fredrogers

Toast- Park directly across from 8-mile campground's entrance. You can either warm up on X-y Cracks- 5.5 (bring 2 3" pieces), 5.7 and a bolted .10 variation, or find the trail and walk around the top of X-Y cracks. The first crag on the right is J-Y crag (a good excerise in sandy flaring cracks). Continue N/NE on any of the various trails, angling up hill. You may lose the trail in a small talus field, but I believe there were cairns the last time we were up there, pick up the trail on the other side and follow it uphill to the buttress. The main (most eroded) trail takes you to the base of the (former) Tree Route- now marked by a blackened stump just up from the base. Mr. and Mrs. Tremendous are on another part of the buttress up and climbers right from the Tree Route. We did 2 pitches. I made the mistake of grovelling up the dirty chimney/flake to start- it's better if you tackle the crack to the right of it and gain the buttress that way- maybe 5.6?. We did one more pitch up a groove to a wide, boot-buffed crack which is never harder than 5.4. If I recall correctly, it started raining as I followed Tim up the second pitch so we bailed after that. I think it was Cavey or Erik who mentioned something about additional pitches above. Bring shoes for the walk off. I did it in my rock shoes and regretted it.

They're both fun- jut in different ways. Ice climbing is more along the lines of Bubba Blanchard (or was it Twight?) who said "it doesn't have to be fun to be fun." No fine print on the vouchers whatsoever. Jeeze. I would never do anything illegal. Thanks for helping me keep this thread at the top of the list, though. And Tim, you will continue to get shit for selling your board.

Actually, with any luck I'll be down at Smif rox from Tuesday through the weekend with TimL. However, Mr. L decided to sell his snowboard to buy ice climbering tools , so we'll just be cragging.

Timmay- toeing that company line well, my man. All kidding aside, I have a special spot in my heart for Bachy, but not the $100 in gas it would take to get there from Seattle.

Umm, doesn't say non-transferable, dude. Just non-refundable.

Check your math, dude. Tickets are $48. Probably be $50 or more next year. How's $30 each sound?

I'd recommend PMI or Maxim (the best I've owned) ropes. The one Bluewater I bought sucked. Heavy, sheath wore quickly and had a crappy hand (okay Trask, insert joke here). But it was the right price when I bought it. You will want two ropes, one for for climbing and one for glacier travel. I suggest 10.2MM (or smaller)x 60M, bi-colored for a climbing rope. Dry treatment wears off sooner or later, so if you're not going to be using it on glaciers, is it worth the extra $$? A 30M, 9MM or 9.8MM dry rope will work for glaciers and very moderate alpine rock (think Challenger). A lot lighter and worth having. Get a buddy to split the cost of the glacier rope or buy a remnant rope (usually the ends of a spool sold either by a shop or manufacturer). Check this web site for examples: http://www.gx.starvedrockoutfitters.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=G&Category_Code=SR

Just in case you missed it in the yard sale: Have three ticket vouchers to Crystal that I earned working the tele races that I'd like to sell. Good through Dec. 21 of this year. Take all three for $100 (savings of $44) or $35 each (save $13). PM or email db_climbz@hotmail.com

Celestial Groove at the Pearly Gates in LW Jazzy Document on Duty Dome in LW Penny Lane in Squamish

Boo fricken hoo, Dutch hater. I got a whole bag of "shzzzppth" for ya. And, of course, congrats on the new job...

That's a look I'd like to see.

You can aslo try here: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation2002/current/roads-report.shtml Or call the ranger station. One should take their reports with a grain of salt...

Sheesh. Next thing we know he'll be living under a truck at the Grasslands and sporting dreads. Did he send Crossfire? Inquring minds want to know if it was chains or a 60' "Whooper"

Not to mention from serious rounds of bong hits...

Had a great time at Alpental this AM with the 40 other folks who were there. 7-8" of fairly light powder at 9, then up top after Chair 2 opened at 10... sadly, the sun shone through and turned it to mostly mush by noon. Never more than 4 people in front of me in line all day. Lots of loose sloughs and major pinwheels going on today- not a good day to hit the wrong slope.

Okay Tim, I found a couple for ya in 11worth: In the Icicle: Carnival Crack 5.10d gear to 8" In Tumwater Cayon: Gym Roof 5.10a on Tumwater Tower Super Crack 12c on Midnight Rock Raft Crack on Raft Rock, 5.10c Pro to 5"

Just spent 5 days at The Big Mountain in Whitefish, MT. 1 day of sun and slushies, 3 days of 20 degrees, snow and fog with sunbreaks and one day of 20' visibility and rain. If you bring a pass from any other ski area, tickets are $39- not a bad deal for such a great mountain. Sorry to hear about the knee, Iain. Glad you could blame it on a boarder.

Just a reminder that the World Cup will be at Crystal this weekend. This is a great opporunity to watch the best telemark racers in the world, as well as compete yourself on Thursday. If you haven't seen these guys and gals race before, I highly recommend it (even this snowboarder can appreciate it). Come help us cheer the Americans on... Thanks also to the good folks at Second Ascent, Vertical World, KAVU, Leedom, K2, Scarpa, Garmont and BD for their generous support. For more info: http://www.skicrystal.com/telemarkworldcupfinals.cfm

I was up at Alpy with 3,000 of my closest friends today (fortunately, the Pass was closed Eastbound for a while or it would have been a total cluster cluck). Snowed 5-6 inches in the 4 hours we were there, but getting gloppy by the end. Upper part of Chair 2 was light and worth it (tho' the light was super flat), even the 15 minute wait at the bottom. I was talking to a patroller in line (yeah, hard to belive a boarder would talk with a patroller and he wouldn't cut the line), and he was predicting they'd be open to mid-April- take that for what it's worth. From the forecasts I've seen, sounds like Tuesday will be the better day, since freezing levels are supposed to bounce up to 5,000 on Wednesday. Regardless, today was the best snow that I've had alll season. Go for it.

With any luck, tomorrow and Thursday. Oh, wait, I'm unemployed. I'll be there both days. Maybe Friday, too.

Dave, granted both us us should be doing something more productive than posting here on a Friday night (oh, wait, I'm drinking too), but I'm glad I could amuse. It's my firm belief that Leslie Miller is Tony Ventrella's secret love child , and that Steve Poole is THE man and should have a battle cage grudgematch with Jeff Renner. Or, perhaps better yet, those two should tag team against the Wappler's (although, frankly, Larry Schick is da man when it somes to ski forecasting). But, damnit, I'm thread drifting and that's wrong. Sorry Mike and Matt, I still think you guys kicked some serious ass.

so much for your credibility. our chopper has been in the shop for three days -- you COULDN'T have seen it up there. Umm, well pissing matches with the local media aside, nice fawkin' job gents. Glad you made it back safe and under your own power. I'm impressed. My own feelings about the casualty-vampiresque reportage of the media aside, one does have to give minor props to the 2 folks at King5 who try (emphasis on the word TRY) to keep their talking heads straight. No word from KOMO, KIRO, or god forbid the KCPQ mutants on this board, eh? But maybe that's for the good of the world. More lost kittens at 11. Fred.

Timbo- we came up Toketie Creek- not Rat Creek. And it sucked, hard. JayB- I checked my photos and I don't have any of the wall- I was fighting off the worst leg cramps I've had in my life at that point and I guess I didn't shoot the wall after all. It's a bitch, but go for it- you'll have the place to yourself. The S face of the Mole (or any of the other longer routes) would be easy from the lake and a nice addition. As bad as the approach and deproach sucked, it's kinda cool to look up from the Icicle and scream "never again f&%ker".

Bump. Okay, skiers and boarders- here's your chance to help out a good cause, ski for free and watch the best tele racers in the world. We rode the course yesterday it will be an exciting race to watch. If you help out, there's some schwag and a lift ticket in it for you. And the probability of some free beer (although don't quote me on that). For you freeheelers, if you're interested, the course will be open for you to compete on Thursday the 13th. Please send my pal Charlie an email if you can help one or all of the days.

Jay- I may have some snaps of the the Wall from when we went past it on the way into the Mole. I'll try and dig them out and PM them to you. Looks sweet- a much better objective than the Mole. Also ask Captn. Cavedude- I know he's climbed there. The approach is a hands-down bitch. Even if you find the right trail.