bobinc

I'll dig it up. I was on that trip, too.

This answers the question of whether Fred is officially 90: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/fred-beckey-90-years-old-climbing-in-jtree/107955528

Check over on Supertopo. As the last poster noted, JB has not been around in an earthly form since July, 2009.

Very sorry to hear of this. His pictures (and yours) will continue to inspire my desire to head to the backcountry. Bob Davis

My dad knew Nick from way back. Very cultured man- fluent in Russian and could really play the piano. He had considerable responsiblities at the Corps of Engineers for many years, as well. Always fun to talk with him; last time I saw him was 2 summers ago at an Oregon State College Mountain Club reunion.

Yes-- it did (does?) need attention from English-as-a-first-language readers/writers who have climbed there. I suggested to CMac that he cross-post here awhile back but perhaps that didn't happen (?)

I noticed the Spectra pack- one of the highest cost per pound climbing items out there.

Juan -are you still doing battle with the footwear?

There's a Big 5 in Redding; check on line to see their hours and what fuel they carry.

With an average snowpack, it's usually early to mid- July. If you want to avoid the crowds, you coudl go earlier and walk a bit further.

Oh, the irony. the Columbia/Snake dams have chopped up millions of salmon over the past few generations. Now we're developing wind and chopping up the raptors.

I also emailed them twice about 10 days ago and got no response.

Only an odd 3000+ plus posts on this over at Supertopo: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=72849&msg=1677763#msg1677763

Hooray. Glad to hear this. Way back in the late 70s we thought we might have "discovered" this area when in high school. Glad to hear it's still going to be relatively accessible without a long walk.

"you can't drive a snake to work!!"

Thanks for the great pix and text. Brings back the memories. There really is no way to get up that route and get off the mountain quickly (and also be safe). I remember thinking to myself on the way up about the number of calories that I must have burned-- lost track after awhile, somewhere amidst the steep brush, steep choss, and steep snow...

Contact the mfr and let them know what happened. Maybe they'll send you a new handle if you butter them up.

It'll be a zoo plus the predicted high in low 80s for Saturday will surely make things interesting even if you're up there early.

Very sorry to hear of this. I ran into her in about 2004 on the N. side of Mt. Hood. It was obvious she was an expert skiier. I know she did several first descents. Condolences to her family and friends.

Thre are lots of options for multi-pitch moderates at RR. December means shorter days and sketchier weather but you can plan accordingly for at least one of those issues. South-facing climbs are the best bet so look at Solar Slab area and the mouth of Pine Creek and Oak Creek Canyon. Others will be doing the same so if you want to shed the crowds, buy some hand warmers at Big 5 and you can hit up north and east-facing routes. Do a search on this site and you'll find a number of threads with specific route options.

Bonnie Springs is especially convenent if you are climbing more at Black Velvet/Windy Peak. Prices are on the order of $60 for weekdays and $10 more on weekends (although they may have increased a bit from these rates). Also, the bar/restaurant at BS is entertaining! What I've done in the past for hotels closer in is to book a night or two at Suncoast then check Travelworm, etc. once in LV for subsequent nights. You can sometimes find better rates (even 2 for 1s) this way. Only risk is that occasionally you could get shut out (but this seems less likely in more recent years given better overall availability of LV rooms).

Jim Nelson and I climbed part of S. Cruise in about 1998. I do recall thinking the name was ironic. We were sufficiently unimpressed with the dirt filled cracks and decided to head elsewhere after (I believe) 2 pitches.

There's conflicting info on which patch kit to use on NeoAir. (Full disclosure: I've only done the "research" at REI.) That is, Cascade Designs sells a "universal" repair kit that is said in one place to work on NeoAir and in another, to not work on it. I have a Prolite, and it has seemed somewhat flimsy (2 small leaks already despite being handled carefully) and it would seem the Neo has perhaps sacrificed too much in the weight vs durability equation. You might consider sending it back to Cascade, as well. They used to have a flat fee of $20 to fix mattresses; also, you coudl explain it seems to pick up holes easily and they might send you a new one gratis if they decide yours was brand-new defective.

If conditions are good (that is, well-frozen) getting down CS is straightforward. There have been some fatal accidents (and near-misses) on thsi route over the years. Typically what has happened is that a party has descended later in the day on softer snow and lost their footing due to balled-up crampons. Rope teams have gotten badly banged up on the rocks close to the summit and/or some unfortunatel souls have taken a long ride onto the top of the Eliot Icefall and perished.

Jeff Lowe posts as Jello over on supertopo.com