chris

Trip: Mt. Baker - Table Mountain tour Date: 1/28/2007 Trip Report: Saturday night my old house-mates Amanda and Greg came up from Seattle for a visit and a tour. I wanted to show them what the Mt Baker Ski Area "front country" could offer, so we took the tour around and over Table Mountain with MontanaPup and Montana the dog. After the typical steel train to the upper lot and the mobs of BC skiers skinning their way up to Austin Pass, the crowds quickly thinned out along the ridge. At the foot of Table Mountain's North Summit, where the tour traverses underneath the East Face, MontanaPup grew tired of mismatched skins-skis and decided head back. Amanda, Greg, Montana and I continued on, had lunch at the South Shoulder, and then decided to take the high route up and over Table into Heather Meadows, a route I hadn't taken before. I was really nervous about the hard crust conditions and steep angles - not for the almost-non-existent avalanche hazard but for the slide-for-life factor. But we were in luck, the crust was just breakable enough to let Montana get good 5cm-deep steps kicked in, and allowed the three skiers to get good edges. The edging was so solid that I started to seek out the steepest lines down the slopes, where I could make solid hop turns all the way down the 1200+ foot run. The slide out to the carpark was completely unremarkable, and we caught up with MontanaPup there. Beers, fries, and fish tacos at Grahams made the day perfect. This was a nice mellow tour with a lot of descent variations - I'm certain to be checking those out some more this season. Gear Notes: Standard ski pack: Shovel Probe Transceiver Ski Crampons would have been helpful, but not required. Approach Notes: There is a well-kicked in track around Table Mountain

I'm looking for a BCA Tracker or a Mammut/Barryvox Opti 3000 to purchase used. This could give someone a little extra cash to justify upgrading. PM if you're interested in selling.

I'm looking for a BCA Tracker or a Mammut/Barryvox Opti 3000 to purchase used. This would give someone a little extra cash to justify upgrading. PM if you're interested in selling.

If its not powder its just survival skiing anyways.

Troll.

Sal, even with a synthetic bag you'll still get the freezing vapor inside the bag in the conditions you describe. FF's comment about durability is in the long-term, not a few short nights. I use a -20 bag on three week Denali climbs annually without incidents.

But that wasn't his arguement. He didn't say he had "more respect for the accomplishment of the climber who led the outing in question or who participated in that leadership." He stated that a guided climber should have less pride for their accomplishment because the presence of a guide (or an outdoor ed instructor) diminishes its significance. And I think that's complete nonsense. I tried to not be too harsh. P.S. He's also completely mis-representing Sir Hillary (who has hired a guide before), and taking Sir Hillary's comments about the Nepali government's encouragement of commercial activity at Everest Base Camp completely out of context.

Well, how big a place are we talking about? You said you were getting a guide book ready, implying pages and pages of routes - at least a staple-back. If we're only talking about a one page wall/crag/sector topo, like the Fee Demo Wall, then your OP isn't relevant.

I don't know, Matt. Sounds like he's slamming the OP to me - and every client I've had the privelege to climb with.

A team of three can climb just as efficiently as a team of two. And if you have to carry two ropes anyways (for the descent), it makes just as much sense to climb with three. There are all sorts of tricks that can address leading, rope management, and technique to make it efficient.

I agree with Ultra. If you're spending less than 50% of your time OB, then stick with a regular board. Save your $ for a Pior until you're ready to commit to taking some time OB. I really recommend the Snowboard Conection for the best snowboard advice.

Prior splitboards seem to be the best - and with a splitboard you can keep up with us double-plankers a lot better than with snowshoes. Snowshoes definitely will slow you down, and make you fewer friends.

Bone, I appreciate the star system. On some trips my time is limited, and I want to have a good experience climbing there - the star system helps direct my attention to routes and walls that provide the best quality of the area. Perhaps instead of stars you can make recommendations on what route to climb if you only have one day. Or two days. Or a week - and then leave the rest to time. Guidebooks, like grades, are always subjective, and with time consensus will change opinions and your "must-do" ticklist will inevitably evolve into something else...

Well, I guess that settles it. If you climb something with me, it doesn't really qualify as a "proud" ascent. Like Ed Whymper, since he had to hire a guide to get the FA of the Matterhorn. Or Heinrich Harrer, who let Andreas Heckmair lead the crux pitches and the majority of the climbing in the 1938 FA of the North Face of the Eiger. Or those clients of Conrad Kain's, on the FA of Mt. Robson. And that dude who hired John Fischer - twice - to make the first complete traverse of the Palisade Range in the Sierra Nevada (VI 5.9) in 1979. Nope, don't get too proud about that one. Careful there, Jamin, your pride is starting to inflate your ego, and soon it may be difficult to fit your head through doors. You've been called a punk, an idiot, and an ignorant fool unaware of the history of the sport. I don't need to know you, and I don't need to know your biography, to know that I don't respect your opinion here.

The only difference I can tell is the heal post and a $20 difference in price - has anyone had problems with the heel post on the Classics?

I'm a bit confused why you pay anything to go sledding. If you have a Northwest Forest Pass or a Golden Eagle Pass, you can use any USFS Snow Park. And if you don't, you can go to almost open area with snow on it.

Europe - Spain and Greece is the weather is crap, the Alps if it isn't Rock Climbing in Australia or South Africa

Good luck- There are two fire lookouts on Cascade River Road that are accessible in the winter, and another fire lookout on top of Winchester Peak on Hwy 542. I'm not aware of any other huts north of Hwy 2.

Niiiccceeee....

Great. How about times?

What's the time plan for a snowshoe approach? Are skis possible?

I have always understood "Winter" to be the season from winter solstice to spring equinox, roughly the 21 Dec-20 Mar dates mentioned, regardless of the temperatures or conditions. The AAJ does not define it in its submission guidelines. Spring - from spring equinox to summer solstice Summer - from summer solstice to fall equinox Fall - from fall equinox to winter solstice.

I can do that too, but that means the albums are arranged alphabetically rather than in the intended order, and not all of my tracks are named.

I'm completely psyched on my Alp Light Wing: http://www.grivelnorthamerica.com/products.php?gid=2&id=13 I've climbed AI4 with it reliably. When I'm expecting to climb technical terrain with mandatory glacier travel, I double it with a Air Tech Evolution: http://www.grivelnorthamerica.com/products.php?gid=1&id=7

How does this apply to climbing? Music makes any hike/slog and solo climb more manageable. My girlfriends I-tunes doesn't want to recognize my non-Apple mp3 player, so I'm struggling to use a free-ware music media manager. Does anyone have one they really like?