Mtguide

"Those who know do not speak; those who speak, do not know." -Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching

Get a copy(if you can find it) of "Portland Rock Climbs:A Climber's Guide to Northwest Oregon",by Tim Olson.Also keep an eye peeled in the bookstores (Powell's,Great NW,Hawthorne Blvd,Cameron's,Looking Glass,Daedalus)for vintage copies of "Climber's Guide to Oregon" by Nick Dodge,and "Oregon Rock" by Jeff Thomas,"Oregon High",also by Jeff Thomas,and "Summit Guide to the Cascade Volcanoes" by Jeff Smoot.Forget going to Borders or Waldenbooks,etc.They don't deal in this kind of thing.The local climbing stores have book sections,some more complete than others.Beckey's three volume guide to the Cascades,Jim Nelson's Cascade Select,and Alan Kearney's Classic Climbs of the Northwest are excellent.The Mazamas ,the long time local climbing club,has an amazing library of climbing literature,well worth checking out.If you can't find some of the first titles I mentioned in the bookstores,the Mazamas has them.Best practice ice is on the lower Eliot,Newton-Clark,Coe or White River glaciers on Mt.Hood,Eliot and White R. most accessible.Upper Heather Canyon can be pretty good in winter depending on conditions,a bit of a ski to get into.Sometimes the ice will come in on Pete's Pile,less frequently in the Gorge,but when it's in,as it was in the early 90's ,it's fantastic.Global warming may have made that a thing of the past. Biking &hiking-Oregon and the NW room at Powell's is full of guide books on this.Look for a map titled "Mountain Biking:Greater Portland and NW Oregon". running-try Forest Park food,pubs-Willamette Week publishes reviews and guides to these on a regular basis,call them for current copies. Gyms-24 Hour Fitness(best equipped,family and serious gym rats),Giant's Gym(cheap,iron pit,hardcore)Bally's(upscale)Riverplace(the Rodeo Drive of Portland fitness). Rock gyms-Portland Rock Gym,Stoneworks,Clubsport Gear shops=ClimbMax,Mountain Shop,US Outdoor Store,Oregon Mountain Community,REI,The Next Adventure(new and used;watch out for the Soviet-era ropes and ice screws)Andy and Bax,Johann Mountaineering Shop. Any further questions,just look up my e-mail on the list and give a holler.Basically,if you can read,you can find it. Mtguide :grin ------------------------------------------------------ "All you have to do is open yr eyes and ears and you're influenced---" -Bob Dylan

PDX show is already in the works;Oregon chapter of the AAC will host, most likely at Old Market Pub & Brewery,6959 SW Multnomah Blvd. in SW PDX,sometime in Oct or Nov.,no date set yet. --------------------------------------------------------

Chamonix,a copy of Rebuffat's "100 Finest Climbs in The Alps",& letter of introduction to Catherine d'Estivelle, Swedish Bikini Team and/or Team Playboy Adventure Racers. ---------------------------------------------------------

Second to that;a man of integrity and rare quality. ------------------------------------------------ "A good boy,and one who keeps a buffalo in mind---" -Bob Dylan

Well I'm fascinated;guess I'm gonna have to go take a look,renew my acguaintance with that place.Looking at the topo again,I stand corrected:just from the 8000' contour to the summit is 364',and from 7800',where the grade definitely starts to ramp up,is another 200',so you have 564' total.Just because I don't remember the ice doesn't mean it's not there.Sounds like fun. ----------------------------------------------------- "If the ice comes in on the N. face of O-Rock and there's no one there to climb it,is it really there?"

Thanks for your comment; yeah,she's quite something--she's definitely been there and back,if you know what I mean.Wisdom earned the old fashioned way. ----------------------------------------------------- "It is a long road that leads to the peaks.----but---it bestows riches beyond price: the happiness which one sees in the eyes of those who make their way there." -Rebuffat,On Snow and Rock

Are we talking about the Ob. Rock next to Echo Rock on the NW flank of Rainier,Flett Glacier (snowfield actually)on one side,Russell Glacier on the other?Park at Mowich Lk.,take the Spray Park trail up past Hessong rock and Mt.Pleasant? 13.5 hrs car to car? Really?! If so, unless things have really changed up there due to catastrophic geological/glaciological cataclysm, I am stumped as to how it could take you 13.5 hrs.In August of 1967,Jim Langdon and I climbed Echo and Observation within the first 2 hours of what wound up being a little less than a 21-22 hr. day,in which we went on to do Hessong,Pleasant,Fay, the Mother Mts.,Castle,Gove and Tolmie.My recollection is of a beautiful day,easy approach up the trail,out onto the Flett and up to the saddle between Echo and Ob.,on easy,low angle snow,and easy class 4 climbs of about a rope length or so on each.We took no pickets or screws;maybe a couple slings and pitons,but never used them.Unless you're measuring pitches in terms of distance climbed between belay stances,I'm hard put to find 3 to 4 pitches of climbing on Observation.Current USGS 7.5 min. topo shows about 280' of el. on the steep E.side of Ob. Rock,and I certainly don't recall there being any ice on it.Not at that time time of year.We used to consider a rope length(150' back then) a "pitch".I can see if you're using short pitches,the distance between belays,then maybe there are 3 or 4 pitches.Three of 90',four of 70'.But where's the ice?Do you have photos?All I honestly remember is a volcanic plug of rubble,no ice face to speak of.Admittedly,my 30+ year memory may have some gaps;we did just the easy S-SW side.And I know that so much has been done everywhere in the last 30 yrs. that maybe you're talking about a route we wouldn't have even considered.Not with the gear,technology and techniques of the time.So I'm not intending to put anyone down here,or question your achievement,but I'm really curious to know what there is on little ol' Ob. Rock that could take 13 hrs.please let me know;maybe I'll have to take a run back up there and see what we missed. --------------------------------------------------------- "Everybody has a photographic memory,but some aren't using any film."

If you find the job to be 'suck ass', it may be at least partly your own fault for agreeing to do so.I find it useful to remember,and try to live by,the great motto of Ken Kesey: "Kiss(ie.,suck)no ass."If you want to do more climbing,there's a way to do it.Take responsibility for your own life,find that way,keep going and never look back.No whining,no complaining;no fault, no blame. Here are a few more to stoke the fires: "One who does not make his own way,can never approach creation." -Harry Roberts,Yurok elder "He that makes himself dirt is trod on by swine." -Chinese proverb "A man who would not be the slave of others must be the master of himself." -Wendell Berry "Personal integrity makes Jackrabbit slap Bear." -my little sister(I'm not kidding) Good luck and give 'er hell--see you in the mountains.

I heartily concur with MattP's comment re "reticent hardmen".I've known Wayne for almost 13 years and have never known him to be other than completely open-handed and genuine,a straight shooter,always himself,and that includes ebullient and enthusiastic,as well as one hell of a climber.Wonderful accomplishment; raise the glass high,mates.

Does anyone have info on road conditions on the upper 2 or 3 miles of forest road #2810 and it's spur to the west #041, which approach the Badger Pk./Kirk Rock/Shark Rock area heading up Yellowjacket Creek south from Randle? Is this 4WD country or could you drive an ordinary car or pickup into it?

John Long's books are excellent;spend time at your local crag practicing placements on what you can reach from the ground(no partner required) or on toprope,where you can test with a bit more realism.Also,you have a great club right there in Vancouver; the Ptarmigans,with a wealth of long experienced trad climbers and a famous history(ever hear of the Ptarmigan Traverse?).Get in touch with them.