ken4ord

Damn dude, that sucks. At one point I thought of you when I was out on Sunday, because you mentioned that you were going to get out and try climbing too. Too bad you guys didn't get on anything and the ticket to boot. WTF they didn't drop the ticket after showing them the current pass? That shit pisses me off.

Climb: Das Toof- Date of Climb: 10/17/2004 Trip Report: Well on Saturday my friend (one time poster lylabob) and I talked about getting out and doing something if the weather looked ok, maybe even climb the Tooth. Hell there was, what, 100% chance of showers, could it really rain the whole time, no way. Well then, before I knew I sucked down a couple glasses of wine with my roommate and I was back on the phone saying we should go even if it was raining. How bad could it be? Well we got a urban alpine start leaving Seattle somewhere around 8am. As we were driving across the floating bridge it was pouring out and I was beginning to wonder what I was thinking the night before, obviously, I wasn't thinking the night before. As we reached the pass though, the weather had cleared, well not really, but it wasn't raining. I definitely felt a little more optimistic, even though we couldn't see any of the mountains through the soup that surrounded us. After a little discussion on which way to go, we decided to go up the cat track trail, which is the only way I have ever gone. It also happens to be the only time I have ever climbed the Tooth was when there was snow all the way down to the parking lot. The trail was quite soupy, but wasn't bad. Within no time, sooner than I thought it would take, we were headed up hill. It was slicker than shit, and for the most part we were hand over handing our way up the vegatation. All of sudden we were off the trail and the bushwhacking began. I was having fun with it, some reason I like bushwhacking. Lylabob on the other hand wasn't too keen on it, but she is a trooper and continued uphill. Eventually we made it through all the thick vegatation onto some talus, what a relief. Looking around though, the drainage look much narrower than I remembered it, but I figured it was because I'd always seen it filled in with snow. We still couldn't see any mountains to orient ourselves. Eventually though, we got to where the talus levels a bit and the clouds started to break up a bit, things were not right. Where was the Tooth, why did the basin looked so small, where was that cliff band on the left? Well we realized that we had cut up hill too soon, oops my bad, oh well luckily for us we were up in the talus and it was much easier traveling. We traversed the slope across a couple of smaller drainages on talus. As we were hiking across, the weather kept improving, I kept thinking this awesome, we hit it just right. With 20 minutes or so we were standing in the right basin below the Tooth. Few more minutes hiking and a slight detour to climb the Pineapple, we were at the base of the Tooth. It was little more breezy in the pass between the Tooth and the Pineapple, but not too bad, though it started to drizzle. I started up the first pitch and reached the belay in no time, I was sopping wet at the time from our hike in, and now it was starting to really rain, I just had to laugh. I belayed lylabob up and she looked cold, but again no complaint, just went to work at getting her gloves on. I took off and climbed the next pitch. The higher we went the worse the weather got. By the time I reached the end of the second pitch the wind was blowing the rain sideways. I was shivering because it was cutting right through me, but kept up appearances, joking around on how humid it felt, singing Mr. Rodger's neighborhood song, and other types of insane things in the face of adversity. We eventually reached the last pitch and the weather didn't let up. We did a quick summit tag and prepared to rappel. The rappels went smooth, but man I was getting cold. At this point it was sleeting and still coming at us horizontal. All I could think about was getting to my pack and putting on my only other layer that I had left in my pack. I got to my pack and picked it up and it felt heavy, real heavy. I turned it upside down and poured out about 2 gallons of water. It turned out I had put my pack in a corner and it filled with runoff. Oh well, hiking was soon to come and that would warm me up. On the hike out, we opted for the normal summer approach/descent trail. In no time we were back at the car with the heat cranked. Good day even though it wasn't a good day out. Gear Notes: 6 cam, set-o-nuts, 7 slings and 8.8 mm rope. Should have brought snorkle, drysuit, and face mask.

Hey DrC, Don't know much about it just heard from a friend that there was going to be something there. Discovery Park is also offering free mycology tours as well starting next Saturday. Though they sound sort of lame, more just identification, hell if I am going to learn indentify the damn things I want to know which I can eat. Hey Boulderboy, check out Pioneer for cheap rates or Pm me a website that might offer cheap calling cards. My girl is in Rwanda right now a $0.28 per minute rate, but the calling card that I found are as cheap as $0.18 per minute.

There is plenty to do, I think I might try Das Toof in the snow if it snow up there, there a mycology thing going on down at Magneson, plenty of new movies out there, maybe hit RatPac for some free-riding and probably get run in.

I am glad all you guys mark your gear, it makes it easy to find my unmarked gear.

Do you feel the effects of the up coming snow? I know I do. I can wait to get on the board and carve some turns in the white shit. yeeeeha

Hey TUIB, I always have a couple pairs with me and never bother with brand names. I usually climb with a very thin pair, for the same reason Dave, decrease overgripping which will pump you out and make your hands cold. On cold days heat packs work well on the back of the hand to keep hands warm. Then I carry a heaier pair for approach, belays, and descent. I keep my gloves inside my jacket once I start wearing them for the day, so that they stay reasonably warm even when wet. As mitt, they suck, they'll keep your hands warm, but they are hard to climb in and place with. So got an winter ice trip planned this year yet?

Bug, if you want to that next week I would be totally up for that.

I like hard driving techno, hardcore or punk type stuff when bouldering, but when it come to routes my all time favorites are St Germain, Sneaker Pimps, and Nightmares on Wax.

It is amazing how busy he keeps, t-shirts, potatoes, school, and now real estate!

Hey Thinker, I have lived in SLC before, but never lived in Boise, been there though. I myself would choose SLC. The snow boarding out there rocks, great rock climbing, more diverse surrounding enviornment (deserts and alpine nearby), great mountain biking. Pretty whitebread city though, yeah them morom women maybe hot, but I don't believe they are any hotter there than other areas or any wilder. SLC seemed to get some decent music there, when I was there. There use to be all kinds of cultural festivals happening all the time that were always fun to go to. The state of Utah is one of my favorite states, next to WA. As for the mormon, there is a enough jack moroms and non-mormons to keep it interesting.

Yes, that music sucks arseyes Man it must be a rule at Vertical World, cause last night I was at the Magnolia gym, they were all about the (not so) classic rock. That shit sucks ass.

Gray sweatshirt was found at the Clamshell Crag on Sunday. I believe it is womans shirt. PM me if you want it back.

Think single pitch climbin' Ken. When you get to the top of a pitch and need to thread the rope through the chains to get down, you can't be tied in with the rope. Actually you can use the rope. Here is how, clip in with the rope, ask for slack, make a bite in the rope that is going down to your belayer, pass the bite through the chains or anchor, tie an 8 in the bite, clip it to your harness with a locker, pull up on the anchor and have your partner take, sit back and untie the end of the rope that is through your harness and the anchor, pull the tail through the chains or anchor, then lower. At this point you are on the rope with a 8 on a bite clipped with a locker with the rope passed through the anchor. Most of the the time though on single pitch stuff there is no shortage of draws and slings to use. Actually I think using daisies or slings for that matter add to the clusterfuck at belays. By using the rope you only have the rope coming from peoples harness the anchor, where as with a daisy you have that going to the anchor and rope also coming from the harness, not a big deal though. Yeah Chuck swapping over ropes with more than two people is facilitated by a daisy, but there is an abundance of slings at the point when everybody is there to do the swap and it is way way more efficient to not swap ropes often and lead in block with three or more people. To each their own though. Got system? I got one.

BrezzyD, Alpinfox was not lying at least verbally

BrezzyD look for sumthing like this Or a scene like this

50% or 100% coming unclipped, I'll have to check that, I don't really care personally cause I don't use that set up. The chances of blowing out stitching, is low, maybe never has happened, who knows. I guess I just don't understand why use a daisy chain? What is the advantage of using a daisy chain and locking biner (for an application that they are not designed for) over just using a locking biner and the rope? I have yet to see any advantages using a daisy. Though I can think of advantages to using the rope and locker over using a daisy and locker. (1) your dynamically attached to the anchor (though sometimes it is minimal), (2) You can adjust the distance from the anchor to almost any length you want, dependant on how much slack you have after you have pulled up all the rope, (3) adjusting the anchor length you should never have to unclip or open your locking biner for any reason, (4) one less item you have to bring along. Anyone have any answers to why daisies are more advantageous, please share?

Dope my bad, I'll fix that. Yes clove hitch.

My friend was out here this weeekend and he was just as surprised as I was to see how many people use daisies to anchor in. He also showed me something I never thought of, where somebody shortening up to the anchor can be released from the anchor. Here is the scenario, check it for yourself. So if you take the last loop and clip into the anchor, but it is too long and you want to shorten it up, be closer to the anchor. A common short cut is to clip one of the loops that is closer to your harness into the biner without unclipping the end loop. The problem is that if the loops blow out it releases the person from being anchored in. Also, when you do this you load the stitches with an outward pull, which weaker than across. Granted a bit of force is still needed to blow out the loops, but I personally would not want to risk that. My suggestion is to learn how to tie a clove hitch with the rope, it make you dynamic to the anchor, it is adjustable with out having to open your biner, and you don't need to have some silly sling wrapped around your harness while you are climbing. Furthermore as for buliding anchor with a daisy I would reccomend against it for basically the same reasons stated above. If you are out of slings use the rope to anchor yourself to the peices individually, (check out Freedom of the Hills and John Longs, Anchors book on how to do this, it is very easy, again just need to know how to tie a clove hitch). Yes, I meant clove hitch instead of girth hitch. Sorry.

If you go to do the Pioneer Route, you won't need aiders to do it, the bolts are really close together. Just french-free it, (clip the bolt and pull on the draw as a hand hold to reach the next one, if you get tired have your partner take or clip the bolt into your harness).

CG33 I know that I want to hit the Phoneix buttress at some point this weekend, if you want to go your welcome join in. Also last year a bunch of folks got together for a day of cragging down in the gorge.

Great times, great weather, and great people, not much more to say about this weekend. Wish I would have gotten a little more rock climbing in, but oh well. Did get up into WA Pass Friday and climbed SW Butt on SEWS, very nice day out. Joined everybody down in 11worth for some beers at the campground. Saturday rode Devil's Gulch, hellish climb (10 miles 3400 ft.), followed by 12 miles of downhill. What a blast. That evening did my part in trying to consume as much TG goodness and brats. I managed to get a little lit that night but I am sure no one noticed. Up early despite my head feeling like it was getting hit with a hammer every step I took. We had quite a sucessful newbie day at Clamshell. (Anyone lose a gray sweatshirt at the crag, PM me?) Ended the day at Sleeping Lady with round of ice creams. Awesome weekend. Shouts out to Kurt, for a putting it together, TG for a most delicous stout, Tex for driving it up (though he arrived tapless ), those who chipped in on the breakfast (I believe most got a burro or two), and everyone who showed up.

CG33 staying at a motel puts you qute a ways from the festivities, like Dru said yu'll need a DD. Camong out at the Grasslands is really nice and you won't have drive anywhere when you are finished drinking, eating and socializing.

I'll bring home the bacon!! Hope to be there early Fri evening!! Alright thanks, sounds like breafast is on. I'm siked. That would be great if you can join us for a ride. I am out of here tonight, see you all up there.

Hey Fender4, I pretty much sharpen my ice tools like Dubya described. Though be careful about over sharpening, which can cause the tip/edge to bend over really quick. As for sharening ice screws if you know someone witha CNC machine that is the bomb. Now-a-day I just use small jewler files.