Jens

on the other hand...... It is kinda nice though to get more vertical in a day than 95% of backcountry ski mountaineers get in a season. That is if you are hitting the high speed quads and skiing alone. And Blackcomb "glacier" lift skiing is kinda fun. ____ Wouldn't Mt.Daniel make a sweet lift area?.

That Issaquah Rogue Brew Pub may bring some cc'ers out that live a ways out and don't normally do "pub clubs"? It is a great place.

West Tiger Mt. cable line is good.

Leavenworth kicks butt! It's got the best of everything! Got to love that rainshadow!

I'll bet Chris gets at least eight pm offers.

It would be not a lof of fun if you were guiding with a thinner rope and your obese client fell off at the start of the second pitch of Canary. If you had some slack and rope stretch, the client might be haning 30 feet down in space and scared to death. And if your belay was high enough on castle, you wouldn't be able to lower them to the deck.

Since this seems to morphing into a what is hard thread, I might guess that the hardest wide routes might still be yet to be discovered? Perhaps it is hidden in some gully or in some obscure drainiage in the greater Mt.Stuart batholith region? Or it could be hidden under some granitic roof in the same region? As for the hardest I've done on TR, Supercrack at 11worth. To narrow for Leavittation and arching to the right in an odd way that leading with the feet wasn't in the cards. It might seem that basalt, andesite, and other such formations provide lots of face holds to get through tough sections? Anybody ever puke in a wide crack out of sheer full body exhaustion?

And Whore of Babylon is an awesome looking line! ________ There are a lot of hard unrepeated mountain routes in the cascades. _______ Interesting thread

The closure is absolutely terrible news in my humble opinion.

Thanks for the pick-me-up. Long, Long time no see.

Thanks for some of the responses. Off the subject, but any votes for the PNW wide crack master- Of either present or days of yore? I've heard JYoder has been real solid.

I climbed at Castle on Sunday and didn't see the usual signs at the trailhead posting that Midnight was closed.

If one had to put together a wide crack sampling for a day at 11worth what would it inlcude? I'm thinking of a day anwhere from 6-12 pitches that could if necessary inlcude some driving around. Vote for your favs? I'm particulllarly interested in any obscure ones that I might not know about that are real gems? Anyone ever do Black Widow? Twin Cracks? What about the wide crack that you see on the rock formation to your left when are about five minutes from getting to midnight? Any ascents?

Left my blue casio alimeter on the roof of my cavalier as I pulled out of the Castle rock parking lot yesterday near Leavenworth. I went back 5 minutes later after I realized my mistake and couldn't find it anywhere. I also walked along highway 2. Anyone find one?

A thread from 2ish years ago was about speed traps on highways getting to climbing areas. Any new ones? Concrete,WA still one of the worst? Spray away

You are right. Many of us are very ignorant about that other stuff. And some of us know that when some of those lower elevation areas are in, we have great ice in down here and don't need to makethe drive north. As a sidenote, My last drive up Duffey I saw 7 climber vehicles. 1 with BC plates and 6 with Washington plates.

My vote would be to resist the tempation to downrate stuff up there for kind of a weird reason: The last several Lillooet ice seasons it seems like at least 1 out of every 2 climber cars is a WA plate. Many of us Washington folk typically make our visits to lillooet before WA ice usually comes in or after it has left- for example, a lot of us make trips the first week In December and again in the early weeks of March (to give us longer ice seasons). In January, many of us stay in WA and hit U.S. ice. When a lot of the Lillooet routes are getting traffic is in very early seaon or very late season when the ice is really funky,running wet,chandeliered, or thin. So even though ice in SWBC may not have the pure enduro factor of other areas, it can sure feel funky and technically hard- and with bogus screwplacements? (Especially the firstweek in Dec.)? So guidebookauthors have a liablilty when the neophyte climber jumps on something that is rated "4+" in the new guide and can't get a decent screw or stick. Where didIread that in our part of the world we often have a higher % ofwaterfallice accidents because the screws and sticks are often less than bomber in our warm temps? Any other thoughts anyone? I'm not sure if my post make sense.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. ---------------------- Sounds like some heavy hitters (Hill, Clune, Mayfield)

Speaking of REI when are dividened checks coming out? It seems like it gets later and later every year.

Soloed the chair this morning. Lots of newish snow- Bring gaiters. There is a little bit of slab formation but it should be fairly stable by tomorrow. _____ Source Lake line looked fat!

Amen,..To bad they don't make them or sell them anymore. I cut mine up and modified it down to 8.5 ounces. And it was comforable. Ultimate sport comp and alpine harness. REI actually made something that was perhaps the best in the world for a short time? - And cheap.

Speaking of rates Does anyone have a photographic memory to where they could name the rates for all the places? (4 pines, Mile 0 etc.) -Or at least rank them in order by relative price? I've been a faithful Reynold's only customer for almost a decade but was upset by the recent price jump and the fact that they gave away my buddie's reservation.

Sounds like Metolius wants to make a little more money? Just another strike against a mediocre cam. ----------- The metolius TCU's are ok though.....(.but Wired Bliss gets the credit for the TCU deisgn).

Some of my closest calls climbing always seem to be driving home and using all the lanes as I nod off while driving. ____ Some of the old stumps on the side of the Cascade River Road can start to look like monsters when you've been awake to long. ____ There's nothing like home sweet home and a warm bed.