Freeman

Rollo, you might post the question at telemarktips.com or browse their archives

Hey, Ryland I've done both the North Face and the Icefall (altho not reasonly) and in my opinion (and under the conditions that I did them) the Ice Fall was way more fun. I did both climbs from the Ice Lakes approach which means the complete N Face from the bottom (not the traverse). First time for the N Face was in the late 70's in early July - a nice steep snow climb (we didn't rope as I recall). I tried it this time of the yearlast year (again from the bottom) and we couldn't get around the 'shrunds at the bottom. People were still doing the traverse at that time I did the Entiat Ice Fall about this time several years ago and thought it was a great moderate summer alpine ice climb. Mostly 40-50 degree with a few steep steps - you could probably French most of it with one tool but two were nice. The start was funky, we climbed down into the 'shrund and out onto the glacier itself. The ridge to the top is chossy but I don't recommend desending directly to Ice Lakes - there are some pretty unpleasant slabs. Go on to the top and down the normal way. Go do it, I think you'll enjoy it.

Chelan County Mountain Rescue has used Rigging for Rescue, now owned by Mike Gibbs of Ouray, CO (970.325.4474) Their url is www.riggingforrescue.com I highly recommend their instructor Leo Lloyd of Durango Co. For some photos of a recent R4R seminar at Castle Rock check the gallery section at www.ccmra.org

I had Lasik last June and it is the single best move I have ever made. I was 20/200-250 with modertate astigmatism and was into a reading correction (bifocal). I could not tolerate contacts and my optometrist recommended against PKR. I will never forget walking to the window on the 16th floor of the office building in Seattle where I had my surgery done and for the first time in my life seeing the skyline without glasses. It very literally brought tears to my eyes. My vision after 6 months is 20/20 in one eye, 20/15 in the other. I now require reading glasses for any close work but the only real hassle is taking them off and on. Right after my surgery I went out and spent a bunch of money on really cool new sun glasses - something that I could never have done before - glacier glasses, wrap around shades, some yellow lenses for overcast conditions, new ski goggles... I am slightly more sensitive to bright lights at night and sometimes get the starburst and halo effects described in the literature but it isn't bad unless I'm really tired. I have been told that the high altitude (Beck Weathers) problems are only associated with PKR although you should discuss this in detail with your optometrist. I have had no problems with either climbing at 14,000 or flying in unpressurized light aircraft. I was told, and firmly believe, that the sucess of this proceedure depends as much on the skill of the doctor (really the programmer, since its all done by a computer). My cornea flap incision has absolutely no scarring (the optometrist says he can barely see it). If you choose to do this, try to find someone who has done a lot of them - this in no place to save money. I had mine done at Pacific Laser in Bellevue by Dr. Ford - I recommend him highly. My wife and I stayed in Seattle that evening and she drove home the next day - but I could have. I was at work the following day and have had no complications at all. For someone who has worn glasses since he was 5 years old to suddenly be free of them really is a minor miracle. btw - Trask, speaking of the neighbor girl - she will no longer be just a fuzzy pink blur

Slaphappy posed a very good question asking if any of us had any experience with either being located using a transceiver or "saving" someone else. As seems so typical of this forum, most of the responses were the childish smart-assed wise cracks that we have come to expect from many of the regular "contributors". However, here are some real experiences. A few years ago three of us were skiing the hill sides above town when one skier triggered a slide. We were all wearing beacons and carrying probes and shovels. Fortunately there were visual clues to the location of the victim and I was able to start digging within probably two minutes (time flies...). I uncovered his face - he had a weak pulse and I could detect a faint breath with my bare hand, his lips were blue and face was bluish grey. He was face down and took several (maybe 5?) more minutes to dig out to the point that I could have turned him over to do CPR had it been necessary. There was no trauma altho one leg was bent up over his back (the ski was still on). He was lucky that there were visual clues - had a beacon search been required it would have added two or three minutes to the rescue, but I am convinced that I still would have found him in time. Without beacons and with no visual clues it would have taken several hours for the two of us to probe for his body. The same year a patroller in bounds in our local area was buried and located with his beacon. He was dug out alive, but ironically was reburied and killed by a second slide. A few weeks ago we were standing at the base of a local ice climb that is a notorious avalache gulley and I asked a couple of newbies with their shiny new tools if they were wearing transceivers. One said, "no, why". I pointed out that he was standing on the top of the avalache cone and that I had been buried in that very spot some years ago. We belayed from the safety of an outcrop next to the cone. Each year I do a week long back country tour in B.C. with a guide who is one of the Rogers Pass avalanche control people (I would consider him one of the few avalanche "experts" in the Northwest). Do we wear beacons - absolutely; do we practice with beacons - of course; if your lady friend were skiing with us would she be wearing a beacon - damn right she would be. In fact, I would probably give her the digital beacon because she might be searching for ME. Slap, a final note - as one who occasionally gets to go out and rescue the injured and retrive those who don't make it - you and your friend would make our work much easier by wearing a transceiver if you do get snuffed - probing for a body is no fun at all.

I posted the following a couple of days ago in another forum but since there is a lot of interest in this climb it bears repeating (especially the warning about snow loading) - many years ago I was avalached on this climb and IMHO the conditions are getting getting ripe for it to go. Genepires' comments about the walk off are correct but the climb itself is also very avalanche prone. Anyway, here is my earlier post: We were the party on the main flow on new years day and compared to other years the ice is definitely not fat. We did the climb in two 60 meter pitches instead of the normal 3 as I simply couldn't find good enough ice for a belay at the usual spot. We used 3 pins on the first pitch and belayed from 3 more - screws were pretty short or tied off.The first half of each pitch was good ice (altho there was water running under it) - the second half was either very thin or snow over the rock. Friends did a smear to the left (and also used some rock pro) and said they enjoyed it: it looked like the far right was also thin but climbable. Avy conditions on tuesday were moderate (little spin drift things comming down most of the day) but I'm sure it really loaded up last night. Remember the orginal name of this climb is "the Funnel" and you belay from the top of the avalanche cone ...

We were probably the party on the main flow on new years day and compared to other years the ice is definitely not fat. We did the climb in two 60 meter pitches instead of the normal 3 as I simply couldn't find good enough ice for a belay at the usual spot. We used 3 pins on the first pitch and belayed from 3 more - screws were pretty short or tied off. The first half of each pitch was good ice (altho there was water running under it) - the second half was either very thin or snow over the rock. Friends did a smear to the left (and also used some rock pro) and said they enjoyed it: it looked like the far right was also thin but climbable. Avy conditions on tuesday were moderate (little spin drift things comming down most of the day) but I'm sure it really loaded up last night. Remember the orginal name of this climb is "the Funnel" and you belay from the top of the avalanche cone ...

Kyle, I did the climb many years ago (maybe 10) so my memory isn't too good but I remember it as very fun, not too difficult (I didn't think we climbed any 5.8). The cool part was that a couple of friends were doing Stuart Glacier Couloir at the same time and we met at the notch, completed the summit pitches together and descended Sherpa Glacier together. We must have done it in June or July because the Couloir was still in good shape. I recall it being very much like the North Ridge without all the people. Post a TR, maybe it will bring back some memories <g>

Straight up Hook Creek (5 or 6 hours as I recall). Toketie Creek is a mess after the fire, Rat Creek is ugly, everything else is long. We camped on the edge of the Mesa - wonderful spot and a great climb!

The Chelan County Mountain Rescue unit will be conducting a week long training session in the general Leavenworth area from Saturday 5/19 through Friday 5/25. Although sites for each day are not known at present, they will include Icicle Buttress, Castle Rock, and possibly several areas in the Peshastin Pinnacles. We will be training under the direction of Rigging for Rescue from Invermere, B.C. and will be conducting a variety of raising, lowering, and highline exercises. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that climbers will understand that this training is what allows us to help you if you are injured in Chelan County. We encourage you to watch our practice from a safe distance, but ask that you not climb in the general area that we are using.