cracked

I gotta see how much work I will have.

I am on Barrabes' mailing list. For some f*&^ed up reason, when I got to their website on my computer, the prices of rock shoes is comparable to the prices in the US. When I went home over the holidays, I checked their website using my father's computer (he is not on their list), and the prices are half of what they cost off of my machine!!!!! Anybody have any explainations?

Jens, I haven't personally used the HF rubber (it's only available on the Dragon and whatever the new yellow slipper is called), but supposedly it is softer than C4, so it smears better, but doesn't edge as well. That's why they use it on their steep-stuff shoes only.

I stand corrected. If there is no safe way to TR the routes, bolting is justified. Still, I would hate to see a proliferation of bolted climbs in the mountains. Then again, the Snoqualmie Alps probably don't qualify. I will try the drytool routes sometime and make a more informed judgement then. And Jens, where are surplus explosives in that valley? How did they get there?

Well, yes, but the climbs could easily be TRed, couldn't they? Admittedly, they do look fun. Sorry, I was not trying to start a bolt war, as nothing productive ever results. Note that I edited my post.

I haven't sent Chain yet, so I won't let anybody chop it yet. But there is so much natural pro on the thing! A Leo Houlding-style taped hook in the jug beneath the roof, the same above the roof, a tri-cam in the two-finger pocket next to the arete, and perhaps a fixed lizard if you find one. Go for it! Actually, anybody who chops Chain will need at least two ice tools along with them, to make it back to the parking lot. A #5 Camalot might work too.

I have the G-12 and am slowly realizing that they are not meant for steep ice and mixed stuff. So I am looking for some rigid crampons that are relatively light and climb well. The new Trango Hyper Harpoon looks cool. Has anybody tried it or looked at it?

"Vail is an outhouse, keeping all the shit in one place..." Mark Twight. Well, I don't totally agree, but I do find those bolts near the Tooth ugly.

Chop only in the wilderness (though I'm not sure that Snoqualmie counts). I haven't sent too many projects at Smith for them to be chopped. Now, where's my wrench and crowbar.....

Funny, I was in nearly the same spot today, thinking the same thoughts. What I like: The mountains are pretty, pretty cool, and there are lots of them. What I don't like: There is no reliable ice, there is no ice this year, I haven't climbed any ice, it is too warm so no ice, and there is no precipitation so no ice. Anything else? No. BTW I haven't experienced slide alder, etc, yet. On my things to be done list, though.

Yup, we looked that that too. The finish might be interesting/hard though. Right now I want to work on my water ice skills. ICE ROCKS! (sounds kinda contradictory, actually?)

Surprise! I checked out alpenlite.com the other day. Trask needs to work on his secret identity.

Inviting gratuitous insults....I don't believe you Caveman.

But does anyone want to climb something on the weekend? I am leaning toward ice, but something else would be fine too. PM me if interested.

We top-roped some short, but for us steep and fun smears in the basin of tooth. It was insanely warm, but the ice wasn't melting, for some reason.

We (yours truly and Eric8) wanted to go do The North Face of Chair today. When we heard on the radio that pass temps were in the 30s instead of 20s, we forgot about Chair and passed out in the truck until 6. We then managed to get to Source Lake without losing the trail!!!!!!!!!!! and slowly went up to the tooth basin to check out the NE slab. The slab looks horrendously thin, so we toproped some short, steep ice flows on the right side of the valley. It was great, my first water ice experience.

We just did some top-roping the tiny ice flows in the basin beneath Tooth. On the way up we noticed some bolted mixed climbs on the small rock outcropping. WTF? What is the point of bolting stuff up there? Is Exit 38 not close enough? And if you want to do some mixed climbing on that cliff, fine, but for the love of god why not top-rope it? There are plenty of trees. Hey Dwayner, what do you think of new-skool drytooling? IMHO it's getting pretty contrived. But rant aside, we had a good time, and there was nobody around! We were in the sun, and it was warm! What more could one ask?

I don't like the SMCs much, as they take half an hour to put on, but they will fit any boot made, don't fall off, and will even fit my tele-boots, which my g-12s don't do.

Any compound that dissolves into anions and cations is an electrolyte. Not all of them are healthy, of course...NaCl comes to mind, as do sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid among others.

That's for them to know and us to find out......I have no idea.

I got quad cramps while kicking steps in hard snow (four or so hard kicks per step) on Chair last weekend. I spilled half my Gatorade for the day, so I was somewhat dehydrated. Twight mentions coffee as a stimulant, but also warns that caffeine is a diuretic, leading to dehydration. Many other resources say that cramping is usually a result of dehydration. Who knows? I haven't had much experience with it, but I think that Dru has it right.

Chouinard says that for all ice and mixed climbing the best combination is a 70 cm wooden-handled modestly-drooped ice axe. For really steep stuff, add a short "North Wall Hammer". For both the best leash is a length of webbing girth-hitched around the head, and lashed to the bottom with cord. To adjust, twist the webbing.

Eric, you have 2 stars again! Way to go! Maybe your self esteem will be higher today. Awesome! Keep up the good work, maybe you will have three stars someday.

Actually, Muffy, no. But when it is constant bickering, it can get disgusting.