wotan_of_ballard

I noticed that computer tranlators were use to communicate on this forum, perhaps we should speak Caveman due to the inherent primitive nature of climbers. Being a neo-Viking I am only slightly more civilized. Perhaps our often misunderstood Cpt. Caveman would be better appreciated if everybody used the Caveman to english translator....its a small download given it's limited vocabulary. http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?500000012407

the Iceman is near! or is it Capt. Caveman?http://home.att.net/~jcatellani/wsb/html/view.cgi-image.html--SiteID-246710.html

"the WAC (Wallingford Alpine Club) is great" while hanging on 2 busty babes about a third his age, after stuffing his face at the potluck/slideshow party.

I thought inuendo is an italian suppository!

the 5th or 6th T is TIMING, either hitting good conditions, or when you're on, which happens less often the older I get.

an inspiring story, so much so that the Ballard Alpine Club has decided to send a team to the Eiger in 2002. potential sponsors please contact us.

"the finest views are found only while doing the hardest climbs" some Victorian englishman, maybe Leslie Stephen. I think it has to do with perception due to the endorphins and adrenaline in your brain

Great discussion. over a dozen replies and no spam ! I see a bit of clove hitch slip as an advantage as it lessens shock load. the knot doesn't fail. and you can untie it without getting pumped after its been heavily loaded, unlike a figure 8. Has anyone out there ever held a long factor 2 fall to put these huge loads on the belayer and anchor? know anyone?

I'm not trying to sell going heavy, but I've had more turnbacks and scary events from going too light than going a bit too heavy. Alex did a good job in his article "Going Light in the Alpine" the right gear will vary from trip to trip, last weeks "right stuff" may have you cussing or worse the next. Too heavy -came out up to a couple hours or so later than expected, or threw food away, dumped water, hauled a pack a few times, took more vitamin I, got more conditioning than planned. Too light-1. bailed because too small rack, another time scary run outs. 2. cold all night and didn't sleep, wanted out at dawn, not summit - and almost died driving and dozing off. 8 to 12 oz of down would have prevented this repeating problem. 3.ski poles are great until the snow is firm and over 30 degrees. seen the guy going "light and fast" with ski poles fall way behind the other 2 with light axes (at much more risk of long scraping fall and maybe over a cliff) despite being experienced and in same condition as axe carrying guys kicking steps.

I second Dru's comments about the BFF and "Best of BFF" he's hit the pin on the head til it rings- mostly a bunch of hype, the good stuff is thin, BS thick. go climbing instead, by beer with $ you saved.

Gearboy, would you have happened to have a "compass" in addition to your other 20+ lbs of gear on Stuart? if you take a bearing on the mystery mountain , when you get home comsult appropriate maps and bingo! this somewhat archaic piece of gear comes in handy for peak ID.

might take one and a half to 2 times as long to go back via carne mountain. not only does the trail disappear, it does a lot of up and down. quite scenic when larches turn.

ProSki on 90th & N Aurora has some used gear cheap, saw some ok skis w/ silvretta 300's there not too long ago for $150?

seattle film works (or whatever their new name is) will burn 36 slides or prints onto a CD for $5 (? or $10)if they're doing your processing. but the quality of the CD image SUCKS compared to what a good amateur will do with his slide scanner. digital images I've gotten from Seattle filmworks are good only as thumbnails, and sharpenening programs don't do much for them, the original quality is so bad. lazerquick offers a good high quality (and cost) a buck an image? scanning service.

check out the june 01 thread on joberg. there is a short 5.7 section on west variation, most of rock is reasonably solid by cascade standards until summit ridge- then it is more shattered. down low its not a loose rock problem but of alaska cedar, you may want to running belay thru it, its cliffy. excellent bivy on east side of snow arete.

I've done Annie Green Springs in june and snow on west side was not a problem. Done TNF too and Annie is a better(and longer) climb. follow the route description carefully and avoid the obvious loose chimney that has sucked some people in and you'll have better climbing.

did the NW arete "BC" - before cams an ok route, not that much climbing above mid 5th, seems borderline worth the effort of getting in there for so little climbing. did it in a day. the fact I don't remember much tells me it wasn't that great, good climbs I remember well.

" Never let judgement sway desire" and "A climbing party of one is the minimum" were part of the WAC (Wallingford Alpine Club) code.

isn't chalk a form of dolomite? then there is dolomite in the cascades, and the amount is steadily increasing!

a cool way to do NE Butt of Goode w/o a carryover is to bivy below the butt at timberline, descend via SW couloir, contour west side of mtn to Goode-Storm King col, and descend from there to your bivy. allow equal time from summit to bivy as vice versa. there are likely to be schrund(s) and the descent is not trivial

my guess is it's still too early, fair amount of snow on rock, wet rock, and lots of sloppy snow/postholing on approach. maybe in a couple weeks. (I've been to the N side of Forbidden 3x over the years)

did it many years ago in mid sept. slept at cascade pass parking lot friday night, with early start sat am made super, flat, roomy bivy ledge along snow arete. sun am climbed 2 pitches on N face of summit rock , traversed to west summit, and were back at road at 4pm. hitched back to car. this descent went so easy relative to the stories I've heard about the other descents I wonder why more people don't descend the W ridge.

if the s face has good snow coverage and conditions it is prefered descent. if little snow s face is horror of loose rock. east ridge is ok descent route tho slower, but better if s face not completely snow covered. it's a long hike over Crater col, dropping to Jerry lakes, and out the ridge to nice bivy spots. nothing tricky. usually Jack is 3 days RT

hey, danielpatrick smith, where might we find these writings? thanks.

SE butt is way better route than s face due to better rock quality. beware of the Monk's rating, Pete Doorish doesn't go to crag areas and he doesn't realize he's gotten better! Monk climbs are probably a full grade low. we started Le Giblet(the hangman) but it semed close to 5.10 so we bailed after a pitch. I've heard that tho shorter the Canadian approach is no quicker than hiking the US side in trail tennies.