chute. Off with the crampons and an hour and a half later we were back at the car. I still can't believe how much I enjoyed a climb of the south side of Hood. The variation was exactly what I needed. Gear Notes: crampons, alpine axe Approach Notes: the usual

Wzzzzzzzz-u, Turn your phone on, I'll buzz you today. CK

So, it's not quite a climbing partner search but I thought I'd try here anyway. I am looking for space to shower, eat and sleep this winter for mid week skiing at Bachelor. My work schedule can get me over to Bend Weds afternoons thru Saturday and I HATE MEADOWS so I am thinking of a Bachelor mid-week pass. Basically just looking for a place to crash Weds/Thurs and some Fri nights. Feel free to reply with a post or PM me here. Chris