mattp

I'm with Dan on the tools. A regular ice axe will serve you well on most of the climb and all of the descent. If you are competent on snow and ice you'll probably need the second tool for no more than about 500 feet vertical.

Ski down to Green Lakes and then out and you won't have to cross the plains. A good drop is to head over to toward the SE satellite peak, drop S to the glacier below, traverse E and boot up to reach another good straight drop a little more SE; when that flattens out traverse and boot up again to reach a drop more toward the lake below. From the Lake, just head down toward the trailhead. It is a little longer if you head up via Green Lakes but not much and you'll have the descent route scoped.

Crickett, A nice route on Mt. Washington is via the bowl below the East Face, up a diagonal ramp trending up and left from the head of that bowl, joining the standard route 100 feet below the summit. I have taken all kinds of groups up that route over the years, and it has been pretty much a hit every time. Here's what I wrote in a 2001 trip report here on cc.com:

Layton Kor has died. He did new routes from Utah to Alaska and I've had the pleasure of following his routes in a bunch of different ranges. Have you followed one of his bolt ladders? Run it out on some crazy slab? Grovelled in the mud? Impressive, huh? I tip my hat.

The Matterhorn of the North Cascades gets a ski descent. Awesome.

I'd give the dulfersitz a miss. It sucks for the reasons mentioned above. You can do some reasonably OK rappels on steep but well less than vertical terrain by wrapping the rope around your arms, though. I think we used to call it an "Australian Rappel" but maybe it was a "Military Rappel." Take the rope under both arms and swing your arms around the rope to wrap it around an extra spiral around each arm. Control it with the downhill hand. I've used this technique mostly when gardening or pursuing some other none-climbing activity but occasionally I use it climbing.

Outstanding!

Hear hear. I have often heard people complain that guided parties were hogging the mountain or that their clients didn't deserve to be there. I think that climbers who may not want to invest a couple of seasons into acquiring knowledge have just as much right to climb Mt. Rainier as I do, and, in my experience, guides generally try NOT to piss off other climbers because they don't want complaints to be sent to the land managers. While guided parties may be larger than private parties or there may be a lot of them, I bet they are easier to be around than the same number of amateurs. I agree with the posts about how guides are given special privileges on Mt. Rainier and I understand the complaints about the concessionaire system, but I think it is a good thing that people can be guided on Mt. Rainier. By the way: I have led climbs were we stashed sick climbers in sleeping bags and picked them up on the way down. All involved thought it was a good solution to a real problem.

Yeah, thanks. And good on ya for using hardware that is removable. One day your new anchors will need replacement, too.

Nice one!

Fred and Jens crushed it last night and the folks at CWU Recreation center hosted a good show!

We took home $5500 last week and there is a fundraising event in Ellensburg tomorrow night. Dollars for Dumper. Meanwhile, I drove over from Seattle and the porta potty in the parking area for Frenchman Coulee (I mean Vantage) seems to be doing ok. A quick survey in the camping area yielded 100 percent in favor of a real toilet, though.

You can call it whatever you want but maybe it would be "right" to call it Duwamish, because Seattle started near the mouth of the Duwamish River and all these Anglo names are wrong.

Photo from hugefloods.com A good time was had by all and the Washington Climbers Coalition is several thousand dollars closer to bringing a toilet to Vantage. Sarah Kreuger at the Mountaineers got a special award for service. American Alpine Club and Access Fund were there to represent and Second Ascent helped make sure nobody got thirsty.

Is that shorthand for "it is not really a couloir and if you fall you may tumble over a cliff rather than sliding down a gully"?

Join us a Nectar Lounge, in Fremont, for a fund raising party in support of the Vantage toilet project. Music, beer, raffles, etc. Visit washingtonclimbers.org for more information on this and other current issues facing climbers in Washington and, meanwhile, send your pictures of your favorite toilets to info@washingtonclimbers.org We'd like to show some pictures of toilets on Wednesday night. Anybody have a shot of the old crapper overhanging Kings Ravine at Crag Camp?

If there is not much new snow the approach trail will likely have a deep trench created by snowshoes and walkers, and skiing down in particular can be a nightmare, but even in "challenging" conditions, a good skier will benefit from wearing skis. If you are climbing a real technical climb ski boots may not be your best bet. For most of the "standard" winter climbs up there, they do OK.

I thought it was a pretty good piece, Tvash, and worth the read. Nothing stunning but it appears to provide a thorough overview of political trends with a lot of footnotes. The general thesis is a rather mainstream notion that the Republican Party platform appeals to a decreasing base. but there is a lot of analysis along the way. Probably worth your time, rather than a simple dismissal.

Most family backpacking tents will not cut it high on Rainier if you get high winds. I've seen 'em blown to shreds.

Let me add, in response to Steve's post, that I provided a link to the WCC page where there is in turn a paypal link. If you read our site you find this out but here's an important point: as long as we are engaged in this Vantage fundraising effort all donations received there go directly to the Vantage toilet effort unless the donor tells us they are to be designated for another purpose. Also, you should know that, even when this fundraising effort has concluded, we are an all volunteer organization and don't maintain an office. All donations go directly to to Washington climbing area access and stewardship efforts.

Yes, this is a great cause. I believe that the Access Fund and the Spokane branch of the Mountaineers have been trying to get Fish and Wildlife to consider a toilet there for well over a decade but it was only last year that someone from the Seattle Mountaineers was able to secure a meeting and we are moving ahead. Go to www.washingtonclimbers.org and you'll find a link on our front page to a pay pal account where you can donate.

Hey all, we are now about $35,000 toward our goal of $50,000. Come ond down to Fremont and help us close out the campaingn on March 20. bwrts, the project has a lot of expenses beyond just a toilet. We have already spent several thousand dollars on a cultural survey and site exploration just to get it to the point where we have somebody at Fish and Wildlife able to actively move ahead. Fish and Wildlife owns the land and they choose the site. As to why call it Vantage? My own reason would be that most people call it that. You are correct that the guidebook says Frenchman's Coulee and I understand why that may make sense to you (although most of the climbs are in Echo Basin, not Frenchman Coulee). "Vantage" may be "wrong" but more people know what we are talking about than if we called it "Frenchman's Coulee." The conversation often goes like this: "Can you help us with our toilet project at Frenchman's Coulee?" "Where?" "You know: Vantage." "Oh. Yeah. That place needs a toilet."

Pete, last I looked there were only a few high risk specialties where the tort risk added significantly to the cost of doing business. OB GYN was one. The extra tests and extra procedures are driven by a number of factors. Yes, doctors may not want to "miss" something, but the business model appears to support extra tests and extra appointments to discuss the results quite apart from any concern for liability. The expensive and un-needed tests make money for the doctors and the testers. Providing an appropriate diagnosis and treatment without the tests does not.

I am a moderator, Pink. But, sorry, I don't remember the Flying Pig business. Seriously. I believe that what we say here is not just all in fun, but I don't keep track of everything.

The percentage of "fights gone bad" is small, Pink. But the consequences can, never-the-less, be real. I too have befriended cc.com moderators or the nemesis's thereof. I've maintained 10 year friendships with posters who I fundamentally disagree with as well as those with whom I totally agree. And, in addition, third parties outside our little circus may draw completely different lessons than what we thought we were posting. Entertaining as it may be, what we post here does, in fact, matter.