JoshK

I know plenty of people who take along more "hardcore" pain meds to use in the event of some sort of emergency. For the most part, they have basic medical training or are at least smart people with a good deal of common sense. So in general, yes, there is a rational basis in taking along something like that. Whether somebody like you, specifically, asking for advice over the internet, should be carrying and possibly using them, is probably an entirely different question. When I read this, I can't help but picture the dex injection scene in that terrible movie...K2 I think it was.

FWIW, that extra few miles to the Colchuck Lake TH is one of the easiest of the bonus-snow-covered-road approach additions in the Cascades, so don't let it dissuade you from your climb. I'd agree with Kurt, if you have the time, it's worth doing the approach the day before and spending a nice night at the end of the lake where you can relax and rest up for your climb. It's a very pretty area so certainly a worthwhile place to camp out, take some pictures and enjoy some down time. If you get there early enough you may even find some ice around the lake to play around on.

The principles are the same, but local knowledge is invaluable. I know when I was living in Colorado I experienced some scary shit in the snowpacks there that we never see here. Montana is probably somewhere between the Cascades and Colorado Rockies. Even if you don't take another course locally, it's worthwhile to seek out experienced people in your area to learn from.

I'd be interested in hearing more about the slide survivor that was using the avy airbag. I've now heard two different things: 1.) The woman who had the airbag was the one who set off the slide which buried the three victims below her. 2.) A fifth skier above both the woman with the airbag and the three victims triggered the slide. Anybody know if there has been a definitive report on the incident that covers this? As is typical with these events, the various news accounts are either the same copy of an original story or contain statements that contradict one another. I'm not asking in an attempt to assign blame, just curious because it would shed a bit more light on the difference the airbag made in the respective outcomes.

Great lines, Dan! Is Andy trying out for the Blue Man Group?

Valet parking.

I have a pair of the Manaslu and it's true that they can get knocked around easily in icy or chunky snow. In softer snow they ski quite well and the weight is hard to beat. Indeed, the Dynafit skin system is very well done. For days with a lot of uphill skinning, the Manaslu weight combined with the Dynafit skin system makes things about as easy as they'll get.

The Plum binding is basically a copy of a Dynafit, right? It looks similarly expensive though. I'm unfamiliar with them, but have been skiing Dynafits for years. Are there any significant upgrades in their design? Considering the Dynafit patent ran out, there is little engineering cost involved in ripping off the design, so I'm still waiting for somebody to company to produce a cheaper knock-off version.

Yeah, apparently not telling your buddy you are leaving to go ski in the pitch dark can have unintended humorous consequences. It's tons o' fun, however. Though I am disappointed I left my kettle bells and portable Jazzorcise system at home... Thankfully the performance supplied by the Gu replacement made up for my lack of a X-Fit styled, B&W photo documented, training regiment.

Name dropping is "even better" than climbing for yourself in one of the world's most amazing places? That's an interesting take...

I'm sad to have missed this shitshow!

The skiing sucked, but a very fun time, indeed. Great to meet you and your crew, and the beer was much appreciated!

Let's just say certain legal issues had to be considered when planning this trip...

FWIW, the paddle up in to the flooded Devil's Creek canyon on Ross Lake comes highly recommended. It's a very cool, narrow canyon with lots of hanging gardens clinging to the walls.

I think the disappearance of Miloshk sent cc.com in to a spiral of mediocrity it will likely never recover from. Just sayin'...

Damn good question... And yeah, it's been quite the year for mushroom spotting indeed...

Thanks! Sorry to hear that. OK, first off, there was no way we were going to burn down the forest, even if we had napalm and a flame thrower. It was frigid cold and wet. Nobody was going to get hurt because aside from us, there was nobody within miles. You make it sound as if we walked in to a crowded boy scout camp site in the middle of a dry summer and started lighting things off. I follow the rules most of the time; I pay my taxes, I even drive the speed limit. Every so often it's fun to engage in some calculated childish stupidity. I hadn't laughed so hard in a while, so you'll excuse me if I don't think I committed a heinous crime against the world.

Jason, would have been nice to meet, but alas, it was quite crowded there last night. The late arrival was my fault as I held up our departure by getting stuck in traffic down past Renton. Unable to see any of the presentations I had to resort to hanging around the desert and booze tables. And Ivan, i think he championed these shenanigans more than I did!

Yup, I also did this last time I came down from Cascade Pass. Truly switchback overkill on that trail. Good TR too!

Reading comp isn't your strong suit apparently...

Private industry competition solves everything, just look at Seattle's options for broadband internet. One of the most advanced cities on Earth (supposedly), and you get a choice between a slew of substandard service options for absurdly high prices. I tried to cancel my Comcast cable TV a few months back but was informed my broadband price would go up (without the "package deal"...what a fucking scam!!) so I had to purchase the basic cable package (which I don't watch). My friend a few blocks away has been trying the Qworst DSL which he says is amazingly even worse. In good news, I went like 2 weeks between my last cable modem reboots, go go Comcast!

You forgot "absolutely" and "fuck yeah!" as options...

Yup, works great just like in the video, when removing skins in a nice sunny forest with no wind. Out in the mountains on a typical Cascades winter day, YMMV.

Current forecast calls for a rather serious douching of pretty much the entire state. A snippet from the Seattle NWS forecast discussion reads: "A SERIES OF WET FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. RAINFALL WITH THESE FRONTS MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE COAST." a snippet from the Spokane NWS adds: "THE WEATHER PATTERN IS SETTING UP TO BE VERY WET AND ACTIVE BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AS A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW SET UP OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST." Even the forecast for Vantage, WA which is generally one of the drier areas reads: "Saturday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 68. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 54. Sunday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. "