Dane

Cool trip and write up!! Congrads on two great summits!

Hey Alex, since you asked, my comments weren't directed at you or your guide specifically. Come on guys, everyone could do better. But I suspect it is just as bad anywhere that the climbing histories were not documented very well in the 60/70/80s. Good guides? The new Smith Rocks, Robert's Colorado Ice, Ice Dance and Jo Jo's Canadian Ice come to mind. All big efforts and it shows.

I had a fairly long meeting earlier this week with the Chief Park Ranger and the Chief Climbing Ranger. Still trying to digest all the info. There is a system being set up to enable the climbing rangers to down load condition info while on the mtn. IIRC climbing rangers work something like 6 days on 4 off....or something similar. And no one wants to down load reports after their trip on the mtn. Their answer is to allow a electronic bridge from Muir ot Ashford so they can do it online while on the mtn. My take from that is a Ranger at a key board are not a good use of their time. I like seeing the ability to do so but question the logic behind it. Climbing fees are about to increase again. (currently a $20 reserv. fee and a $30 climbing fee) The vast majority of personal, time and funds go to Muir and the Emmons. No surprise. I had first encouraged climbing fee increases but after hearing that every improvement was years off I wasn't so thrilled. My take is much of what could be done easily doesn't get done simply because those involved simple don't think the simple changes are worth the effort. One thing they have done is make sure the rotation schedule has rangers coming off the mtn and going straight to the info desk so their info is current.

If you didn't get one during the 1/2 price sale they are currently $269. But I saw the newest version at Whitaker's this week in Ashford. Reinforced shoulders and arms, might heavier and harder to stuff. New price is $300. Too bad as EB could have continued on and improved a great lwt climbing jacket. Instead they bailed and started to copy the rest of the herd and raise the price in the process. At $269 the earlier LWT version is one of the best high loft down climbing jackets on the planet. Now is the time to buy if you ever wanted one as the original LWT version is about to dissapear I suspect.

Last up date I heard on Tuesday while on the mtn was for Mowich LK to open is July 7th.

It is not the first time and certainly won't be the last. Sadly there are so many new climbers begging for guide books that any info is often seen as good info. Guide books that lack the history, especially easy to gather history, when someone else has or would so easily offer it is a relative new trend and sadly imo a really bad one. I have seen similar guide books praised here on cc.com by climbers that should have know better. I've chatted on email with the guide book author who was totally ignorant of the issue and obviously didn't care. He included some of the activists in the area in the side notes but no real history of the area. So just leave it out, now that is an answer. My take was his real goal was, "me, me, me, me and me and my buddies". If it had only been "me and my buddies" I wouldn't have a problem with that. I wouldn't know the difference. right? But sadly he missed the previous 30 or so years of obvious developement and why a current guide book was needed. Funny that when by just talking with three guys, all easily accessed locally or through a simple google search and email, he could have doubled the routes and info in some areas of his guide book. If he missed just the three guys I know, you have to wonder just how much more was missed but I'd bet there were 3 more, so he missed 6, 12 or 24 who knows? Funny how putting the real FA info together generally leads you to ALL the players in the area and the true scope of the climbing done and the time frames. With the access to people and information we have now, it is so easy to get the history, why wouldn't you make the effort? Not doing so, and then publishing an incomplete guide book is no service to the climbing community.

This kind of stuff happens all the time with small time publications and "new" climbers/authors thinking they are going to be the authority on an area by publishing a new guide without doing the research it takes. So what guide and author is it?

Nice picture. If it is the same crack it is a nice start and the way I have done it. We ended up traversing back slightly right through some trees (maybe two or three short pitches up) to the base of the chockstone chimney. In '79 we thought it was a new variation. And a more fun start to the B/S.

reds rock....

Always a chisel on the ST. Don't think Chouinard/BD has ever done anything but a chisel on horizontal FPs. Climbed a lot in both. On WI and mixed I don't see a differenece. Although I do find the chisel is easier to sharpen and will last longer. Love the G12 and how it fits my boots. But like the newest ST even more because of the extra set of down points, over all weight, easier to strip, stainless and the optional lwt heel. Couple of longer threads on your question here worth that might be worth looking at. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/953998/Re_Sarken_vs_Sabretooth#Post953998 Euro 'pons were generally used on snice where pointy points work just fine. Grivel's idea (Simond before them iirc) was suppose to be an improvement. And might well have been for their conditions. NA 'pons (starting with Chouinard) were designed to be used on water ice. Hence the chisel which came from the even older first 12 design. But in reality both designs work fine on water ice if you keep them sharp. How long the front points are makes a bigger difference imo.

I'd wonder if the route has changed at all or if the rock fall scar could just be avoided. http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/colchuckanddragontail

Numbers keep coming in and the percentages seem to be the same over the last two weeks.

Wireless verifone? You got to be shitting me. Ever heard of a manual credit card imprint machine? Just how difficult does it need to be? I have seldom whitnessed such incompentence or arrogance that the NPS seems so full of.

I think I saw her once and Gibler's. Fast.....very, berry, fast

The good news is Mowich Lake Rd should be open by late next week (July 1?) with a meter or so of snow at the lake. But geezus make sure you call and ask specifically about the road if you are planning on parking at the lake. For the poor unknowing souls and the igit Ranger who can't be bothered to tell "everyone" that calls, "either bring cash or a check as they don't take CC or debit cards" for park entry fees and-or climbing permits. Carbon River is still in the stone age with pit tiolets so why should I be surprised at the level of help while trying to abide by the RNP climbing regulations. No cash (or a check) no climb! Nearest ATM is back in Wilkerson. Ask me how I know that? Why does the NPS even bother with a presence on the north side when it is so pathetic?

There is some beauty in throwing a man to the ground without hurting him (to me anyway) If you realise that every throw Segal is doing could just as easily be a break and a throw instead of a joint lock and a throw. It is about control. It reminds me of climbing in many ways. Both in the uke and in the teacher. BTW takes a very skilled artist working as the uke to allow one to show his skills. I am not a big fan of Segal but his art is very good imo. This is good: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1689807/steven_seagal_aikido_training/ The pants? The really funny ones are generally reserved the more skilled practioner granted a black belt. Basic idea is two things, something to grab and something to disguise your real form under the clothes. "Men's hakama The most formal type of men's hakama are made of stiff, striped silk, usually black and white, or black and navy blue. These are worn with black montsuki kimono (kimono with one, three, or five family crests on the back, chest, and shoulders), white tabi (divided-toe socks), white naga-juban (under-kimono) and various types of footwear. In cooler weather, a montsuki haori (long jacket) with a white haori-himo (haori-fastener) completes the outfit. Hakama can be worn with any type of kimono except yukata (light cotton summer kimono generally worn for relaxing, for sleeping, or at festivals or summer outings). While striped hakama are usually worn with formal kimono, stripes in colours other than black, grey and white may be worn with less formal wear. Solid and gradated colours are also common. While hakama used to be a required part of men's wear, nowadays typical Japanese men usually wear hakama only on extremely formal occasions and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Hakama are also regularly worn by practitioners of a variety of martial arts, such as karate, kendo, iaido, taido, aikido and ryu-te. Sumo wrestlers, who do not wear hakama in the context of their sport, are, however, required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever they appear in public. As hakama are one of the most important parts of traditional male formal dress, sumo wrestlers are often seen wearing hakama when attending appropriately formal functions. In addition to martial artists, hakama are also part of the every-day wear of Shinto kannushi, priests who maintain and perform services at shrines."

Watching a good martial artist is about as boring at watching a good climber. So no disagreement from me. But watching either should give you and idea of their respective skills. This is like watching Bachar in his prime on the Cookie. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/94751/steven_seagal_7th_dan_aikido/

"brings in washed up silver screen tough guy Steven Seagal to help him train in the deadly art of Aikido" Some of the best Aikido masters are really old guys. It is a western thing being fat. Aikido is serious shit and Segal still has some very fast and heavy hands. It could only be boring if you don't know what you are looking at. UFC? Segal as a human being? There is the rub.

I don't know if you know this or care, but the Intuition liner once heated will expand and can easily take up a 1/2 size and make the boots even warmer. Just takes a good boot fitter to do it right.

Easy to go on but more fun to look here: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/988679/Bad-Fixed-Gear-Pics

Cutter rigged, 40'?

Nice catch Congrads to Jon and Will on their 1st successful Alaskan adventure!

Go rent a 18' cat and dry suit for the weekend and then get back to us with a list.

Tuesday and Wednesday both had heavy percip locally with a freezing level at 5000' with a forcast 3" to 8" accum. of snow over the last two days on Rainier between 5K and 12K'. Suppose to clear up and dry out this afternoon through the weekend. That is the report but it would be more interesting and useful to hear from anyone on the mtn yesterday and today to see what really is happened up high.

Nick Hall wrote a great report. Nice of you to repeat it here Brian. You might want to make it clear that the info posted is not YOUR info by adding quotes. Because it gets confusing and suspect when repeated out of context on the Rainier blog, Nick sez: "In all my time at Mt. Rainier, I can't think of when I've known of so many people really worried about the avalanche conditions in June to this extent." as compared to this: On cc.com, Brian sez: "I'm from Texas, so Rainier is quiet a trip for me. I've done 2x before this trip, made it to the summit once.." Conditions are getting better as it warms up. And while still unseasonably cool the moisture we are getting hopely will be rain low instead of snow up high. Some sun will settle everything down quickly as the most recent climbs on the Ingraham show. This last Saturday and Sunday were good (everything being relative) for climbing. Hard to imagine the past week's weather now. While a little nasty yesterday and today, weather is improving again for the weekend and I would expect climbers summiting by most of the common routes. I plan on being on the mtn 6-18/21 myself with this forcast. Short of really terrible and rather unusually cold weather coming in again or even more unlikely, a heat wave, I suspect there is little reason to doubt good conditions for a summit attempt via any route on the mtn. for a few weeks. FWIW I have never missed a summit when climbing between June 15 and July 15 via 6 different routes.