cascadecowboy

Hi campers, I got a $50 ticket in the Columbia Gorge about 2 months ago. Here's what happened: - Got ticket. - Mailed ticket to somewhere in FL, stating I was not guilty and wanted a court date. - About 1 1/2 months later, got intimidating looking letter from US federal court, saying I has one more chance to pay, and still had the option of a court date. It also said, "If you plan to plead Not Guilty, please call this number (in Portland). - I call the number. Spoke with a very nice woman. She asks me if I actually have a Pass, and just neglected to display it. I say yes. She says, "Oh, no prob, just fax a copy of the pass to her office and they will dismiss the charges and I will not have to appear in court." I suggest anyone who gets a NW Forest pass parking violation try this. (Where you decide to obtain a copy of an valid pass I will leave to your fertile imagination . . .)

Hello NW climbers, On May 31, my house was burglarized in NE Portland and almost all my outdoor gear was stolen – my entire rock rack, ropes, stray biners and slings, stoves, sleeping bags, tents, warm clothes . . . you name it, they got it. Total retail value, about $6K. Ouch, to say the least. Most of this gear is of no value to anyone but a climber, so I am asking y’all to keep an eye out for it. If anyone approaches you to sell some goodies and they smell suspicious, please try to get some ID on them and contact me immediately. (I also posted this on the Yard Sale pages - moderators, please put it where you deem appropriate.) John Godino 503-796-0022 info@mazamas.org Thanks a bunch, John ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Description Manufacturer 15 degree down sleeping bag MountainSmith eVENT Unishelter bivy bag Integral Designs ultralight 3/4 Thermarest MSR (?) Gemini headlamp Black Diamond 10.5 mm climbing rope, 50 meter Mammut 8.5 mm glacier rope, 60 meter Mammut crampons, Grivel G-10 model Grivel ice axe - glacier axe, 55 cm Camp ice axe - glacier axe, 60 cm Cassin 50 cm ice tool - hammer Charlet Moser 50 cm ice tool - adze Charlet Moser ice screws 3 @50 Black Diamond windstopper fleece gloves Outdoor Research black synthetic top Lowe Patagonia Essenshell jacket Patagonia Goretex climbing jacket North Face Goretex climbing bibs North Face Granite Gear Alpine Light backpack Granite Gear fanny packs, 2 @ $35 Ultimate Nishiki mountain bike Nishiki blue ski jacket Helly Hanson backpack, Gregory Fury Gregory neoprene gloves n/a Pocket Rocket butuane stove + fuel MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove MSR CAMS blue alien cam Colorado Custom hardware green alien cam Colorado Custom hardware hybrid alien - yellow-red cam Colorado Custom hardware gray alien cam Colorado Custom hardware Metolius #2 cam Metolius Metolius #3 cam Metolius Metolius #4 cam Metolius Metolius #5 cam Metolius Metolius #9 cam Metolius Camalot #1 cam Black Diamond Camalot #2 cam Black Diamond Camalot #3 cam Black Diamond Kong #5 cam Kong OTHER ROCK GEAR quick draws, 12 @$15 various Slings, asst. 10 @ $7 various Ti bloc Petzl Ropeman, 3 @ $30 Wild Country ascenders, 1 pair (2 @ $50) Petzl mini Traxion Petzl Tri cams (pink, red, brown, (3 @ $15) Camp Hexes (#7-8-9, 3 @ $15) Black Diamond aid hooks - Cliffhanger and Talon Black Diamond Stopper set, offset brassies Hugh Banner Stopper set, offset aluminum Hugh Banner Stopper set, standard, 2 sets @ $90 Black Diamond big wall gear sling Yates Metolius gear sling Metolius fingerless leather belay gloves Metolius ATC belay device Black Diamond Reverso - belay device Petzl Gri Gri - belay device Petzl Harness 1 - Freedom 3-D Metolius Harness 2 - Alpine Bod Black Diamond harness 3 - Momentum Black Diamond asst. locking biners - 10 @ $10 various locking belay biners - 5 @ $15 various Neutrino biners - 15 @ $9 Black Diamond misc. biners - 30 @ $7 various helmet, black carbon fiber Hugh Banner rescue pulley Petzl pitons, assorted various spectra cordelettes, 2 @ $20 n/a spectra daisy chains, 2 @ $10 n/a rock shoes, La Sportiva La Sportiva

Hello NW climbers, On May 31, my house was burglarized in NE Portland and almost all my outdoor gear was stolen – my entire rock rack, ropes, stray biners and slings, stoves, sleeping bags, tents, warm clothes . . . you name it, they got it. Total retail value, about $6K. Ouch, to say the least. Most of this gear is of no value to anyone but a climber, so I am asking y’all to keep an eye out for it. If anyone approaches you to sell some goodies and they smell suspicious, please try to get some ID on them and contact me immediately. John Godino 503-796-0022 info@mazamas.org Thanks a bunch, John Description Manufacturer 15 degree down sleeping bag MountainSmith eVENT Unishelter bivy bag Integral Designs ultralight 3/4 Thermarest MSR (?) Gemini headlamp Black Diamond 10.5 mm climbing rope, 50 meter Mammut 8.5 mm glacier rope, 60 meter Mammut crampons, Grivel G-10 model Grivel ice axe - glacier axe, 55 cm Camp ice axe - glacier axe, 60 cm Cassin 50 cm ice tool - hammer Charlet Moser 50 cm ice tool - adze Charlet Moser ice screws 3 @50 Black Diamond windstopper fleece gloves Outdoor Research black synthetic top Lowe Patagonia Essenshell jacket Patagonia Goretex climbing jacket North Face Goretex climbing bibs North Face Granite Gear Alpine Light backpack Granite Gear fanny packs, 2 @ $35 Ultimate Nishiki mountain bike Nishiki blue ski jacket Helly Hanson backpack, Gregory Fury Gregory neoprene gloves n/a Pocket Rocket butuane stove + fuel MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove MSR CAMS blue alien cam Colorado Custom hardware green alien cam Colorado Custom hardware hybrid alien - yellow-red cam Colorado Custom hardware gray alien cam Colorado Custom hardware Metolius #2 cam Metolius Metolius #3 cam Metolius Metolius #4 cam Metolius Metolius #5 cam Metolius Metolius #9 cam Metolius Camalot #1 cam Black Diamond Camalot #2 cam Black Diamond Camalot #3 cam Black Diamond Kong #5 cam Kong OTHER ROCK GEAR quick draws, 12 @$15 various Slings, asst. 10 @ $7 various Ti bloc Petzl Ropeman, 3 @ $30 Wild Country ascenders, 1 pair (2 @ $50) Petzl mini Traxion Petzl Tri cams (pink, red, brown, (3 @ $15) Camp Hexes (#7-8-9, 3 @ $15) Black Diamond aid hooks - Cliffhanger and Talon Black Diamond Stopper set, offset brassies Hugh Banner Stopper set, offset aluminum Hugh Banner Stopper set, standard, 2 sets @ $90 Black Diamond big wall gear sling Yates Metolius gear sling Metolius fingerless leather belay gloves Metolius ATC belay device Black Diamond Reverso - belay device Petzl Gri Gri - belay device Petzl Harness 1 - Freedom 3-D Metolius Harness 2 - Alpine Bod Black Diamond harness 3 - Momentum Black Diamond asst. locking biners - 10 @ $10 various locking belay biners - 5 @ $15 various Neutrino biners - 15 @ $9 Black Diamond misc. biners - 30 @ $7 various helmet, black carbon fiber Hugh Banner rescue pulley Petzl pitons, assorted various spectra cordelettes, 2 @ $20 n/a spectra daisy chains, 2 @ $10 n/a rock shoes, La Sportiva La Sportiva

I'm considering a Nose climb for mid May 2004. I've climbed Prow and Prodigal Sun, and looking to live my Wall Dream on El Cap. If you have equal or hopefully better experience than this, please respond! A spring weekend at Index or Monkeyface is planned to dial systems. PDX area.

A route etiquette question for you all. It's a long post, but it needs a good explanation. A party of two climbers approached a popular multi-pitch walk-off route at Smith Rock on a busy spring Saturday. A party of two was already on the route, with the second about to leave the ground. There was no one waiting at the base of the route, and no gear, pack, rope bag etc. in sight. There was also a cluster of about 8-10 climbers downhill about 100 feet away, climbing on several other routes, talking, and generally hanging out - a typical crag scene. This is largely a beginner's area. The two approaching climbers think, "No pack, no rope, no people - cool, our route is free", walk directly to the base of the route, dropped their packs and started racking up. A few minutes later, a woman from the other group of 8-12 folks approached the two climbers and rips into them, telling them loudly and angrily that it's "her route", the new folks have no right just to walk up to a route and assume it's free, the newcomers should instead ask all climbers in the vicinity if they plan to climb the route, and generally demanding that the new arrivals back off and let her and her party of three (slow beginners) climb first. The new arrivals patiently listened to the tirade, then responded that: 1) The generally accepted practice is that if there are not an actual person(s) or rope at the base of a route, that means it's available. Being nearby and wanting to climb a route does not establish a "claim" that anyone else can recognize. 2) One does NOT in fact need to ask all other parties in the area if they intend to climb the route. If a team wants a route, it's their responsibility to gear up and go when it's free - esp. on a busy day at Smith. The newcomer team added that normally they might be open to working something out, being that the other group were clearly beginners and didn't know the unwritten rules about claiming a route, but since the woman had been so confrontational and abusive, they new team basically said tough s***, they were going ahead with the route (they were also a fast team and cleared the first pitch in about 20 minutes.) So . . . 1) Who do you think is in the right here? Was the newly arrived team inconsiderate clods, or was the woman way out of line? 2) For those of you who have climbed in other parts of the country or world, is claiming a route by "dropping your rope" an accepted practice elsewhere, or is this more a Smith thing? 3) Other thoughts? Yes, it's sad that crags can get so crowded that bad vibes and turf battles develop, but for the newbies reading this, it important that they learn - and hopefully not this way!

Folks, some very helpful comments here - thanks. The adjustable fifi sounds very cool. Anyone care to name brands prices, and availability on those puppies?

Calling all aid climbers . . . Are adjustable daisys worth it? Please share your thoughts and experiences.

A very nice route, seldom done, thought I can not see why. It has a fairly easy approach, steep but not intimidating climbing, a technically interesting finish, and a remote feel. I climbed this on March 1 with two other pals from Portland. Depart Timberline at 4:30 am, top of Palmer in 1.5 hours, summitted at 12:30 - 8 hours for the whole route. Deep snow slowed travel somewhat. Try this route after a week of consolidation for hopefully harder snow conditions. Major avy danger on this route - avoid if there is the slightest indication. Crossing the White River glacier seems best about 200 feet above the Palmer cat track. Most snow years, there is a great gentle ramp at this elevation that leads right across the WR Glacier with minimal elevation loss. The slope leading from the WR Glacier up to the base of Steel Cliffs looks kinda steep from the Palmer, but it is actually quite moderate and may be easily climbed unroped. Angle up from the WR glacier to the base of Steel Cliffs at about 9800 feet. From base of Steel Cliffs, traverse about 200 meters with no elevation gain to the toe of a long rock buttress at 9,900 feet. (If you turn up before reaching this rock buttress, you’ll be on the Wyeast route and then have to downclimb later). From the toe of the rock band, head upwards in a 2:00 o’clock direction over a 35-40 degree traverse to the right hand edge of some yellowish rock, then turn directly upwards through about 300 feet of 45-50 degree snow. If you hit it right, you be right on top of the Devils Kitchen headwall. From here, continue on the final bit of Wyeast. If you want to protect this last bit, a few small cams or tri-cams might be useful - there can be exposed solid cracks for rock pro, depending on the season. Top out, and descend South Side.