genepires

limestone pocket routes? One and two finger pockets only.

my wife does all the clothes buying. What age child does this fit? (roughly) thanks, gene

sweet looking place. Like zion with sweet and sour egg rolls.

I better get my cams reslung soon before the change of control. If BD goes downhill, at least there are numerous other companies to offer good stuff. Maybe another local company will rise out of the ashes. I wonder how Yvon Chouinard feels about this?

steriod cookies?

Damn cool D! awesome job. so jealous......... seattle to up high on elcap in one day is f@#king rad.

sweet. you always have the most productive short trips there.

sweet! still a DVD guide?

4 years ago there were no chimneys to speak of. Glaciers have a way of changing. It seems though that as you travel to the climbers left, the height and steepness of the wall decreases. At the point on the true ridge is the most mellow place, as you would expect for a glacier serac band. Judging by the photo and memory, I think that part is not too far to the left off the photo. Did you go over there and what did it look like? Or is the true north ridge on the right side of the photo? (the photo with the chimneys) Edit: I looked at the photos again. Your second photo on original post shows you going right to the normal spot. Where the cliff peters out on the left. Your 3rd photo looks right on route but it could be anywhere.

swami belt?

Cool! thanks for the work in DC.

Funny..I thought that tax payers paid them to clear out the road and that they didn't do it voluntarily out of their own good intentions. Of course we appreciate the work they do. Just like I appreciate the police, fireman and postal officers. But they are still hired to do a job, just like those "troublesome climbers" were hired to teach their clients mountain skills. Setting up the howitzer without a serious effort to keep the American public safe is major mistake and very unlike most government operations. Emails and a phone hotline! Really!

blue lake TH is not threatened by avi hazard. But the trail does have some possibility, especially above treeline. There was a massive slide that came down through the trees 2 or 3 winters ago. Took out a portion of the trail and lots of very old trees. But that is a very rare event. Without being there, I would think that the blue lake trail is fairly safe right now, especially in the morning. The SEWS coulior is south facing though. I would expect some sloughage coming down it though. If you would be making big post holes it in, I would stay out of it. Better for a clear night with a overcast day.

not that I am complaining about free training but how much self rescue can be covered in a brief course. If it starts at 5:30 pm, then maybe they got 3 hours of material. (unless rapping in the dark is part of the training) BTW, thanks for offering the material CWCG!

good point. Natural glaciers are good at removing the loose ones. I assumed that the most of the lower town wall was glacier carved also.

does it seem that index has a higher rockfall activity than leavenworth or squamish? It seems like every year I read about some active rockfall at index, especially LTW. Maybe it is the lack of steepness that makes a rockfall at squamish or leavenworth a rare event. (or any other non alpine granite area)

a very good life.

comparing leavenworth camping to squamish camping is not fair Tamara. Canadians care about those things. Average Joe American don't. We only want lower taxes. Could you imagine anything as good as the bugaboo hut in the states? I agree, $36 is very bad for a weekend.

there might not be a choice os to have a guide or not. Chances are their trips are full already anyway. what Marc said plus add the skill of self arrest well on 25 degree slopes. Plus personal maintenance (hydration, food, temp control, sun protection- backpackers prolly know this already) and good glacier camping skills.

it cold there!

EPIC!!!!!!

having a bear charge you is epic, with or without a pistol. dictionary epic- pertaining to a long poetic composition usually centered around a hero, in which a series of great acheivements or events is narrated in elevated style. or of unusually great size or extent Your criteria are not in the definition. So if the kids were talking about a heroic taco that saved the kitchen from the evil tater tots and a song was written about it, then they are right. or the taco was ten feet tall. whipper is relative. If you are the one falling, it is a whipper.

that would be one hell of a mothers day gift! (the art, not the ringtail)

I've seen those ringtails a half dozen times in the canyons there. Usually scampering around on 5.9 with ease. Very nice to see them on your art work. I like the way the wood works for the organic feel. where is the ringtail work displayed? private?

skiing...ice climbing....it is the good times that counts. Nice looking day. would that route be a good split board route? It looks like it has minimal changeovers between uphill and downhill. How flat is the last valley? Would a snowboard get bogged down in the flats? feel free to slam snowboarding if you like. I just like it.