genepires

which one of your things is the felted mouse slippers? Is that what tele gear looks like? No wonder you want to get out of tele-ing.

I may be wrong, but I think Tyson was off of hwy 2.

when I got mine a long time ago, the glacier boots were blue. Maybe you have a 8 year old model?

I am not even fond of using the axe as padding for the lip. Anything sharp is undesirable, like the adze. Anything near the lip must be anchored somehow in case the snow breaks free and the padding falls in and onto the victim. This is usually done with a vertically placed ice axe using the leash to connect to the padding. Teams of two are usually doing technical climbing and therefore usually have two axes per person. I like packs more than foam sleeping pads because the rope slides over packs easier than foam. Ski poles could work. Skiis are bad idea. Anything not sharp and slick and with enough surface area to resist getting pushed into the snow. While it sounds hard, it is really easy to slide something under the loaded rope (about 4 feet from lip) and push it toward the lip as far as possible. Then do the before mentioned sit on pack and use feet to clear out the snow around rope trick. One can usually push the pack farther still after clearing. Preparing a fresh lip is a very good idea, especially if the rope really cuts into the snow. To really do it, you need a shovel. I sometimes carry a old black diamond shovel blade that attaches to a axe shaft. Kinda works and better than nothing. But given the amount of times that one actually needs to do this stuff, a shovel might not be worth carrying. (unless you expected to build a snow cave)

2 pickets per person is not overkill. regular ascenders are overkill. Under no means do you use the axe to clear the snow away from the rope. never. never. never. Write this 10 times on your bedroom wall and never ever forget this. The rope is loaded with weight namely a person. Loaded lines do not like anything sharp. I prefer to sit straddling the rope and use my feet to cut away at the snow around the rope. (no crampons of course) Self preservation dictates that this be done safely by having your waist prussik slid to a appropriate place on the rope which is anchored. (not necessarily the loaded line) your question about typical setup. I would usually carry one picket cause I am lazy. (I use the axe for the second piece) My picket would have a double runner girth hitched to the top hole on the picket. I slide the picket into the side compression straps with the runner not going into the straps. I tie a overhand knot in the end of the runner away from the girth hitch with a locker on the knot. This locker is clipped to a accessible place like a shoulder strap. You have to be able to get the picket without taking the pack off. Unclip the biner and pull upwards on the sling to take the picket out. Voila!

self belay aid climbing. that means you, Darin!

or go to the newbie forum and find the common theme of request for info.

maybe a "what to do if there is an avi" lesson? How to utilize a small group in a beacon retrieval? Most of us are lucky enough to have zero real life practice. Advice from someone with real experience would be priceless.

While there are good resources out there for crevasse rescue, I seem to remember that the 2 person rope team rescue portions were not very comprehensive. It seems that single person rescue should be even more detailed than 2 person rescue. ditto for beginners guide to waddington climbing photography for people with the point and shoot cameras

Each person needs to be able to build a anchor and this typically means 2 pieces. What that anchor consists of depends upon the snow conditions. Not every snow condition is good for a fluke but they typically work well in mid spring to mid summer. Other than that, you should have either 2 pickets or be prepared to use a picket and a buried axe for the anchor. If you are carrying 2 tools, then this leaves you one extra for various things. My first piece wouldn't be a vertical picket for two reasons. 1) If the snow is good for vertical picket, you need to hammer it in. If if goes in by hand, it is not good. Try to hammer in a picket while laying down, it is hard. Easier to dig a t slot. 2) If the snow is good enough for a vertical picket, then the snow is still frozen and very strong. The bridges are still strong and the chance of anybody going in is very slim. IMO, I would place the first piece as a t slot picket even though it is a bear to do. I want that first piece to hold when I get up so I would choose the strongest option available even if it is hard to do. I connect this picket to the rope with my leg loop prussik in a way as to not lower the victim in any farther than they already are. Get up and add the other piece for a standard serene anchor. You will need to retie into the rope to give you the room to do work but you must stay tied in. My preference is another t slot directly behind the first one by about 4 or 5 feet. This is often my axe if I don't have another picket. Equalize with double runner or cordellete and locker on power point and short prussik to loaded climbing rope. Grab the wraps on the leg loop prussik and pull to release this prussik and load the equalized anchor prussik. Voila! you are free but now the real work starts.

cascade crags in everett used to have a roof hand crack. But if I remember right, it went away when VW bought the property.

I had the precursor glacier boot to the one currently available. I used it on many volcanoes including rainier in summertime. It worked out just fine. It breaks in very much though and I needed to use a full strap crampon model. Don't know if the newer models will stay stiffer longer than my older model but I suspect that it will still get floppy which is fine except when you gotta kick in some steps on steep ground. $24 is a steal.

my two episodes that came closest to death involved altitude illness on Aconchossua and setting up a TR. Setting up the TR was by far the closest I came to death. Believe what you want about certain activities being safer than other but I don't believe it. Statistically, a slight risk taken 1000's of times is more dangerous than a moderate risk taken once.

I think Alasdair already answered your questions in the original post. purpose is to let people know of closures that are in affect and about to be in affect Incomplete because he does not know of all closures. He asked for people to post if they are aware of closures. reading comprehension.

only one vote for kids play area? Does no one here have kids? The play area is the only reasonable choice from the list. juice drinks are for foo foo metrosexuals. Will find that at the golds gym. beer should be drunk in the parking lot. period. Sauna? same as juice drinks. deep water soloing should be done at a wet and wild park.

while we are dreaming, how about a offwidth crack. Might actually learn stacking and arm baring. Chimney and hand cracks would be waste of space. train for the hard things! Someday I need to lead the split beaver!

you could do snow routes. You could rock climb at yamnuska year round when the weather is cooperative. There is always something to do in that area.

banff is crowded but realize that the farther you hike in, the less people there. The town is a zoo. But hike in 2 hours and you will be alone. People are lazy. I don't have any experience with yoho, assiniboine, robson or the other place. Been a long time ago but I think the standard route up edith cavelle was 4th and very good. That is up by Jasper. Really, go into the bugaboos and go up something to get a great view of things. I have also gone up w ridge of pigeon spire many times. It is rated 5.4 but it feels much easier. (with rock shoes) There are optical illusions that make it look hard till you get to it. It is so Classic and a must do. Really, go do that. Stay in a hut. quite the experience. Again, do temple standard route. Beware of 4th class in non granite rockies can mean more than it rated. It can be very loose and seem hard. There is a bit of sandbagging going on if you use the "selected canadian rockies" guidebook but I think that is mostly technical stuff. To be on the safe side, I would choose routes that get done a lot to ensure that the loose-ness is minimized.

Nice writing Joe. the above could be used as a justification for hiring a guide to be ones "pilot" I really like the sign image too. Would be cool to have that on a sticker, or a t shirt or just posted at the TH to climbing areas.

WA mountaineering in the winter is a waiting game. waiting for the right conditions that may never even happen. If winter mountaineering is what you really want to do, then get some backcountry skiis and go to the sierras for better use of time. A better option though is to go to Banff and become a ice and mixed climbing master. This will make the technical parts of mountains seem so easy. You might even be able to get up some peaks if the weather and avi work out in your favor. I would prefer banff over CO and NH for total terrain. Exchange rate does not work in your favor though but that is a small price to pay. Take a avi course wherever you go.

can't pass through the rockies without a stop in the bugaboos. You can find something for your skill level there. If nothing else, go up and tromp around the glacier and see the stuff. The standard route is mt temple is a worthy day. Maybe not well known but I thought that the hike in around castle mtn (mt eisenhower) is very good. I bet you could summit it from the highest lake somehow too. This list could get very long very quick. you looking for just 4th class ground?

mt hood? heard there was something going on there lately. it all worked out well I hope.

Argue what you want about the real risk, compared risk and value of reward but the point is that everyone should not delude themselves as the risk that we take. I used to delude myself but a long time ago, my friend (thanks D) made some logical comments about the risk we take and it has stuck with me since. Just be honest with yourself and if you are strong enough, be honest with your loved ones. ANother note. It is interesting to note that there is common perception that the people who are doing the "extreme" stuff are at more risk. While I don't have hard numbers, my perception from being around the game, reading accident accounts and so forth is that the "hardcore" ones are actually safer and it is the "average" guy who bites it. (the extreme ones make the headlines and gossip but this is trivial in number to the total) I don't think this is just a larger sample size but actual chance of accident. FWIW. stay safe. think. come home. have fun.

Without the details in the stats, there might be a problem with your comparison. Given the amount of time spent driving and throwing the dice into the danger game with driving, 1 in 6500 is not much. (assumed this for a year) But 1 in 12000 for a one time pop up hood might actually work out to much more risk if that dice is thrown 365 times in the year. (means you climb hood as much as you drive) Statistics is funny that way. Just remember, how many sports publications have a regular obituary column? For a while I think it was climbing mag that a regualr obituary column, maybe not anymore. And how do ALL of those columns read? Never died in car accident except for Wolfgang.

when you are driving and eating the mcdonalds breakfast platter, trying to get the butter and syrup where it needs to be, the risk multiplies ten fold. Should really where a helmet when you are driving.