Doug_Hutchinson

Who has fondled the new BD Viper? I did last week at New Paltz's Rock and Snow and thought it was pretty cool except the huge curve may make it difficult to use the hammer or adze, and the little pommel may need to be removed for alpine plunging. Beautiful small grift/shaft and same great pick as the Cobra. Why are you cc.com's so hot on the Grivel Alp Wing or Tech Wing? Nice shaft for alpine, but I don't get the appeal.

Sorry to bring the subject back to the traverse, but I have an important question. Let just say that I might have a "friend" doing this route soon. Does my friend need to worry about getting a camping permit if my friend will be spending all his camping time on the ridge way above the masses and the police?

Lowe Alpine Attack 50 (50 liters = 3000 cubic inches). Light, has crampon pouch, removable bivy pad, slots for skis and ice ax holsters, and best racking system (removable underarm slings and built-in vertical gear loops on shoulder straps - the later are the single best way to carry pickets!)

If you wanna see cute snafflehounds like this one on Sleese, you have to find the right parking lots on the approach and on the descent. This is no small task if you follow the awful descriptions and incorrect mileages provided in guidebooks by Beckey, Nelson/Potterfield, and Kearney. Below are exact driving mileages (current August 9, 2002): Drive Hwy 1 to Exit 119. Go South through Sardis on Vedder Road approx. 3.5 miles and turn left immediately before the bridge over the Chilliwack River onto Chilliwack Lake Road (CLR). Descent (Sleese Creek side): Drive 13.2 miles down CLR and make right on Sleese Creek Road (adjacent to a large gravel lot and the entrance to a military base). Drive 3.6 miles, avoiding any smaller spurs. At "Y" take left (signed "New Sleese Cr Trail"). Drive straight past left turn in about 100 yards. At 4.7 miles from CLR, main road takes a sharp left turn and climbs uphill. Although this seems logical don't take it and instead turn down a small road to right and take the left fork (right deadends in 100 yards). Another way to describe this critical intersection at 4.7 miles is to view it as a 3-way intersection: take the middle fork. Go straight down this overgrown road for 0.2 miles to a fork at a wooden frame (for a shooting target?). Turn right and leave car/bike in the clearing. The road to left proceeds about two more miles to the actual Sleese Mt. trailhead but anything short of a monster truck will get stopped by huge waterbars within a half mile. You will be hiking out this road on the descent. Approach (Nesakwatch Creek Road): Return to CLR, and drive 5.6 miles to the Centre Creek/Nesakwatch Rd (At Riverside Campground). Take right, cross the Chilliwack River in 100 yards, and take right at fork in another 100 yards. Drive 3.4 miles to a spur on the right that leads to a small lot at the approach trailhead at the site of a dilapidated cabin. Hope this helps and sorry to ruin it for those who haven't had the joy of trying to figure out where to park using the available guidebooks.

The big question for the descent of Sleese after climbing the NE Butt: descend the "normal" southwest face or try the Crossover Pass descent? I know the southwest route from a late season attempt when the buttress was covered with snow, so we resorted to summitting from the warmer and snowfree backside. I know nothing about the Crossover option. Has anyone done the Crossover Peak descent?

I have never read a guide with more inconsistent, awkward text. It seems to me that Nelson and Beckey gave way better beta for most of the climbs in the new book.

I agree with Winter, Portland rock is way better than some wimpy, "I-only-climb-at-Smith" local climbers will have you believe. Last night after work, I climbed an incredible 300 foot 5.9 route at Beacon rock (not the SE corner) about 45 minutes from town. No other western PNW city comes close to Portland for cragging within an hour's drive. Alpine rock in Oregon definitely sucks. And the PDX local rock season is very short - i.e., May-Oct (actually Beacon just opened for the year). The rest of the year, you need to head to Smith or, better yet, ski!

Climbing the east buttess of Mt. Washington in central Oregon this weekend, approaching from Cache Creek. Anyone know the best (i.e., fastest) way to get back to the Hortense Lake TH?

I'll be in Peru climbing for the next three weeks, but I want to meet some of you. Specifically, PDX climbers that know how to both drink and climb - seems to be a shrinking minority. Someone please schedule again in a month (anymore more than once a month and these things get old).

I am ready to replace my double 8.5mm alpine ropes with a pair of lighter (about 7.8mm twins). The purpose will be for long alpine rock climbs. I have 50m ropes now but am on the fence about going up to 60m. For a single rope, I have only 60m ropes and will probably go up to 70m next. However, for alpine and with ropes skinnier than 8mm, I could see how more length could be an unnecessary evil if you have twins. Thoughts?

Anyone taken a look at the NF of Graybeard recently? I want to try it next weekend but it may be getting late. I nominate this route to be the new over-discussed climb here, until I climb it. Then, we can go back to posting about Triple Couloirs, Chair Peak, etc.

This has very little to do with the North Face (which is one of the best steep snow/ice lines in the Cascades!), but I circumnavigated Hood on skis last Sunday and found awesome conditions. The only tricky section was trying to save time and not lose elevation on the Elliot, we stayed high (i.e., 8600-8800') and crossed right below the huge fin shaped ice fall mentioned above. This was dumb because we did punch through a few crevasses in the middle of the glacier. PS - This ski will not be in much longer, and probably should not be done after April due all the rock that is just becoming exposed on lots of the ridge crossings.

If you want to spend money and get the real deal, buy a pair made out of Shoeller (sp?) dryskin. All big name companies have them now (it's all the rage these days). At $100 to $200 a pair, it may seem crazy, but I've climbed and skied in one pair for over five years and they are one of the best investments I have ever made. Light, strong, mostly windproof, etc. MEC used to sell a generic pair for about $70 USD. You wouldn't regret this purchase if your credit is up to it.

How far is the road blocked from the trailhead?

I know there have been only about 60,000 posts on TCs, but here's a question I have not seen discussed yet about this route: What are opinions about climbing the route with skis and AT boots? After climbing the backbone ridge last year, it was obvious that a ski descent of Dragontail would be ideal, but it is a little steeper than I would want to do in plastic mountaineering boots. Since conditions seem to be variable in TCs, I don't have a clear sense about how difficult the route would be with clumsy boots and skis on a pack. Bonus question: With a party of three, would two ropes be best for the rock bands or are they short enough to do with one 50M rope and the second tied into the middle?

This may be a tired old topic, but here goes: I just got a "US Distric Court Violation Notice (i.e., ticket)" for not paying the NW Forest Pass. I have always stongly opposed the fee demo program and all its children, but get confused. Is the NW Forest Pass part of the fee demo and, if so, is payment still voluntary? The whole concept is sickening but this ticket is little more formal and Federal than some I received years ago for not having a similar pass. Should I not pay? Should I do anything to make it more clear that I am not paying to express opposition? I have signed many petitions already and visited the WildWilderness web site. It's the name of the specific pass and ticket that confuse me.