Pencil_Pusher

Saw this dude solo up Ingalls Peak on Sunday. It was my first time looking down at someone climbing up something I had just climbed, just unroped. It's all solid, I'm sure, just a bit too airy for me to do that. Sunday was a beautiful day for climbing. The smoke from the fires seems to be contained in the Icycle Creek area, the skies around were mostly clear. I was very happy to go back to this climb and do the first pitch, easy at it is, we missed it last year. Also, I feel good knowing I am moving more smoothly and going faster. Not as fast nor as good as alot here, but it's a very proud feeling I get going back there and to other areas that stymied me last year. Still got that damn rope stuck on the rappel like last year. Don't tie a knot, plenty-o-cracks. Ingalls Lake is very scenic and it was especially nice just taking our time with this trip and soaking in the sun. Like last year there were quite a few folks on route. There are different lines to take along the face so you can move past if need be.

This may have been already stated a thousand times before, but here it is again: MEC has awesome prices on gear if you go up to Vancouver, Canada. And you get the GST $ back at the border. Buy a cuban too. Barrabes in Spain(Internet) has insanely killer deals on more gear than you can shake a stick at. Rock Empire cams are dirt cheap, $27, and UIAA rated! Pro Mountain Sports in the U-district.

Like flebleb, I too have the SM9 Guides. They're great although I think they are lacking on friction stuff. But heck yeah, I can use them all day and my feet come out looking all nice and purdy. I use the Grivel 2F crampons which are pretty durned good. But they are cookie cutters so I also put on the anti-bot plate/rubber. The 2F's rock, you can leave them in flex or add included bolt and make them rigids. Plus they're supposedly light, relative to the others.

philfort, Hmm, know a guy by the name of Dave? He showed us that boulder last weekend as we returned from the west ridge of forbidden. The toe hook was cool but I was unsuccessful at both that and the no hands, three step.

I'm planning a trip in a couple of weekends. Looks like I'll have a four day weekend. My main objective is W Mcmillan Spire. At work now so I don't have the book, but I remember it being the 18-pitch north face. I'm not as quick as CascadeClimber but I can move out on approaches so I was wondering if it sounds possible that I could leave after work (5pm Seattle) Thurs and hike till 10ish, then finish the approach near Chopping Block/Pinnacle around 2pm Friday? Any other info for this trip would be appreciated, if time allows (the big question) I'd like to try and climb Inspiration too. Thanks.

check out wired knut, he's looking for some action in canada-land this summer.

E is the ultra tree hugger, isn't he

I was just up there last night. Bring quarters for the shower machine up top. I left the faucet running so the pipes wouldn't freeze.

Da Tooth.

Hey, the only cookies I know are the ones I eat. Debits on the left, credits on the right, that's all I know. Oh, and this smilies thing

Kinda weird that some folks around here have a gazillion different screen names. Sort of like changing your underwear each morning, they change their screen names. Well, it's a fantasy world here. Good site, whoever started this website (Jon & Tim?). Really informative and helpful and a good laugh too.

AlpK, did you and E head up Challenger last year? Ah heck, I bet it's the same E I'm thinking of, that damn tree hugger. [This message has been edited by Pencil Pusher (edited 08-14-2001).]

The party of five. You guys were moving at a pretty good clip. Your leader had good technique getting over that schrund. From the other side of the rock, there are no schrund problems. Wish we could've gone up Sharkfin too, but I think if we'd stayed any later the Ranger would've given us all some coupons.

Went in Saturday, Aug 11. All permits had been taken Friday for Boston Basin and Buckner. Left TH at 8am (ranger station opened at 7am), we decided to go for it in a day knowing full well the late hour we were leaving. Things went fairly fast and the approach to the finger coulior was pretty easy over sort of soft snow. I had light hikers and instep 4-pt crampons which worked fine. The snow was soft enough to make steps in going up finger, no schrund problems whatsoever and imagine it'll stay like that for a few more weeks. We did take a picket which we used a couple of times, mainly on the descent. From the snow to the notch is some loose rock so beware. Lots of rappel anchors at the top of the snow coulior that will become exceedingly difficult to reach as the snow melts, ours was some 15 feet up rock. Got to notch at 1pm and started climbing at 1:30. Met a pair of climbers (one in plastics) who did the Torment-Forbidden traverse then on up the west ridge. Pretty impressive watching the guy in plastics lead one of our fixed pitches (the first three or so were simul) on a ~8.5mm rope and didn't place any pro in for that 80 foot lead, just clipped into the rappel anchor and yelled, "Stevie, you're on belay!" The last pitch will give you some hellacious rope drag. Gear was pretty much how everyone said it to be: medium sized stoppers and a couple of cams. Most of the pro was slinging horns so bring a few more doubles than you normally would. First team summitted around 4pm, we hit the top at 4:30. Getting down took as long as going up, surprisingly. Hit the notch at 8pm and after a feeble attempt at simul climbing down from notch, rapped down to snow instead which made me REALLY happy. Group difficulties forced a bivy at 10:30pm on the rock below the finger. I was happy to bivy, I was really feeling tired and it was a warm night. It was kind of interesting while we were descending to occasionally glance down at the headlamps way below looking up at us descending the finger. We all had minimal bivy gear but the night was super warm. I filled my bottle with snow and left the boots out. Come morning, the snow was now water and my boots dry Pretty amazing for an alpine climb. We left the rock around 8am to let things warm up some, it was still a bit sketchy for the cramponless. There are a couple of rappel anchors off the rock but we figured it'd be just as easy to walk off it, around the crevasses. One guy lent the cramponless one crampon and things went much faster. Just outside of high camp we goofed around on a boulder, I suck. No, wait, it's the equipment, yeah, it's the equipment that sucks, yeah, yeah. Then the flies attacked en masse. MF'ers were all over the damn place, it was insane. I tried twice to stop and kill all the suckers but their friends kept on coming so I decided it was best to either stick close to the group (more targets) or run like hell. Met the ranger who was keeping an eye on us, thanks bud. He used a good chunk of discretion when asking us about our night and permits. Way cool dude. Then I ran like hell down the trail, through the bush, to the car and guess what... 50 biting flies must've followed me there because it was insane city again. Once the other guys arrived with all their accompanying flies, it was all we could do to just throw our shit in the vehicle and get the hell out of there pronto. Bring the flamethrower. Nice moves near that rusty piton. I know if we'd left earlier that morning instead of futiley waiting to get a permit, we'd have made the trip in a day. Also saw an awesome climber soloing the East Ridge, good job.

Maybe the guy works for that overpriced company. Pro_popper, the guy's doing team evaluations, send him an e-mail if you want to find out more. Otherwise, call the wambulance, 21-25 days is what I'd plan on as well.

Actually this message is for one person in particular hiding behind that keyboard. You know who I am so come on out and play. Everyone else can dismiss this, didn't mean to offend the masses.

I don't have a clue about computers, but it's nice sitting warm and smug behind a firewall. Buenos dias, senor.

Screen names will be screen names. They are found at Microsoft, AOL, and other such roundtables. BFD, Life goes on. I'd personally tell anyone who feels intimidated by ANYONE on this site, it's more BS than any remote chance of truth. Nobody in their right mind is going to physically go after someone on a computer screen. Document, talk to the moderators of the site, file a simple report with the police... it's all a paper trail. This should serve as a notice to all. Most folks in their right mind know it's healthy not to actively look for trouble. Word to your mother

greg, that's the best animation i've seen yet here. almost as awesome as that pic of the woman holding up an AK wearing only jeans with the american flag behind her. some obscure reference, no doubt.

Pencil Pusher's on a posting frenzy. I'm with Dwayner here. Take those stupid dealer license plate tags off, the stupid markings on the back of cars too. My stupid stereo had FIVE freaking JVC (or whatever the hell name it is) labels on it till I broke all but one off.

I love the peace-pipe hippie screaming at the buzz cut dude, "Open your mind!" Well guess what, that sword cuts both ways. Maybe ol' buzz took a look at your way and don't like it. "Open your mind" to my way of thinking. Now dwayner's gonna think I'm attacking his kinfolk. I'm still trying to have erik teach me that jamaican lingo so I can better communicate on here jah.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cavey made the whole thing up. Even if not, why post that at all?

There ought to be the ILPPC. I love Pencil Pusher Clan. Such inter-love with little e-mails back and forth to each other asking about me. The love makes me warm and tingly all over. I need a kleenex. That's why I keep coming back, to hear the love expressed by all you computer geeks, uh, I mean IS/IT folks. Boing... Micosoft... it's all love.

I'm still interested to see what happens when you don't pay the ticket. Since the feds are in every state, a warrant for your arrest from the feds makes me wonder if that gets sent on the WA state level for local cops to pull up from dispatch on your next traffic stop. Okay, so my question is, do such fed offenses (non-felony... while not a felony, refusing to show up in court probably gets bumped up from a petty offense to a misdemeanor for contempt of court) get listed on the WA database??? If not, you're home free. Even an arrest warrant (non-felony) in another state usually means nothing. WA cops only enforce WA laws. Now if your butt enters the US Customs House for SSN work or whatever or the Federal Building, hey buddy, you're on Fed property now. This is all rather interesting, but I do agree that thirty bucks is a cheap price to pay to keep the heat off your back.

Penis Puller is in, it's always nice to know folks think so fondly of me. Pun city, baby.