Toast

Where?

Alpy bridge is just from the lower parking lot to the ski lodges. It doesn't have anything to do with the apprach to Chair. You can either stay on the East side of the drainage the whole way to source lake (advised) or venture up via the ski tracks straight out of the far upper lot (quicker but avy exposed.) Time'll depends on whether you fast or slow

I got down later than planned last year and found a note wired to my drivers side door with the combination to the gate. I didn't need to use it, but I thought that it was nice of them to do that.

We did descend from the minor peak to the south but only to traverse beneath it and regain the ridge. That was our mistake. I believe the more traditional (and advised) descent route would have been to proceed down to the Columbia Glacier. My guess is it'd be great skiing.

Yep, i noticed that on the map and on the way out. However, coming off the top and walking along the ridge, I didn't see it as practical to keep going that way. The scramble path probably made more sense going the other way and likely undercut out path... we simply missed the intersection, go figure

CBS and I did a carry over from Quartz Creek over Kyes earlier this summer and tried to descend that way. I've heard it's a scramble up from Blanca Lake, but we found it super cliffy coming down the other direction and just got lucky finding a gulley that went all the way down to the lake. Just beware, the routefinding may be challenging. If you make it, report back and tell us how it went.

That's funny

Closure of Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road be a moot issue now, but what's his position on increasing funding of USFS for maintenance of roads like this? Forgive me if I'm totally ignorant and if the answer to my question above is implicit in his stand on the Roadless Rule. I'm not familiar with it.

Anybody know if this is open and how far... Hidden Lakes?

quit blowing my cover asswipe

Goddammit, I am not

hint hint

Beal makes an 8mm x 30M dynamic rope that REI sells for $57. It packs up small, about the size of a 1.5 liter bottle of water. Not sure if it's rated as a single, though.

My kid cousin (age 12) is gonna learn to ski this year, but she needs to get geared up. Anybody know of a Second Ascent for kids clothing and gear?

dirtbags = no job = can't pay rent (they are also stinky ) I resent that

Ti may suck, but you gotta tell us why.

cool, thanks

KB's come in different lengths and thicknesses. LA's too I think. Do you bring a variety or a couple of the most likely size. If the latter, which? What's a good book or article that talks about these?

Some of the alpine TR's mention brining along a few pins. Cavey's blanket suggestion of a few knife blades and a few lost arrows comes to mind. In reality the things are kind of heavy. If you're heading out on a winter alpine route (say, tripple c's) what specific ones would you take, how many, and why?

I think it's something like a third of all avvy deaths are attributable to trauma... like getting crushed between logs or cracked open on rocks. No doubt if I go down in an avvy I'd want one of these, a beacon AND an avalung, but minimizing avvy exposure in the first place probably goes a long ways.

That Timmy guy, he's good shit Actually, I had the pleasure of meeting Timmy at a little dinner party last night. After he ran through a preview of his multi-media slide show. I gotta say, he's one funny motherfucker, and this ain't your typical (snoozzzzz) slideshow. Nice work Gary

UltraMeggaCrack up near the Bobs at Exit 38. It's pretty low angle and the crack is fist size and sprouting weeds for the most part. I don't remember the rating, but it's near 5.5ish.

Drats, I get two days off mid-week and I have mid-day appointments booked on both days

Go a little further up North from Sayulita on the public bus, maybe half an hour, to Tepic. Not a lot of tourists there, but it's a travelers town with an honest taste of Mexico and a great market. If you ask around, somebody will point you to the right corner to pick up a lift to Chacala. Chacala is heaven on earth. It really is a sleepy little fishing town on a half moon bay. Sleep on the beach for about two bucks a night, eat fresh fish at one of the palapa restaurants. I haven't been there since '96, but it was truly off the beaten path then, but well worth it.

Where's the pictures!!