JoshK

Come up a few days early and go walk up the north ridge of adams. If you can get up and down that easily you should be fine in terms of the altitude and aerobic shape.

This'll be my next winter partnerless volcano ski. specific eh? Couldn't stomach the drive so I went and skied up to camp muir instead. It was a great day. Read all about it in my breathtaking TR posted in the freshiezone. You'll be on the edge of your seat.

Climb: Mt. Rainer, Muir Snowfield-The Cattle Trail Date of Climb: 2/12/2004 Trip Report: You all know what the Muir snowfield is so I'll save any real TR. THe long and short of it was the snow softened up just enough to make for really fun skiing. I chilled out for probably an hour and a half at the camp and watched 15 or so climbers in an RMI group come back across the inghram glacier. Also, Alex_Mineev from this site and partner came down before this RMI group. Everybody summited. Nice work, dudes. I'll post some pics later, but from what I can tell, gib ledges and all the other routes in that area look absolutely perfect. Too bad that'll change tomorrow. Given the reports from all the summiters it seems the snow up high was just perfect for quick climbing. I hope my accurate gear list can let you turly what it would have been like on the legendary muir snowfield today. P.S. If anybody cares, the coverage is great to ski the nisqually all the way down to the bridge. Gear Notes: Skis Skins Poles Backpack Windshell Light down coat Light schoeller pants Ski Socks Powerdry Tshirt Long underwear top my trusty climbing hat, duck tape and all a bandana MP3 player with headphones Goretex shell pants Some GU Some powebars and such 2 cookies a bagle sandwhich 2 liters of water A camera another lens a compass sunscreen lip balm gloves Some bandaids and shit sunglasses a small knife some spare batteries headlamp some trash that I had left in my pants pocket that muir snowfield navigation map they give you at the entrance I should have brought another cookie. Those were good. Approach Notes: Well, you pretty much get out of the car and start going up.

I'll hopefully be up there tomorrow. I'm praying for a little sun softened goodness since the winds aren't looking to be high, but if I don't luck out I'll retreat to the protected slopes of paradise valley.

Thanks for all the comments. I think I'll do muir tomorrow just to avoid the extra driving time now that it's getting later and I still haven't gone to bed. It'll be a good picture day too and I think rainer from paradise and the tattooshis will probably make better pictures.

Thanks Paul, well, that answers my question, there is at least enough risk to dissuade me from going alone. Guess I'll go up to Muir instead...

Can anybody give me a general summary of the slopes I'll find on the south side "normal" winter route up St. Helens. In particular, I am curious about avy concerns and the like. Sorry for the extremely broad question, I've never even been near St. Helens, winter or summer, so I haven't a clue what it's like.

I dont want to speculate (or piss you off ) but one time I climbed triple couliors and found DEEP powder and wind blown stuff all the way up the first coulior. Actually, all of them for that matter. Despite this, the runnels were absoulutely awesome (relatively thick) and the top 1/2 pitch were legit water ice that took tools incredibly well. I just found that interesting, after encountering nothing but deep stuff everywhere else.

Hey, the short and fat statistics are true! The conclusion, however, is all mine.

What is the overall shortest state in the nation? Texas. What is the overall fattest state in the nation? Texas. Those short, fat, small dicked texans are just jealous of vibrators. It's that simple.

ken, I thought snowboards were not fun on bumps? All my boarder friends seem to think that bumps are the absolute worst with a snowboard. Someday I want to pick up boarding, my problem is I am almost exclusively in the BC now, where, no matter what, skis rule. They are just easier for travel.

I know of a "secret" waterfall or two, but like that one, they appear so dangerous I wouldn't be caught dead under them. That's beatiful looking place regardless. What general area?

There are right ways and wrong ways to make jump turns. You can simply jump from horizontal to horizontal, but you can also use partial jump turns to keep a rythym and link turns on steep terrain. Often a jump turn can be used to orient you the right way to then make several "normal" turns.

I am considering ditching school thursday as it looks like the last of genuinely nice weather this high pressure will give us. If I can come up with a partner and worthy plan that is...anybody interesting and have an idea? Ski tour sounds the most reasonable, or maybe a small alpine climb. Not interested in rock.

You single? If so, you are fucking lucky. Stupid v-day this weekend. What a waste of a good 3 day weekend.

I am getting my next bag made with some highly waterproof DWR fabric on the *inside*. that way at cold belays I can simply piss myself and drain the bag out in the morning.

Yeah, it's amazing how much value they have held.

I dunno, I've never done it, but apparently it isn't that hard due to the engine mounts, space in the bay, etc. My VW/Audi/Porsche car geek buddy/mechanic always talks about this swap. Maybe I have the porsche model wrong, but I swear he said 944 turbo.

My boarder buddies seem to be able to do something similar to side slip. They ride terrain ever bit as steep as I ski on and they manage to get down it (very impressively) without taking the entire run of snow with them.

Hmm..so you are saying I'm not going to be able to always get away with my patented zero-warmup, zero-cooldown routine? Damn...I guess I better enjoy it while I can.

If price wasn't an issue the ultimate climbing rig is a westy synchro. syncrho was the term for VW's AWD at the time and they only made it with the westy for a few years, I think in the late 80s early 90s if I remember. The kicker is the guys who generally own these are fairly into them, and a fairly easy engine converstion is to put in a porsche 944 turbo engine, which is actually bought quite cheaply. now *that* would be a sweet climber vehicle...AWD, camper, and power. I think it would be esp. hilarious to be passing the big redneck trucks going up the passes in your normal looking VW van!!

this is why the alpental backcountry is pretty cool...it's just enough of a pain in the ass to get back there (that long, slightly uphilll traverse) that it often discourages boarders. I can generally skate+pole up the little bit that requires it and get across pretty quick.

Speaking of crystal, i absolutely hate the fact that K2 chute (I think called K2 face on the map) gets ruined on a big powder day by literally 2 or 3 boarders? It starts out only about 10 feet wide and it only takes a couple of side slips to ruin the entire run in one fell swoop. Getting that run first is the only way to enjoy it, otherwise you get to deal with the icy mess I normally experience.

You could mistake it for something in the himilayas! I love Stuart in the winter.

Yeah, this thing totally sucks. I can't remember ever having a cold that has hung around to the extent of this one. Seems like a people at school have it too, classes have been rather thin.