lunger

nice work; but that ow on NEB is a fine and fitting finish to that climb!

do you mean Hibox, just S of Chikamin Ridge? or is there another? Hibox is a fun little hike , and probably does get overlooked.

sounds cool. can anyone please edify me re: these Dragontail questions: 1) how far up can you drive the road, or better, how many miles of road must be walked/skied? 2) are the rock routes still largely encrusted with snow and ice (e.g., dragonfly on n/ne, boving route on nw)? in another thread it sounded like one month ago that serpentine still involved some ice... we've only got Sunday to work with...thanks in advance for any info.

Are those Tri-steps the first year of production, or subsequent? Thanks.

i've been by that Ravenna rock--it looks like it's been partially coated with some sorta grey paint. perhaps there's been graffiti; but, makes me wonder if the locals--for real or perceived liability reasons--are discouraging bouldering there. recently moved to the area and would like to clean that thing up, but don't want to rile the locals. does anybody know if there's been trouble in the past? TIA.

W Face of Colchuck Balanced Rock -- stellar pitches of hands (and fingers).

was one of the fortunate many who enjoyed the 'WA Pass debauchery'--v. entertaining crew no chestbeat intent here, just reveling in a weekend that stands out in an already incredible summer. These were all first-time climbs for me, each one exquisite; on top of that, enjoyed Erik's and fern's (et.al.) gustatory skillz and many beers and stories w/ shady characters each day over breakfast and dinner. that's right, PBR ain't just for breakfast anymore... Fri: Lib Crack w/ shortbus -- stellar, thanks to specialed who cruised the aid sections. found a platypus snifter of whiskey(knob creek?) at the base, tasty summit libation Sat: E. Face Lexington w/ a flying kiwi -- a fine route, although someone has bolted the chimney into submission (and it's a pretty secure chim at that) Sun: NW Face SEWS w/ a flying kiwi -- chilly day. i think we did the riders on the storm variation for p. 3--there's a HUGE sketchy, teetering block after a long-ish traverse left. happy to provide info. if anybody considering it. incredibly fun weekend. potshots welcome. thanks for the opportunity to blab, chucK...by the way, good to run into you at Squamish a couple weekends ago (Borderline).

nice work fellas. i plan to do this solo late next week--for those of you in the know, any chance that glacier conditions could deteriorate and necessitate more gear (than just an axe or poons)? sounds like recent parties had no worries re: collapsing snow structures... how much off-trail scree/talus? or does the trail quickly yield to glacier? I ask this to decide between comfy running shoes and less comfortable/stiffer/more protective/better-on-snow approach shoes. targeting approx. 16-18 hours, sky-clyde stylie. if anyone interested, pm me.

nice TR, chucK. that L. Bell gully musta been screamin' hot, was there last weekend, similar experience. curoius re: your confidence in your new soloist (reading comprehension test), as I'm considering one. Lastly, which is the quicker route back: driving 20 straight to I-5, or via Darrington on 530? Beavis -->

Black Peak (N. Cascades) has a few options from scramble to moderate rock, and the several lakes are scenic and have good campsites. Chiwawa E. of the crest--a long-ish day, but would be a nice overnighter. some scrambling. Mt. Daniels w/ camp at pretty Circle Lake. no steep rock. Ingall's also a good sugg.

yep, blonde, most likely that peep. i believe i know who you are--didn't you work at pms?

'twas cool to hang with a fun posse last night--chris_w showed some great footage of the Denali trek, worth twice the price of admission hope to see some o' you no-shows next time...

good job on that stellar route. E, you can leave the pack (as is your wont). as i recall, while technically harder, it's a less demanding day than you did Sat. plus, you'd have to trail the pack for the chimney anyhoo. descent is pleasant. we went in July and didn't need a lot of layers. have fun

use them frequently, and took a 10-15' flight on one. also another pendulum fall, separate instance (i guess i'm not proud) . held and cleaned fine. bomber for granite and horizontal cracks. mmmmm, tricams

many of these 'required actions' are common sense, but enforcement by those guys is a crock of Lake Forest cares for your safety and is willing to fine you $67 to ensure it!?! bewildering.

i concur w/ Jerome's assessment of Lamplighter/Heaven's Gate. Climbed (mostly!) it yesterday, a fine line . first pitch up chimney and moving right to second anchor is a 5.6 with some 10ish moves on it . very few people around Index yesterday , beautiful day, and that climb sports incredible views. consider trailing a rap line. hit it!

CBS: I mighta met you at Poison Ivy crack; was that you that recommended Existential Exit (which I presume is the 10a 3-star route mentioned)? At any rate, that route is a stellar, varied and steep 10a lead. very nice, so thanks to whoever mentioned it. quid pro quo: check out Condo corner, right side of Careno sometime. Tumwater/Icicle canyons rocked this weekend, surprisingly not too crowded.

Can't speak to the latter route, but imagine that the Bedal route would be downright creamy this time of year--there's a bit of brush that would be nice to walk over instead of through. (We day-tripped mid- or late-summer.) You'll get a good view of the W. face along the way, there's a meadow w/ some cabin ruins and a large boulder (no pad req'd), and the route is just generally entertaining. From the summit that Sloan Glacier did look impressive/expansive, so you prob. can't go wrong that way either. Although I too have heard stories of the problematic stream crossing... enjoy

cake v. pie--i found the Sword less sustained but more difficult. both tasty perry's, if'n i recrawl correct-like, is an enduro-fest mostly about yer guns (after climbing some tough-ish pitches)--clip bolts and run for the no-hands rest. caveat: i'm a hack. stellar line, git on it

yup, echo chucK's words, i don't advocate soloing w/o qualifiers; it's serious shite. however, if you are keen, descending an easier route is the safer way to go.

nice work j. it goes in about ~2 hours to half a day (w/ postholio), and there are options for climbing/downclimbing--which is nice if you want to stay outta others' line of fire. (though many here would prob. recommend a weekday to avoid gapers.) there's also a less-exposed descent to downclimb if the prospect of reversing the catwalk daunts. have fun!

ditto special's list. perhaps a warm-up for your itinerary--on and around reed's pinnacle also a worthy .5-1 day craggin' stop: reed's direct (after the sweet big hands crack, don't miss the squeeze chimney--only 10a though--on the rt. side o' the pinnacle) lunatic fringe 10c, fairly sustained, supreme climb a good-looking 10b in the area that i didn't climb check a guidebook for some others 'round there... the good book (forget which area) is also nice after the first pitch. 10d and harder above if you like. enjoy!

good compact calories (read: lotta fat, decent protein in some) for your endeavors. almonds are one of the better nuts for you; though high in fat, i believe they're low in sat fat, are a decent source of protein, and have more fiber than most. i pack almonds for long b/c days, good fuel. cashews are damn tasty, but not as good for you.

i place the smallest 4 sizes regularly, and dig 'em. those, and the bigger sizes, both serve as comparably inexpensive and light doubles to your cams. big'uns also handy for belays where you might want to save the cams for the leader's next difficult pitch. lastly, alone they're good for fast and light alpine shots. more difficult to place correctly, but bomber in the right spot.