pindude

The Reel Rock Tour will be in Spokane Tuesday, Oct. 14. Mountain Gear is providing it for free at their retail store, at 2002 N. Division, beginning at 7 pm. Seating is limited, so you MUST get your tickets in advance at the store! This is the third annual Reel Rock Tour and features two films, one each from the two best rock climbing moviemakers out there today: Peter Mortimer of Sender Films, and Josh Lowell of Big Up Productions. People are saying Sender Films’ new movie “The Sharp End” is one of the best climbing movies they've seen; Big Up’s “Dosage V” will be well worth seeing as well. Check the above links for the respective movie descriptions and trailers. The Reel Rock Tour website and trailer is here .

I'm definitely buying a copy for my wife, then. Congratz Mel! I don't normally read fiction, but will certainly make an exception in this case. Mel, how can those of us more distant cc.com acquaintances buy a signed copy (or copies) from you? --Steve in Spokane

Jon, no need to apologize. Jens' request was misguided to say the least. He should have known better in the first place. Thanks Jon.

Bullshit. We all know from OJ and other trials, celebrated or otherwise, that you should NOT tell the truth if it will incriminate you. What you received, Stefan, was a standard mitigation. Different than an outright challenge. And it exists on your record. Not good for your insurance rates or for your job if you have to drive, among other things. Rob, if you're going to challenge it, don't admit to anything that will get you a ticket or a fine: you weren't speeding, and you didn't do anything illegally. If successful, you can keep it off your record. A third option is to defer your ticket. If you choose that, a lawyer-type on this board can tell you how. A deferral also keeps the ticket off your record, but only if you don't commit any further traffic offenses during a probationary period of time. My little story. One of my faults is that I'm too truthful at times. I challenged a speeding ticket 3 years ago. Officer said I was doing 35 in a 25 leading up to and rounding the corner within a half-block of my driveway: I knew absolutely that I definitely wasn't over the speed limit just leaving my home. It's also my habit to try to always drive the posted 25-mph residential limit on all the streets between the highway and my home. Once in traffic court, I had to wait for more than 50 folks who were there solely to mitigate their tickets: they admitted guilt, but had the judge reduce the fine. It was at least a couple hours later after all the mitigators were done and before the judge could get to me. I told him what happened, and that I thought the officer was in error. He asked if I could have been going over the speed limit, to which I replied: "I could have been going a single mile or two over the speed limit, but don't think so" at which point he suddenly banged his gavel for the first time since the session began hours before. He proceeded to give me an angry little lecture in which he said one mile or 10 miles over, it was all speeding and I had admitted guilt. He reduced the original fine, but by only a nominal amount and not nearly as much as for the folks who'd mitigated before me. I wanted to say a lot of things but instead kept my mouth shut and walked out red-faced, pissed off as all hell. Moral: If you're going to challenge a ticket, stick to your story that you did absolutely NOTHING wrong.

Any of the European Alpine Clubs. Huh? American Alpine Club membership is $75/year, and includes global rescue insurance.

Congratulations on another great issue, Lowell! Stories, reports, info, photos, layout: all excellent. Thanks to you, your editing team, and all contributors. I could single out specific articles, but won't, because all of it--from historical to current articles--is good and helps contribute to the whole of what is our NW cimbing. Much appreciated.

When dogbones first came out, I understood they were meant to be used as draws to clip bolts only. That's how I try to use my mine. For trad routes and clipping to trad pro, active or passive, I always clip using a biner, and use regular non-stiff, flexible slings. Using a biner to clip to the piece makes it easier and quicker to place on lead, clean and rack for the second, and hand off at the belay if needed and re-rack/organize gear. Using a regular, flexible sling--vs. a stiff dogbone--allows more flexibility and movement, including side-to-side movement, under the stresses and force of a fall that will better allow the rope-end biner to move in the best possible position as the rope runs through it. Remember Goran's fall on Air Guitar, when he was using dogbone draws with trad pro. His top piece pulled out or was knocked out, and the second piece likely would have caught him but the rope-end biner broke. This second piece was an older-style U-shaped #2 Camalot that had a dogbone draw clipped to it. It was thought that the stiffness of the dogbone-draw could have contributed to the rope-end biner getting stuck in the crack, resulting in it breaking. Girthing or slinging a Camalot directly with a dogbone, without a biner, affords even less flexibility for the rope-end biner to move around.

Sobo, why you be so uppity? Linky for you.

Too bad, Pasha. You'd of eaten it up and been a good local to show Dugger around. The West Face Standard Route climbs mostly like face or slab, although there's a little chimney section too. Lots of climbing to be done around Chimney as well. And, yeah, that little move or two down low on the first pitch isn't bad, only a tad awkward, although I can see why some might say it could be 5.6. I'm working this weekend, Dugger. Hope you find somebody else. Weather will be good and late summer and fall is a perfect time to be up on Chimney. Cheers, Steve

Good points Karl, thanks. I work in an industry where we're constantly communicating via 2-way outdoors. Used to use the larger, professional-type Motorola 2-way radios. Everything we do now is with little, lightweight FRS 2-ways like the Motorola units spotly linked to, or via cell phone. If you can get your earbud system down, good on ya, but none of my 15 or so coworkers use one. The few that tried tossed em. All simply speak and listen directly from the hand-held unit. Regarding wind Mark--you likely know this but I'll mention it anyway--main thing is for the speaker to turn so wind is not blowing into the mike. For actual climbing, I like the old-fashioned ways. Shouting or rope tugs.

According to Randy G. (ex-Sandpoint native and guidebook author), it's a 5.3. Go for it Dugger! The Pack River side is a great way to approach: it gives you opportunity to scope out the beautiful east face, and avoids the up-and-down of the Horton-Roothann Ridge/Priest Lake approach on the west side. Weather should be good. Have fun guys: hope to see a TR with pics.

Excellent TR and photos, 5K. I thought FWB was the famous one all along until your more recent post. I want to pass on some Cascadian descent info toward Long's Pass, but have to do a little chest-beat as well since this summer I'm mostly living off my own past trips and other's adventures. My first time on the WR was with another first-timer, and was one of my better days in the mountains, on a dry October weekend in about '94. Was worried about getting off-route and bivying since that's what happened to almost all friends who'd done it, and we had a Saturday of stellar blue-sky high-pressure weather before a major low pressure system was forecasted to move in by Sunday afternoon. From the Ingalls Lake side, we climbed straight up to the West Ridge, never traversing underneath it toward LJT. Turned out to be loads of fun. One of the last moves to gain the top of the ridge was an awkward (especially with small pack) 5.8 mantle with an angled roof in the way. Once on top of the ridge proper, we hopped back and forth on it to gain the West Horn just above Ulrich's Couloir, with a great view of the summit pyramid. From there took a lunch/snack break and could see the 2-person party we met in the parking lot before sunrise. One was a smaller guy who had confidently identified himself as "Fred." I just knew it wasn't Beckey. Anyway, they were pitching it out at the top of Ulrich's to gain a big belay ledge at the bottom of the summit pyramid. From where we sat, it was an easy scramble to the couloir, and from there I could see a right-to-left (south-to-north) horizontal traverse along ledges that would take us in one pitch to the base of the summit pyramid, and the same spot Fred and his partner were trying to get to in two pitches from the north side of the top of Ulrich's. My competitive side took over and we tried to beat Fred to this single obvious ledge that started the pitches up the summit block. I was just about to pull over at the end of my pitch when Fred, with big, full-shanked leather mountain boots, popped around his corner on the opposite side: I was bummed because I knew we'd have to follow this slower team to the summit. Turned out we could barely keep up, as this Fred--leading all the way--could climb exceptionally well with his big boots, and it looked like he knew the route. Once on top, I embarrasingly asked Fred about the Cascadian Coulior descent. No problem, he said, he knew it well and we were welcome to descend with them: he was even going to try and find a new trail off the Cascadian that would cut off time, established the previous weekend by a friend of his also named Fred. Okay, I had to ask: what is your last name? Turned out it was Fred Stanley himself--THE man of Mt. Stuart, and North Cascades climbing rescues--and his friend was Fred Dunham. I almost bowed to him in reverence. Even then Fred Stanley was in his mid-60s, and hopped down the Cascadian like a goat. We couldn't keep up with him, but we all had to wait for his youngish twenty-something partner. At a point about two-thirds of the way down the couloir, Fred started looking for a trail toward the west that would traverse the hillside toward Long's. Sure enough, his eagle eyes spotted boot tramples and turned alder leaves where Dunham and party had passed previously. Saved us at least an hour on the descent, and I presume the trail is well beaten in by now. We all had climbed the West Ridge (Fred and partner via Ulrich's, my partner and I via the entire WR) in 19 hours car-to-car, getting back at 11 pm. Slow by Fred's standards; we were just happy we hadn't bivied. We drove out early the next morning and had a killer Sunday breakfast before driving the rest of the way home. A low pressure system moved in that afternoon as promised, and dumped four feet of snow over the next 36 hours for the first dump of the winter season. I felt like a very successful thief.

Just found this thread. McCall Boater, Glad your Vortexes worked for you. I'm guessing you had a great time. Based on your description, I'll have to try them on as a lighter weight hiker-scrambler, as several of the Asolo line fit my feet well. 5K, from your Stuart WR TR photos I see you chose Scarpa's Triolet. Good boot for ankle support. Equivalent to the above Sportiva. Sounds like a good boot for you with the Cascadian descent. Personal fit is the key: in the Scarpa Triolet-Sportiva Trango class, Asolo's Expert GV fits my high-volume, high-arched, wide-forefooted feet best. For me, the Triolet was too narrow across my forefoot, and the Trango even narrower.

And to make it easier for you, Julie, you can PM Erin or reply to her post from this link . Good luck re-mating your lonely shoes.

The Valhallas do not exist: all pics in this TR were either photoshopped or pulled from other known locales. Nice TR Dru, I'm jealous.

Just found this thanks to Sobo. There is indeed a book; it's been out now since 2006. Lots of new routes, anchors, and potential for more. Available only through Mountain Gear that I'm aware of. Rock Climbs of Central WA by Rick LaBelle. Yes, Banks Lk rock is dirty: it's granite, but it's older granitic gneiss, exposed throughout the northern part of Banks under the newer, overlying basalt. Even "clean" routes, because of the relatively little traffic, will have some loose rock. Look out for poison ivy and rattlers, but there's certainly lots of potential for boat climbing and DWS.

To the ignorant and uninformed, it especially appears to do that.

Congratz Paul. My bro-in-law's firm did the historic Monroe St. Bridge reconstruction recently here in Spokane. Also one of my Structural Engineer bud's got to work on the Golden Gate reconstruction as his very first job back in the early 80s, when they replaced all the rivets, among other things. When's construction start, and how long is long is your project scheduled to last? Hopefully you get enough time away not only for family, but to climb and play and not turn into a pumpkin. Cheers!

The Sounders rock. Porter, it may take a couple more generations, but soccer in the US will rival and perhaps surpass baseball and even our regular good ol' American football in popularity in this country. Both in terms of players and fans. I've been watching it grow since I was a young kid. Current Sounders Coach Brian Schmetzer and his family helped change the face of soccer right here in Seattle and the NW area. Brian's dad Walter started the Lake City soccer club in the late 60s in north Seattle and his teams instantly started winning state championships across several age divisions. Dad Walter not only coached but trained others to coach, under whose tutelage I not only learned good skills but those of general sportsmanship as well. My younger brother was fortunate enough to play directly under Walter and with Brian until our family moved back to eastern WA in 1972. As a young kid I grew up playing the traditional American football-basketball-baseball, but through the leadership of the Schmetzer family, many in our Lake City area learned to embrace soccer, at least as much as the trad US sports. It was the main sport I competitively played until well into my adult years. Here's an article Brian wrote about his story, with a couple pic's, of growing up with soccer in Seattle. I remember well those socks and playing in the rain and mud. Good times. GO SOUNDERS!!!

Good so see you up there on Saturday, Chad. Amazing how quickly even consolidated snow melts out in hot weather. At least we could get some great turns in on the north side of Roothann. For general info, the road is open (snow-free) to the Horton Ridge TH and location of the old lookout. Thanks to whoever winched or pulled aside the big log. If you go up during the week, there is logging so it would be cheap insurance to have and use a CB radio. A group of 4 local HS kids from Sandpoint camped at the TH at least on Friday night. Brings to mind there are no facilities up there and folks should know to practice good camping skills. Bears, both Black and Griz, requires storing coolers in vehicles. Bury your shit. Don't piss all over where others park and pitch tents. Know that since the demo of the old lookout there are a bunch of old 16-penny and larger nails above and just under the surface of the soil, just waiting to puncture your tires if you park near where the old lookout stood. The USFS has long neglected this very popular area. About time some action is taken to improve existing conditions.

McCallBoater and I climbed one of the right side faces almost 20 years ago. The front side faces aren't as steep as they look, and are chossy. Interesting sections with lack of good cracks and pro. Whereever it is you may be climbing on Quartzite, to get access get permission from any of the private property owners whose land surrounds the mountain. Locals--folks who run the ski area--climb on a crag on the opposite side of the valley from the view shown in the photo.

Right on, Canadadug, the Royal Arches-Crest Jewel link is even more primo. About 10 years ago I got passed on the final Arches pitch by a small group of Squish climbers who'd soloed Arches so they could do Crest Jewel later that evening in the full moonlight.

Braydon, The "pendulum" is actually a fixed sling (sometimes webbing, sometimes a short section of old rope) attached I believe with a bolt and hangar. It'll have a tied loop or two you'll clip a biner into. If you can't make the move free, it's merely a little French Free move. You can have your belayer put you on full tension with the rope using that sling while you traverse left to the ledge, and you can also grab the fixed sling as Serenity says. Yosemite ratings of difficulty are actually true. It's where the system of American ratings--originally called the Yosemite Decimal System--was popularized and refined. Generally, trad climb areas being established around the same time (50s to 70s, including Leavenworth, Index, Minnehaha in Spokane) tend to have ratings more similar to Yose. Other areas developed since the 80s, often more sport-climb-oriented (including Smith, Frenchman Coulee, and Q'emiln Park in Post Falls, ID), tend to have softer or inflated ratings. The original descent for the Arches is the North Dome Gully, which is on the other side of Washington Column from the Arches route. If you have to rap on that descent you're off route. With it's little bit of 4th class, or worse if you get off route, it's definitely not one to try and find in the dark. Especially if no one in your party has ever done it. However, some say you aren't getting the full Arches experience if you don't do the North Dome Gully descent, with it's hike up and over the Column and great views of Half Dome and that side of the Valley. Even if you do the newer rap descent, you HAVE to do the final friction traverse into The Jungle, not just to truly finish the route but also to refill your water bottles. A clarification: The raps don't start to the left of the finish of the route. The raps start at the belay anchors marking the beginning of the final, Friction Pitch that traverses in to The Jungle. It's "cheating," but you can fix your rope on the Friction Pitch so you can more easily reverse the traverse to get back to the rap anchors. You'll get the most karma points, though, if you don't fix the final traverse pitch, and both the leader and follower do the Friction Traverse standing up without any touching with your hands. Both ways. Have fun and good luck on freeing that move. --Steve

Both my potential partners bailed with the weather as it was this early a.m., and I hiked Rocks of Sharon instead. Not sure if the boss has me working through next weekend or not, but I hope to get up to Chimney-Roothann to ski in the next couple weeks while the snow is good. Chad, thanks for the heads-up on the log and the need for a saw. From the notes in the log, did you get the first ascent this season? Tim, snowmobilers were playing two weeks ago under the north face of Lion's Head, and the report I got from them is that they thought the area would be holding snow until well into the summer. Lion's Head is notoriously wet, including the classic 6-pitch Kittel-Pierce route, and some years never dries up. With all our snow I'm wondering if it'll dry up this year. Chimney Rock--sticking up on the Selkirk Crest of north Idaho--is definitely a lightning rod and a place I've bailed from at least a couple times as storms were moving in.