Buckaroo

The sorry warm rain they like to call "weather" up here is back. (I call it something else.) The NWAC "Tumwater Canyon" weather monitoring station is on Tumwater mountain which is just across the valley from Drury at about the same elevation. If your really serious about tagging Drury this link needs to be in your bookmarks, that and an inflatable raft. Temps on the hour with a 10 day history DRURY TEMPS Drury is a high flow falls it takes about 2 weeks of temps in the low 20's at least to form. Anybody that goes up there when it's above the mid to high 20's has a death wish. Maybe it's not PC to say this but it seems a lot of people lately have been trying to get on stuff when it's too warm. See pics of someone on the approach pitches climbing next to big patches of bare rock and I just cringe. Wasn't someone killed near Crystal some years back being at the base of something when it was too warm?

Mammut's final word on the matter. Apparently they are saying yes girth hitch drops strength up to 50% but in this case the sling was cut by a sharp object and not because of the knot. LINKY

EmKay and I did this on Feb 1, Awe inspiring route in perfect conditions. Did it in 4 pitches and soloed the snow in the upper bowl to top out. 1st pitch 40m to a pin rap anchor, 3-4 R with thin sparse screws. 2nd pitch 4 R, 55m to 80deg even thinner sparser screws and some rotten ice, the crux pitch, belay was questionable, might have been better to simul up to better ice another 25'. 3rd pitch 3-4, 55m, went past the cave another 40', some thin ice at first but then got fat, went to an alcove with a red camalot crack. 4th pitch 3-4, 60m, bomber fat ice. Soloed steep snow bowl at the top, 45-50 deg, about 70m. I went up and right and finished with an interesting dry tool rock/snow gully/chimney (5.5) to get to the upper ridge, pick cams and stemming. Emkay soloed to the left in a snow gully to top out just above the O.S. finish. I traversed the ridge from where I went right, nice alpine ambiance. Didn't see any rap anchors after the first pitch so we walked off the regular O.S. descent. Very fun, some interesting drytool down climbing and perfect styrofoam crust in an avy gully. Found the traverse around to the east side even though neither of us had been there in over 5 years. A little more tooling and perfect snow on the steep slabs back to the base. Would have been scary abakalovs, much better and funner to walk off. Ice pretty thin on first 2-1/2 pitches, totally rocked my tools. Left the car at 5:30A, full moon on the trail, didn't even need headlamps, cross creek at dawn, back to packs at base by 3:30P. Boot pack trail to the creek crossing, snow steps to the base. Clear day, about 1-1/2 hrs of sun on the route but at an angle so the dihedrals and features were in the shade. The sun didn't affect the ice adversely. Totally classic, EmKay says he thinks it forms about once every 20 years. Twin 60's, (thought we might rap) in retrospect a single 60 would be better. 12 or so express screws, 4 of them stubbies. 2 yates screamers but should have had at least 5 6 assorted pins, never used 6 nuts, never used 6 cams, used 2 better TR when EmKay brings the camera over for download. All you CC klimber dawgs, git up off the couch and H-O-O-K I-T U-P!!!!!!!!

It's definitely cold enough, was over there today but didn't go through tumwater canyon. There's definitely ice in the icycle. Cold enough to freeze contacts saline.

""In case we're missing your point, what type of problems were you having with down?"" Before I had much experience, had a -30 down bag on Shuksan in winter. Got temporarily "lost" in a storm on descent and ended up sleeping down low. Got rained on and the bivy sack seams weren't well sealed, bag got soaked. Had to go back up to get to the car and spent another night or so in a snow cave shivering. That bag had just a plain nylon shell. My issue now is that the puff jacket is part of the sleeping system and it's inside a GoreTex bivy sack. So think moisture from condensation might be an issue, also other stuff is going to be wet cuz digging snow caves at camps. The planned routes aren't really technical so no waiting at belays. Thinking the down might be too warm to wear while climbing except maybe on the summit day. So might just take two synth jackets to layer with.

Rainier in winter, maybe Denali at some point. Can't find a really puff synthetic jacket. Everyone has down, but bad experiences with that in the past. Who makes a hi loft synth jacket with an insulated hood? Know they've made them in the past because the regular partner has one.

""the Paul Peak/Mowich Lake area are open to non-motorized use"" Does anyone know how far up you can drive on this road? In the past you were usually able to get to the Paul Peak trailhead.

""which also features a force above and beyond comprehension and influence of the masses"" maybe some peoples comprehension ehh? Others may see Christianity as just another scam by wealthy elites. After all there were about 60 gospels, they only picked the ones beholden to their power/money cause. And the Koran says Jesus was not divine, just a prophet who was not even crucified. Do some reading, the DaVinci Code barely scrapes the surface.

""I'm all about using clothes you're going to wear anyway to augment the bag"" Agree, why carry that stuff if it's not used? ""Peanut butter is..."" Depending on your metabolism/genetics it can be very suck. Slows circulation. Best to try it on a training hike. Just like salt 20 percent of the population are adversely affected. ""apart from something like pure oil (yuck!)"" Olive oil is the best. In soup or on bread or just straight. Chouinard used to use it. When you're depleted and your body starts to use it's fat, it slows down. A dose of olive oil fakes it out so you can keep going high pace. Lately I've turned to GU and Citomax, when the pace is high body doesn't want anything else until dinner. Digestion takes energy and these require very little. ""Mostly though, ultralight is about being rich."" sometimes but not always. The GoLite packs are less than the average. And you can make a half bag from a used gear store bag and a sewing machine.

""You could shave weight on the axe..."" Unless, you're going on a 1,500' boiler ice headwall. ""...and loose the puffy jacket from this list."" Or Rainier in winter.

Modern wars are just a racket. The politicians, both dem and repug are p-owned by the military industrial complex, the oil companies and AIPAC. Ever since the Ruskies folded the M.I.C. has been looking for another boogie man. Enter "terror". It's perfect, not a state but a race, a religion, a mindset. Because there are no states that come close to competing with us. Our military expense is greater than the next 6 countries combined. So bring down a couple buildings that were way outdated anyway, add a p-owned media, stir. Get your war on. Now that the sheeple are afraid of "terror". It's fun to observe how it all ties in, the tangled web and connections of the global elite. The Neocons, the Israelis, the Bush crime family, the oil companies, Halliburton, the Saudis. Notice how the dems really haven't done anything to turn it around, just so much lip service. They're p-owned I tell ya. Before the invasion they ran war-games. One general was doing so well running the simulated Iraq forces in full on guerilla mode they made him stop. They knew it was no good going in but it's what they wanted. Not to "win" but just to spend money, make money, control the oil flow and ruin a progressive Arab country. A low level protracted war is more profitable. Anyone notice it's gone on longer than WW2? The Iraqis weren't even fighting until the release of the Abu Graibe pics? Coincedence? And their lining up to attack Iran. Labled the "crazies", neocons, cheney rummy(gone now) during the bush 1 years. They were at a lower level then. Now their at the helm, look out. We'll be lucky if the dems get enough power and spine to do anything about it. And when/if they manage to convict, it'll be pardons all round. Just like poppy (his drug lord nickname) when he pardoned everyone to keep himself from being implicated in Iran Contra. Many of them while they were still in trial. And word up Red Nose. The blue red conflict is a false dichotomy. Just a few years back there was very little red blue conflict. It's a recent creation of the wealthy elite of this country, fabricated by the media which they have consolidated the control of. Divide and conquer. The real conflict is not between you and me but between us, the working class, and the wealthy elite who are everyday working to make things even more disparate than they already are. It's class warfare plain and simple and it's being waged on us. ""I am not a big fan of Bill Clinton. Or his wife."" No doubt. P-owned, sold us out to "free trade", de-reg'd the media. Ever notice when they started advertising pharmacuticals on the boob tube? And she's now meeting with Murdoch and on the board of WalMart.

""I have a 17 year old pair of koflack vario extrem's. any chance of fitting the intuition liners in these antiques?"" No problem. $150-$160. Pro Mountain Sports, Feathered Friends, or Marmot in Bellevue. (my bad if starting to sound like a salesperson, I'm not affiliated)

""Don't believe the published weights!"" Never. A gear shop isn't a climbing shop unless they have a scale. With many of these boots the weight difference is in the liner. The Intuition custom fit liner is very light. You can shave about 1-1/2# off a pair of boots. I weighed size 9 boots also, but replacing the stock liner with Intuitions on all the boots I weighed. So basically this is a shell weight comparison. weight per boot (size 9) with Intuition liner. Scarpa Omega 1#14oz. Koflach Arctis Expi 2#2oz. Koflach Degre 2#2oz. Lowa Civetta 2#7oz. So the Intuition liner shaves the Koflach's from 5#10oz. to 4#4oz. And in this scenario the Civetta is heavier by 10oz. for the pair. In addition the Intuition liner is warmer and fits way better for less chafing on approach and better feel on technical stuff. The Degre and Expi come out of the same mold. After reading here, went back and felt the shells to feel if the Expi was stiffer, it seems it is a slight amount. Would be nice to know exactly where the Degre shell is weaker. May just wait till they restock my size at REI so I can return them if they blow out. Since the Intuitions are $150 it would be nice to hold the cost down a little.

nICE pics everyone. Gots to get out to Banks lake again, been a while. Arctic front.... come on down!

"In Egypt, rescue workers found a 37-year-old man alive in earthquake rubble. He survived almost 82 hours by drinking his own urine. His wife, daughter and mother would not and they died." "Four Sri Lankan commandos who drifted in a boat more than 1,000 miles to Thailand after they had been ambushed and given up for dead were given a rapturous welcome when they returned home. 'They managed to survive on the boat by catching turtles and drinking urine,' a military officer said." "A male cook was pulled out of the rubble of the Hyatt Hotel early Monday morning, 14 days after a powerful earthquake devastated the northern Philippines, officials said. Dry, with only minor bruises on his body, he told reporters he survived by drinking his own urine." Something to think about next time your stranded in a snow cave and out of fuel. Wasn't there some climbers on Baker that dropped a pack and stranded in a storm drank their urine? But then the rescue came right away and it turned out they didn't need to. I knew miners were trained to do this but I thought the second time around it was more toxic? "if you need to place more than 8 screws on a pitch," depends on your fear factor, might be about right on a 60m pitch. If you have the strength to stop and place that many screws you must be strong enough.

Weighed the Degree and the Expi shell, identical. The flexibility of the shell material seems the same and other than the colors, these two shells seem identical except for the interior sole. The Expi has a heel recess that fits a raised heel on the liner. The liners are totally different but that's immaterial if going with Intuitions. So yes the degree may work. Now need to figure how much room you need in the shell. The 8.5 and the 9 have the same size shell. The 7.5 and the 8 also have the same size shell. Size 9 is my street shoe. With just a sock on the 8.5-9 shell has about 1-1/2" room at the heel with the toe just touching. The 7.5-8 shell has about 1". Need to talk to the boot fitter at Marmot.

""I have never weighed my pack, but given your description it seems like 20-25lbs on climb is a lot?"" you may be right, maybe that was with a rope/rack

If you've got the bucks go for the guide 10's with stealth rubber. Lots of the running/hiking shoes have too much plastic in the sole, bad on wet rock. [ up to 5.10 if you tighten them up. Nelson uses a piece of ensolite in the heel.

"above 5.6-5.7 I would prefer my rock shoes." Consider the Guide Tens. Approach/rock shoe with stealth rubber. Carry a piece of ensolite to jamb in the heel to tighten it up for the climbing. Good up to 5.10a "Have: 3lb 6oz Osprey pack Want: lighter pack that carries well" I use a day pack, if necessary with the sleeping bag strapped on. The Go-Lite Breeze weighs 15oz with the waist belt I added, 1/2 bag will fit inside. Before the Go-Lites I just used a generic day pack, good up to 50 lbs. Sort of like the sherpas tump line though it takes a couple hikes to get used to the load, maybe a little more on the shoulders. Did full N ridge of Stuart and full NE Buttress of Slesse with the Breeze, 1/2 bag and the Guide Tens. About 20 to 25 lbs. (on climb, not counting rope/pro.) Also did 6 day trip to the Pickets with same system 27 lbs.(less food), that was with a 50m twin for raps, steel cramps and light axe. Used a stick on Stuart, no cramps to cross the glacier. Descended Slesse via Crossover descent using sharp rocks no cramps to descend the snow, but had done a recon to know the snow was soft. Did a short section of hard heather with a Ti cleaning tool to self belay. No stove on Stuart, got lucky with drips at the notch (PM), they were frozen in the AM. Took a stove on Slesse. Hot tea is a mental edge.

thanks for the link!! the only question he didn't answer was what pack he used? I wonder if he used all 6 tops at once?

"Asolo boots are the suck." Maybe it's a matter of perspective. Climbed Rainier in Lowa Denalis, 3#8oz. each. Before any clue about light weight. Been climbing WI for years in Asolo AFS 101, 3#4oz ea. Had some Asolo AFS Superlites 2#10oz ea. for one season but the rand came apart. Did Ptarmigan traverse (6 summits) in Koflach Paras (2#9oz) that were one size too large. The 101's have almost no rocker either so I would say it's more like cinderblocks than kleenex boxes. So shaving over 1# per boot is going to be like night and day. weighed boots in stores, all with Intuition liner, weight each Scarpa Omega 1#14oz. Koflach Arctis Expi 2#2oz. Lowa Civetta 2#7oz. Also measured sole length, the Lowa and Omega are about 12" in a 9 and the 101's are 12-1/2". Haven't measured the Expi yet but if going like Husbands suggests (and BTW Twight in Extreme Alpinism), one size down on the shells then they should be ok there. Would get the Omega, but just like the Alpha Ice they are very narrow in the arch area and don't fit my wide feet. If I ever want to get extreme Ice cragging maybe just put some rigid cramps on my Trango S's. The Expi's are maybe the call since their stocked in town unlike the Asolo's which will have to be ordered, so trying to downsize the shell might be problematic. So this raises another question. What's the choice on socks and vapor barrier? The House vid shows him using a liner and thick sock and having 2 pairs of each and rotating every day to keep dry. But that's with breathable liners. But the Intuitions aren't breathable? So what about, a polypro liner, a vapor barrier, then the thick sock? This is Twights rec. "Or Olympus Mons?" ha ha, Yeah when I get back down to 25 again I'm going to start climbing the 8,000'ders.

Went with the Vista CX, seems pretty user friendly. The maps are kind of a rip. Got the national parks topo CD because it's 1-25,000. ($100). The full NA topo CD is only 1-100,000. Haven't found a case to fit it, the case Garmin sells fits sort of but the display window is the wrong size and covers the side edges of the screen. May just put some clear tape on the display lens. The unit is rubber padded anyway except on top. Neat tech. You can plot out a route on a peak and then download it to the PC and look at it on Google Earth. Now when G.E. loads some better resolution topos it will be really neat. Was sort of hesitant about GPS, you know the ethics issue, until I read that House used one on N Face of N Twin descent.

The Civetta is heavy, even the shell is heavier. With the Intuition liner it's 2 lbs. 7 oz.. 5 oz. over the Koflach per boot. Bad knees, want a lighter boot.

Shopping for boots, got to replace my Asolo AFS 101's, their a bit outdated for tech ice, and very heavy. Looking for a multi-purpose boot that will do very cold, like Denali and grade 5 waterfall, and light weight is high on the list. Whatever gets bought it's going to get a Intuition liner. Narrowed search down to Koflach Arctis Expe Asolo AFS Evoluzione Asolo AFS 8000 REI Comparison LINK The Asolos seem lighter than the Koflach but really need to compare shell weights because of the Intuition liner plan. Weighed the Koflach with the Intuition liner, comes in at 2 lbs 2 oz. per boot. These two Asolo shells look identical except for the color? The only advantage the Koflach might have is the pivot ankle. The only other caveat is local availability. I have looked at the Scarpa Omega and really like it. The lightest, and comes stock with heat moldable liner, although the liners are fragile. It's a very low profile though which may affect warmth and just like the Alpha Ice it's too narrow for me in the arch area. I talked with the Marmot boot expert, it would be problematic to open it up in that area due to the carbon fiber base comes up the side there.

Yes it has time and alarm, gets time from the sats just like a cell phone. Yes, will take a regular compass also. both of these have most of the bells and whistles, agree it's mostly fluff, and like most other complex elec gadgits, you may not ever even learn to use it all. But the main thing they have over the less expensive models is battery life. With alkaline they go about 34 hrs. The next closest is 22 hrs. Battery life is what I was waiting for in the technology. With lithiums these should go for a while. Maybe even leave it on during summit day. I would trade bells and whistles for a thermometer, also so it could compensate the altimeter, but oh well it gets alt from the sats also.