Jens

ouch pink!

Thanks for the info. What is 100 mile house? It looks like the Washington Desert has much fatter ice than Lillooet. That's pretty rare! -------- My fingers are to sore to type. I just got back from a 5 hour gym session.

Man Raindawg you are the funniest poster on this site! How about some Liberace pics to go with the Simmons pics!

Why has it been so warm up their the last two weeks? Here is why I ask: Lytton is always a bunch warmer than Lillooet and Lytton has been as cold or colder than Lillooet a lot this last month and Clinton is showing way way colder temps than Lillooet (normally a bit lower but not THAT much). I was thinking of heading up Friday-Sat. but now might bail. Any reports anyone?

We didn't pull over or even look at chilrden of the sun but it looked like it had taken a serious beating by the sun.

The "deathcicles" were way smaller and less in number than almost any other year. But ironically, they were falling much more freqently than other years. Perhaps it was beause it had been above freezing all week and was just starting to get cold when we were their. Somebody needs to bring a gun, hike around and clear them. If someone is guiding or taking a big group and would be on the puchbowl for a good portion of the day, a gun would be prudent.

I've never led it but topropped it a bunch in the 90's and I distinctly remember that when I first topropped it in 92' there were fewer holds then when I toproped it in 95'. In 95' theholds were not only numerous but some of the newer ones were much better. ----------- Interestingly enough, many of the overhanging entablature sport routes have gotten harder than when they were first put in.

Eiger Dreams is my personal fav Walter Bonatti's book was good.

Is anyone interested in purchasing a rope with me and cutting it in half just for indoor climbing? (split the cost). I want a new high end 8.9mm or 9.1mm single. (I've fallen off the blue taped route to many da** times!)- I'm to weak and need every edge I can get! I have plenty of outdoor ropes but don't want to drop 150 bucks for just a gym rope. (I've already gone to all the web sites that sell short ropes and all the good ones are sold out).

Once one of these in down to 300 bucks, I'll buy one.

An old timer told me a story about a dude in the alps who fell and his rope caught on a horn above an overhang and his body was not able to be recovered for several years. The old timer saw the body swinging in the wind for quite a while. All the Mt. Hood banter got me thinking...... Are their any places in the cascades where you couldn't be rescued or recovered even in perfect weather? Anyone care to post scenarios about places you've been that might fit the above? When I was climbing a short AI2 section about 300 feet below the "traverse of the angels" on Willis Wall I had a rock hit the top of my backpack at terminal velocity, I thought later, who would come up here and give me First Aid (had I been hurt)as it was July and the whole face was a shooting gallery every few minutes. Another possible scenario: Two climbers are roped together from the top of little Tahoma standing on the summit in winter. One slips over the north face and yanks the other with him. Their rope snags on an overhang. They end up cutting the rope and free falling another pitch to a steep rock face above a huge overhang not on any route. How would a rescue be conducted if it was not possible to lower in and climbing a new route to get to them might be only posible for a couple people in this whole state because of the overhanging drytooling (and the choss might be unaidable)? Any other places or scenarios? -Johannesburg comes to mind as their are canyons that can't be flown into. I don't mean any disrespect to the Hood folks.

If you don't end up finding many ice partners: Show up at Banks Lake, WA Devil's Punchbowl area or Marble Canyon at Lillooet, BC on a Saturday and you'll find plenty of people to climb with. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest.

Headed out to Banks Lake with Mizuki today. We weren't going to go because it has been above freezing for much of the week and it was 37F for most of the day yesterday. Roads: Very good shape Route Conditions: On the way in, after seeing champagne and the cable, we were very depressed and thought it would be a dry tooling only day (lame) but it turned out to be a stellar day of ice. First the bad news: Champagne: Has fallen down-all bare rock except for about 25 feet at the base. Cable: Disconnected smears of ice with long stretches of bare rock. H202: Has snapped off -------------- Now the good news: We climbed around and rapped in and climbed the upper half of Zenith. It was as perfect as ice gets. Not brittle, not wet, not arrerated. Steep perfection. The Lower portion that we bypassed has snapped off. We then each soloed the Devil's Punchbowl. On the right side it was good ice and not to wet. Lots of ice here -this climb has enough volume to survive any heat wave until spring. We then climbed Phase Transition. OK sticks but screws were psychological only. Felt the upper pillar settle while I was leading. The water table seepage patterns at this place are radically different from year to year at Banks.

I'd try: West of the cascades: Anything from Seattle to the Canadian Border near or east of I-5. East of the cascades: Leavenworth, or Twisp. If you've got a drill, their is a lifetime of new virgin lines to be had in the greater Twisp, Winthrop, Mazama area. Shoot us a pm when you arrive if you want to sample some climbing.

I'll agree with you for sure on the media circus bit. Friends are coming up to me and asking me about this. As for your second point, I would have to respectfully disagree with the arguement that this new public policy maximizes the rescuers chances of stumbling into a needle in a haystack. More technical climbers enjoying the only "real" alpine peak in the whole state of Oregon can only mean more eyes. I personally don't agree with the arguments that have been made earlier about how it would make it so hard for the rescuers if anyone else was climbing in the mount hood region. And I'll burn in hell for saying this, (don't read on if you are a sensitive viewer) but sadly with the exception of just a few indivduals, mountain search and rescue types here in the NW are just one small step up the food chain from the mounties and NOLS folks. I know this type of statement does not bring the greater climbing community together but ask around and the concensus will agree. This thread has had some very good dialouge and may indicate how future public policy may take shape when this plays out again in the future. Again sorry if I offended anyone here. I may delete this post. Moderators? should I?

It is interesting to note that the closure that was issued this afternoon may have very well been a result of this thread. The climbers have been gone since last weekend right? It is quite amazing when you think of who reads cc. I often forget that policy makers (NFS, NPS, etc.)keep tabs on our actions via this site. ______ Can you imagine the same scenario on Rainier? Someone needs a resuce, so no one may set foot on the mountain. I hope this does not set a precendent. It is poor policy in my opinion. I am not being selfish.

So what I've made of this thread Red Rocks for me would be * An amusing and enjoyable place to do some trad away from people ifi ventured up one of the remote canyons. * A sunny diversion from Seattle's rain if I happened to be on a vacation to Las Vegas and staying on the strip. * A good place to find a belayer if I was by myself and didn't care if I was neccerily at the Vegas' best climbing area or not.

I would have to respectfully disagree and instead go with weekendclibmerz on this one. If you were planning to climb hood, climb hood. It is no disrespect for anyone or any family. When I've climbed in chamonix, some days 5-6 different rescues would be going on on 5-6 peaks simultanously. If you stayed off all of the peaks that had SARS in progress, you'd be outta luck. Climbing is a high risk life pursuit. Don't step on the ropes of the SAR folks but pursue your life passion on your terms.

7 plus days- Yikes be careful. I'd say never climb more than three days in a row on plastic. If you can find a "pronator"- an old tool sold in climbing magizines, years ago, it can help I'm told. VW in Seattle has one.

Wow! awesome post thanks. It's pretty sad that are phones are gonna get worse or not work in the mountains.

I don't believe everything I hear or read but when it comes from dudes that I have spent many days climbing with, I tend to beleive em'. -Especially if they've opened more new routes than the total number of pitches that many posters on this site have climbed.

Welcome to Washington!

Definitely a good post and food for thought. If I was a rescuer, it would all come down to how avy loaded the slopes have become. --- When I climbed denali, we moved in weather i'd never move in here in the cascades because their were so many wands left from umpteen expeditions.

+9 Yikes! and I was thinking of possibly going this weekend. I think I'll take a raincheck.

I have no clue. Does my phone have both?