Figger_Eight

Yup, Boreals run wider. Check out the Aces. If you can find some of the old Stingers around, those are great shoes.

quote: Figger Eight objects to being evaluated by the fat guy in green, pleated shorts, supposedly because of the paperwork that would be generated. The fact is, Figger Eight is afraid that the climbing ranger will "figger" out that he doesn't know his ice axe from his tallywacker.Oooh...let me put it this way: the only people who are qualified to determine if I'm fit to climb Mt. Rainier are Mike and his crew, not the rangers working the info desk in the visitor's center. If we burden the climbing rangers with the task of sifting through applications, they'd be spending more time behind a desk and less time on the mountain. As for me knowing the difference between my ice axe and tallywhacker - ask your momma. She had good close-up of the one without the Grivel sticker on it the other night. [ 06-03-2002, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Figger Eight ]

quote: As opposed to qualifying my statements, be bold; make something original. Do it! What do you think causes an incident like the one on Hood?I don't speculate, I don't guess, and I don't pop off while the victim's bodies are still warm. You're absolutely right: more people going into the mountains will increase the number of incidents like this one. Hold the beer with your left hand, and with your right one pull the lever that lifts the footrest on your armchair.

Olympic Mountain Rescue has a decent guidebook on the area, but unfortunately the nature of the rock in that mountain range doesn't lend for good rock climbing. Hopefully someone will know more... [ 06-02-2002, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Figger Eight ]

quote: but picking on my grammar isn't goin to make my opinion go awayNope it won't, and in fact it's the same opinion that we all share. Cheers

Jumping to the conclusion that everyone involved was just simply stupid, and that there is absolutely no excuse for this to have happened hardly qualifies as an objective statement. From the article it seems the two teams of firefighters just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like you said, you don't know what caused the parties above to fall, and I'm pretty certain everyone was aware of the risks of climbing below others. There is no way for climbers to avoid being above one another on this route unless you form two seperate lines of ascent and descent on either side of the schrund. Maybe we should go up and post signs and arrows to do this?

As it is now, the guys or gals in the green pleated shorts are determining where we can park our cars, camp overnight and where we can take a shit. That's reasonable in crowded areas, but determining if I'm fit enough to climb a mountain? Many of the park rangers would have a hard time getting to Muir. If we leave the application process to Mike and his crew, they'll be doing more paperwork than anything else.

Red Monk, I think you're preaching to the choir, but when you make statements like: quote: the main problem today is that poeple do not accept responsibility for their actionsReally? Which people? Everyone? People on this discussion board? and quote: yet we rely on rescues to get us out of uor self inflicted predicamentsYes, sometimes we do. It's a self inflicted predicament because we decided to get out of bed and go climbing. You can minimize risk, but you can't eliminate it. If you can't eliminate it, there's always the chance of something going wrong. and quote: no-one is willing to take responsibility for their actions....cell phones make that even more probableNo one? The people on Baker/Hood/Rainier? I agree with you about self-reliance and understand you have nothing against cell phones, but like my mom used to say, "It's not what you said, but how you said it." [ 06-01-2002, 05:21 PM: Message edited by: Figger Eight ]

Interesting article on how it went down: I guess if you were around, Marvin, it wouldn't have happened...? Mt. Hood accident

The choice to carry a phone or radio has absolutely nothing to do with being self-reliant. When you decide to use it, it does. If I get lost on the Muir snowfield because my GPS runs out of batteries and I call in a rescue - I'm simply a dumbass. If my partner is laying at my feet with his helmet cracked open from the rock that just hit creamed him, I am irresponsible if I've chosen to forego using available means of communication to call in a rescue. I now have to answer questions from his wife/parents/kids about why I had to leave him there, run 9 miles to the trailhead where I'll hopefully find another hiker who HAS a phone to call it in...just because I was trying to be self-reliant.

I remember reading the most expensive search and rescue in the National Parks was a senator's daughter who got lost hiking in Grand Canyon. I think they brought in the National Guard even. They find her walking on a road a couple of miles away, but the cost went into the millions.

quote: I am not too sure I would want to be traveling avvy terrain if this is all my partners had Exactly. If my partner showed up with one of these, I'd ask him to trade me for my shovel.

I crossed through Sumas (going into Canada) last month, but didn't have my passport. I had to go inside and wait for half an hour till in a line full of other people who didn't have their passports. I had to show them I had money and credit cards, tell them where I was going and where I was staying. It was a pain in the ass.

From the pics of the accident it looks like they weren't able to arrest and they slid in.

quote: RMI is expensiveSo is getting rescued.

...already posted. [ 05-30-2002, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: Figger Eight ]

TG - It seemed you were doing everything you could to get yourself out. It was a brilliant effort on your part and the mountain allowed you to go home, but sadly it didn't have the same leniancy towards the others. Feel good about what you did, feel sadness for them, but don't feel guilty about anything. Like Jules said...you're humility is appreciated.

Shit...it seems the mountains are claiming victims at higher rate this season. Everyone be careful out there

I'll be there around nine. I gotta work late tonight.

Ask a gym climber to set up an anchor for you.

dude, you need to bring back snoop dogg. that was some funny shit.

...you wear black tights under your khaki shorts, then top it off by wearing a pair of gaitors. Bonus points for wearing an OR Seattle Sombrero.

Here's Erik at the last Pub Club:

...you're wearing all of your Gore-tex in the parking lot-before you leave the trail head. ...you use a hydration pack. ...you wear a foam climbing helmet ...you bring crack climbing shoes, face climbing shoes, approach shoes and hiking boots on the same trip ...you talk really loud about your crazy climbing epics on Bruce's Boulder while sitting in Gustav's with your Mountie friends.