Pencil_Pusher

Just a reminder for this meeting. Fees are supposed to double. I don't know if the RMI issue will also be discussed. The location is either at the Seattle REI or Seattle Mountaineers headquarters, I'm not sure. It's in the evening.

The Seattle REI, about one week ago.

Based on this article then, it appears the best bet for anyone that wants to help these folks out is to appear at Bumping Lake tomorrow morning and offer assistance. The weather and conditions are going to suck.

The same day I spied the Grivel crampons, Seattle REI also had the SMC's on display. At 20oz and strap-ons, they're nice. I think REI sold them for $80 and the Grivels for $120.

Check your PM's. I guess it's a waiting game then. I have also been contacted by another person who is available to go tomorrow morning, fyi.

Mike, check your PM's. Steve, could you call the John Duhrand guy? I cannot make a long distance call from work. See if we can meet one of their people at their base of operations tomorrow morning. Undoubtedly they'll be skeptical. Okay, I e-mailed that link SEF provided with my contact info. I asked if I could meet someone at their base of operations and said I'd be going down there with at least another person of like experience. Anyone out there know how to get ahold of either of these two skiers? Maybe they've turned up?

I'm up for this. Anyone else? Grab your gear and we head down there tonight or tomorrow morning to see if SAR needs help. I'm skeptical on a couple of fronts. I assume we all take personal responsibility for our actions. Nevertheless, SAR will probably turn us down for safety and liability concerns. We don't have a background they can verify and we may get in the way of their efforts. If one of us gets hurt or killed trying to find these dudes, we'd be taking away SAR resources devoted to finding them, thereby hampering their efforts. Maybe someone knows contact info for this dude so we don't head there for nothing? I don't think anyone reading this website is going to ask for our help so it's up to us to act and ask them if they need it. So: Contact info for missing guys Contact info for SAR group looking for these guys How to get to trail We may get turned away, but at least we tried. pencil_pusher@hotmail.com

True enough.

Glad you got the caps lock key thing worked out now, Jerry. How about some info concerning your outing? You were with this group in question?

For some reason this thread reminds me of a t-shirt, with the same cartoonist as the avy poodle. It's got a rat wincing in pain, with the title being something like, "My mom never loved me. Feel my pain." My favorite is the one with the grinning old rat, hammer in one hand, chisel in the other and a tatoo on his arm: "Recently paroled ex-hardman."

That was informative. I'd ask, but you know what they say: "If you're asking 'how much', you can't afford it anyhow!"

Expired edit time??? Okay, so my goggles are "Scott". Probably the same ones, made in China and shipped here where they put their different company names on them. Double lens, something as you described about the inside lens becoming easily scratched. Well, I guess you get what you pay for. I tried mine on again last night and they actually feel comfy. I suppose when it's cold enough, the rubber hardens and then it's not so comfy but that's me whining.

Okay, I'm calling bullshit. I toned down my initial response considerably before I posted it, but after reading your subsequent bullshit, no mas. I may be wrong about the percentages, but I'd guess the avalanche 'science' is about 60% knowledge and 40% voodoo hodge/podge shit. I busted my ass up the standard route on Granite Mtn on the 29th and the avy danger there was low to nonexistent. Sure we can all speculate to no end on what MAY happen, but nobody can definitively say what WILL happen. And yet we get these monday morning quarterbacks quipping about what 'prudent' is, what 'readily available' info there was, how three bumfucks in Timbuktu got rescued in five minutes... on and on. There are many variables to consider. Until you know what factors contributed to this slide (and the following rescue), it's a bit presumptuous to speculate otherwise, especially with such strong words. Now if you dug a pit on that slope that day and used whatever prior avy research you had taken from NWAC to factor in this assessment, I'll shut my mouth. "Death trap"... I'd say something, but it'd just get edited out. I apologize to others if my post seems harsh but sometimes you got to take a stand and I say Peter Baer is full of shit on this one. I didn't even know the people involved but why don't you wait until someone from the scene gives an evaluation. Then maybe we can all learn from this, if there is anything to be learned.

I'm going to hop in on your post, figuring if your snowball's-chance-in-hell post works, maybe mine will too. Lost/left behind: orange screamer with two booty biners on Saber, back in July. Clipped to rusty piton on route.

Mine are yellow tinted too... Maybe you could repair it yourself if the cushioning starts to come loose. Impatience had me tear it all off once it started drooping in front of my eyes when I'd try to hold the cushioning as I put the goggles on.

"...a prudent choice" ??? We can all play monday morning quarterback. The NWAC reports aren't indicative of local conditions. Therein, how were local conditions assessed by the group? We'll all find out soon enough.

Truly sick and demented going all the way to Smith for a day of numbing-cold climbing! But I love it, great TR! That TR makes my run around Green Lake yesterday seem very warm and dry in comparison! Coffee and Clif Bars with bone chilling climbing in rock shoes and a ten hour drive all in one day... makes me nauseous just reading about it.

A small Utah outfit that sells gear for the aid-climbing freaks of this world. They also sell other climbing gear and Avy Poodle t-shirts. They have a website as well, but I don't remember it.

MEC sells some yellow foam ones that do a pretty good job cushioning the hip and ribs from the rocks. www.mec.ca Plus, they're cheap and light!

"Sh-it, if this is gonna be that kind of party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes."

Don't go for the cheapest $20 pair! I don't know or care what brand it was, it seems all they had was one brand anyhow. It was the cheapest and the foam cushioning came off after three uses (three separate outings). I still use them without the cushioning but mainly because I'm a cheap sucker.

Nicely put in so few words. I also liked Norman Clyde's reasoning... I do feel edgy at times when I haven't gotten my dose. Yet, my own fear is what has kept me alive over the years. Now I just need to breed to pass those genes on!

Until they come out with Howitzers or low-flying supersonic aircraft runs, perhaps our money would be best spent now sending it to the victim's family. Anyone out there in la-la land know of a memorial fund for Don Dovey?

The Seattle REI has a pair on display/ for sale. I thought the length adjustment was to accomodate different boot sizes.

Guess what time of the year it is? 2003! For me, I'd like to start leading 5.8 and go through the painful finger and hand jam apprenticeship. I'd also like to combine nutrition and training so I can have a better suffer-fest year. Sub 24hr Wonderland Trail, sub 14hr Olympus r/t, Mt Robson N Face (fear takes precedence over time). How about y'all? It should be interesting to re-visit this thread as either the goals become realized or as the new year (2004) approaches... to reflect and see if dreams were realized. Consider this a challenge then. If you post it, viewers will hold you accountable. That should be impetus enough for self-motivation.