Pencil_Pusher

Would you happen to know how far it would be to ski from the closure to Washington Pass, coming from the west (heading east)?

December Newsletter Seems like they're using this trail fee to fight forest fires. To the tune of $14 million last year if I remember correctly from the article. It's in the Mountaineers December Newsletter, check it out. I thought the old outhouse at the Ingalls Creek trailhead was just fine but now there's a $25 million new outhouse there paid by tax dollars. Park rangers driving around in shiny new Suburbans and Blazers and they want to increase fees... How much is being spent on enforcement and how much actually hits the trail? The highlight of this insanity was digging out the shitter at Camp Muir last winter to find an access ramp at the door with a damn wheelchair hanging inside. Sort of like braille on the ATM at the drive-thru.

A day late and a dollar short again! Took a Gary Brill avalanche course two years ago. I have two Ortovox transceivers, the ones that ping like sonar and have three led lights. Anyhow, this sucker is pinging away long after everyone elses went silent as Gary walks way out there. It's still pinging as he turns around to ask if that's far enough. We had an assortment of newer Ortovoxes, Trackers, Pieps and such... mine's the only one still giving off a faint beep. Long and short, when we went out en masse, we used the Ortovox on point to first locate the signal and then get the Trackers on course to expedite recovery. I like my Ortovox and also understand the simplicity of Trackers for newer hands... maybe it's just the practice thing emphasized throughout this thread. Just make sure your buddy has the best shovel! Good thread, I enjoyed reading through it. For whomever wants the super, in-depth coverage of avalanche territory, Gary Brill does an excellent job of it, if you can keep up with his mindset. Alot more than my pea-brain could process at one sitting.

One other thing worth mentioning (sorry if it is already in here, I hardly have time to post anymore), as Cavey said, you'd really have to want this bad. Cuz SAR and everyone else ain't gonna come in for a rescue if something goes wrong. Scream and holler all you want, everyone has no liability for watching your dumb butt die of exposure because they'd be just as stupid trying to pull off a rescue. Fire in place is what I'd say.

Hey Y'all, there's also The Sloop across from Stone Gardens, next to the VFW. 32 oz mug of Redhook $4 32 oz mug of Bud $3.50 Pool tables and who cares about how the food tastes. Parking is free and ample. After my first Grade 3 B, Class 3.0 quarter, I'm at the Sloop tonight for a well deserved brewsky.

Pretty damned expensive, but looks fun as well. wuhooadventurerace.com

"First" man-made, all natural blah blah? Huh?

It was nice and uplifting to see the court throw out the bulk of the tickets. That dude that went on principle had the unfortunate coincidence of encountering a ranger and then admitting his guilt there and then. Next time, "I no speak ingles, sprechen sie deutsch?" If so, "Habla espanol?" then get in car and drive off.

A day late and a dollar short but: There was some thread (a while back) in the Climbers Boards about some dude lamenting about, "...any day now he was expecting some gaper to post about his 5.11c climb up Saber," or something to that effect. So I was actually doing just that with this 5.11c post.

Obviously it's not working too well. Lowell, please, please, please, please, please... another old-time trip report. Please.

Barrabes Website

My brain hurts from all of this. Thanks to Alex and CascadeClimber for at first confusing the hell out of me. I think I understand it better now. Why I had to look at a Mountaineers theory of mechanical advantage pic and quiz is beyond me. Iain.

Lowell, I was wondering if you could post another historic story for us to take a gander at. Something like that Marathon... from the early years. -PP

The two things I got out of St Helens were: 1. Free-heel skiing using x-country skis is alot harder than the telemark turns I see people doing with normal gear. Our brilliant plan was to ski down, I think we made it 150yards before we realized the futility of the idea. Sitting on the skis and crashing at warp speed was the way to go. 2. Ignorance is bliss when camping in an avalanche bowl. Dehydration (ran out of fuel the night before) and beer at the car work really well, especially when not driving.

Or, imagine this, the hardcore climber could simply not clip the antagonistic bolt and use those sliders instead.

What was the "extension" they used? That sounded very odd.

After reading in a thread a comment by Off White, I figured out how to log on. As OW stated: For a space in the username use an underscore _ I thought maybe they didn't like me anymore... It could be why everyone has been so quiet...? I do like the changes although they will be different getting used to. I like this makeover more than the last one.

Well, I got a little chuckle out of the climbing web pages thread so here's my schpeel: Two years ago I did this infamous route. Actually, it did me and my ass still gets sore thinking about it. It all started with the Fault. It was October and cold. We had gotten out of the basic class that summer. After swapping off leads for this beast called the Fault, I managed to top off. It must've been rated 5.9 off-width. We then traversed over to the base of the Saber route. "Hey Paul, let's go up that." "Uh... I dunno Dave, I told the wife I'd be back at..." "Oh this will only take an hour or so." Two hours later finds me desperately gripping my way past that intimidating piton on the blank-sheer face. As is my style, I didn't bring enough of something and that was runners. I think I had nine. So in great style I kept going although I was out of runners. I clipped that stupid piton and started my desperate search for the belay. Narrowly poised on Saber Ledge I was beyond happy when I saw that huge bolt and clipped into it. Parched throat... partially from exertion, mostly from cursing on the ascent. Two hours on that first pitch. "Paul, off belay!" "Uh... Dave... it's pretty late..." More "..." and discussion has me rapping down to the base. Of course the rope doesn't quite reach and I have to downclimb. Paul and I vow to come back the next day to retrieve all my gear. Next day, Paul to wife, "Oh, we should be back in a couple of hours." Setup a double rope rap to tree where I go down to and set up another rap to get gear. Throw ropes, one end goes free the other in a bunch behind a rock. No problem, I'll just pull it free when I get down. Awkwardly retrieve gear. Realize my error rappelling past the stuck rope, thankfully there's enough free to make it down. Spend the next 2-3 hours trying to free the rope. Highlight is prusiking up... I forget how it happened, but somehow or another I get up high on the rope and then go for a joy ride into the fall line. Perlon gets damaged to the core and my sphincter is screaming. Prusik up some more and then decide I'm too scared to go over the lip. Go back down. Paul finds a way to get up to the tree. Paul frees rope. We get back to camp at dark. Saber on Castle Rock (V, 5.11c)

The NoGo's and other military branches "donate" their time? For some reason I actually thought they got paid for their time. Isn't it duty time for them since they are GI's? GI=Government Issue As well, it's the government's equipment with taxpayer fuel keeping that whirly bird in the sky.

If you have a lot of loose dinero laying around, go to Galls online and pick up some of their reflective tape. For that matter, pretty much any LE/Fire Department supply company will sell that stuff. Heck, I think even Shomer Tec sells it now. Highly reflective and costly.

So how did it go, Lambone? Did you go up there?

Sheee-it, I may as well put in the plug for the Boeing Alpine Society. They have a basic and intermediate class each year, both begin in March. Similar deal to the SVC mentioned, basic is one night a week, ten weekends almost in a row with a summit attempt on Baker for graduation. Everyone's gotta learn somehow... [ 11-20-2002, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: Pencil Pusher ]

So I went to a party the other night and was walking in behind someone pushing a dude in a wheelchair. I looked at the wheelchair dude from behind and thought it may be resident-dirtbag-skier, Bill. It wasn't so I mingled with the other people. Come back later and see wheelchair dude has one cast around his ankle, bummer. THEN I see another freaking cast, colored purple on his OTHER ankle. STEFAN!! After reading the posts here with some curiousity, that name immediately came to mind. So I smiled like I knew him and said, "Stefan!" Sure enough, it was him. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Stefan. I am curious though, how did you manage to post here with your feet elevated above your heart? Must've made for some interesting typing! to Stefan For all the legendary climbers I got to meet there. They had some great photos. to Ed Bolton and his intrepid story ascending Willis Wall with Wickwire a looooong time ago. Willis Wall? Ed is a very nice person and has some excellent climbing photos. It seems like it's only us that change while the mountains stay the same. Here's to both young and old, in our exploration and challenge of ourselves and the mountains. :salute:

AA, it's not a gumby thing. Following KISS doctrine, my suggestion is take a MOFA course and try not to get carried away with the what-ifs.

Insanely priced backpacks, $500 jackets, what's a beginning climber to do? I know a russian dude masquerading as an Australian who managed to complete an insane number of climbs and hikes for close to a year in his Payless Shoe $15 workboots because the dude is all heart. I have two packs that are four years old, a Jansport frameless 1 1/2 pound and a Kelty four pound internal, $60 and $52 respectively, brand new. The Jansport I use everywhere (was big enough to carry all my gear on a 2-man team from 14 to 17k, for perspective) and the Kelty is used for the winter. How about other cheap gear THAT YOU HAVE USED... how did the gear perform? Any recommendations, perhaps aimed at the beginner astonished by the insane prices? $500 Goretex jacket, $200 hiking boots, $30 polypro t-shirt, $300 watches... Super-long (Pope) posts/replies...