plexus

Yeah, me too. I've tried sending small JPEGs before and It don't like them. Does it matter its from a Macintosh?

Wow, that's a steep price for a soul. A few years back my friends and I would take turns selling our souls while driving up to Squamish just to have it not raining there and no crowds on the Smoke Bluff Connection!!

Depends...how rich is your life insuarance policy? I use the figure 8 done like a square knot, shown in the illustration at the top of the forum. Most people I know use the figure 8. I have seen the EDK a few times and it has held, I never felt scared on it...but never had anybody teach me, so I don't use it.

Been there, done that...such a warm fuzzy feeling Where do I wire the money to buy the two guys a round ? I'm just wanting to get up the thing in the summertime .

That's because Dallas has been busy the past 1 1/2 years and Smoot's information on Erie is way off on a lot of stuff. Dallas Kloke is working on a new guidebook as we surff, wants to have it done by the summer. There are a bunch of new sport routes on the Main Wall as well as down in Adventure Crags - (take the main trail up from the bottom, look for the signs).

Geez Michael...how many times is that up Da Toof for you? Are you going for an ascent in every month of the year? At least you were able to get out this weekend, I was stuck in the office.

I have yet to use my KBs or LAs, but I think they are an important component to an alpine rack when exploring unknown peaks or ones with little beta.

Estoy feliz que has regrasado Terminal Gravity! Ya disfrutaste tu vaije? Visitaste Oaxaca? Estabbas boracho mucho tiempo?

Just got back from Erie like 10 minutes ago. If you ever head up there and there is a lineup for ZigZag, there is a nice climb to the left of it called Cracking the Code. It's on the same wall the first pitch of Zig Zag is on, up to the pedastal before you head up to the slabs part at least. Go back down the trail 20 feet, hook a right on to faint path and it's right there. Nice crack system, you can actually jam!!, to 3 bolts on the face. I think Dallas said it's a 5.7. Seemed a little tougher at one part though because the two best holds were wet. It's one of the better cracks for gear on Erie in my estimation (and I've done a number of horror shows on that lump). Also the belay anchors mark the beginning for a 5.10c sport route right above called the Cat from Outer Space, I believe. You can also do a traverse to the left and get on Potholes (5.9 i think) and a few other climbs that have been put up there recently. I didn't realize it was right next to Zig Zag and I started climbing up a route on a wall to the left, that was a fun climb as well, I'd put it at a 5.8. No anchors so I had to downclimb the thing as well ...good practice though I guess. God it felt good to get outside and climb

It's a Kloke 5.10...nuff said!!

I do believe those are from Orange Wall. RG2000 did you try anything at The Cirque? Turtleback Arete Direct is a cheek-clenching 10 up on the left side of the Cirque.

Superb Dru!!! You're my hero!! Seriously great climb and a great trip report. I usually don't finish TRs that long, you know that ADHD thing !! Top notch, and I too have dranken a beer while in the bath tub, and in a hot tub too. Obviouslythe hot tub is better, with good company !!

You're probably right about the appeal of glaciers to out-of-staters Capt. I know when I first moved here from chicago, I couldn't even believe there was snow at places in the summertime !! I just like a trip to the Pass once a year. It's nice to have an approach without the brush every once in awhile and there are what I think, are some nice enjoyable and mellow climbs there (I have yet to get the fortitude to do some of the eastern-side Spires climbs).

If you're trying to maximize your climbing time, tick off an area. The Washington Pass area offers solid climbing on various peaks (S. Winter Spire, Concord Tower, Liberty Bell, Kangaroo Ridge, Silver Star and Cutthroat) as does the Cascade Pass area (Forbidden, just do it on a week day to avoid the crowds, Torment, Mixup, Sahale and further up the valley Eldorado and Primus). Logan is an easy climb and it takes a day approach to get there, not a good idea if you are limited on time. Just a thought. Good luck!

You guys should head back to Hidden Lakes and look for that camera instead

Park Butte is nice. Been up there a few times. The best was the day hiked up there, went over to Survey Point and everythign was overcast, couldn't see Baker. And then seeing Baker the next day at sunrise with nary a cloud in the sky . Nice! Also I hear a guy is refurbishing the lookout on Lookout Mountain. That's a nice huffer for you. It's even more than 450' vert per mile !! Trask, you should come up and visit me in Sedro-Woolley some time....the sheep are still scared

True Michael, While the area seems to be changing, we also change. I can look at myself - beer collecting around the belly, hairline receeding, getting soreness the next day after a beefy climb....

Thanks guys. I talked to MVS a couple of years about Persis. Bronco, your comment about the waterfall is very encouraging. It let me know that I was on the right road spur and that the trail is not far from it. Just one more question, is the trailhead before the end of the road? Because we followed flagging (logging flagging looking back on it) at the end of the road to the right and it wasn't a ridgeline. It was horrendous side-hilling, that unfortunately, I have encountered worst on (see anything in the Kindy-Buckindy-Granite Lakes area). Hopefully I'll have kicked this bloody flu by next weekend and the forecast will be favorable. What is it a cold, starve a fever?

Ok, I'm a gaper, I'll admit it. Tried this route two years ago with some friends and we never could find the right way up. Followed the Beckey guide and hiked up the road and it deadended. We saw some flagging and wound up doing some thawing out vertical forest traversing before getting cliffed out. We retreated back and down the road some more to a right angle bend and a small waterfall. Went going through that area for a while until some second-growth forest made things slow and tedious. So where the bloody hell do you get off the road and start heading uphill ?? Thinking about trying it this weekend if the forecast stays true. Thanks for helping a distressed gaper

Welcome back James! You were famous, they led the news with you the other day . Glad that you made it back without getting buried. I agree the traditional ratings are just fine. I also like what Nelson and Potterfield did in their selected books, giving a grade to the approaches. In the Cascades, something like that is def. relevent. that don't know that Bachelor Creek is a big-ass bushwack!

Knots used most often: water knot, cinch knot, double fisherman, figure-8, clove hitch (the best thing for trad anchors). Now that I think about it, those are the only knots I use.

Nice.....real nice How was the SW for the descent. If I ever grow the fortitude to climb that mountain (it scares me ) I have wondered about that for the descent (is it brushy?)

I'm going to buy some more holds for my bouldering wall and came across this, "The Mega Rail". www.cheapholds.com/features.html Has anybody seen these in real life or own it? It looks interesting to me, especially to just screw into the side of the wall to open up that dead space. Thanks

You'r just mad because soembody stole your Charleton Heston blow-up doll

Jim is right about the NF. I've done countless interviews for numerous articles about the shrinking NF budget. Logging cost the taxpayers money, meaning the capital returned to the NF did not cover expenses of the NF. Also the NF really hasn't been getting less money, but rather have less pow for the buck. Their budget has pretty much stayed flat for the past 10 years, but figure in inflation, higher salaries, etc..... Now good ol' Shrub is gonna let the clear-cutting begin again....(sigh) Where's Hayduke when you need him