catbirdseat

I've only fallen once on a piton and it was one that I had placed myself. I had no doubt that it was a good placement.

I am at a disadvantage. Climbing is cutting severely into my posting time.

Need I say, you can use knots. They do it in Germany.

What Dannible said, exactly.

I somehow didn't see your post. I would have gone with you. Too bad.

This map shows where the slabs are and how to avoid them. It shows the descent down the shorter but steeper right fork of Cascadian Couloir. I am told that the left fork is easier going, but I have not done it myself. Before anyone says anything, I'm now pretty sure I located Goat Pass incorrectly.

I have to agree with you, but we felt this was the best choice at this time, considering this was Jenni's first alpine rock climb leading.

Sounds like you went down the left fork of the couloir? We went down the right. The sandy trail ends up turning into a rocky wash for a while, and then several washes. If you stay in the right most one, eventually you'll come to place where there are cairns and a trail heading off right into the trees and much easier going.

Hey man, don't bogart that Hansel. I want a hit off your ropegun.

Patrick wrote three articles. Check it out.

Those are awfully high for mutton chops. What do you call those whiskers? Nice photos. I'm droolin'

Oleg, when I sent you off following the cairns, I didn't know what you'd find after the false summit. When I'd been there before it was June and the slabs were covered with snow. One could put on crampons and walk down. This time, it was bare rock. It was quite appalling to look at. I assume that you found the way up and around the false summit to the other side of the slab?

An enjoyable video with the sound turned off.

Looks as though Washington State is racing to catch up to the rest of the nation in obesity rates.

It looks like he's trying to pass gas.

Not Oleg's was it?

But pickup your shell casings! Litter is litter.

That is a nifty one, Chuck!

Ah, yes, pleasant time to be on the summit. I hope the photos I took of you turned out well. Had I known who you were, I might have asked you to take a shot of Jenni and I.

Your TR makes me want to give this one a try car to car. Nice work.

Since cooking doesn't kill prions, you might as well enjoy your burger rare. I think this is the place where there is beer. Feierabend 422 Yale Ave N, Seattle Wa 98109 206.340.2528

Naturally, "real" pizza is the kind I like. Fake pizza is the kind someone else likes. There, how's that?

Asked a well-known pilot for pictures and found he'd not photographed it before. He says he'll get around to it sometime in the future.

Trip: Mount Stuart - Upper North Ridge Including Great Gendarme Date: Saturday, 7/28/2007 Trip Report: Neverenough (John), Jennifer, Larry and I left the Ingalls Lake TH on Friday and hiked to Goat Pass arriving about an hour before sunset in company with a threesome from Seattle, Ann, Steve and Ken. We might have liked to get across the Stuart Glacier that day while the snow was soft, but we knew a party was ahead of us with limited sites at the notch, and the sites were so comfy looking we bivied there at Goat Pass. After a chilly night, the snow on the glacier was rock hard at 4:30 am so we skittered down rocks to get on the glacier lower down where the slope was moderate. Arriving at the notch after a two hour traverse, we found a party of four, validating our decision to stay put at Goat Pass. The Notch has two, two person sites and a couple of inferior smaller ones. Shortly after we set off, at least two more parties arrived, one that set out at 2:30 am from the TH and one that had bivied at Ingalls Basin. We were quickly passed by all but two rope teams. We reached the Gendarme around noon with a bit of a lineup so we enjoyed lunch and views as we waited. The two Gendarme pitches went uneventfully and I thought they were quite thrilling and enjoyable. We hauled packs: the leader's using a haul line and the second's using the rope. My ice axe extended above my pack and kept catching on things. Next time, I'll haul it upside down or get a shorter axe. We topped out at about 5 pm with only the Seattle party behind us and one other far below, which had started very late. We scrambled down the right branch of the Cascadian Couloir, which we reached by going over and around the false summit, except for me. I downclimbed the slabs. It wasn't worth the risk for the 15 minutes it saved, but it was kind of fun actually. The Cascadian Couloir was the usual dusty, boring, interminable slog it always is. We reached the nice campsites below Long's Pass about an hour after dark and slept very comfortably. The hike out in the morning was cool, easy and pleasant with lots of wildflowers to enjoy on the way. Sorry but no cameras were taken. Gear Notes: Single cams from 1/2" to 4" Friends, doubles in Green to Yellow Camalots. The #3.5 and #4 Clogs (=Friends) protected the offwidth on the Gendarm perfectly. Brought too many nuts. Hardly used them. I'd suggest just a handful from #5 to #10. Bivy sacks and down jackets, no stoves. Crampons or instep crampons. Approach Notes: Last snow is in the gully below the notch. There is some snow just below the summit, not far off the descent route. There is no snow in the Cascadian Couloir, right fork. Mosquitoes were terrible at Ingalls Lake, but not bad anywhere else.

1/2 package Knorr Broccoli-Cheese soup mix, one cup instant potato flakes, 1/3 cup powdered milk, a tablespoon of either butter or olive oil. Add hot water, mix and eat.