Jens

How wet did the approach pitches to the base of Girth Pillar look? Also all you Ice cliffer dudes... As you were climbing up the left side of the route and about a 1/3 of the way up, did you look up or touch some of the rock that leads up to the ice cliff arete' route? That rock looks awesome. Highly featured, steep, and solid. some of the best cragging stuff I've seen in the cascades. Kind of like the face climbing at Castle rock but better. Lots of glacial polishing, It wouldn't really justify itself to put 1 pitch crag routes up on it and it is to far for cragging, but the steeper stuff looks uniquely cool. any geologists/ glaciologists reading?

Nice job guys Sound's like they timed it just right. What's up with some of these Utah guys ticking our coveted prizes? -It has happened before. I guess most of us are lazy (myself included) Anyone care to divulge about F.Descents they are eyeing? What is the "Mount Everest" of ski descents left to be done in the Cascades? Maybe I'll hire Big Lou to porter my alpine lift ski gear in somewhere. I'll wear a bull riding vest and a motorcycle helmet. Anybdy seen one of those prototype "bear proof" suits?. Or how about a parachute?

Since we are talking about critters..... Any bug or arachnid experts out there? Coming out from skiing Little Tahoma Saturday, I got bit by what I think was a spider. I've now got a red circular lump the size of a golf ball on my bicep. The school nurse where I teach thought it was a spider. it looks like I've got two fang marks. What could it be?

The ladybugs also seem to love the Marymoor Rock. The bugs seem to swarm the thing some years I just about cratered once when I accidently made a mashed up mess of ladybugs with my hand when blindly reaching over the top.

Anyone care to spray?

I wish resolers were more like McDonald's -more consistent. With just about anybody it seems like you can get a really good resole or a poor resole. Did the guy doing your shoes have a great morning or wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Ramuta and Page can be good in my experience. A guy called valley cobbler in Kent used to be really, good perhaps the best in the NW but I don't know if he is still working. He would do custom bevels for edging shoes and other specifcs that you wanted. He used C4 and never seemed to put to thick a slab of rubber on like some of the other guys would. By the way , does anybody else think that the latest Boreal Rubber sucks bad? It is worse than the old maestro rubber they used. I don't think anybody on the planet can do a decent toe rand patch job. If the rand is trashed, do the whole rand or throw away the shoes. Or use them for bouldering at wild waves in Federal Way. Speaking of water, who'll give me the beta on the really cool looking concrete pilar bolt on job on above the water at LW?

I was just up there last weekend. The route looked in pretty good shape, (although I didn't climb it.) My plan was to climb it and then ski it. My thought was to leave Paradise late enough in the morning so that the thing had softened up a little. I skinned to just below the bergschrund near the base of the couloir. As all the serracs above my head were getin' full on sun, I heard a huge groan. I decided that it was a little late in the day to be under all that ice and cramponing solo up the couloir, So I had to settle for a ski down from the base of the couloir rather than higher. I guess a better strategy would have been to climb the route, summit, and then wait at the top of the coulor for the thing to soften up.

These don't really apply to base jumping but while we are on the topic, I ran across these: "WA Steepest Mt. Faces in 1 horizontal mile" -Stepehn Fry USGS paranthesis equals what face 1. Davis (ne) 2.Whitehorse (nne) 3. Joannesburg (n) 4.Luna (nnw) 5.Elephant Butte (N) 6.Hozomeen (W) 7. Colonial (n) 8. McMillan Spire (n) 9. Rainier- (n) 10.Hozomeen S. peak (w) The list goes on. A surprise "Seahpo Peak- Mt. shuksan massif" came in at Number 18.

I have a question for anybody that has ever been associated with RMI or the national park service. I din't phrase the question in my post title because I didn't want every Tom,Dick and Harry to read this. An old climbing partner of mine guided for RMI for a number of years. He told me that part of the arrangement between RMI and NPS included a few little known things. He said that if anyone from the general public approached the RMI area at Muir and asked if they could fill their water bottles, that RMI was required to let them. I am not at muir that often, but it would sure be nice to wander over to the RMI water station and get a drink after a day of ski touring, or after descending a route. With all the pesonalities that post on this site I realize that "for the record" the answer will be "no". Perhaps we need Big Lou to clear this one up. Send me a PM if you want to keep this one mum Big Lou.

How come every Tom, Dick, and Harry seems to have a key to this gate except me or any of my friends? *I would say the route is more fun when snow covers to talus on the approach up from the basin. *Speaking of the route, I went in last and year and climbed the route by myself and seemed to have left my 5.10 tennis shoes up there. Did anybody pick them up? *the summit register needs a pencil. theri was pleanty of paper but no enteries for a while (due to lack of pencil). I guess this is one that the rangers haven't got to yet.

Not that I give a shit about any of this banter but... Why would anbody not believe Colin especially if he has pictures and gear? Perhaps I missed something but: Donkeykong and agent orange: Went in and tried the couloir route, bailed, and then hiked out the next day correct? If that is the case, they may be hardmen but they sure don't get any hardman points in my book. That hike out only takes a few hours even with big packs. Any hardman would have been able to make it back into Gustav's for a pint on the same day as bailing. Also a Cascade hardman would have known that it is not "heinous" to acess the North ridge from the ice cliff side, especially this time of year. A few hours can make a huge difference in posthole depth and the tiniest wind blows crfystals across the glacier.

Funny you should bring this up. I will be in almost the exact same boat. I will most likely be taking my non-climber wife through Yosemite in July. As a psuedo Yosemite veteran, I am opting to take her to a more "civilized" campground. She likes the car camping experience. In July, the dust from the dirt parking lot blows through camp 4 like a cattle drive. Plus when you miss getting a site, laying out a pad and sleeping bag on the ground at dusk is not her cup of tea. Have fun

Nice climb guys. cascadeclimber and I were the dudes that turned around. We were stupid by sleeping at home and getting a late start. I guess when I was sunbathing shirtless on the way up, it should have given me a clue. We were postholing on the approach where we saw your crisp crampon tracks- (Grade 8 monos?) I clung to the fixed anchor with my hands below the crux pitch for dear life as I was nearly scoured from the route. I din't have any way to clip in as cascade climber had the rack and rope and was still coming up the lower stuff. I thought I was toast. Next year we'll start ealier.

What would the cruxes be like? (nature of)

I think Cavey is right about the nest being over on Noontime this year. I have been over most areas of midnight this spring and have not seen the nest . I did see feathers from a fresh kill though. I read in the paper this spring that the perigrine falcon is being taken off the "threatened"? list and in the last two years numbers have exploded. Any biologists out there? I don't feel like climbers need to lose vast areas of real estate anymore because the falcon situation has changedin the last 12 months. It could be..........those Leavenworth rangers that EVERYBODY hates.

I was told that the polished rock that makes up the prevously mentioned crisco slab came from deep underwater near where I used to lifeguard-- Lake Spanaway.

Back to the topic.. Jeff Smoot does the best rock guides around here both historically and at present. They may not make the most sense sitting on your sofa, but they make a lot of sense when you are at the crags. I really like the mini paragraph with a bit of trivia about routes. As for bouldering. It's cool and I dig it but bouldering guides are lame. Sharma's got it right on the money. No need to assign a number or rating to problems. The industry and mags hate it though. Numbers sell products.

Of the routes being discussed: Centerfold (as well as much of index) is perhaps overhyped in my humble opinion. Swim is really footworky and felt really stout for the grade. DH to Lovin' arms is one of the few free routes up there that sees enough traffic to stay somewhat clean. So many of those bolted routes up there were scrubbed big time with a wire brush (about 12 years ago), saw a short period of traffic and then grew over. -not much fun Just my two centsI'm in the minority on these thoughts though.I rarely go to index anymore

Thanks for the replies. It turns out that one of my buddies is getting the time off from work. We're headin' south for the Salathe' Wall. Perhaps I'll see everyone at the next Eastside pub club. Jens [ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: Jens ] [ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: Jens ]

This seemed like a nice place to get away from other climbers. I climbed the East face of Chimney rock several summers ago. The rock is poor but the whole package is cool. The sport climber in me drooled at the massive overhanging west face of Chimney rock.It is to bad this place isn't more accesibile in the spring for ski moutanineering. It would be really cool. My climb was done car to car in a day and I remember cartwheeling like a klutz down through the woods as I stepped on a bees nest and getting stung. Question: Is the Chimney glacier the closest real glacier to Seattle as a CROW flies? It has got be closer than the moutnain loop stuff.I'll be willing to bet yes. This area deserves more climbers in my humble opinion.

Some of my friends have gotten tickets. I sometimes go permitless since I prefer to climb without bivouacing. Is the trick just to ignore somebody who looks innocent and just comes up to you to make small talk when you are without a permit? Or is it guys in full on uniforms that confront you? Do plainclothes rangers just strike up conversations and then ticket you when you tell them about your climb? Could anybody help me out with this? As for the previous topic:In my humble opinion, do the RMI 6 day course. I haven't been guided since the 80's but RMI seems to have some things going for them. They know the weather patterns that Rainier creates better than anyone, hands down. Many of us, (myself included) may spend more total days out of the year in crampons than their guides but for the months of July and August they are in them constantly. They know their turf very very well. Bear in mind their niche is pretty much only guiding glaciated snow climbs. Others may have other opinions though. I would guess that when a young soul tries out for RMI or any guide service, Charisma comes into play (anbody have any first hand experience?) As a former professional ski instructor, the ability to speak to groups was a big part of the try out. As for the Euro guies, to be taken into the fold and employed at Chamonix, I'd bet you'd have to be a 5.12 sport climber, 5.11 crack climber, WI5 climber, Lead new wave A 4, be an expert skier, and slog the big snow hills in a pretty fast time. I guess that eliminates almost every WA guide.Just some spray for thought.Others are more versed in what is going on.Have fun this Summer.

Issaquah Brewhouse Directions: 30 feet off front street across from the new Issaquah library. On the south side of i-90.-----------------------------------------------------------Everybody bring beer money so we can get F.B. drunk and get him to compare his 'little black book" to what ideas we've got. -That is if he shows. And how about some drunken bouldering on the beams on the new Issaquah Library? Maybe we'll even get a few of them gym rats to show! Peace Out DawgKeep it real

I try to keep in mind the geology of the area. *A lot of the WA peaks are made up of pretty compact rock. Unless you are climbing a granite peak you can often sneak by with never bringing along any thing lager than a #1.5 friend. On the northeast face of Johannesberg I din't see a crack the whole day larger than a quarter of an inch. *INMHO WA winter climbers should replace some of their pickets with more deadmen. *You will almost never need as many screws as people say for a winter alpine route in this state. *Lots of people get into the "It's winter or I'm ice climbing so my next rock placement will be a piton." - the cracks aren't always iced up in the winter. Think fast and light. Easy in easy out. I'm sure the next guy who posts will have his or her own opinions. Bottom line/ whatever fits your style for fast effecient climbing. just my two cents "climb hard" ---Rheinhold Whittaker

Yes, those Amera-Trails guys are lame. Once I went to drive up that road to climb dragontail. Those guys beat us and locked the gate by like 5 minutes. The road was completely melted out but they said they would open in the next day. We had to walk the whole friggin dirt road. We should have just gone sport climbing. The road had previously been opened for short periods. Another time they forced a whole bunch of us to stay at 8mile campground for a couple hours because of a washout down near the clamshell cave trailhead. Yes, there was a washout, but people had been getting though much sooner than the 3 hours that the Amer trails dudes blocked all of us in. At least a retired couple in their winebeggo gave us some free beer. I have had Ok experiences most places with us forest service people except for leavenworth. Those guys are not only clueless but lame.

Fred, I sure hope you are just f8*&^%ing! with us. If you are serious, this really blows. The Leavenworth rangers seem to the most clueless idiots of all the forest servcie rangers. (no bridge foot traffic?) I smell another motive here.