jhamaker

I wish I could get my quiver down to 3 pair of skiis. Wait, you want a longer, fatter pair? For powder, yes, but for hardpack, anything with sharp edges should do. Soft for moguls, but stiff for ice. Too much side-cut and they tend to ski themselves regardless of where you want to go. And those big ass shovels on the tips slow you down.

So, if this bill passes the senate, when is the naked-but-for-GPS&cellphone climb of Hood scheduled?

"No, James, we don't have time for a shortcut." - Steve Townsend

I weigh 130lbs and ski on the lightest cheapest 150cm's I can find in the kid's dept. One of my tele skis have a big side-cut, great for soft snow, but not good for ice, esp while skinning on a side hill. I ditched my old Silveretta 404's for a dynafit set-up. I like it. Though I'm Jonesing after a pair of Scarpa articulated boots. The temps here are mild, get the smallest shell you are comfortable in, wear overboots for those January ascents of Rainier (not an issue this yr : ) If you like your plastic climbing boots too much to part with them, detatch a cuff off an old old ski boot and buckle it over your climbing boots. NOTE: Skiing w/ an overnight pack takes 5 yrs off your skiing ability.

I was up there yesterday. Had I knows the snowlevel was going to stay low, I'd be up there today as well. I headed for the SW side (Avy forcast mentioned heavy deposition on N and E aspects). The avy folks were right on. No good skiing in the tight trees - bare, patchy or icy w/ windfall on ice/snow. Soft, but consistent snow (open areas) to about 4K ft. New snow moderately well bonded to old. Lighter, better skiing on snow above 4K ft, though the old (pre-Tue) snow was a solid (walkable) crust under the new. Lots of strange wind eddies. Many fallen cornices. Many cornices on both sided of ridges. SW side looked glazed and icy, great for walking, but not for skiing. Unless conditions are very stable I stay away from the habitual avy slope that runs down the E side of the S side of Granite. The avy debree can be viewed through the trees at the second switchback (a thousand?) ft below the snowline. I generaly just head through the open trees a hundred or so ft either side of the large stream that drains the SW side of Granite.

PNW, or BC. Packs or Sleds, Fishscales or Skins, Mountains or Meadows, Icefields or Iced Lakes . . . RSVP to jhamaker at Opera mail dot com (no spaces) Some of my favorites have been hut skiing in BC, Spearhead Traverse (BC), Crater Lk by moonlight (OR), Mt. Cashmere basecamp (WA), Volcanos (Cascades), WA Pass basins (WA), Yellowstone NP . . .

Send me a pm when the system is back up.

Live in Tacoma. Always looking for some excuse to go to RR. Looking for someone to climb easy (trad) [5.9+, A2] and moderate sport (5.10's) on fun grade III's and IV's. I, too, can drive down.

Just got back from there. The four days I was there we had chance of preciptation forcast at 0%,0%, 30%, and 90%. We ended up w/ none, 10 min of spit, 10 min of spit, and two hrs of off again on again sleet and snow that mostly dried off durring the rappel. (Results are not typical, and may vary depending on individual karma acounts.)

People with shovels not withstanding, the mountain changes elevation all the time what with mountain building, snow, wind and other wx. I'm happy w/ 14,410 wich implies an uncertainty of +/- 10 ft.

Trying again this wk. Any time except for Thanksgiving day wich I will spend on Vashon.

Woes at 10 degrese Farenheight

>>My best rap time was the 14 full length raps in 45 min off the Oasis << Wow! I think my record was something like an hour and a half for 10 double rope raps, simorappelling and leapfrogging off Dreamer. In situations like this, I'm a big fan of fireman's belays.

Funny, Clintoris. When I bought my set of 60M Beal Icelines, I figgured I would keep them in the front country untill the ends got worn, then chop em down to 45 or 50M apeace. The vast majority of alpine rts here in WA were put up w/ what, 40M ropes? I'm a weight nazi, so I go w/ the lightest usable system. Usualy that is a light weight single, though I also get a lot of use out of a 30M half and, lots of use out of one 60M half (folded for those steep pitches between scrambling and running belays). For the seriously weight concious where long rappels are desired, there is the (5mm) pull cord option.

Climbers are almost always behind spelunkers in maters of gear testing and physics. Try Spelunking sites.

I've used both. I like the (MegaLight) for its floor configuration, usable room, and weight, thought it is true you need a good square footprint. My winter bags are wind and water resistant, no need for a heavy 1lb bivy sack. Any single walled structure will be (colder) in the winter than a properly designed double-walled structure by morning. I don't generaly bring tarps or pyramids above treeline in the winter because of the sail area. Lots more room if you dig a shallow pit under the structure. Can also build benches/tables/pit toilets inside.

Looks cold, good plan. I'll pm you.

>>Does Red Rocks have a crappy road? << Several crappy roads actualy, but not inside the BLM blocaded (at night) area.

I, personnaly am not fond of compressed gas stoves below about 20 degrees F. If melting snow, a big pot. 1L/person. i.e. a team of three might carry a 3L pot. Yes, everyone practice z-pully (even though there is just one crevasse/bercherund I've seen on the Hogsback rt) Person most likely to fall is lowest on the rope (or sometimes middle) Don't rope up unless your travel system can hold a fall (place pro or unrope on the steeps) Puncture proof sleeping pad when on snow Wide-mouth insulated waterbottles plastic boots for winter, or supergaitors/overboots over leather balaclava waxy coating for exposed skin (dermatone, chapstick) brain experience in bad weather clothing of course, wind and waterproof Avy kit when in avalanche terrain (shovel, beacons, probes, dynamite) If you are patient and a good internet shopper good deals can be had. Usually about a month after you realy need it. (shop now for summer items)

I, personnaly am not fond of compressed gas stoves below about 20 degrees F. If melting snow, a big pot. 1L/person. i.e. a team of three might carry a 3L pot. Yes, everyone practice z-pully (even though there is just one crevasse/bercherund I've seen on the Hogsback rt) Person most likely to fall is lowest on the rope (or sometimes middle), last person in line is most likey to be the one setting up the z-pully Don't rope up unless your travel system can hold a fall (place pro or unrope on the steeps) Puncture proof sleeping pad when on snow Wide-mouth insulated waterbottles plastic boots for winter, or supergaitors/overboots over leather balaclava waxy coating for exposed skin (dermatone, chapstick) brain experience in bad weather clothing of course, wind and waterproof Avy kit when in avalanche terrain (shovel, beacons, probes, dynamite) If you are patient and a good internet shopper good deals can be had. Usually about a month after you realy need it. (shop now for summer items)

I have a Dodge Minivan too. If we borrow your sister's, I can fix it if it breaks on the rd in ; )

Nice troll. What about sport climbing to a TR anchor that you can walk to? It seems if you put bolts below an easily accessible anchor you are needlessly defacing the rock, and artificialy limiting the number of possible lines/variations below the anchor.

Lv Puget Sound Tue or Wed, back Fri or Sat. I'm up for most anything. I've got all the gear and a working vehicle as well!

WX. I agree, it can be colder in RR or JT, depending on the storm systems. I'm familiar enough w/ RR now that I can always find a sunny aspect to climb. If we had a vehicle down there, we could choose.

Maybey this yr I can lure you to someplace w/ more interesting climbing like Zion or Red Rocks . . .