Alpinfox

I once saw a single coyote facing off with an adult moose in Alaska. This was in late winter and I imagine the coyote was pretty much starving to try something so stupid. I thought that was just a freak occurance, but hearing your story makes me think that a hungry coyote will try just about anything. Observe the desperation in his eyes: Some other coyote images on the web that may give insight into their aggressive nature: Link about coyote attacks

Yes, shorts, and t-shirt were worn on the bicycle ride up and carried on the climb (for emergency bivy purposes). Bivy shorts... Shorts and windshirt were worn for the bicycle ride down. Does this invalidate my FNA claim?

I bet there are a lot of good quotes about climbing in this book:

Oh yeah! That was worth downloading and installing quicktime. Thanks very much.

b-rock, The main formations at Smiff are "welded rhyolite tuff". This is basically volcanic ash/mud that got compressed and cooked. Dru, or one of the other geological wizes on here could tell you more. Cracks: Morning Star (stiff 10c) in the gorge Blood Clot (10b) and Crack-A-No-Go (11b, overgraded) just right of Cruel Sister.

That was an ice festival? I was just there for the booze and the hot dart-throwin' chicas!

Yes, it was Ms. Timer. Which explains the crappy composition and light metering. I can't even convince women to climb with me when I'm clothed, much less naked.

Tiring of Cracks!!!??

I assume he meant that we shouldn't arrest everyone in the US that wears a turban?

Greg, do you mean the Alpental Snow Lake or the Enchantments Snow Lake? If the latter, that is way more than 2K vert and is a pretty tough hike. How about hiking up the Hoh River trail a ways? First 10 miles are flat and lots of great campsites. You could visit the beaches before/after the hike too. Also check out: Washington Trails Association They have a cool "trail finder" in which you type in the mileage, vert, etc you are looking for and it gives you a list of trails that meet those criteria.

Nope. See attachment for a pic showing the north side of N. Twin Sister from somewhere on the upper logging road.

Mostly down the W. ridge. I crossed back and forth across the ridge. The north side is really loose and nasty on the parts where there isn't a trail. There are a bazillion small trails/cairns on both sides of the ridge.

Climb: N. Twin Sister-W. Ridge (FIRST NUDE ASCENT???) Date of Climb: 8/5/2004 Trip Report: I'm writing this TR mostly to give some detailed beta on the approach because it's somewhat confusing and I haven't seen a great description elsewhere. From Seattle take I5 north and take Bow Hill Road (exit 236) east. It turns into Prarie road. Keep going straight for 8.5mi to Hwy9. Take a left and head north on Hwy9 for 10.1 miles to Mosquito Lake road. Take a right and head east until you cross the middle fork of the Nooksack river (9.4mi) on a one lane bridge. About 200 yards past the bridge, take a right onto Forest Road 38 (not signed, big gravel pile). Follow this road for 4.1mi to Clearwater Creek Bridge then another .4 mi to Gailbreath Creek Road (a spur road off to the right). Follow this road to a bridge over the mid.fork of the Nooksack. There is a gate here. Park. The gate was open when I got there, but locked when I left. I wouldn't risk getting locked in. I tried to hitch a ride with a gravel truck that passed me on the way up. No dice. Bring a mtn bike with some low gears. I only have a 12 speed with skinny tires which wasn't ideal for this trip and I had to walk my bike on the way up in several of the steeper sections. Bike up the road about 2.5 miles until an overgrown road heads off to the right at about 2600ft elev. Keep going up this road staying on the most well traveled track and keeping to the LEFT. There is a fork at about 1.5 miles, keep left. Another 1 mile gets you to the "trailhead" marked with a sign that says "9100" across the road from a sign that says "Mile 9.0". You will see a large downed tree here. Most route descriptions I've seen say leave your bike here, but if you have a mtn bike with low gears, I'd consider keeping the bike. The trail is initially narrow and somewhat overgrown with alder, but after a few hundred yards opens back up to a full-width logging road. You could ride your bike there. In any case, stay on this logging road and follow a few switchbacks up 1.5 miles to the end of the road. Stay on the main branch (most obviously used) that heads up toward the base of the W. ridge. An obvious climbers path heads up directly from the end of the road. The route is obvious from there. And now for the REAL reason you clicked on this trip report: HARDCORE NUDITY!!! At the trailhead: At the summit: ps - While running down the trail, I managed to lose a purple Adidas T-shirt. If anyone finds it, I'd like it back. Gear Notes: Approach shoes, hat. Approach Notes: Bring Mtn bike. See above for details. Do not even CONSIDER doing this approach without a bike. Ripe huckleberries and blueberries on the approach. MMMmmmm!

Better get a pair of the closeouts now, cuz the new color scheme is GAY!

Damn, I wish they had my size. http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=38826774&memberId=12500226

Kick ass! Way to go Iain!

Did you get a partner? I'm pretty freakin' sore/tired, but I could probably scrape myself off the couch for a tues/weds trip if'n you ain't got a better offer. Yeah, um... SPIKE IT!

What the hell is Biftek? Sounds like some newfangled epoxy.

DUDE! You should rent a hot air balloon and go up to 20K feet for a while before you go. That would be good altitudamization.

Greg, Do you no like your Marathons for slab climbing?

Huh? Dwayner, you are a smarter guy than that... come on. Don't you find BOLTS distracting? You just can't ignore them can you? They just sit there and glitter and shine in your eyes!!! OH THE TORTURE!

Ya'll missed out.

One thing that annoys me about registers that hasn't been mentioned yet (except tangentially by EternalX) is how they distract you from the view and summit you just reached. Even though I don't like summit registers, when I get to a summit and see a register, I get curious and look through it. It's ALMOST always a bunch of bullshit, and after purusing the thing for 15 minutes, I suddenly realize: "Why am I wasting my time reading this piece of shit when there is an AMAZING 360-degree view all around me!?!?!?" You might say I should just ignore them and go straight for the views, but I don't seem to be able to resist. It's like those big fucking annoying BRIGHT AS HELL lights on I-5 near Fife. I can't NOT look and that SUCKS!!! BTW: There was no register (that I could find) on North Twin Sister today.

2 person glacier travel: 8.5mmX50m DRY 3 or 4 person glacier travel: 8.5mmX60m DRY Alpine rock climbing: 9.4mmX60m Cragging: 10.5mmX60m Ice Climbing: 8.5mmX60m DRY (two of them) Whatever you plan to do the most, get that rope system. If you want one rope that will do it all pasably, the alpine rock rope is probably the way to go.

If they are still out there they are probably gettin their rescue on.