nightfly

Thanks to all. We are headed down for a go at the Plish. We are way psyched and thanks everyone who left imput. By the way caveman, You know folks are in trouble when I'm doing the guiding. Our team is called the Olympic Penninsula Pinhead Squad. To the summit or death! Not a lick of Spanish between the three of us so things should be interesting.

Any news from the Southern regions? Have folks been climbing with all the recent events going on down there? Any info will be appreciated.

To make our public wilderness available to only paying customers or should I say the finanicaly elite, is a drastic and fundemental shift in the state of our park and public land affairs. In my opinion an increas in user fees will reduce number of visits to our public lands. I for one do not have five hundred extra dollars a year to take my family and myself out into the woods, one of the only forms of recreation that still (and should)cost nothing. I do not feel that I should have to support the park service every time I enter a public wilderness.(money for advancements such as new state of the art campgrounds or a paved walkway to the top of local monoliths(That I do not use) I pay my taxes and I expect that my money should go towards things I care about, I expect that my wild places should be taken care of(proper trail care and sanitary functions at high use areas). These and others like them do not have to be high revinue expenses. The direction the forest/park service is going distress me. Gates everywhere and user fees in the name of conservation is a bandaid fix. I believe in the long run, less use will result. This could mean a loss of appreciation for our wild places, creating generational gaps of non wilderness users, in the long run these people will have no appreciation for wild places. I will not dare to speculate the next evolutionary step, for who knows what will result. I do know that the effects of a population born and bred in an urban environment with 911 around the corner, and a Macdonalds on every other block with no respect for wild places could be drastic. I do not have any answers but I believe teaching sustainability starts at an early age. This is not a bandaid solution. Any comments welcome [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: nightfly ]

Tried to get up into the Upper Dungeness today. Mudslide has taken out the road just pass the first Y. Maby 8+ miles still to go before the Royal Basin trailhead. Bring your mountain bike. Road looked clear all the way snow level still high enough, Things looked sweet back in the high valleys. Warmer temps lately.

That's cute, but I would have rather seen something else in that film canister on smoke out ledge

Not to bust anyones bubble but I have to say that the Lower Elwaha has some sick routes. There just what the aspiring big wall climber want to climb on. Runout choss, But if you have the stones and you crank solid ten you can have lots of fun, two very steeeeppp 12's a fifteen foot offwidth roof that is worth the trip by itself---but you better be cranking, Several 11's lots of good heady 10's even a two pitcher. Climb with caution as things tend to be on the dirty side even though we try our best, watch out for the ocasional boned clip. Without bolts this place would not exist so have some tolerance, it sure beats driving four hours. This is not your lycra clad fairy clipers hangout. You will only see crazy logger's kids messing around and board locals rope soloing. But in the right eyes she has has some serious goods. Come on over we need more traffick bring your helment and your broom and have at it. Chimicam is not worth the bother unless you bring your drill----but then the spirits of the indians that hurled themselves off the thing to avoid capture might tourture you forever---better stone but way more sacred. (more than once I have stumbled upon traditional dressed folks chanting and dancing at the base) best to leave that place alone. The ones that are there look hard. The guys in PT might have a different view but we never see them our dirrection anyway.

Hugh banner RP's & the good old BD #5 Cause there there when you need them. that a fifth on the metolius in general, those units are indestructable. !!!All I want for Christmas is a petzel Tikka!!!!

Hey Dru, I bought a grivel screw once, It was a few years ago so i don't know if they still are made this way, but man it sure looks cool and she went in fine, no worries. I saw my buddy fire it in and move on without a hitch. But upon my attempt to remove this bastardly unit i spent the better part of five minutes. That unit had this funky minutely groved machined finished on the out side, Goes in good but once it melts that thin water layer from the friction of screwing it in, and then sits there-------and then refreezes, holy sheet man! that thing was welded. This hapened several times until we started getting smarter than the screw. I don't know where that 50 dollar piece of shit is now but it probably looks good on someones shinny new rack. Smily's are the only way to go. the user friendly knob just saves your gloves, but then again real ice climbers don't wear gloves right.

Hey there, you all better bring the headlamps, sounds like long days to me. I am kinda interested. I am new to the area last january, psyched on that killer mountain I was able to make it up the Liberty for my first Rainer trip in mid july. It was a killer three and a half days round trip from the car. The thing never ended and midnight caught us on an ice ledge just before the tiny vertical section at the very top. up super early and back at the car by two the following afternoon. Good thing too cause with consistent sixty miles an hour on the summit we we in a full on raging blizzard by seven am. Things are looking like I might be headed far south for Febuary. This sounds like a good warm up. Maybe we should go out and do some ice climbing. just to see how we all mesh. that trip could be killer, but it also sounds like it could get serious in a hurry. This is the front line and storms out here hit way hard. I am not super fit now but I am slowly getting back there, but i am definately dialed. E-mail me if you are interested. [ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: nightfly ]

HEY THERE, just checking in, I am jonesing hard and if there is anything up there in and worth doing that sounds good to me I might have to drive my bus so I have a place to stay but I would be psyched to go north. Nightfly45@yahoo.com quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Venturing to BC in search of ice. I have climbed there before and lead. We got the car just want to make it 2 parties to tackle more routes. Plan on leaving friday afternoon round 3 ish. Please no replies from sorry ass Dan E But all else welcome.

quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Venturing to BC in search of ice. I have climbed there before and lead. We got the car just want to make it 2 parties to tackle more routes. Plan on leaving friday afternoon round 3 ish. Please no replies from sorry ass Dan E But all else welcome.

Hello to all, I met some guy named brett at Index this weekend he lined me up with some email sites to see who is out there. I am new to the area and the lack of climbing and climbers in the northern Olympic Peninsula is forcing me to travel lots. I am up for just about anything. Versed in all disaplines I just love getting out. Work is slowing down for a bit and i have too much time on my hands. Looking for folks to hook up with. Cracks are my favorite with ice comming in a close second. Totaly psyched to get up into Canada and go exploring this winter. drop in and say hello.