Marcus_Engley

Howdy all... I'm heading off to Banff and anything else nearby for the month of September. Never been before, and I'm pretty excited to have a nice chunk of time to play with. Anybody have any must-dos, or must-visits, or must-drinks, or general tips and tidbits to share? Mmmm, Canada... m

Just wanted to toss in a for the pair of SAR folks from Swift, and for the partner who did such an incredible job by acting fast and doing things right. We were on our way in Saturday when he was running out, and were on our way up to the accident site when the Blackhawk came in. We were relieved to hear, on Sunday, that they'd extracted him the night before, while we were watching from camp. Erik, if you can pass on our best wishes, I'd appreciate it. I wish we could've done more for him, but we brought their backpacks out the next day, and left them with the Swift SAR couple who were going up to retrieve their pack. Marcus

yar! that's a long frickin' day... if i closed my eyes on the summit after all that hiking i'd probably be woken up by the hordes the next morning...

whoops... [ 07-25-2002, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

quote: I'd argue that Glacier peak is nowhere near 30 miles round trip....more like 20. I't be fun with a super light pack.Well, as I recall, it's about 10 into Boulder Basin. Tack 3 to 5 miles on to get to the summit, and that's pretty close to 30. Given the pace we were going and the time it took us, it sounds right to me...

Well, you could still give Glacier a go, if you really wanted a workout. It'd be 25-30 miles and 8000 feet up and down, but one hell of a shakedown cruise, with very few technical problems. You could also start hiking in later Friday night, since it's only 1.5 to 2 hours to the trailhead. If you want approach beta, PM me. Other than that, for day climbs -- Whitehorse? Maybe too technical. Baker, as fred suggests, could definitely be done in a day, and a shorter one than Glacier for certain. m

If you've got the weekend, which it sounds like you might, do Glacier via Sitkum. It's in real nice shape, and it's a good workout. Do it in a day if you feel spunkier, wouldn't be too bad with light packs...

soha, go do it. i was up there saturday - sunday, and you couldn't ask for better conditions than you have right now. for whatever reason, there weren't as many parties on sunday as it sounds like there were on saturday. it's an easy 5 hours from boulder basin if you're not moving super fast, and a nice glissade (or ski) to within a couple hundred yards of camp. have fun! frostbite looked tasty too... hit la hacienda in arlington for some good mexican afterward...

Thanks 'Space! Just what I was looking for... By the way, thanks again for the holds! marcus

Snowy still? Should be nice and melted out, with all this sun - anybody been up there to see recently? Thanks! m

You can chase shade in City of Rocks, but if you don't catch it, it'll probably be REALLY hot. Take some sunscreen. You can do the same thing at Maple, and there's a lot of rock that'll be shady at any given time of the day. There's always American Fork too - plenty of shade there, if you pick the time right.

And there was much rejoicing...

quote: Originally posted by gh: how early can you get on the bell? I was thinking liberty crack or the thin red line. Is mid to late may realistic? too much snow??? can't get there until the pass opens-- mid may, it looks like...

Cruising down the late season bobsled run that always builds up on the Inter Glacier, I made the classic glissade/motorcycle/driving mistake-- don't look where you don't want to go! Stared at a big rock long enough for it to end up right in my crotch... No permanent damage, except to my pants.

quote: Originally posted by erik: quote:Originally posted by Marcus Engley: Toproped this route this weekend, and I'd say that it IS independent enough to be its own line, and that it wouldn't protect naturally. That said, we toproped it, and had plenty of fun. I was surprised to find it bolted when we got there... so since you can top rope it easily, are you still saying that there needs to be bolts there???? people top roped problems are great and in my book take nothing away from ones ego or stature as a climber.......cuz we all know thats what it is about....... Read the second sentence in my post. I could care less if the bolts were there, b/c, as I said, I had fun TRing it. It wouldn't be an especially challenging lead, as there's only really one crux, and the hardest moves are with a bolt at your waist. My post was only a data point, not an argument for, or against, the bolting. m

quote: Originally posted by Retrosaurus: What about the 5.10 tr variation to Dogleg Crack that is now bolted? Toproped this route this weekend, and I'd say that it IS independent enough to be its own line, and that it wouldn't protect naturally. That said, we toproped it, and had plenty of fun. I was surprised to find it bolted when we got there...

quote: Originally posted by Courtenay: Here's a stretch I like to have people with tight ITB/glutes do: sit on your butt on the floor, and bend your right knee a bit, right foot flat on the floor, and place left ankle across the right knee. This stretch is much like the one I was talking about in what it hits... it's easier to get into, too, and oooh, intense... m

Michael, I haven't had ITB problems, but I've been doing a lot of yoga and stretching lately, and the IT is one of the points I've been focusing on. Here's a stretch (if I can describe it) that might help you: This is from a website description, and there's a link below to a picture... "This is how I would describe this excellent butt and ITB stretch: get on your hands and knees and raise up to hands and feet lifting the butt as high in the air as possible-- downward dog. Raise your right knee to your chest and turn your leg 90 degrees, and place your shin behind your left wrist as you lower your left leg down so that it is straight out behind you. Hold your trunk upright by pressing on the ground with your hands. The closer you can get your bent leg to your wrist, the more intense the stretch. Take it easy! Now, sit your right butt down towards the ground--feel that stretch on the outside of the leg and deep into the butt. Don't be greedy, take it slow, extend the stretch on the exhalation and maintain it on the inhalation. Try to keep your trunk as upright as possible, actually bending the lumbar spine-- This gets easier with time but always accesses a very difficult to stretch area, the upper outside of the leg and butt." Take a look at the picture on the link below. The way I do this stretch, I keep my back leg on the floor, and my hands either on my legs, or on the floor in front of me. You can let your body fall forward and stretch the ITB passively- it can be a really intense stretch, so go easy. Let me know if this doesn't make sense-- it's hard to describe... http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/176_1.cfm m [ 04-16-2002, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

quote: Originally posted by glacier: I've found, that after a winter of using my rope to pull engines and tow stuck cars, that a good scrubbing in a lye solution really brings it back to shiny newness. I've found the same thing works after roping cattle... Todd,Thanks-- thought it might be worth a try, but it doesn't sound too promising...

quote: Originally posted by jkrueger: Any comments regarding tips, preferences, or caveats would be appreciated. Thanks! Double it up and tie it into a big daisy chain. If you have a mesh bag, you can put it in that, or just throw it into a front loading washer and start 'er up. You might be able to add woolite, but I'd confirm that before I did it. If you must machine dry it, do it on no heat (obvious), but better just to hang it up and let it drip-dry. I've been wondering whether adding a wash-in waterproofer would help restore/add "dry coat" to a rope... Any thoughts on that? I haven't done, and probably won't, but... m [ 04-10-2002: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

quote: Originally posted by willstrickland: Regarding penetration when swinging (not arresting), a heavier axe will not always penetrate better than a lighter one, even if both have the same pick angle/sharpness/etc. Why is this? Because if the weight is more concentrated near the head in one and more toward the spike in another, the lighter axe with weight more toward the head could penetrate better... Good point, and one I meant to bring up... m

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: m: Well like I said, why is it lighter tools (on water ice) don't penetrate as well? The weight difference is often just a few ounces...each tool still has the same strength behind it...right? True, each tool has the same strength behind it, and I completely agree that a heavier tool (sledge) will penetrate better than a lighter. The REI ice axe weighes something like 35 ozs (roughly)...about twice the Grivel Airtech Racing. Same guy swinging the ax (or arresting)...same surface being struck (or arresting)...only difference is half the weight. Not much difference in self arresting and penetration into ice when swinging, as far as this is concerned. Each calls for penetration into the surface and each has a force behind it. True the self arrest is a more constant force versus what i would call a throwing or striking force...but I see a clear correlation between the two...as far as weight effecting the performance goes. I think the fact that the self arrest is a more constant force is the key. The additional pound of the axe when swinging will probably come close to doubling the amount of penetration force, since it's got the momentum of the swing to propel it. When self arresting though, you'd only be gaining another pound of downward force, without the multiplier that the swing provides. We need a physicist though, I think. You may be right, and I expect that a heavier axe will help some, but I don't think it'll make a huge difference. m

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: Take a cubic meter of concrete. I get a 15 pound sledge and you get a 7.5 pound sledge. Who is going to pound it out more effeciently? The weight of an ice axe makes a difference. The heavier the axe, the easier it bites into the snow/ice. Of course the teeth and the "clearance" (neg. v. positive) make a difference as well. This is much the same as when you use it as a tool. A lighter tool does not get as good penetration as the heavier tool. The lighter axe will take more effort to do what the heavier axe does with less effort. I agree with the weight to penetration argument when swinging the axe, but I think the sledgehammer analogy doesn't apply well to self arresting. How much difference is a pound of axe weight going to make when you've got 170 pounds of climber pushing down on top of it? I think the clearance and pick style have much more to do with it, at least when arresting... Unless the lighter axe isn't as stable-- but that's design more than weight, I think... m

quote: Originally posted by jules: I've got 2 Thule full-bike mounts for sale, retail approx $120 each, will sell for $20 ea OBO. check your email, jules... thanks!m

Big thumbs up to headspace... many good holds left to pick up for a good price, and lots of good ply! If you've got a 6 or 7 foot ceiling in your basement, go make an offer! You'll come away with a sweet cave... Thanks B, Marcus