Jens

Despite tweaking my shoulder last week, I'll be down starting on the 15th staying on the strip and most likely pulling pockets on area Limestone. Anybody climb any of the longer Jay Smith stuff that was put up in protest of the 3-4 or so very popular Black Velvet Wall routes?

Insiders are saying that the Feds will bail out one of the two (GM or Ford) but not both. Buy stock in both and make enough money on the one that gets bailed out to make it worth your while. The prices on GM and Ford stock are amazing right now. My two cents: The Feds should bail them both out.

I was a professional ski instructor for eight years and think your idea is a good one. You'll get more out of one or two private lessons than you would from a whole series of adult group lessons. Video analysis is a wonderful tool for improving. Definitely put a lot of time in during early winter lift skiing. You'll get a ton of vertical in. My brother Hans and I riding high speed quads at Whistler on full alpine gear from open to close will get more vertical in one day than the majority of the cascade rando and tele backcountry guys get in a whole season. If you are looking to go on the cheap, hang out at one of bars at a ski area and make a deal with an instructor who is away from his home area. good luck.

Does anyone know what are the current logistics (post washout of a few years ago) of getting to the Big 4 ice caves?

Sweet pic. Speaking of mountain loop, can I easily get to the big 4 ice caves right now or is that bridge over the river still out. Do we have a detour? Does anyone know?

Didn't one of our frequent cc.com posters in the early days of the site work for them?

What is the limit of how small of rope diameter size you've safely used in a grigri belay device?

Mtn. tools has done a lot of good work for me. They will customize any length you want so you don't have to use those annoying quickdraw extensions. They are a bit slow though.

One of the best posts in a while. Thanks for the info! Be safe and avoid the white death.

A buddy of mine loves those Simond screws but I've never tried em'. I like the Petzl/Charlets except they can be a little hard to clip sometimes.

On both the approach and descent, Loren and I also noticed a lot of other water ice flows "in" that would be fun to climb on Colfax and the surrounding cliff bands. --------------- Longer water ice season than Colorado or Montana!

I think one of the large groups that was up at Baker may have accidently grabbed some of my stuff thinking they were cleaning up from their outing. We got down late from the Cosley-Houston and people probably figured it was left on accident. I lost a green 2 section trekking pole, New Balance running shoes with superfeet, and a yellow Charlet crampon bag. at the base of the Coleman Glacier yesterday (Sunday, October 19th). The pole and shoes are to large to be carried away by Ravens or other wildlife and I had a large rock over the crampon bag.

Nice! Otto, you are dating yourself by claiming to own a Forrest big wall hammer. ------------ I was up working on a new route right of yours a bit 3 days earlier.

I've been following this guy since first reading about him in a European Magazine in 89'. He's soloed 8b+ (14a) And spent some nights in third world prisons for some of his antics! -------------------- Whatever happened to Spiderman Goodman (sp.?) Didn't he climb at Smith a bunch?

My wife and I just got snowed on some alpine rock in the region, be ready for a bit more snow/rime/ drippage than expected even on the southern aspects.

Try the thin ice above if you want to test your mettle during a cold snap. Bring pins. It is pretty delicate/heady but fun stuff.

The UW rock if they decide to tear it out for the 520 expansion.

I've climbed at the place in the afternoon on the way home from Daniel/ Cathedral rock day. I climbed two bolted pitches that were in the low 5.10 range. The rock was a bit chossy and dirty. Park at the gravel road pullout just a dash north of the crag. The crag is gets afternoon sun

Great idea for a sticky! ------------------------ I work in far south Seattle (skyway, rainier valley, and the like) it is quite a different world than the north neighborhoods.

I've only clibmed their on dry days but I was told by my buddy that if a wind picks up a bunch, you'll get wet. If their is a only a small breeze you'll find some dry real estate to climb. I'm sure others on this board would be able to give better beta.

I'll be around Friday night only.

Ahh, come on Dawg, just show up in that Oscar Meyer Wiener costume you wanted to wear to the Dihedrals at Smith during the Lycra heyday. Just show up!

I hope he is going to be OK.

Yikes!

Nice pictures. Jaberwocky tower has in my opinion some of the nicest granite anywhere!