mattp

As much as I love everything that is Darrington, I wouldn't recommend those WitchDoctor routes as a place to go practice wall climbing. You can climb routes of equal quality at Index or Squamish with a lot less work in dragging your stuff to the base. They are good climbs, but you should go for the Witch Doctor if you want to climb that particular wall -- but not as a way to "get ready" for the Capitan or something.

There ARE two general schools of packing: the trash compactor method and the Dewey Decimal system. Or you can just skip school altogether and go for the tossed salad.

I generally put stuff I'm not expecting to use toward the bottom of my pack - like my raincoat or a sleeping bag that isn't coming out until I reach camp - and the location of the rack within my pack depends on how and when I'm going to be using it more than a consideration of weight distribution. I think Dru is right that you don't want to put the heaviest objects on top of or on the very back (outside) of your pack or it will mess with your center of balance, but convenience is at least as important as weight distribution. If you pack your pack really welll, but you have to mess around for an extra ten minutes loading the rack in and out of your pack while your buddies are ready to go, they'll be annoyed. Whatever you do, just dump all that crap in there, one lump at a time (a half of a rack, a helmet, or a rope are example's of "lumps). Then slam your pack up and down to compact it and make it all settle in, check the area next to your back for pot lids or cam lobes poking you in the back, cram some soft item in the voids, and start on the next layer.

Cracked- Were you afraid I'd delete you or something? Nice introduction!

I very often deliberately set up my belays with a biner clipped to a biner. It really helps facilitate switching things around or adjusting the situation if you clip a biner to each ancor and then clip everything else to that "master biner" with a separate biner. They may not teach that in the Rock Clinic II course, but it works for me.

What's the matter, there, Cracked? Have you embarasssed yourself around here or something? Sorry I didn't meet you.

I'll get some plates and plastic forks. I'll also be bringing a slide projector if somebody can bring their slides.

He was right. Nobody found any snow this weekend.

Here's the summit ridge, seen from the back side (shot from the bowl west of Cutthroat and north of Whistler): 5/2/04

Lemming #3 nearly goes over the cliff:

Mr. Fleb, in the slot:

Eddie, on some firm snow:

Fleb, enjoying life:

Here's the basin below the Lyell Glacer (photo by Fleb):

Ingalls is a good climb, but you could make the approach Saturday by driving to the Ski-In party in Mazama, and go for S. Early Winter Spire. It is less than half the snow hiking that you'll encounter on the way to Ingalls, and there is less steep snowy terrain inbetween car and summit. The "mixed" pitch to the summit will be very easy to set up with a fixed rope of you want to, but my guess is even your sporto buddy will do just fine without that precaution.

It is not a difficult matter to slip one rope past the other in the middle of a rappel. I often do this near the start of the rappel to get the knot over an edge or through a bush or something. As to the possibility that I need to readjust the ropes lower down on the rap, I usually look down to see where the ends are before I get anywhere near the end of my rope. I cannot think of a single instance in over thirty years of climbing where I've been surprised to find the knot bumping up against my rappel device. When I notice that the ends are uneven such that one may not reach the intended landing spot, I generally look for a ledge or some place where I can unweight the rope and even them out by slipping one up through my device and the other down. I know, this exposes me to the possibility of a placing a sudden jerk on my rappel anchor and on my device -- and somebody's going to want to calculate the fall factors and whatnot -- but that's just how I usually handle the situation. If it is a hanging rappel, you could let one knot bump up against your device and thus force the other end to slip past it and even things out, but I generally try to straighten these things out BEFORE I have the knot up against my rappel device. If it is at all questionnable, don't most of us even up the ends and pull to the middle of the rope BEFORE we even throw it down in the first place?

True. Also true, in my opinion. There is some truth to this statement, as well -- though most of the hostility is reserved for people who are cc.com regulars. Yup. Here's where I disagree. In my view, the guy is damn near 100% correct in his assessment except for the overall conclusion that he draws. But, whether you like it or not, there are lots of different ways to interact with climbers and cc.com is only one site of many. Thanks, all, for wasting my time for three years. See you at the picnic.

Persis is a very enjoyable hike anytime you can drive up that road system.

That would be a TERRIBLE idea. We want to bond with nature. -Just kidding. What are you thinking? Of course!

DIRECTIONS COPIED FROM OTHER THREAD Heading east from Wa pass, from the turn off to Mazama it is approx 4.5 miles to the gate on the left(north) side. It is just before Rocking Horse Ranch and about 3/4 miles before Weeman bridge where Hwy 20 crosses the Methow river. There is a PVC arch and a metal gate which will be open as soon as the first person arrives. The driveway winds across a field a short ways and takes a few minor turns in the open trees. All campers take a left at the porta potty, to find the camping area. Be conscious of vehicle parking so there is plenty of room for tents. You can have a fire there as well, but the main party is at the cabin. If it gets crowded, we may have to put cars out in the field at the entrance and walk in. Straight ahead from the porta potty is a pan abode cabin with a large deck. Behind the cabin is a loop trail that will take you to the river after crossing a few overflow streams that will probably be flowing at this time of year. I have ordered and paid for the porta potty. Please use it for #2 only. Piss in the woods. It would be great if a few of us could bring firewood. I will bring a chain saw for cutting up dead fall and may recruit people to help get some in the wood shed. I always try to do that for the owners. (I do not own this place, but have permission and so I always try to leave it better than I found it!) There is a hand pump well, but the water is kinda rusty. Bring your own drinking water. You can also get it from the river, but it's a little bit of a hike.

Good idea there, Whirlwind, but there won't be any snow anywhere near the keg. It's going to be dry and sunny over there in Mazama, and the snow will be up on the pass.

You'd be smart not to put the skis on your back, but to sling them from the side of your pack, horizontally, with the tails trailing behind you and the tips, together, pointing in front of you. If you set it up right, with the center of balance behind you so it tips up when you let go, and if you have the skis lashed firmly together as one unit that hangs there just below elbow level, you can head through the worst brush the Cascades have to offer with little problem. This is the "Kodiak carry." It works. Come to Mazama this weekend and you can meet the guy who showed it to me.

DIRECTIONS - NEW/IMPROVED. Take exit 169 from I-5 and head west on 50th Street. NE 50th becomes N. 50th and there is a 5-way intersection at Greenlake Way/Stone Way about .7 miles from the highway. Get in the right lane as you approach this intersection, so you can go straight ahead rather than being forced diagonally leftward. .2 miles beyond Greenlake Way/Stone Way, you will see an underpass ahead. Swerve left to go up a ramp that leads onto Aurora Avenue North (highway 99). Turn right (north) on Aurora. .5 miles up Aurora, turn right. The turn is poorly marked but a sign does say "Picnic Shelters, Horse Shoe Pits, Lawn Bolwing, and Park Closes 11:00 pm." Immediately inside the park, turn left and park. Look to the right (east) and you'll see Picnic Shelter #6. We will be there.

My buddy KJ just phoned to say he skied at Washington Pass yesterday and had a good time so he wants to go back this weekend. We didn't talk very long, so I didn't get the specifics, but he said the snow was good on both the hairpin gully and on the Blue Lake side of the ridge.