kurthicks

definately considering it.

That book is a great insight into all of the complexities of this dam issue. everyone in the west should give it a read if you haven't.

what are the odds of finding some of those climbs in condition say around Thanksgiving? it seems possible with the altitude, but they are pretty far south...

there was an article in Backpacker about this a couple months ago. It'd be a fun trip to check out those canyons right now.

i'm interested in the Koflachs. I'll send you a PM.

check the other thread too, i posted a lengthy response there . Jake is right on about being willing to drive. perhaps the most important thing to bring then is $ to pay for gas... FYI the Alpine Club meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at the ORC. their website is http://cub.wsu.edu/wsualpine/

Ah Pullman, so far from anything, but so close to everything. After being out here for 5 years, Pullman can be a bit frustrating, but if you're willing to drive, it can be manageable. for example: winter rock climbing - Frenchman Coulee/Vantage 2.5 hours or Smith - 5.5 hours winter alpine climbing - Leavenworth 4 hours or Snoqualmie Pass 4 hours BC Skiing - Wallowas 2.5 hours Ice - Banff 7 hours or Hyalite 7.5 hours Resort skiing 2-3 hours Pullman doesn't get as much snow as people think though. It typically snows and stays for a day or two, then melts off...only to snow again. it does make for good XC skiing at times though. check out the WSU golf course for that stuff. ice doesn't typically exist out here either, with some exceptions (Bluewood, Chilco Falls). there is some easy dry-tooling at the local choss-crag though. most of the road cuts freeze a couple times a winter, but Johnny Law doesn't seem to like that too much. resort skiing is the best bet for reliable winter activities, but it requires about 2.5 hours to get to a decent resort. Schweitzer is the best, with Silver being second, IMO. Vantage/Frenchman Coulee is the "best" for winter rock, but at that it is still a choss-fest. Smith Rock is great too, if you're willing to do the drive. WSU has a good bouldering gym on campus and UI has a good lead wall/tower that costs $5/day if you're not a student. If it were me, I'd probably just bring BC ski gear and basic climbing gear if I was coming from Europe. There are enough people and resources out here if he needs anything. check out the Outdoor Rec Center at WSU for stuff and the WSU Alpine Club is a good place to meet people. PM me if you need more info. Kurt

I climbed Grotto, his/hers, junkyards, lady wilsons, etc last year in early Nov. and it was a "late" start to the season. pro was purely psychological... go get it.

good times Ivan. We pretty much lost motivation after getting stuck and with the conditions as they were, so we did a little skiing on the south side. the conditions were totally different, lots of icy snow and good cramponing. beautiful night though, full moon and no wind. nice pics

the weather was awesome and so was the moon, but the freezing level was high. the road is snowed in around 5200' and both of our cars got stuck. Ivan and Shred went for it, let's wait for their TR.

I think guiding fits the bill. Also, running the climbing portion of an outdoor program at a university. climbing and getting paid for it.

i heard sometime around 8:40PM, i think.

i've seen the same thing. I did see one worth noting in the Sunshine Wall area last weekend. it was a sport route that said "no anchor" at the top. that could have ruined someone's day.

I've been told that there is the annual Frenchman Coulee cleanup this weekend 10/30 at 10AM. the Access Fund has donated free stuff to give away too. so if you're interested, show up there and help keep that place open for everyone.

sounds like a plan... I'm pretty booked though w/school & work until early Dec.

you mean this article ? this link has a lot of good reads. http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/

let me know if you want to make some exploratory trips up there NYC, I could probably be conviced. depending on my schedule...

yes it would be best to have a designated TR rope. do people actually do it? I don't know, but i've taken to it sometimes on hard leads.

went to Frenchman Coulee w/Jake_Gano, Natasha_Caldwell and Scott (no avatar). did lots of good climbs - Satan's Wagon, Ride 'em Cowboy, Crossing the Threshold, Party in your Pants, Pony Keg, blah blah. good climbing and good weather out there, i got sunburned.

5/15 = .33 Fall factor, not a big deal consider the rope takes 6 FF 1.78 falls in the UIAA tests. Be sure to inspect the rope periodically like Iain said and be careful. I'll post some more rope care info when i get the chance, it's pretty interesting reading. edit: in addition to what NOLSe said, TRing drastically changes the elastic properties of a rope. for more info, check out this link from the ACC

NOLSe check yo PMs.

I'm thinking the same thing too.

I'll be there pulling choss with 3-4. Blue Suby w/oregon plates. the wx looks best there for sure.

Looks like the season has begun?... time to sharpen the tools. Gravsports.com

That is one of the best exerps i have ever seen.