catbirdseat

Just called Marblemount Ranger Station. Even though there are several fires in the area there are no road closures at present or expected for the next few days.

or just replace the fucking links you fucking dink. it aint like its brain surgery. Why don't you go do it yourself, asshole. There are only several hundred routes there. If you start now you'll have them all done by the time you die of old age.

nice ole boy! what route you gonna do? Ah, we're just going up by the easiest and least dangerous route, Gunsight notch traverse to CJ Col and the East Ridge. A gaper route to be sure, but then I'm just a gaper.

There was an off route crack that I did see and that must be the one you were referring to. I was afraid that if I used it the rope drag would get out of hand. With a double length sling, it might not have been all that bad.

Somehow I never saw the crack and neither did Ade. Since we thought it was all bolts, I didn't have the rack with me. It might have made a big difference. The moves weren't that hard, but by then I was getting tired. Chalk one up for experience.

You have to consider where I'm coming from as one who is just getting to the 5.9 lead level. The 5.10+ climbers probably don't sweat it at all. The only bolt I have a real complaint about is that first one on the alternate bolted 5.8 route to the left on pitch 8. It is 25-30 feet from the belay. A 60 ft leader fall onto the belay would be very bad. I didn't have the cahones, so I backed off and went the "dirty" 5.7 trad way straight up. It wasn't so dirty after all and protected adequately (tricams, nuts, aliens). The way I figured it, a leader fall 8 pitches up Dreamer could have ruined our whole day.

Pencil Pusher and I were out climbing the Beckey Route at the Feathers and noticed that the bottom links of the chains are worn at least half way though from people top roping and lowering off of them. Use quick draws to top rope and then rap. It's safer and puts less wear on the chains.

Johannesburg Mountain

The entire island is owned by the Lummi nation. I believe you would need special permission from the tribe just to set foot on the island.

Ade and I went up to Darrington today to climb Dreamer. As we were setting out from the car a second car pulled up- on a Thursday! We hastened up the trail to get on the route. Oops, there was a red Jeep that had forged a little further up the road than most folks. That's three parties now! Got on the route behind the owners of the Jeep, a French couple. I've never heard so much shouting in my life. I couldn't tell what she was saying because I don't speak French, but I am sure it was very important. As we started the third pitch, the third pair arrived. They went up one pitch and then retreated. We couldn't figure it out. We watched them arrive back at the base of the route. Hey, there's four there now! So now a fourth party shows up. The third party goes home. After killing what must have been an hour the fourth party heads up the route. It's now 11 am. Not exactly an alpine start. We're on the 5th pitch. We top out at 4 pm with the fourth party 4 pitches below. As we rappel past them, they decide to bail ("this is great", says Ade, "we'll have some to free our ropes if they get stuck"). At the packs we meet up with them and it turns out that one is none other than Ken Ford of cc.com. I thought I recognized him from Pub Club! Ken said the party that left after one pitch did so because we (Ade and I) were on the route. It was their second failed attempt on Dreamer. I couldn't figure out how we would affect them five pitches up the route, but go figure (I didn't see so much as a pebble fall all day). To summarize my thoughts about Dreamer. 1) It oftentimes seems like a long way to the first bolt 2) The bolts seem to always be after a hard move rather than before. 3) I need to get a little better before I dare lead the crux pitches (#s 5-7). 4) If so many people show up on a Thursday, how many are going to show up on a Saturday? Gonna need more parking.

A set of nuts from #3 to #11 doubled from #8-#10 4-6 hexes from #4 to #9 1 set of 6 SLCDs from 0.5" to 3" 3 Tricams #s 0.5, 1 and 2. 8 shoulder length slings. 20 biners.

What on earth is that? It looks very interesting. Pro for chopped routes where there are still holes?

I was referring to the last pitch, which would be the fourth pitch if you count the scramble third pitch, which I don't.

It must be.

All of the above, plus stuck ropes, bushwacking, some loose rock, etc. Am I leaving anything out?

Necro, this is all I have to say to you:

I was beaned square on the top of my head by a good sized pebble at Vantage the other day. It would have hurt like hell without the helmet.

I remember only two bolts for the first hundred feet or so. It's 5.9, but as pope says, really not a climb for a 5.9 climber. I know I would't want to fall on it.

I only have one gear loop on each side of my harness, so I put about three draws or tripled shoulder length slings on each side. All the gear goes on a Metolius gear sling and the remaining slings go over my shoulder with one biner each.

Oh, I thought that was reference to Catturdeat, a different person. What the fuck do you know? Notice that you're on the list.

I'll give it a go.

That rock is unlike anything I've seen elsewhere (not that I have been to many places). It's blocky and the fracture lines are totally random. Some lines protect well and others are nightmarish. My guide book should have had the "death heads" of Viktor Kramar for some of the routes.

The list is getting longer and longer. It's losing its impact. I suggest limiting it to ten.

A climber from Tacoma I met at Vantage pointed out a decided advantage of the GriGri. She said, "if a rock falls, an unconsious belayer will not be able to catch any fall (by the leader)". In other words, the GriGri will stop a fall every time.

Tomcat was banned long long ago. Take him off, he's history.