kurthicks

You hit the nail on the head—avoid shockloading the system at all costs!

There are certainly places where one would want a belay. Honestly, most of the time a very tight rope and an axe in arrest position is all I do (remember those knots I mentioned?). Otherwise, create a solid anchor (say a T-slot) and belay as per normal for the leader (and possibly the follower depending on what the leader sees when they cross the bridge). These belays don't seem to happen very often, perhaps most often near bergschrunds or over mid-season obviously sagging bridges. All of the concern about a major, above-the-head, crevasse fall is quite overblown in our region in my opinion and experience. Others folks might have a different opinion and that's just fine by me.

I always, yes always, tie butterfly knots when I travel in a team of two. In the Cascades, I go with 50' out between us with kiwi coils (or a stowed mountaineer's coil of the extra rope) on both ends of the rope. Using more rope is common in Alaska (wider cracks than we usually have in the Cascades), but I have never seen any legitimate study reinforcing the effectiveness of using a (longer) dynamic rope in reducing force in a crevasse fall. In fact, Rigging for Rescue has shown that static or semi-static ropes are potentially better for use in pure glacier travel since they stretch less (which is fine given the low force of these falls) and that low stretch makes hauling significantly easier. The butterfly knots work incredibly well if there is snow on the surface of the glacier (which, after all, is why you're roped up because if it was blue ice using a rope won't help either of you). If you're long-roping (say 30' or more) on a blue ice glacier, you're doing something wrong. Finally, effectively managing the slack via good communication & pacing, traveling when the glacier surface is still frozen, and doing proper route-finding will eliminate almost all of the possibility of a major crevasse fall.

It has been 7 years since the last update to the Exit 38/32 books. With Garth's support, I am working on a new, comprehensive edition that should be out around next December (maybe sooner). It's time now to add in all of the new lines that have gone up in the last seven years (or any climb that went unrecorded previously). I'll put out a request for photos sometime in the future. So right now, I'm looking for this beta from anywhere in the North Bend area (32,38, rattlesnake, fun forest, etc): --new walls --new routes --unrecorded first ascent information Send me an email or PM with your beta. Thanks! kurthicksATgmail.com

buy it from Best Buy and get their warranty. It covers user damage, except water (I think). I've had them replace 5 or 6 cameras over the years under warranty.

Still finding lots to do at the crags! Little Si Repo II anchor replacement October 2013

WTF? Did you get any contact information? License plates? I will be over this week and can spend time doing graffiti removal. Shoot me an email with the crag info. kurthicks@gmail

http://www.wta.org/signpost/federal-shutdown-what-it-means-to-hikers

yeah, snow down to the top of Snow Creek Wall yesterday.

I'm in. Check your PMs

Those are on my list for the fall. The same thing occurs at Exit 38. Not to mention the chain/washer stack anchors.

Hey Adam, Thanks for the information. I'd love to be involved with your work and tie-in together. Kurt Hicks

If you don't want to buy a new rope, just have the leader tie into the middle of the rope and belay on both strands. Shorter pitches, but it will give you a much greater likelihood of catching a fall and a decreased chance of cutting your rope on sharp terrain features.

I briefly looked at it, gave up, sold the pack, and bought the Speed.

Gene was telling me about this. I need to put it on my list! Nice work Darin.

friends just did serpentine without axe/crampons a couple days ago... the descent will be the crux, unless you walk east around the Snow Creek Glacier.

Good call Mikey. I do that on most of the loose wedge/triplex bolts that I come across.

Another option, much more backpacking in nature, is the Necklace Valley/Tank Lakes area near Skykomish.

A nice alpine ramble is to go up Sibley Creek and pass underneath The Triad towards Eldorado, exit the Eldorado climber's trail. You could stay even in the lookout the first night, though that would make day two pretty long. It's definitely fourth class, depending on how you cross the south ridges near The Triad. You'll need crampons. The Cascade Pass to Boston Basin option is a good one also.

Consider throwing a stainless lock washer on there too. Perhaps one of those nylon threaded lock nuts? That should help it stay in place.

By hand. And it's the Original Route, not the "bypass route."

Tying in like that (in a traditional Kiwi Coil) can make it impossible to untie your knot/coils if they get loaded. Instead, tie a second knot (I often use a figure-8 on a bight) and clip it into your harness with a locker (or two). That way, the fall will load the locker and not your coils. You can also just clip in with two lockers and stash the coils in your pack. It's more comfortable that way. Oh, sling your pickets in the middle hole and place them as deadmen. Real crevasse rescue puts a whole lot of force on the anchors and you'll be psyched to have solid anchors. Practice digging t-slots while lying prone in the snow by yourself.

We know that USFS roads are on the chopping block soon. This is what is going to come next. So much for the USFS motto of "Caring for the land and serving people." It is pretty easy, after all, to care for the land if you exclude the people from it. Fortunately, one suggestion of the GAO is to utilize volunteers, which may well be a cost-effective options for this proposal. Here's a report from the GAO: http://www.americaoutdoors.org/america_outdoors/pdf/USFSTrailReport.pdf "Agency officials and stakeholders GAO interviewed collectively identified numerous options to improve Forest Service trail maintenance, including (1) assessing the sustainability of the trail system, (2) improving agency policies and procedures, and (3) improving management of volunteers and other external resources. In a 2010 document titled A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, the Forest Service noted the importance of analyzing recreation program needs and available resources and assessing potential ways to narrow the gap between them, which the agency has not yet done for its trails. Many officials and stakeholders suggested that the agency systematically assess its trail system to identify ways to reduce the gap and improve trail system sustainability."

Great adventure guys. That campsite at CJ col is one of the best around! FYI - Doug's Direct doesn't go around Mixup towards Gunsight, it goes over the northern summit of Mixup. If you need to use a rope, you're in the wrong spot. Glad you made it out ok.

Colchuck? North Twin Sister? NE Buttress of Chair Peak? West Ridge of Cutthroat?