genepires

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.

what are you instructional needs? What is your climbing goal that the instruction is geared towards?

Looking to go to icicle or tumwater for some good cragging. First rock of the year so I was thinking of 5.8 to 5.10 range. Up for anywhere around there but some of the new areas (from new book) look interesting.

Is scottp photo below pilchuck pk?

why should I buy these and not a BD or metolious one? Not meaning to be a hater, just trying to figure out the benefits of the wired bliss ones. (historically they are significant)

squire creek area?

nice looking area. too bad you are keeping it a secret.

oh the umbrella is such a sweet thing to have. Thanks Josh for bringing back the memory of the awesome alpine weather shield. I would get the craziest looks when the umbrella was strapped next to a picket on the pack. But when I was walking down the trail in a down pour (going home of course) under the umbrella with no goretex jacket on, those crazy looks turned to envy. (I have an aversion to wearing goretex) I had to use the axe to keep others from crowding underneath. I always had the ultralight small model kind cause that is how I roll. But I remember Paul Rosser used the LARGE golfing kind. He rolls large in every way and his umbrella matched his personna. I think he could fit 6 under it. No one dared to tread on his precious dry ground though. umbrellas work good in low wind situations so it is mainly a below treeline tool. I lost a couple to the wind gods on the glaciers of the mighty Baker-horn. A small one could be worth the weight if you were strictly backpacking. I always had a dry pair of thermal top and bottom for sleeping. I would not wear wet clothes at night but just put the wet clothes back on in the morning and sack up. But I always have down bags so I could not dry my clothes out if unable to dry the bag the following day. Dang Dane, that wet trip sounds insane. Props for hanging in there when the rain started. I run at the first sign foulness. ditto to the thanks to SAR guys. Much like the lineman guys with PUD, they are always out in the sick weather, doing good work. Thanks SAR and PUD lineman.

I have spent too many days in the hills in the rain. The above advice is very sound but my best piece of advice I could offer is...if it rains, go home. really. Rain throws in another element into the slurry of objective hazards. You have got to be hardcore to want to summit anything in the rain. or are a SAR. or doing the pacific crest trail.

backbone is a more fun route. if you are doing stuart and prussik, then backbone will make a fine addition. those three in one trip would be a stellar trip.