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AlpinistAndrew

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Everything posted by AlpinistAndrew

  1. Mens Patagonia Storm Pants (2008). Pants are new, I've used them once. There is no problem with them, I just have no use for them. For full details you can go to www.patagonia.com. Essentially they are waterproof/breathable shell pants. Mens Size Medium Black $110.00 (Retail $200) I can't seem to download the pictures on here, but I'll keep trying.
  2. Since I no longer live in WA, I am selling some guidebooks I know I'll never get to use. They are all in good condition. Winter Dance: Select Ice Climbs in Southern Montana and Northern Wyoming-$20 West Coast Ice-$15 Alpine Select: Climbs in Southwest BC and Northern WA-$20 OR all 3 for $45 Not quite sure what would be but ~$8.00 (I'm shipping from VT)
  3. That's actually a different Andrew (Andrew Keach) he worked at the gear shop, but he was a friend of mine, we actually were together on that whole Greybeard epic. But I did used to live in B'ham and go to WWU.
  4. Hey Kurt, I live near Burlington, VT and I'm always looking for partners. I'm down for Smuggs, NH, the Daks. Send me a PM and we can plan to go climbing. I was up at Smuggs yesterday and things were looking good.
  5. So today my wife was talking with someone who works at a publishing company in Middlebury, VT (near where we live). She (my wife) was explaining the whole snafu with Alpinist (though she hadn't mentioned the name of the magazine yet) Then this person said "Oh, it's not Alpinist that climbing magazine is it?" My wife was flabbergasted at this. This person told my wife what she had heard back in early September. Apparently Alpinist had called the publishing company in September and had told the company that issue 25 would be their last issue and they were going out of business. Here's the really good part. My wife went to buy the subscription to Alpinist in late Sept. (during which time Alpinist was offering a 30% off of SUBSCRIPTIONS) knowing full well that they were not going to produce any more. Another interesting fact is, as I mentioned in my previous post, my wife was charged for 5 subscriptions, which you would think would mean we would have received 5 copies of Alpinist 25, though we only got one, despite the fact that they said they had no record of us being charged 5. They have no problem charging us, yet we we receive the one magazine. (Not that I want fucking 5 copies)
  6. For our first anniversary, my wife decided to buy me a subscription to Alpinist. She ordered it online, but when she did their was some snafu with the process and she ended up with 5 orders billed to our account. She immediately emailed Alpinist Magazine to remedy the problem. No response. She called a few days later and who ever she talked to gave her no help. She called again and was essentially brushed off...passed on to other departments who had no idea what was going on. In the middle of this whole thing I read on cc.com that Alpinist was going out of business, I told my wife this and so she called again the next day. My wife asked for the billing dept, which Alpinist proclaimed no longer existed because they were going out of business. Finally, my wife called our credit card company who refunded out money and said that they will "deal" with Alpinist, but that if they can't get money from them, then we have to foot the bill. Bull shit. Basically I understand that Alpinist is probably in a cluster fuck of sorts right now, but that is some pretty shitty customer service, especially considering they basically stiffed us on several hundred dollars.
  7. I will agree that the climbing around Bellingham isn't great. Yes, its all single pitch on mediocre sandstone. And that the climbing at Mt. Erie is no J-Tree or Squamish. But I'd say you are a bit cynical. The climbing might not be amazing, but when you have a couple hours in an afternoon, its better than nothing. Obviously if you have a weekend to climb you're not going to go to Erie or Boat Launch. Don't be so pessimistic.
  8. There's a fair bit of climbing scattered in and around B'ham. As far as sport climbing is concerned, Mt. Erie, is about 40min. away and has some sport (and trad too). In B'ham there are routes here and there. Such as Boat Launch Wall and Governor Lister Cliff. There are also several top roping areas, including the Railroad Tracks and Sehome. Check out the B'ham rock climbing guide (out of print, but they have a copy at the WWU OC).
  9. If you know who I am, then you probably know how I feel about the Mountaineers. They are not all bad...If you are a real beginner, it can be a place to start. It all depends on the Branch When I was in high schoo I was a member of the Tacoma Branch and they were great. However, when I went to college I joined the Bellingham Branch and they were a bunch of cocky, rude mother f$%ckers. In general, I agree with what people have said already, look for a climbing partner on here. You can learn a lot more by climbing with some friends than with the moutaineers (in my opinion). This is all my opinion, from my own experiences and the mounties suck.
  10. Trip: Mt. Washington, NH - Pinnacle Gully Date: 3/24/2007 Trip Report: This was my first time to Mt. Washington (NH). The weather was perfect: Temps in the 40's and low winds. The approach was cake, hiking up a well packed snow cat trail. We had to wait in line for about a half an hour. I knew that climbs in Huntington Ravine were popular, but I've never climbed in an alpine environment with so many people. The climb itself was awesome. Four pitches of ice up to WI3 (most of it was WI2). Great climb. This was my last climb out east before I head back to WA for some real alpine in the Cascades. I'm too lazy to post pictures here, but you can go to my blog and see some http://alpinistandrew.blogspot.com/2007/03/mt.html Approach Notes: Easy. Follow packed snow cat trail for 2-3 hours into Huntington Ravine
  11. I'm out here in VT for the winter. Ironic that its warm out here but WA is getting blasted. Just recently it got cold enough for ice to form. So I went to check it out up at Smugglers Nothc with my fiance this morning. We get up there to one of the walls (Workout Wall) and the thing is just dripping wet and the upper icicles are about ready to drop. So we go to the right and find some easier, more "formed" stuff, ice I would normally scoff at, but beggars cant be choosers. Well, its too thin to lead, so I am gearing up to walk around and toprope it when I hear a very loud noise. I see a camoflauge snow cat coming up the unplowed road we had just hiked up. Then a military fellow saunters up to where my fiance and I are standing. Says in a smug tone "you gonna be here all day?" and drops his pack down right next to us. I'm standing there stunned, thinking, what the fuck are you doing right next me. Next thing I know there is a dozen buzz cut camo outfitted guys coming up the hill dumping there gear around us. One guy says that there is going to be a large group coming. I'm pretty pissed at this point and we leave. They were rude and inconsiderate and ruined our excursion. If they were a group of climbers it would be one thing, but these guys thought they were hot shit and could just muscle us out. They were the 10th mountain division or something, i don't know or care. but, hopefully all that ice climbing they did today will prepare them for going over to the middle east or our next war in antartica.
  12. haven't been up to Greybeard, I have been in Alaska all summer working for Outward Bound, I was in WA for one week and now am gone again. I won't be getting up there this season, unfortunately, just not enough time.
  13. Climb: Around Mt. Hood-Timerline Loop Trail Date of Climb: 9/8/2006 Trip Report: Last year, a few buddies and I hiked around Rainier in one push, this year, we opted for something less challenging, so we did the Timberline Loop Trail encircling Hood. The trail has about 8900 elevation gain and is 40 miles long. We started at Timberline lodge and hike counter-clockwise. I hiked with Masternate32 and my buddy BJ. We had very lightweight packs, essentially nothing. we hiked it in 16 hours, a bit longer than anticipated, but still good enough for us. The trail was great. Never too hard. Unlike the Wonderland Trail, this trail never did ridiculous switchbacking (except one time). I've never seen Mt. Hood so nasty lookin'. So bare. Great weather. I was glad to be done.
  14. The "geonerd" thing doesn't work anymore, I tried when I was a student (I wasn't a geology student) and asked professors w/in the department, including one who put up a first ascent in the range. I've called the logging company that owns the land and Olivine Corp. based in B'ham. The problem for gates, is correct, illegal garbage dumping (according to them anyway). Also, they probably don't want people around there expensive ass mining equipment. They've been doing some mining near Daily Prairie fairly recently. I'm not sure what the current issue is with the S. Access, one of my buddies from Mt. Vernon said (this was a few months ago) that there are gates (that are manned) but that they will grant you access. I've never accessed that way, so this is just 2nd hand information. Access to the entire Sisters Range can be tricky.
  15. I have a Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Hooded Down Jacket that is basically brand new, I used it on one trip to AK. Blue in color, size large. I'm going to the Kenai and Chugach Range this summer and I want a synthetic hooded belay type jacket. Anyone want to trade. I'm looking for something like the DAS parka, or cloudveil mountain parka, something along those lines. probably size medium.
  16. Well since I’ve been posting so much recently I’ll talk about my recent trip to Alaska as well. Went to Alaska from April 22nd to May 8th to attempt the Sultana Ridge of Mt. Foraker. Arrived in Talkeetna early on the the 23rd. Heard from the rangers that two dudes had attempted Foraker but turned around on Crosson. Flew out of Talkeetna the day we arrived (good thing too cause the weather shut down the next day and stayed so for several days. We landed in Kahiltna base Camp. Spent one night there and skied across the Kahiltna for the base of Mt. Crosson. We camped near the toe Mt. Crosson. We built a sweet base camp in “the dunes” as we called it. Next day scouted the icefall approach, but decided the access couloir would be to steep. So the next day we scouted the South slope. We had some trouble getting to the base. We met a team of four climbing rangers who were also attempting the Sultana Ridge of Foraker. We went up the day after we saw them. We went up to the 9000 foot camp on Crosson and spent the night there in our Eldorado. Next day we attempted to summit Crosson and leave a food cache on the summit. The weather went south and we retreated to our high camp. Next day we made another attempt. Weather was decent and the snow was firm low down. We did some fairly technical climbing for what the book says. We did some sketchy unprotected exposed rock scrambling and some exposed snow traverses. Higher up we encounterd an ice face/ramp. Not too stoop but the ice was complete shit. It took five swings just to get a decent stick. We only had three screws with us as well. I attempted to climb ice, but backed off. My buddy tried the same and backed off as well. This was around 11,800 on Crosson. We retreated to high camp, spent one more night and returned to our base camp the next day. Descending the lower slopes was tedious with big packs, very firm snow conditions (great for going up but slow for going down). Took a rest day and set off to climb peak 9,300 a couple miles away. Made a camp up the kahiltna in what we called “the ice box” I’ve never been so cold. With my -15 bag, insulated pants, down jacket, hat, and hot water bottle I still froze my nuts off. My climbing partner was also very cold. We attempted the peak the next morning but turned around due to high avalanche potential. We once again returned to our base camp. My feet were pretty thrashed from skiing in my koflack degrees (I should have had better boots). So we took a rest day and decided to pull the plug early. (We had 23 days set aside, we were there about 16. We skied over to Kahiltna base camp to fly out, only to get stuck there for four days waiting for good weather. We hung out with these two dudes who work for RMI Seth and Tyler, Super cool dudes, they climbed the Mini-Moon Flower. Say John Varco and his climbing partner as well, and Sue Knott and afew other Mountain Hardwear folks. Finally flew out, got myself some beers and flew home that night to Sea-Tac arriving at 5am (long fucking day). I learned a bunch on this trip about expedition climbing, climbing in Alaska in general and just climbing big mountains. An awesome time. I look forward to my next expedition next spring. Alaska=Fucking Cold. pictures are in gallery.
  17. Thanks for all the support. I am going to take it easy here the next week, I am moving to Mazama for the summer and I think I'll stick with alpine rock for a while, considering I'll be so close to awesome rock.
  18. Climb: North Twin Sister -West Ridge Date of Climb: 5/11/2006 Trip Report: After I got back from my Greybeard accident I was still on a kind of "high". I went out drinking that night in B'ham and two of my buddies had the idea of doing N. Twin (which I've done 8 times now) that night. So at 12 we leave the bars and by 3 we have packed and at the trailhead. We hike in, ditch our bikes where the snow starts (near the crossing of the creek/river). We got up to the ridge a little after first light. Made our way up the ridge, with some routefinding where normally you traverse on the left side of the ridge, but due to steep snow we climbed on the right mostly. Near the sumimit I had a mental breakdown fromt the day previous' activities, i.e. Greybeard (not to mention I'd been up for like 30 hours at this time.) Summitted, downclimbed in horizontally blowing snow. Then trudged out in the rain. Great bike ride down. Went to Bob's Burgers in B'ham afterward. Gear Notes: ice axe Approach Notes: Snow to creek crossing, after that, snow patches here and there on road
  19. We think a cornice broke or one of the snow slopes on the upper left (climbers left) of the face broke. Blocks were medium sized, up to bowling ball size maybe. When I saw it come down it didn't seem super huge, though it was pretty wide, but the blocks were big enough to knock us down. Several smaller avalanches occured afterwards, all originating somewhere on the upper face, sliding down the main snow slope and ending at the avy debris below the first approach ice pitch. We were swept a few hundred feet total. We just have cuts, his wounds were minor. My back is fine, though it still hurts a bit. Right now I am going through some kind of post trauma shit or something. the accident dominates my thoughts. i try not to think about it, but I am kinda fucked up mentally from the accident. the weird thing is my sunglasses stayed on the whole time, while my camera, which was carbinered to my harness was stripped off, WTF?
  20. Climb: Greybeard-Attempt-North Face Date of Climb: 5/10/2006 Trip Report: First off, I apologize for no pictures, but I no longer have a digital camera as you'll soon find out. My climbing partner and I left B'ham tuesday night and camped at the pullout for greybeard. Two dudes (from the previous Greybeard TR) rolled up at like 3:30 and headed out. We slept in until about 5. We should have left earlier, this was our mistake...We arrived at the first ice pitch at 7:30(which in the book says is a 45 degree snow slope, more like a WI2+/3 for maybe a half a rope length or so.) We could see the other party going up the first ice runnel as we began ascending the steep snow slope below the main part of the face. A few small spindrift avalanches came washing down, but they were no problem. We attempted the middle ice line as opposed to the left gully/runnel. We had been moving slow up the snow field and taking too long on starting up the ice. I attempted the middle line, but the ice was uber thin, so I went left to the gully it says to climb in the book and as I went up a decent size spindrift avalanche washed over me and we saw that it was warming up quick so we decided to bail due to our late start, though conditions were good as mentioned in the other Greybeard TR. We began down climbing the steep snow slope. We were roped up and my partner had a picket in as I descended (he was below me). We were about halfway down the face when we heard a loud rumble. I looked up and saw an avalanche come down. I tried to run to the side, but I saw I wouldn't make it. So I plunged my tools in and ducked my head. Huge blocks pelted my helmet and arms and the next thing I knew I was knocked over backwards and was fully in an avalanche. I roar past my climbing parter and we are getting tossed around like rag dolls. I yelled "Stay on top of it!!). I hopelessly grabbed for my ice tools that were attatched to my wrists but they were out of reach, getting dragged with the avalanche. One second I was on my back, the next face down, super man style, then on my back. I worked so hard to float on top and stay up right. I tried with all my might to slow down dig my toes, or hands or anything in, but the power of the avalanche was unstoppable. I was very calm, until about 3 miliseconds before I realized we were going to launch over the ice pitch I had led up a bit earlier. We probably lauchned 50-60 ft off the through the approach "gully"/ waterfall ice pitch. By the time I launched my tools were no longer attached. I covered my neck and yell FUCK as loud as I could. Several moments of flying throught the air and weightlessness and then a crash onto the snow slope below. I swam with all my might to reach the surface as the avy slowed down and solidified. I looked to my left and there was my climbed partner, face down and motionless. I yelled to him and he got up slowly. We did a quick check of ourselves (nothing major). I was wrapped up in the rope big time, so I untied myself and we ran down to our snowshoes. I had some cuts and bruises and my lower back hurt like a bitch. My buddy had the same, plus punture wounds from crampons. Later, talking to my climbing partner. He said he had attempted to arrrest with his tool as we were sliding but with no luck so before we launched he chucked his tool tomahawk style. The rack of screws I had on my harness, my digital camera, a picket, my ice tools, his ice tools, and some other items were stripped from us in the avalanche. We did a quick survey, but saw nothing at the base. Its probably buried there under a foot or two of snow. If anyone is going up there to attempt Greybeard or wants to earn $70 and beer on me, please recover my gear. Thank god ice season is over or else I'd be fucked, I have no money to buy new shit and I lost over 600 bucks worth of gear. My phone # is 360-927-4285. If anyone finds any gear there please call me. Most of my stuff has green and yellow tape on it. So my buddy and I hiked back to the car and had ourselves a huge pizza at Annies in Concrete. At first I was like "whoa dude, we survived that was awesome" now it has hit me and its pretty fucked up how we didn't get seriously injured. Certainly the most frightened I've ever been.
  21. The parking lot is plowed and has tons of spaces to park, for both overnight and day parking. The road up to Narada Falls parking area is plowed as well. Both times I have been up there in the last week or so the road was bone dry.
  22. Climb: Tatoosh Range-7 days later-Castle Saddle Date of Climb: 3/27/2006 Trip Report: Well, last Monday I snowshoed up to Castle Saddle and was kicking myself for not having skis. So to redeem myself, I went back up (mainly because I love that area), but this time I was armed with AT skis. I quickly skinned up the road and began skinning up to the saddle. I locked my heels down and carved through the huge bowl below Castle Peak. Then I found a sweet steep gully and bombed down that. It was fucking sweet. Amazing day out. Nice snow. Posted some pics in gallery. Apparently my pictures are too big to post here. Gear Notes: Too bad there wasnt' a chairlift from Reflection Lakes to Castle Saddle Approach Notes: boot pack
  23. Climb: Tatoosh Range-Castle Saddle Date of Climb: 3/20/2006 Trip Report: I had a one day off from work, but I wasn't feeling motivated and didn't have partners lined up so I went for an easy snowshoe hike in MRNP. Started hiking from Narada falls parking lot at about 9:30am and quickly arrived at Reflection Lakes. Trail was nicely packed. Great weather, but some clouds from the east were rolling in pretty quick. I was debating whether to hike up Mazama Ridge or go up to Castle Saddle. I saw a trail leading up that towards the ridge so I headed up there. Great trail all the way pretty much. Nice snow up in the bowls beneath Pinnacle and Castle. Little bit of ice on Castle Peak not much though. All and all a nice day out. Back at the car by 12:30. Pictures in gallery. Gear Notes: Snowshoes, shoulda had my skis Approach Notes: Packed trail almost all the way to Castle Saddle
  24. Climb: Attempt-Chair Peak-N.E. Buttress/N. Face Date of Climb: 2/10/2006 Trip Report: It's always something. Perfectly clear, beautiful weather, reasonably firm snow conditions and a bootpath all theway to the base of the route. Only one problem. WIND. On thursday two friends of mine from Bellingham climbed the North Face of Chair and had a great time. I met my buddy Ian at the Alpental parking lot on Thursday afternoon. Several other parties had done the North Face ad N.E. Buttress that day, so we were stoked for some good conditions the next morning. How wrong we were. We started at about 4am and hiked the boot pack easily all the way to the jumping off point for routes up Chair. It was dark, cold and windy as fuck. We waited a bit for the sun to come up and to see if the wind would die down. It didnt. First we began ascending towards the N. Face. We could see the wind whipping about on the peak, throwing chunks of ice through the air like a damn tornado. Sharp crystals of ice careened through the air and pelted our faces as we approached the face. We turned around to some wind protection and made another go, but once again were forced to return to some protection due to high winds and snow/ice flying everywhere. We hunkered down for a bit and opted for the N.E. Buttress. We tried going up but literally couldnt. Winds were excess of 60mph, probably higher. At one point in time I raised my left arm to plant one of my tools and I was blown off balance a foot or two. We couldn't move. If you tried to ascend it took all your effort to not get air born. We tried several times, but the winds were crazy. We aborted, a little annoyed since avy conditins, snow conditions and weather conditions were so nice. Oh well, still had fun. Gear Notes: Maybe a few screws for the N.E. Buttress, my friend who did the N. Face said he only used pickets Approach Notes: Highway all the way to the mountain.
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