jhamaker

So far they have one, the Motorola VWM? Navigator, a.k.a. the 325? However, I'm not sure if it is GPS or pseudo GPS like AGPS. If anyone can find a true GPS phone for Verizon (one that will work w/o cell towers) let me know!

I have time to pack, or research. Argh! My passport is expired. Should I expect any trouble getting back?

I have an Alaska Airlines ticket to anywhere they fly, need to use it pretty much now. Where to go to explore?

$450 OBO -40F Gore-Tex shelled down bag Regular Length, 4+lbs by REI Cozy warm! jhamaker at operamail dot com

$60 OBO REI Traverse Haute Route Almost big enough to bivy in! See ring binder for scale. jhamaker at operamail dot com

The cell coverage maps I've seen of the West are at least all in the same ball-park - except for the Oly Peninsula. Verizon is the only carrier I would consider on the peninsulua. I've talked to the bubbleheads at the Verizon store in Tacoma and according to them and the maps I've seen Verizon and everyone else is phasing out analogue as fast as they can. However, from White Pass to Tieton (near Yakima) I got analogue or roaming or Extended Network while in the valley and digitial when in sight of Yakima (up high). I get digital at Baker and Crystal, nothing much near treeline from Longmire to Paradise. I've had no coverage on I-90 either side of Snoq. Pass, but that seems to be getting better. Verison Coverage Locator: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=ZOOM%20LEVEL%20STATE Wich phone you get is also very important. Verison uses cell towers that transmit CDMA on two frequencies as well as the legacy Analogue towers. But you can't use all of this unless you ask for a "Tri-mode" phone. Remember the secret word = "Tri-mode." The newer phones, since they rely mostly on digital have one third the transmiting power of phones of just a few yrs ago. This is why the batterie and phone can be so small. Unfortunatly Verizon won't activate anything older than this yr because only the very newest phones can be located by the feds and those 911 centers equiped for locating 911 cell calls. Verizon (nor anyone else I've talked to) will tell you how strongly your phone transmits, however, if you know the FCC ID # (usualy under the battery) you can look up the transmit power at: https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/index.cfm Gripes: Although Verizon usualy has as good or better coverage than anyone else they only sell one durrable phone - and you have to buy two and a more expensive plan to get it. The Kyocera 444 is the only phone they sell that I would drop more that six inches. Nor do they make any cell phones that are at all water resistant. In fact they have a little white paper dot near the battery that, when it gets damp, turns red. Because of durrability issues I keep my phone in a new zip-lock bag inside a hard-shell eye-glasses case. If your phone gets wet - do not turn it on! Remove the battery and shell, dry everything out ( a day in front of the vent), re-assemble it, turn it on, and pray. Oh, one last gripe about Verizon. Although the cell phone apears to uses gps and cell technology to locate the phone, you, with the phone, can't get your location.

Smith, Beacon Rk, Index . . . pm me.

Things are popping now. 1280 mi Tacoma to Vegas, 23 hr drive. I'm replacing some of my stoppers w/ tricams and breaking out the helium biners for qd's and slings. Hmm, should I bring rabbits for a longer reach? I can't remember what we used most of for slings last time. Massacre Rocks sounds like a good stopover point. I'll look it up.

How about leaving Sun or Mon after Thanksgiving and staying away for about 10 days. Possible side trips to Smith, City of Rocks and Oatman, AZ.

This one is a go! Planning on doing moderate (5.6-5.10, A2) long (III/IV) routes durring a long week before or after Thanksgiving. Two more people and we will drive down (23hr drive). pm if interested

Hello again. N Cascades Hwy is popular w/ sleds even though is has more avy chutes per mile than anything else. Just watch conditions and have fun!

Lots of good hostels, though they close for x-mass/new yrs. Fujiyama is a seasonal tourist attraction. Think ghost towns. Weather will likely be wet and variable w/ temps fluctuating arround freezing. The mountain is skiable (in weather windows) by New Yrs. Outside of hotles everything is very expensive. 7-11's sell nice hot cheap "hum-bow" or "bow-tzu" - if forget the japanese name. I suspect the locals will be less likely to think you are wierd or dangerous if you dress as a team in matching bright reflective outfits. Bring some loud air-horns and re-fill cartiges. Less trafficked rds will be a life saver. I hope you can find one. Remember roadside shoulders are only a USA (and mabey European) phenomenon. Logistics will be 10 times easier if you go climbing or biking, not both. Getting bikes through train stations and subways are a major hasltle. Consider shipping them to your rd head. Find any good bike/ climb/ or weather sites for Japan? If I were to do annother off season trip to Japan, I would make more of an effort to visit local festivals. They tend to be very unique. I can bike and climb in the rain here for much less expense and trouble.

I'm still sticking w/ Verison cell svc wich runs a CDMA network (two frequencies). Verison still has twice the coverage of others here in WA. No luck finding a true GPS phone compatable w/ the CDMA network, and still having trouble finding a high-watt phone. Time again for more research.

If there is half a rope lenth between your two anchors on either side of the river, you can start off crossing like you were rappelling. Once you've crossed, anchored your rope for fixed line/hand line/ tyrolean traverse, and your partner has crossed, simply untie one end of the rope and pull it through back to you. Or you cross w/ one end, partner tied into the other. You go as far up stream as you can, anchor off, and ferry her accross or belay her accross. If she slips, she is forced downstream and onto the correct shore - better than being in the middle of a handline, slipping, and being forced under water and unable to move up the line to shore. Hey wait a minute . . . is'nt there a cable car in that vicinity?

MichaelO strangler Your rope clip trick would work if you told your belayer wich rope you were clipping. I however, would realy not want to take a fall one just one twin line, even a short one. That is what half ropes are for! I can just see myself getting scetched though and trying it. Just as well I don't use twins hardly ever.

I doubt it is still in print. I'll be back in Tacoma Tue probably. You could photo copy it. It is realy helpfull for those border peaks when deciding wether to come in from the NCNP side or the CND side, esp if you are doing something creative or long. james 206fivefiveo7543

I've got an REI general alpine axe. $25 James Tacoma Permacel is 206-550-7543

Got an REI monster pack. Will sell for $60. James Tacoma 206-550-7543 permacell

Or just haul around a short single (20 to 30 M) and rig a pull down cord.

A snafflehound chewed my pack waist-strap just last wk on Booker - but left my food alone. Don B., however, had a snafflehound sized hole eaten into his pack. A number of New Yrs' ago I ran into the BCMC having their winter basecamp at a hut S of the Joffre area. Everyone partied, especialy Cecil the resident snafflehound. Looking through the hut log, most everyone had something to say about Cecil. Someone had even gone to the trouble of carving a bat in an effort to threaten Cecil into good behavior. After celebrating Newyears for every timezone in North America (including Newfoundland wich is a half hour different) most of us made it back to our sleeping bags to call it a night. The BCMC folks were using the hut only for cooking, and wisely spent the night outside in their own tents. Not being so prepared, I slept in the hut w/ Cecil. Well actualy I *tried* to sleep. I swear that varmit was on speed. He kept running around and around the walls of the hut, usualy taking a shortcut across the top of me. The complete circut of the hut took only seconds, I swear he must have spent over half his time airborn. Shortly before dawn me and Cecil came to an agreement. Durring one of his circuits around the hut, he landed on my hand and I was able to fling him all the way accross the hut to land w/ a very satisfying thump against the opposite wall before landing on the snow melt pot w/ a crash. For the remainder of my stay, Cecil stayed to his side of the hut, and I stayed on mine!

Meaningless numbers. What is the risk per hour or per day of activity? Come now, I know there are actuaries lurking here.

Have fun! I've not done a long trip in the ONP since the park started trying to charge large sums of money for walks in the park. I hear they want you to carry bear cans this summer. Along the ridge you won't have much access to water or bear-wires. Lots of elevation loss and gain. Nice area. Nice loop! If you stay in the valleys, you can get away w/ an eight ounce sil-tarp for shelter!

I don't take Pyramids etc above treeline if snow and high winds could happen - too hard to nail down the edges to keep the snow out. I like the extra space when you place a (Pyramid) over a pit. Many, many other benifits. For big dumps (arround a foot or more) I've had great success digging a trench arround the (Pyramid) to give the snow a place to go and prevent the (Pyramid) from colapsing.

>> If you can't or don't want to lead, then TR. << I agree. Adding bolts says "even though others, including the FA folks climb this with the bolts and pro available, I don't like it, and I will destroy the experience for all better, bolder and future climbers for all time." Surley there are other climbs in your comfort zone. Probably w/ in 100 ft of the climb in question.

Recently the Park Svc has been placing pickets up to Denali Pass for the "climbing" season. But as ryland_moore mentioned, they can be burried. If they are burried in soft snow of course, you won't need crampons.