Bronco

Hey Canadians, is it true you can get a free case of beer if you find a mouse in your bottle? Where can we get Elsinore? I hear it is great with "JELLIES" eh?

Pint for Pint, Guiness CANNOT be beat.

Mac and Jacks African Amber is good, but not as good as Guiness. Also great is Headstrong Pale Ale brewed by the Big Hole Brewery in Bozeman, MT. Best guzzling beer latley is Coors "banquet" beer or plain old Rainier in a can.

Pencil Pusher: I have a party of 3 attempting the single push on Friday night. You can e-mail me at: rpmcousa@aol.com if you are interested.

Way to go Dan! You sound like a persistant cuss. How was the route above the DC? (direct or lots of end runs around crevases)

Lambone: What other stuff should we climb? Just dry tool at the crags? Climb styrofoam at Cascade Crags? If you are just cranky from not sinking a tool (thunk!) in a while you are welcome to c'mon over. You guys from Montana are ok with me, just stay away from my goat!

AlpineK: That is an excellent suggestion! I gave it some thought and decided that if Caveman and I tear up all of my trees, when I go to sell the farm and the potential buyer walks around and says "why the hell are all of your trees leaking pitch and dying?" Then my wife gives me THE look and I am left by myself with a forest of dead trees filled with broken picks so they arent even good for lumber......... Now I must get some schmidt to lure a tree topper over here! You know anyone who might be interested?

Yes Caveman I have several good, big dry tooling trees on my property. You are welcome to try them out anytime. Mikeadam you should really ask someone who has actually climbed on ice. I just bought my first tools recently and was anxious as hell to try them out and remembered a photo in last years BD catolouge of someone dry tooling on a pier in alaska. I had removed most of the branches up to 30' a few years ago and it was clear sailing even with some small features to hook on.

Mikeadam: The sap is up in most species of trees right now and dry tooling is good. I got on a big Cedar last weekend and had to watch it to not overdrive my tools and spend the next 3 or 4 minutes prying them out. I know it's not the same, but if you can get a rope over a big branch and a belayer you could satisfy the urge. If you don't spend too much time in one place I doubt it really damages the tree beyond recovery.

I drive a rig exactly like the one Erik described. Did you know he comes from a long line of Erik's with a K? It is overkill most of the time (for climbing) but when you are 20 miles up a loggin road in late January it is much better for overkill than under. Alex, These full size, long wheelbase rigs are great except (as specialed noted) they are a total bitch to turn around on a loggin road. I think for a purely to and from the trailhead type of vehicle the smaller ones your are a huntin are the most logical. If you are the type who camps in the car for a week while you crag, give a big van or truck with a small camper a closer look. My favorite rig of all time was a retired civil defense 1967 Ford Bronco with a totally gutless 170ci Inline 6 engine and a three speed manual trany. It's top speed was only about 55 mph going downhill on I-5. Incidentally, that was the same speed I would typically try to drive it off road. We camped two guys in it with the tailgate down and a tarp over the back. Anyway it's off road capabilities greatly reduced the length of a lot of approach hikes and several small trees. PS I believe in driving as close as possible to where you are going otherwise you'd walk the whole way, right?

mikeadam: Don't go soft on us! Hey, I would like to know how you keyboard ninjas can see what somebody posted before the rest of us. Some old Microsoft Airborne Ranger trick I suppose! And I assume us civilians are not going to have clearance for it. Dag nabit!

Catch the scounrels, kidnap them and haul them to the North Cascades where we chain them to the base of a tree, douse them with honey, BBQ sauce and used Maxi-pads as bait for the grizzlies we would be hunting.

Hey Caveman: The beauty of Grizzly Huntin is you just go for a "hike" and happen to have your bow and some arrows tipped with 180 grain broadheads. Kill you a bar' and claim self defense. No seasons or permits to concern yourself with. "Mr. Warden - that mofo Griz was chargin' my last schmit and I had to do sumthin', good thang ah had muh trusty bow" yah, I'm sharpening my broadheads as we speak.

Pope - You forgot TREE-HUGGIN', ORGANIC BEAN EATIN', CANADIAN GOOSE SAVIN' EXTREMIST.

Matt: we cut things with them. I have a mid 80's version of the "Rambo" survival knife I always have on my harness when cragging. I dont seem to have any trouble with guys trying to jump on my route or talk to my belayer. It also works as a piton if I need it. Seriously, I have a medium sized spyderco I take it everywhere hoping to have a need for it and it DOSEN'T get used hardly ever. when it does, it is for pretty wimpy stuff opening a subborn pack of chese and crakers or cutting the tip of a cigar or sumthing. I think your best bet is the smallest cheapest lightest little knife you can find. It always cracks me up to see all of the the "CLIMBERS KNIFES" on e-bay.

Responding to Pencil Dick: The Black Diamond Ice Pack has no frame or rigid suspension. I went with the BD pack over the NOZONE because of it. I agree with your point of carying a sub 2 pounder stricktly for summit attempts, but I wanted something more versatile (ice climbing, ski touring,day climbs) as my old Eddie Bauer day pack finally crapped out beyond repair. But, you raise a good point - it is my money and my choice.

We arent going for speed so much as for a fun different way to approach the climb. I can garantee you we will not be anywhere near a speed record, hoping for about 16 hours TRUCK TO TRUCK. Have a good day On the same subject does anyone know if dry tooling in big cedar trees will place any unusual stress on the picks of your tools?

Verticleswamp: Maybe Vancouver could host the next WTO meeting and the protesters would not need to cross the border. BTW - the traffic in Vancouver was not bad compared to the regular I-5 commute. You should limit your words to no more than 2 sylables if you want any of us to comprehend you next manifest. I am still not sure if it is self degrading of Cheeseheads or insulting to Americans.

Deeeeeeeep Man!

I wish I had seen that last one last week. The vent screens are now melted out of my Walrus' vestublule. I generally don't run the stove inside anything but, it was pretty nasty outside. Oh well, it was exciting for sure and got everybody moving quick!

ANOTHER VOTE FOR BEEEEER!!!!

I have also heard the generalization on caffine, but,have also read a study that you only loose half a cup of coffe due to the diauetic effect so you do come out on the PLUS side of staying hydrated, just not as efficent as water in that regard. I think consuming it in moderation is the key. I don't want to climb with any of my buddies who haven't had thier cup o' joe, they are crankey!!!

I have tried and liked Almond butter smeared on a bagel, it is high in fat for instant energy and slides right down your throat. Cost around $.25 per bagel and you get around 400 calories if you put enough Almond Butter on.

The recovery drink (endurox r4) I use on long climbs has ciwujia in it which has (aparantly) been succefully used by some high altitude climbers. The new generation of recovery drinks are 100 times better than the old gatoraide type stuff. Anyway, I generally have not had bad side effects from altitude, I drink lotsa water. Coffee before, coffee beans durring and a brew after also helps with the good vibes.

I had hoped to climb via the Gib Ledges but, the climbing ranger on duty last Friday Morning said conditions were WI, exposed rock and with the recent wind probably patches of spindrift over the ice to clog your crampons, so it is basically out. The DC is probably the likely cantidate as no one in my party has done the Finger. I think we will leave the pickets, take one extra ice axe to back up an ice axe anchor in the event of a crevase fall. Tennis shoes and poles to muir sounds like a good suggestion also. Is the ginko belober' the same stuff Capt. Cavemon is pushing?