catbirdseat

There are plenty of helmets that can burst on impact and there are plenty of helmets that can break if you clip them to the back of your pack and happen to drop the pack carelessly. If the helmet can pass UIAA tests then it is probably as good as the rest of them. I'll stick with my Ecrin Roc, thanks.

Do we like this guy? Of course not. Should we start a war or use subversion to get rid of him? No. We tried that with Allende and we got Augusto Pinochet. The US should avoid meddling in South American countries, as much as we'd like to.

I was probably either working at the South Coast Shipyard and Design Center, or on a sailboat.

Trip: Static Point (Sultan, WA) - Online and Lost Charms Date: 8/15/2007 Trip Report: MarkMcKillop, JHamaker, Toast and I headed out in James's minivan this morning from Monroe. We couldn't figure out why the girls didn't think we were cool. We thought we were cool. Must've been the sunglasses. This was Mark's first visit to Static Point in 12 years and for the rest of us, our first visit ever. We came armed with a photocopy of Smoot's guide, which we brought, and Weekend Rock, which we inconveniently left in the car. The road is washed out a ways before the parking area mentioned in the guides. When you see a tree over the road with a sign saying, "No Dumping", go back and park at the last wide spot in the road. We'd heard much ado from lost souls bumbling around on the approach. We discussed finding the one true culvert above all others that guards the trail to Static Point. I noticed James checking out out some of the culverts as possible bivy sites, but I think he rejected them all as unsuitable. When it came down to it, the one true culvert was the one full of dirt with a cairn next to it and an obvious trail going left uphill. The trail reaches the climbing area in the vicinity of Online, so we decided to start there. I led the first pitch and suspect that I started a bit to the left of where I should have. I got some gear in early and then traversed right to a bolt, which was the only one. The last 100 ft or so has no protection, but it's easy. The climbing gradually gets harder as you go up, but the protection possibilities also increase. As near as I can tell, Online is the one with the chain anchors and old hardware. Offline is to the right with slings on the anchors. Anyway, James dispatched the crux 5.10a fifth pitch, even though it was starting to get hot. We opted to skip the 5.2 pitch at the top and go down for lunch. Since we were waiting for Mark and Tony, James and I decided to go try Lost Charms. I suppose we were on it for the first two pitches or so, but made the mistake of going up the left side of the Pillar, instead of the right side and missing the turn onto Bridge Flake. From the top of the Pillar, we decided to continue up a bolted line featuring brand new hardware with camouflaged hangers. This route that starts just right of the top of the pillar is called Granite Jihad, 5.10a/b PG, it goes at about 5.9, 5.9+, and then about 5.10b and features some fine climbing. By this time, it was baking hot in the afternoon, and the ol' rubber just wasn't sticking, so we backed off the 5.10b pitch (which still had ancient hardware) and simulrapped down. I went through three liters of water and it still wasn't enough. Try to pick an overcast day to visit. I'd like to see more of the hardware updated there, starting with the anchors. The Fixe anchors are really nice. I'd be willing to help any of you experts with the work. Mark starting up first pitch Toast belaying Gear Notes: Set of nuts and single set of cams from Black Alien to Yellow Camalot and a couple of slider nuts, which we used. Approach Notes: The trail on the abandoned road is a bit overgrown these days. Consider bringing some pruners. The trail up hill through the forest is fine.

The secret to long life is inheriting the right genes. Primarily, genes for the right kind of lipoprotein that doesn't allow your arteries to clog with plaque. Then if you avoid getting cancer, you stand a good chance of living to a ripe old age...unless you fall and take a "dirt nap".

I found a rifle shell casing below Goat Pass. Are permits issued for goat hunting? Just curious.

Was the main breaker tripped or was it flipped off? Or did you notice? If the breaker has tripped, it will be not all the way to the off position, but somewhere in between. Sounds like someone flipped the switch in hopes of perhaps disabling a burglar alarm.

No it wasn't a race. But we were exceptionally slow.

I'm not sure how one gets to Westward Ho from Blueberry Terrace. Usually one gets there from the summit. Matt can it be easily done?

That looks like a lot of fun and something I'd like to check out.

It's what they all say. Believe it. I can happen to you.

Duh, Cheney was still Vice President, last time I checked.

I heard plenty of people say the descent of the Sherpa is long and tedious. Certainly it would be better to go that way early in the season. The remaining option is the car shuttle, which is what I'd do if I were going to do the complete ridge.

Yes, he was.

I've been curious about it too. I'd heard that it's all sport routes and that Dallas Kloke and Leland Windham have been involved, but I haven't been able to get any information on the place.

I never did do it back in the day. I'm just going on what many people have told me. Mattp is one who could tell you and Dave Whitelaw too. I remember 30 foot runouts on 5.8 climbing. There are a few routes around Darrington with that sort of runout. First pitch of Tidbits has 3 bolts for 50 meters of climbing, or 40 feet of runout. It's rated 5.6, but it's sandbagged. True rating is closer to 5.8. The Rash has 70 of runout (5.4). A fall could be as large as 140 ft. I don't know exactly how long the first pitch is, but it's short. You'd stop about 10 feet short of decking.

If you'll recall Matt, we had a race down the two routes. Your group of three started down Jacob's Ladder about the same time my group of four started down the rap route. You beat us to the packs at the bivy site by a small margin. The edge was probably the smaller party size. So it's safe to say both must be pretty good.

Dreamer WAS run out at one time, but it has been retrobolted. This was some time ago. It is no longer run out.

I can't answer that precisely. I was told that the size is comparable, if not smaller than a neutrino. The Superfly is slightly larger than the neutrino. I think the Superfly is a nice carabiner. Be happy.

It looks like you rapped down Dark Rhythm. That's not the best way to get down. I'd recommend the Rap Route, which will get you get you down in only 5 double rope rappels. TWO 60 METER ROPES ARE MANDATORY! Start at the Stainless Steel anchor at the lowest point on Blueberry Terrace (rather than the big tree with the dead top and rap slings on it- too much loose rock there). Your first rappel goes somewhat left, as you face down, to a nice ledge. The anchors are two iron open cold shuts with a third titanium hanger above, as a backup. After the first rap, the next three are pretty straightforward. When you reach the Sloping Terrace, descend to a group of trees, there are long slings coming off the largest tree. Do a double rope rap leftward down the low angle slabs to another dirt ledge. Hike this ledge back towards the West Buttress. Scramble up some rock and trees to your packs, or better yet you would have left your packs down at the bivy site and you descend some easy slabs to reach them. It would be great if a pair of rap hangers were installed on the Sloping Terrace to replace the tree. Friction from the bushes always make pulling the ropes a bit of a chore.

Where is Dreamer run out? I don't remember it being run out at all, and I've climbed it twice.

Please refer to the Tea Partay thread.

Are all of your new cams Ultralights? The axles are swaged rather than brazed. I recall that the UL were longer.

I used to be a West Coast Yachtie in Sperry Topsiders, but that was long ago. Now I am turning into a West Coast Dirtbag.

Crux, that person is just plain boring and self-absorbed.