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Dustin_B

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Everything posted by Dustin_B

  1. Here are some pictures. (in case anyone is interested this is the tent Ken and I were using: Rainbow 2) Panorama from summit of Point 7505 (above Colonial/Neve Col) looking at the Snowfield Peak Massif and Neve Glacier. Panorama from summit of Snowfield Peak looking at the Neve Glacier. Colonial is the peak on the far right, and just left and in front of it is Pt. 7505. Tents at camp and (L to R) Paul Bunyan's Stump, Pinnacle Peak, and Pyramid Peak in background. Cool clouds, rain, and light from the Neve Glacier.
  2. There is a huge log jam over Big Beaver Creek at around 2,400 feet. Here is how to find it. If you are looking at a USGS Quad for Mt. Prophet, find where Access Creek - not labeled - drains into Big Beaver Creek. Follow this confluence down stream to where another stream enters from the north side of Big Beaver (right where the 'v' in 'Beaver' is). Just north of the confluence with this stream and Big Beaver there is a huge, easily passible log jam across Big Beaver Creek. We reconned the passing on the way in to Beaver Pass and easily found it when we came out Access Creek, because we knew exactly where it was. Once on the west side of Big Beaver, Access Creek is easy enough to cross near where it joins Big Beaver. I suggest crossing over Access Creek down here. There are 3 or 4 small branches of the creek with the northern most being the largest, but still easily crossed via a log or rocks. Then I suggest ascending up the ridge which is mainly open forrest to around 3400 feet where there is somewhat of a large flatish bench (can't really see it on the map). Then start heading up valley slowly gaining elevation until you reach 3900 feet. There is no reason to ascend higher than roughly 3900 feet on the north side of Access Creek. Its fairly open up here with several gullies full of Devils Club to pass through. But they are short and for the most part its fairly open forest and easy going. If you roughly follow this 3900 foot contour (give or take 100 feet along the way) for most of the way, you'll eventually come to Access Creek. This is where to cross to the south side of Access Creek (rock cairne on other side). Now on the south side its easy, open boulder hopping the rest of the way to the head of the basin. Choose your gully and off you go.
  3. Can't say much about the other two gullies we didn't take, other than either one has to be better than the one we chose.
  4. Once we arrived down in the basin of Access Creek we immediately saw our error. I think choosing the wrong gully was about our only mistake on the whole trip (that and forgetting to take the cell phone up to Luna summit to call for a boat ride out.... cell phones don't work from Big Beaver camp or Luna Pass.....). Just to clarify. Toast and Ken were perfectly content to frontpoint down climb the entire gully. I'm the one who requested the 5 or 6 single strand rappels as it sketched me out big time. Those gully shenanigans were the worst part of the trip for me. Toast and Ken took turns removing my anchors and downclimbing while I rappelled the whole thing.
  5. So do you want the crampons then? Stefan wants them badly if you don't. I sent you another PM. Thanks.
  6. As Toast said, yes. But I don't think you want to drop into Luna Cirque from just anywhere. Actually, I believe there is only one 'easy' way to drop into Luna Cirque from up there and that is to descend a shoulder coming off the Challenger Glacier due east, down to around 6,300 feet, then traverse the cirque (counterclockwise obviously) first to the southeast slowly loosing elevation to drop around some cliffs and steep snow, then maintaining your elevation for a while as you contour around the cirque (to stay above hidden tree covered cliffs below). Don't drop to low (into the trees and hidden cliffs beyond) and don't stay too high (ice cliffs, hanging glaciers, steep snow, smooth granite slabs). The path became obvious to us once we were dropping down the shoulder off the glacier. We could see where we needed to descend to, and then where we needed to maintain elevation and contour around. Picture showing Luna Cirque and Mt. Challenger from near Luna Lake. The shoulder I was referring to above is the one on the right skyline. When starting to traverse, stay on the snow above the rocks and cliffs until where the snow is almost continous down to the bottom. From Luna Lake we took a path to the far left - not pictured here so don't get confused - (to avoid steep and discontinuos snowfields heading directly up from the lake) bushwhacking through some cliffy treed areas and then traversing back right and up to Luna Pass. Toast or I can give some beta on the Access Creek approach. Make sure you choose the correct gulley to descend from Luna in to Access Creek Basin. If you didn't go up that way it can be challenging...... Gullies leading to the southeast ridge of Luna Peak from the head of Access Creek. Coming down, and not realizing there were 3 options, we took the first and steepest gully on the right. Shenanigans in the gully:
  7. So cj001f technically PM'ed first, although Stefan tried to PM me first but didn't (I actually PM'ed Stephen but he didn't respond before cj001f PM'ed me ). I guess I have to give priority to cj001f. Is that fair? :dizzy:
  8. I'm selling my Stubai Ultralight Aluminum Crampons with Stubai's custom anti-balling plates. Universal Speed Binding can attach to any boot or shoe. These crampons are used but in great condition. Retail price of crampons and anti-balling plates is $125 plus tax. I'm selling mine for $65. See the crampons here on Jim's site: http://www.promountainsports.com/crampons.shtml PM me, post here, or email me ( balderach at gmail dot com) if you're interested. I live on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Thanks. Dustin
  9. I'm selling my Feathered Friends Ibis 0 degree F sleeping bag. Epic fabric, 800+ fill upgrade (back when this wasn't standard), size Long (6' to 6' 6"), right side zipper, color grey/charcoal, retail price $514 + tax. Only used 4-5 nights, seriously!! That is a generous estimate as I can actually only remember 3 nights that I've used it. The bag is in pristine condition. I bought it and had big plans to use it, but I've since realized I'm probably never going to use it (I have a 15 degree bag that is all I'll ever need). I'm selling this bag for $375. Its virtually brand spanking new, other than its been sitting in its large cotton storage sack unused in my gear closet for the last 3 years. With tax that's $200 off retail and the bag is basically brand new. Included is the waterproof dry sac and cotton storage sack that came with it. See specs here: http://www.featheredfriends.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=14&CatId=1&ProductName=Ibis PM me, post here, or email me ( balderach at gmail dot com) if you're interested. I live on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Thanks. Dustin
  10. Here are a few pics to appease Toast. Ken and Tony (Toast) enjoying breakfast before we set off for the summit of Challenger. Challenger and a nearly full moon loom behind camp: Heading up the Challenger Glaicer: Crossing the last suitable snow bridge over the schrund near the top.
  11. dropping the handle of your shovel into the pile of shit you just shat (happened a couple of weeks ago).
  12. I don't have time on this trip unfortunately. Only time for some cragging in Thailand.
  13. I'm going to be in Krabi, Thailand (Ton Sai Beach) in about a week for about a week (my dates are very flexible). If anyone plans to be there around around that time and wants to hook up for some climbing please PM me. Yes, I'm fully aware that it is fairly easy to hook up with climbers once I'm there. Thanks.
  14. Hmmm, that is what I was afraid of. I was thinking that AA would have stricter regulations. I think I’m still going to take my chances and hopefully I don’t loose it at the airport. They say “lighters without fuel” are okay, so I don’t see how a pocket rocket is any different (‘safer’ actually). I’m not worried about the return trip as I’ll be coming in on another airline from a more ‘lenient’ country. I certainly hope my pack is under 70 lbs since it’ll be on my back for 7+ months…. Thanks for the info.
  15. good on BD for taking a positive step! lets hope his other sponsors follow.
  16. Has anyone ever had any problems flying internationally with an iso-butane stove? I’m flying internationally on American Airlines with a pocket rocket. It would be in my checked luggage. I called AA and they couldn’t confirm nor deny if a used stove would make it past security. They only said a new stove in its original package would be okay. I know people fly with stoves all the time though. Thanks.
  17. Dustin_B

    Seattle Sucks

    You are saying seattle sucks because it was nice for ~10 days and then rained for a couple days which happened to be the two days you had off?? Sounds like the problem is your job/schedule and not Seattle...
  18. yeah, definitely skip on the insulated pants for summer in the cascades. just pack a pair of long underwear for the rainier trip.
  19. last night we saw a couple of cop cars sitting just across from the stop sign (where you turn right) at the end of the exit. couldn't figure out what the hell they were doing though. thought maybe they were eating donuts and acting as a detterent?
  20. Further discussion point for those who don’t want to listen to the audio clips: “Do you believe that this culture is going to undergo a voluntary transformation to a sane and sustainable way of living?”
  21. How much time do you spend on spraying here? I bet you have a couple of hours to spare if you dig deep. And, no, you don’t understand his vision of an “ideal future” as he realizes there is none. He has no ‘fantasies’, only realities. Derrick is not a misanthrope and loves all races. He loves all the planet’s creatures. Even JayBs. By the way, the clips are split up into two 1-hour long sessions. He doesn’t even mention bringing down civilization in the first clip. So even if you can only spare 30 minutes, its still worth while (although the first ~10 min of the first clip starts out a little slow). PS – the disease Derrick has (and openly discusses) is Crohn's disease, for which there is no known cure.
  22. Dru, JayB, and others, you are so far off here you might as well be talking about bolting cracks. Bringing down civilization isn’t about “people”, its about the planet and all the life we share the planet with. How many of you (JayB, Dru) listened to audio clips? My guess? None. Further more, how many listened with an open mind? My guess? Again, none. And certainly no one who responded within a couple hours of the original post. Go listen to it. JayB, you are way, way off on this one. Its not a prophecy, and he doesn’t want to be “spared”. Derrick is only thinking about the planet, not himself. I know its hard for you to imagine someone so unselfish. But just try. Derrick is willing to give his life for the life of a fish, can you say the same? Derrick has a non-curable disease (I forget what it is right now). But since you didn’t listen to the clips, and simply rambled off your opinions, you wouldn’t know that. If Derrick has a disease caused by civilization, I don’t see why he can’t use civilization to cure it. (not sure what ‘cures’ he is using though). He’s not a scientologist. “If civilization collapsed today it would not be a good thing for the rest of the planet. It would be a bad thing.” That is absolutely the biggest load of crap I have ever heard come out of Dru’s computer, and there has been a lot of it. In the short term it would be bad, in the long term it would be good. The problem is people are only concerned “about the short-term habitat lose” and not the “long-term habitat gain”. I can’t see how we could do any more damage to the ocean’s large fish population than has already been done if civilization ended. Would you please go listen to the clips so we can have a meaningful discussion, otherwise we might as well be debating bouldering vs. alpine climbing. Remember when the earth was flat and no one wanted to believe it was round? The people who thought the earth was round were “whacko-nut-jobs”. Unfortunately its not as easy as sailing around the earth to prove the point here.
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