Alpinfox

Speaking of not being able to enlarge photos, what the hell is your avatar picture of Erik?

Wow. It's sad that you don't enjoy the environment you travel through while hiking/climbing. That's a big part of it for me. p.s. I think the Hoh is spectacular and doesn't look much like any other non-Olympian rain forest.

Bucolic eh? OK college boy, are you looking for a place to shoot an SUV commercial or something? Cuz if you are.... you suck... and I want a finder's fee. Pay up and I'll tell you where this "ULTRASECRET" place is:

Hey, I found the perfect place!

Can anyone post a picture of this route?

Magic Garden! and you can buy heroin in the bathroom!

Tooth on a weekend? If you must, it makes a great solo w/ descent down N. ridge.

Acropolis. Not in downtown PDX. On west side of 99 south. I've never been there, but I used to live near there.

Take a look at the central rib on the north face of Triumph. It's pretty architecturally grand. It rises right up to the summit. Can't find a great picture of the whole thing online, but the central rib is visible below. Picture in CAG is better (summer conditions, whole thing visible). The sharp snowy ridge coming towards viewer is NE ridge. CR is in the middle of the face to the right and starts at lower right corner of photo.

Helicopters are often military which use civilian rescues as practice for extracting downed pilots etc... They consider it part of their training exercises for wartime operations. It doesn't cost any more (except fuel) than it would cost us taxpayers if the helicopter was just sitting on the ground.

I haven't climbed this one, but it looks awesome: Triumph North Face Central Rib Beckey III (2nd Ed), p.87-89 Anyone done this route? Beta would be appreciated.

C'mon ya'll... I know somebody out there has some beta for us after the big weekend. SPILL IT!

Dru, Where is your picture taken from?

Haven't been on Baker, but the N. side of Shuksan is a bunch of slop. Surprisingly little slide/icefall activity last weekend considering the conditions. Freezing level is really high right now, so I assume it's sloppy on Baker too.

H(oward) Roark = protagonist of Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead".

The Fountainhead Speaks! Welcome...

No Iain, That was my cousin George... Notice the resemblance?

Matt & Muffy, I suppose... but I (personal opinion here) think "peak bagging" as such is lame. I recognize that climbing a new peak is exciting and motivating, and I love doing it. It's really cool to see a new environment and challenge yourself with routefinding, unfamiliar flora/fauna, etc, but climbing a new route on a mountain you've climbed before is rewarding too. And so is climbing a route a second time in different conditions. Even Hood Southside can be a spanker (I've bailed on it twice). I think the "peak bagging" mentality can get people into trouble and detracts from the enjoyment of climbing. It makes people focus too much on the goal (all 52 14'ers in Colorado for example) and not on the act of climbing. There are some really BORING 14'ers in CO and there are a bunch of AWESOME 12/13ers that hardly ever get climbed because they are not on THE LIST. I suppose it's good for keeping crowds away from more interesting/enjoyable climbs, but it kind of makes me sad for some reason. Spray On!

Quick Aside: Hey Ursa, The Simpson's episode in which your autosig line appears was on last night.

While many (do I say the majority?) of people on this board consider the south side a slog there are many who read this who are just getting into mountaineering and read these jeers as beta. I think it should be stressed that exactly one year ago on Friday 3 people died of massive trauma and 4 others were injured on the route. Many, many people have had their collective asses kicked by weather on the route and it claims by far the most casualties of any way up the mountain. It should never be taken lightly, and the mountain deserves your respect every time you set foot on it. Iain, You are correct of course. I was making a small joke that I think most people would appreciate as a joke. This thread is in spray after all. So all you newbies reading this thread: Don't underestimate Mt. Hood Southside route! Now lets get back to the business at hand which is enjoying the photo I posted. Crater Rock Next Weekend:

You think that is impressive? Here is an artist's impression of what the crowds will probably look like around Crater Rock this weekend:

Dru, Climbing mountains that you have never climbed before is great, but the word "bagging" implies that you have "conquered" that particular mountain and it needn't concern you anymore. I "bagged" Peak X so now I can tell all my friends I've climbed it and they will be impressed. I now "own" that mountain. Nevermind that I took the easiest route up the mountain and followed a guide... I agree it's a very nerdy thing to do. "Peak Bagging" = Hubris ...now if I can just get those other Six Summits....

From last weekend:

Number guy, The "route" up to illumination saddle is essentially the south side route. You will see LOTS of people. There were some pictures of the hordes from last weekend posted on this site somewhere... expect similar hordes. I think this is the first time I have ever seen a thread drift from Spray to actual climbing beta. Wow! Oh wait... Hood southside isn't really climbing...

"Conquest" & "Peak Bagging" etc... Not a good attitude. Smacks of hubris. I don't think Croft/Potter etc use that sort of language. We all have our "tick lists" I guess, but that isn't the aspect of climbing that I like to celebrate or encourage.