billcoe

Damn.... Chicks just looked better when I was young. Must be the hormones in the McNuggets...

hey now.

Great stuff Bob!

My advice (I never gave any to the dudes from NY who turned out to be the TV story you are referring too), is to give yourself enough time, be flexible on your plans, but make your trip primarily process based, not goal based goals. ie, you're say, coming out and will "try to get as much good climbing in as you can", VS, "my goal is to summit Hood via the N couilar route" or something like that. Then you come out and make the best of the hand you are deal and your trip will be great cause you went up and ice climbed on the lower Elliot in a blizzard....and you would have a good trip despite the weather. I'm kind of an old wanker myself, so take it with a grain of salt. ...aw heck, better just grab the whole salt shaker. Sounds fun. Remember rule v1 above -no unnecessary Yodeling.

Careful who you talk to at the Mazamas. Some are real skilled and world class and some are wankers, it's a real large and diverse group of people. On the spur, once you get where it gets steep you'll be fine. You're talking 1 month from now. Who here can predict a month out? http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/940983/Re_TR_Mt_Hood_Eliot_ice_craggi#Post940983 Mitochondria was just up there and you can see for yourself, click the link. On the Mazama lady recommendation, while that was true a while ago for the S Side, I'd recommend you avoid the S Side. Seriously. The weather is better on the Spur in March as well. Occasionally it's in a wind and snow shadow. The S side can be total shit, and yet there's a manageable breeze over on the NE side. Her 3rd pic down shows you tie in rock very clearly on the ridge to the left, and the couilar doesn't look as deep as it really is. This is a relatively easy hike, and that ridge there often has the snow blown off of it as well so once you get there it's pretty firm. I've soloed that route where the snow was waist deep on the upper Spur, and its so awesome to be wading through that stuff on a 45 degree slope in perfect weather with everyone else someplace else. If you traverse in to the couliar instead of the std Cooper Spur, you actually avoid some pretty good steep stuff down low BTW. Don't think this pic shows it clearly. But the 3rd pic down is a great shot of what it looks like right now. ps - Raineer is a better mt to climb, but seems like if you are only coming out here for a weekend climb, Hood is often better weather in the spring. I think Rainer height gets it more wind up high and or heinous cloud cap freak weather. That's my "OPINION" only BTW, wish I had a fact for you, but none for now.

Indeed! I told Jim just last night I'm moving the chair which you noted had rolled down the hill over to this very area. Figured you'd be happier. I'll probably grab it Sat. __________________________________________________________________ Holy Crap Gyro: "granola with dried cranberries" - you are a wealth of new knowledge! I'd never heard of that kind of Cheerios or the term BUS either, no joke. As of today, I am less ignorant, by a tad, than yesterday. No telling where this could end up if I can stay on this new path. Thanks! ps, "SSS", a term everyone here appears to have already figured out, is still on my knowledge seeking radar screen.

Lawn! :-0 ...except there's be no way you could run a mower through that as there were sooooo many loose rocks, you'd kill a lawnmower for sure. Ben didn't last long out in the fall zone, he got the helmet on fast, but as a savvy, smart dude, he wisely got squarely tucked under and overhang real quick. Here he is less than 5 min later. LOL!

Here it is then. continuous, non-locked off belay I'll have to remember your preference next time I belay you. Gri Gris are all automatic and stuff. This must be the SSS. "Stop Stare Salivate. " Ps, I'm joking. As we all know, the guy(s) in the pic is(are) an excellent belayer(s). I got antsy and was taking off is all, he caught me 40-50 feet or so further up....2 times

I hadn't seen this video you linked. I belay like that when toproping and gym climbing. With a Gri gri too. The climber is essentially always locked off, and you can talk to the guy next to you, scratch yer nutz and stuff without total focus and be 100% safe. Don't know what is meant by SSS, probably missed that too. There, I'm a noob and you will be locked off with my bus when you need it. BUS huh? BTW, @ 2weeks ago I was giving a hip belay. Wonder what the abbreviation for that is? HB? (Hugh Banner?) Hey, is that whole wheat Cheerios or the regular kind?

Here's some general guidelines for you:

Where do you think their stories and sources come from? Keep sending the money in.

You'll get lots of opinions on the best route on Hood to do solo (it's fine to solo Mt Hood BTW). For myself, depending on conditions anything on the North side. I just prefer being away from folks and they'll all typically be on the other side. I'd plan on doing Cooper Spur, sleeping at tie in rock. It's awesome there and you should have it to yourself, then if it looks great, slip over to the left North Face Couilar and cruise that with 2 tools. It it looks like it's not in condition or you don't feel up to it cause of the weather etc, and in March as warm as it's been, it may be too late (it's a bowling alley when it starts warming up) I'd climb Cooper Spur with a single axe. Either route, I'd just pick up my stuff in the tent at tie-in in rock on the way out. But that's me, I'm actually old and haven't been up there for years. When I was younger and kidless I use to do exactly that. Alternatively, try and connect with someone on CC.com to climb Rainier with.

Ditto John, that was great, wouldn't mind reconnecting at all: but I rarely get over that way unless it's raining here and I just have to get out. If you get over on this side of the Mt, give me a holler and we'll get out.

We all use Ivan as our guidebook. Much like a slut, it's probably the easy access. Rainer takes more planning, equipment and time as it's a larger mountain. hmmm, Or it might be the Rams Head bar right there in Timberline at the 6,000 foot level. The media can move right into 4 star quarters as if on vacation then step out into the howling wind and sleet for the dramatic 2 min. broadcast about the unfortunates lost on the mt, then walk right back into the bar and warm up with a hot toddy. 2nd most climbed Mt in the world they say, behind Mt Fuji in Japan.

hmmm

Me too, as I thought it was climbing related. "His core issues, such as creating transparency at the Federal Reserve, recalling overseas soldiers and ending the drug war, are "not what is generally heard from the Republican party," he said." Hmmm, maybe he did some routes when he was younger?

...As if on cue the next day the winter snow finally starts showing up:-) Tombstone road cam.

Everyone talks about my favorite climbs: Epinephrine, Serenity crack/Sons OF Yesterday, Snake Dike, SE Corner, YW, Blownout etc etc. The least talked about fav's are Conga Line at Jimmies and the Old Witch at Cathedral Formation.

LOL! Revised DMM cam.

Come on, you just made all that shit up....didn' ya?

I got Chicken nuggets at McDonalds for an ad up top. Whoo Hooo, we're rich boyz!!!

We all take it for granted all too often. The President meets with the Dalai Lama this month. Tibet is still occupied. Plan on feeling the effects here in the homeland over this.

Feb 15th The Metolius El Cap goes on sale on mountain gear for $174.97 for 2 weeks, great price and burly bag. The other great piece of Metolius stuff that they will be selling is the crag station bag: $79.97.

Partisan, as it relates to being democrat/republican and "fair" or "fair and unbalanced" are different things.

This comment must be related to your boyfriends under the beltline spitting Cobra tattoo. ________________________________________________________________ Off, you don't want her looking like Abbie Hoffman now do ya? Careful of offering to pay for such things:-)