OCK

How does it go- its hard to teach an old dog new tricks? Tom that method i mentioned really works very well. But- you don't have to listen to my advice. I have done this string method many times with just the string and its much quicker, but it is hard to get around the hair everytime. I am averaging anywhere between 3-5 ticks per weekend on me & my dog. Between me and my partners the tick count goes about double or more. This has been the case in the Icicle since early March of this year. We have been gardening out alot of new cracks this spring, so as a result we get allot of dirt, grass & ticks on us. I get allot of practice as you may gather. I have tried polish, solvent, oil, matches,and you name it. The string method is by far the easiest & fastest way that I have used. Also, regarding the dog laying still. I don't know about your dog, but my dog is an acomplished hunting dog, and when I tell her to do anything she willingly does it on command verbaly or hand signal. In the process of training my dog, I have never once laid a heavy hand on my dog, instead I reward her. She trusts me. She will even pee or dump on my command. That's also pretty handy. Since you did not like my advice on the tick extraction, My suggestion about the dog will probably not hold water for you either. But, It's simple to train you dog if you start when they are a puppy. The training depends on your consistency and commitment to get good results. The best thing to do is to towel dry the puppy off every time that they get wet & spend a little time grooming the dog. They love it, and later, when you need to cut the dogs nails, pull a tick, feed them medicine,a shot at the vet, etc. Put a towel on them, They trust you and lay still for you while you fix the problem. Why won't your dog lay still? What's up with that? Do you think that's normal? It simply means that your dog is not working with you, or does not trust you. Maybe that's too much work too? Good luck! Ock

the Muira's absolutely rip!!! they are worth the money. I use the muira's for thin cracks & steep face (typical style of many Squamish routes). I put the Muira's are in my pack every trip these days (insurance). I was taught to size them really tight when you buy them, they will stretch about 1 size and then they are perfecto! I use boreal ace's for longer multi pitch crack climbs. and I am using a pair of cobra's for shorter sport misc. good luck! ock

I suggest that when you are alone in the bathroom & you get dirty thoughts like this, that you start counting backwards from 100. ock

Hey, i just yarded another blood sucker out of my dog. I wanted to tell you about this really awsome way to get them out that i learned about. Maybe you already know this method. You use a straw and slide it over the tick. Then take some dental floss and make a granny knot. Slide the loop down the straw to the head of the tick. pull the string tight. Pull the straw away. Pull the two ends of the thread easy..., and Bingo! that is absolutely the best way i have ever done it. The critter came out 100% and i did not squeeze any of the critters spooge into my dog. Sounds like you guy's might need to know about getting the cooties out if you plan to climb much in the icicle this spring! see ya! ock

Does it seem strange that many climbers in general can reguarly handle super scary shit, suffer massive hardship, hate fest,drink enough alcohol to kill a moose and fight like a dog. But a simple violation from cooties, hay fever, hang over's, a mean wife, etc. it topples a former hard man to his knee's in a newyork second? What's up with that? ock

Here is one report on the situation in washington state. http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/6772/washington.txt Seems like there are several real bad things you can get from a tick bite. In the past two weekends I saw ticks, a huge spider, posion ivy, a bear in the icicle and a cougar in town last week. I just need a rattler when I am topping out and then I have a grand slam. ock

Bummer! I was at careno that same weekend. We are pretty active in the icicle and we have been getting somewhere between 2-3 ticks on us every day we climb. We check ourselves out freqently, and as a result we have not had very many stuck in our skin. The same week as your friend was bit one of our party reported that when he got home a tick had burned into him right next to his grommet. We were in the same area as your friend. I recently read that up to dec, 2000 there were 183 verified cases of Lymes disease in Washington state. I have heard of four cases now this spring on the eastside. ock

Here is the one I use. www.whistler-blackcomb.com/weather/forecast/realforecast.asp regards, ock

Dane, sorry to hear about your accident, I came down behind you guy's after I wrapped up. You had already moved on to Bathtub by the time I got down to the lower routes. Steve had mentioned that you guy's headed over there just before I came along on the trail on my way to the car. I was really bummed out to hear you got hurt when I came into work the next morning. Steve (the skinny guy on rappel) saw you doing cartwheels down the thing with a birds eye view of it. It made him scary sick just watching. he said you looked like a rag doll tumbling, and everytime you hit it was on your shoulder head down. They were pretty relived that you were alive. Bravo! I know that you do not post here often, but it was the only way I knew to check on you! Sorry for the pub. I passed the word along that your OK. thanks for getting back! P.S. we got 4 ticks! see ya Ock

Did anyone hear any new information on the climber who fell 50-60'into the ground on Sunday? Did he make it? We hope that he is ok. Ock

Around 3:00 or so my partners saw him cartwheel down the face, hit the ground and he was out cold. After a moment he came to and my partners helped him, I guess others took some gear down for him. Amazingly, he got it together enough to walk and his partner helped him out. One of my partner's came into work this morning all bummed out about it. So that is how i learned about it. I had spoke with the party of the climber who fell earlier. In that discussion I learned that they watched this site. In any event I was sorry to hear about the accident this morning. Seemed like a nice fellow, and I just wanted to see that he made it OK. ock

Hey chuck, I climbed that route in 1970's and Mitch is right about all the bolts not previously being there on that route. Below, there were a couple of well spaced 1/4's on Dan's. P.S. On a seperate note;I heard tale of someone recently retro sport bolting Dan's historical test piece? And for what it's worth - Andy, regarding the upper pitch of the standard route on careno, I did not see a fixed pin up there 2 weeks ago, but the pin looked like it was missing on the route to the right. ock

Hey Mitch, You and I know some pretty fun blind drunks. Since we keep repeating the process with them does that make these blind drunks an instant classic? Also, I hear the rap into the girls dorm in Chenny is a classic. By Erik's definition that certianly qualifies it as a classic. I heard the chicks dug it. What's your take on this, I heard you had the second repeate on that route? Where there any blind drunks involved? see ya! Ock

we just checked my dog, and we struck pay dirt! we just sent one of the little devils to tick heaven. I hope the rest of its buddies are not crawling around my house..,

In 1979 I was doing the outerspace route on snow creek wall. It was spring. I lost count of the little buggers after 28 sightings on my body. They were crawling out of the handcrack up my arms, on my eyebrow's, rim of my helmet etc.No escape. We looked like a pair of monkey's grooming each other on each ledge after that. We get them on us all year long in the icicle, especially if it is a mild winter. This sunday we were up at Condor Buttress and we took 6 ticks off of us,the ticks were on our legs, necks, hair etc. They were all over the walls. The week before we counted about 14 of the little devils. A couple of friends who climbed near the same spot as us in the icicle had them all over them as well, one of them had ticks burned into the back of his head. I have not checked my dog yet from sundays foray,she wanted to get on the bed last night and I just had to say no way! She usually is a tick magnet. Currently, all of my gear & clothes are in tied up plastic bags waiting to be de loused tonight. It looks like a bad tick season around here because it never got too cold this winter. Its all part of the outside game this early in the season. have a good time out there! ock

Mike comes accross as being obsessed with doing the job right. Mike came by my place this morning and grabbed the bosch roto heading to Index. I just met Mike personally for the first time.It was apparent that Mike knows his buisness. He's into doing the job right with the right tools & the right hardware. I am 99% sure he's up there this moment rapping down by himself on the 5th pitch upgrading the damaged lead anchors & doing comunity service work. If someone had the time and inclination they could meet him at the base with with a cold half rack. I am sure he would not frown at a cold one after replacing that many anchors. If I see Mike in levenworth this weekend the beer is on me Mike. Thanks for the service work! ock

Tom,I think I am the other guy you mentioned. I realize this is a seperate issue. Do you have a engineering background in this area? I am seriously curious and would like to learn more about it if you can help? would you please share with me/us where you got your information or opinion? here is my email- ockjr@msn.com As I mentioned, I am not the expert on crevic corrosion, galvanic corrosion, or electrolisis. Initially we held the same opinion as you, but later after testing, and study, we found in our field the facts consistent with what I am relating to you. I would rather base my understanding on a fact, rather than a popular opinion, or myth. Also, we are setting new routes & I would like to make sure we use the best materials suited to the job. Thanks! regards, john

Mike, I cannot do it this comming weekend, but I have a Bulldog, fresh battery, and lot's of 3/8 hangers and anchors. I have about 80 3/8 x 3-1/2 hardend steel anchors. I have been using the hardened steel because I hear that they are stronger than most stainless anchors. If you get galvanic corrosion (200mv potential diff. between the anchor & the stone) they can get crevic corrosion, and pit's rendering them almost as usless as any other anchor. I am mixed on what is better. On the salt routes near squamish I like the stainless, but in any case if there is a potential diferential between the stone & the hanger by 200mv then they start to give up the free electrons, the bigger the diff (higher potential). the faster the exchange. This causes them to fail. it works the similar to a zinc anode on a boat.A natural phenomenon. In any case I am not the expert on it. I just have been given that explaination myself. I also have 80-90 1/4 x 2-1/2 anchors with about 35 stainless hangers i bought for a trip in AK, but did not use them all on if you want to use them. I liked you philosophy of not putting lead anchors in every hole. Maybe use some 3/8 and several 1/4 between 3/8?I would like to help you restore the route if you still need help. So far I look open on march 31-1, but if you need to go sooner let me know. you can contact me at ockjr@msn regards, john

Cecelia, We just wanted to drop you a quick note; I wanted to comment that we really enjoyed you slide show of the Bolivian Andes. Thanks for sharing it with all of us! Good luck with your future objectives and upcomming trip to Makalu. ock

hey Smoker, Great!glad you had a good time. It is probably a little early for the pinacles the rock may be "soft". I am planning to go rock climbing up in the icicle next weekend. See you around. Thanks for the update!

Retro, We crossed the old hydro bridge, and hiked up to the indian art. The week before we post holed the approach. last week we left early saterday and made the appoach up to the big ice curtians near the top of the rim. We did 3- short 1 pitch climbs on the left side. If conditions were right the right hand pillar would be really good. The sun was on it and 2-3' sections were comming off the free hanging ice from the rim. We stayed out from under it. The ice tended to fall to the right side of the main shield away from the pillar so the left side was OK. the climbng consited of (poorly bonded to the rock) moderate ice formed pillar & drips of plastic,but on the rim of each drip, poorly bonded snow and slush. We had fun. If you could catch it on the right day it would be phenominal. I have to jam, If you want to talk about it more that would be cool. did you climb the pillar above the cave? e-mail me ockjr@msn I am catching a flight to Sun Valley in an hour so I have to run.ock

Last weekend the rock was dry in some places up the icicle, but snow is still on the ground. Careno looks good.I have been over there scoping it out on every weekend for ice posibilities since christmas,or on my way to Banks lake or the Palisades.I climbed some ice on the rim across from Castle rock last weekend, and castle looked pretty good as well, however there is water ice above saints rainshadow, and snow on loggers ledge. One note: check yourself freqently for ticks! I got over 28 ticks on me a few years ago on an early spring rock climb in levenworth. The ticks were climbing out of the crack up my arms, on my eye brow's. Pretty tough shaking them in the middle of a lead. They are pretty aggresive in the spring.

mr. all you can eat- I have been in your position wondering? here is my recomendation. First get a job that is punishing. You want one that beats you down and makes you want to cry for your mommy. You want to forge yourself into a stainless steel through bolted power tool.(commercial fishing, or construction are good examples) With the little money that you have earned, buy a 1 way bus ticket to Yosemite Valley. Start climbing the clasic trade routes. While you are there it's time to evolve your situation to a more stable solution. get a girlfreind who works for the curry company. This put's you in a tent cabin, a kitchen, steady food, and other benifits we won't go into. take her climbing a little. You can probably trim your overhead to about 5-6 dollars a day, and eat well every day. Start free soloing easy routes and to put in some mileage, and build your confidence. On alternate day's do hard free climbs, and take the bus around to the boldering circuits around the valley. When you start to feel like a bad man, but more importantly, knowing you are a bad man then start doing some big wall routes.climb them as free as possible and pull up on gear to maintian to maintian speed.Try not to bivy too much. If your girlfreind dumps you when you start wall climbing & biving too much then you have a couple of options; you can get a coat hanger and "can" or at night dumpster dive for aluminum pop cans.these can be taken to the curry store and cashed in. I recommend unsing this money to help your beer habit. if you choose this method then you will be in good company. The dumpsters are as competitive as speed ascents. Or, you can get a job at the curry company and work part time. Either method keeps you in the valley. When fall comes if you pick the latter, you will be able to work at Squaw valley and ski all winter.In any case this should keep you fat and happy for 6-8 months living hand to mouth. Honestly, I did this for years. It was an exceptional part of my life. i met the best of frinds, had the best experiences, and unparalleled adventure. As someone said"at either end of the social spectrum there exists a leisure class". This is very true; I have been on each end of the spectrum, having spent my youth climbing every chance possible, meeting people, and traveling. When I was ready to do something different I started my own company, and become quite successful at what I do. In any case I work all over the world,and I want for little.But I find myself looking out the window like so many other corporate professional zombie's whishing I could cut loose and do whatI am recomending that you do.

Along with all of the previously mentioned good advice, here is some more food for thought. check out the dec. 4th report posted at the canadian rockies "current climbing & avalanche report" site. page down to the dec. 4, british climber accident report. http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/resqdyn/oldcond/Dec00con.htm What a tragedy. I always back my v thread's up with an equalized second thread. Consider that the surface ice can change to crap, as conditions change, and affecting previously installed and fixed v threads. One trick that really helps speed up the installation of v-threads is having filed your thread tool to a "prickly" sharp fine point on the hook. As a result I almost always hook the thread on the first try. Put a rubber cap that slides over the hook tip and up the shaft to keep it from hooking in to you or your gear while not in use. Climb safe!