hillweasel

I'm with Muffy (hey girl - ) this is the funniest ..... way to go Arch -hw

Hey all, I have tomorrow off and am looking for someone to go do some easy-ish alpine with. Was thinking about NF Vesper. It's supposed to be rather casual. Have all gear and can drive from north seattle area. I will not be back online tonight so give me a call if you wanna go - or have another one day modest suggestion. -hw 206.459.8750

Okay, it's true. I am a failure at 4th of July pre-planning. I wanna blame it on a partner bailing last minute or something like work holding me hostage but that would be a fib. The truth is I hate the Friday night/Monday night choking crawl of traffic, the crowded campsites, and the usual crappy weather predictions. So I procrastinate. So here I am asking if anybody would be interested in a little alpine adventuring on the eastside leaving Saturday midday and staying Sunday or Sunday/Monday. Have some moderate ideas in mind in the Washington Pass area (up to 5.8 trad). I have no reservations but could car camp or bivy sack it anywhere. I might even have the floor of a cabin available. Could do other stuff too like roller ski, bike, run, hike or swim. I have all climbing gear and can drive or meet you there. Give me call or PM if you are interested. 206.459.8750 -hw

hey ! it didn't post it (site gumby.... )

from The X-Files of the FBI .....

TLG, Just wanted to suggest that you can learn a whole bunch by a few pointers and the "monkey-see-monkey-do" method. Lessons would be nice later when you have the time and some basics down. It so happens that at Cabin Creek (exit 63 on I-90) this Sunday is a ski race, the Gunnar Hagen 30K. However, it not a skating race, it is a classic/diagonal stride race. This should make no difference to your plans to learn to skate ski. The point is this ... Even tho there is a race at 10am and it may seem hectic, the entire course is still open to the public. There is a wide skating platform that does not interfere with the classic tracks where you could practice skate technique. It is a flat to very gentle road that is about 4 - 5 kms out and back. Before, during and after the race (noon-ish), people will be switching over to skating and you will get to see endless examples of very good technique. I will be up there helping with the race (probably answering pre-race questions and directing traffic). I would be glad to take a bit of time and show you some basics anytime after about 9:30 - 10:00. If you are interested, PM me and I will help you make some connections. -Mark PS - I agree with Freeman that Don P. is a great teacher and the Methow is a super place to ski, and the best snow at this time. Long drive though ...

Dave, Is this a prediction of a climb you are about to do ? (As today Monday is only the 15th.) hmmmmm. As least you got out into, unlike my sorry ass. Take care. PS. i would enjoy going with you sometime to bang this out. -hw

B-Voodoo, et al... CPOly and I will be down there late tonight. not sure where we will be as i have not been there in ages (is grasslands same as state park?). hope we see you and muff. maybe you can point the way to the classics. dark green toyota 4runner. -hw

okay. got nobody to go last night/ this morning. so on to plan B. leaving at 2pm today from Seattle. picking someone up in route. have room for one more. call if you want in . coming back late sunday. -hw

okay all. i'm tired of playing cat and mouse with the washington weather. wanted to get some (non-soggy) alpine but it does not look good. so i comes up with a grand plan... a master stroke. I will outflank the bloody storm. ....... just for it to work i must have one or more victims, uh... i mean partners. so here it is. i want to go to smith. willing to drive from edmonds and sweeep up anybody (SEA, TAC, PDX) along the way. i can take friday off if need be and leave anytime after about 1 am TONIGHT ! (kaffeine ) ideally would leave early early friday morn or if nobody wants to play hookey then leave friday about 4pm. alright now, down to the gritty details. I can lead 5.8+ trad, want to do multipitch, have all the gear (and more) and have not been to smiff for over a decade so it will be an eye opener. by my figuring, you now have about 4 hours to call or PM me and get in on this great deal. -hw 206.459.8750

alright everybody. i have been "aced" out a couple times already this week. I am trying to find partner(s) for a day or overnight adventure. so ....who wants to go climb crags or alpine? most likely eastside-ish. i can drive and have all gear. can be ready to go early saturday morning. looking to do anything up to 5.8+ trad. would prefer to do something long but lots of short ones are okay too - i don't care. even glad to take some newbies as long as we can get the jump on the crowds. PM or call. i will check later this evening a few times i live in the north seattle area. 206.459.8750 -hw

hey all. heading down to the seattle VW after work. could use a rope partner. am planning on endurance stuff for me (laps on 5.7 - 5.9s) but you can climb anything you like . i will be glad to hold the rope. so i am flexible on the arrive time. call or PM me. otherwise i will be there at 7pm-ish. look for the goof with the orange dustbag. 206.459.8750 -hw

okay I am in. did not know this thread was going until BillyGoat tweaked me. Thanks Bug on getting it going. You know I am good for whatever my split is on camping. maybe we can scare mr. Dave Bale out of lurk-dom and he and his two urchins can come spin up some bikes and stories. so it is ... In Mark (hillweasel) and Kelly (a tall and sassy 13) may tow up a girlfriend too. regretfully, lost the one from last year. oh.. and it is my birthday that weekend whoopie ! -hw

just lost my partner for climbing tomorrow. Drats! anybody interested in going early and climbing tommorrow? we had planned to check out the west buttress route (5.8) in Darrington. i would still like to do that but possibly could be persuaded to go / do other things. I cannot lead much harder than that right now but would sure enjoy a day high on a multi-pitch. Have all the gear and willing to drive. i am running errands but can be reached at 206.459.8750 Call me ! -hw oh ya - i live in the north seattle zone.

Hey Stav, Dru is right!!! north ridge of needle is wayyyy cool. easy approach. super exposure and no/few bugs right now. i was just there sunday and did the bunny route with my daughter. the ridge is wide open. i will go do it with you this weekend as a day trip but i cannot go till friday night. (got an easy car camp spot too) PM if interested. darn ! i tried to attach a digi picture but it is too large. i'm a newbie at attachments. can anyone help? -the weasel

that thing looks HUGE !!!!!! must have felt like a dork (no pun intended) carrying that thing out. you could darn near put it over your head, basejump and gain cloudbase and glide out....... -hw

ooppps sorry. the Seattle gym the one on the south side of Salmon Bay / Ballard Locks. on the way to discovery park. 2123 W. Elmore

ha ha ha just kidding ... seriously tho, i will be down at the VW tonight about 7. looking for a rope partner. you can work on what you want, i will be glad to belay. you can PM or leave a message at 206.459.8750 -hw

Squish would be kewl (weather permitting). but i will go anywhere. since the last Kid Ropeup was all dads (okay there was one gf ) please be aware that lone males getting kids across the border into BC can be a real hassle. I once got grilled for about two hours when i tried to go up to ski with my then 6 year old daughter. didn't matter how many phone numbers and reasons i gave they were sure i was abducting my kid and fleeing the country (probably didn't help that it was winter and i had a ton of gear in the car). when i came out from the interrogation they were rifling thru my car As a reward I left them a ripe, poopy diaper in the main lobby trash bin. so if we do go up there, be sure to bring birth certificates and signed permission slips from the other parent. -hw

looking for a partner (or two) to go rock climbing on sunday. will be in Yak-camanche area on saturday for daughter's basketball tourney. so thinking it would be nice to hook up with somebody in, say, leavenworth / peshastin early sunday morning. want to climb moderate stuff (up to 5.8)but could thrash as a belayer on 5.9. coffee / breakfast and apres brews on me. any body interested? ---could also be talked into climbing in the royal columns area but i have not climbed there before so would be worthless on beta. ----- call me and leave a message. 206.459.8750 -hw

Right on chucK. Gotta love that brain bucket .... -hw

I am planning to head up to index after work tonight. will be dinking around on easy stuff at the lower wall. have ropes, gear and extra harness. can bail from the Everett area as early as 3pm. give me a call or send a PM if you want to hookup. -hw 206.459.8750

icegirl, I bought one new when they were introduced years ago and have used it a lot in all kinds of seasons/conditions. I have always liked it and have few complaints. one of its great strengths is not having to mess around with rainflys. it goes up fast and handles very well in heavy wind rain or snow. my only real rub is that it is not free-standing, but that was just being introduced when these tents came out. when i set it up i always get comments. its kinda fun to see what people say. it is a real window into people's knowledge of tent construction and history. every now and then I think about buying a newer 4-season, 2-person, free standing tent but I just can't justify that against how great this one works. I seem to remember that it was advertised at 4.5 lbs but never verified that. It feels more like 6.5 lbs but that is my perception. what else were you wondering? do you have a chance to pick one up inexpensively? If you would like to try one out for a few days give me a shout and i will be glad to loan it with a few verbal instructions. -hw

"... panty-twisted...annoyinosity ..." cool new word. this made the whole thread (e-bay threats and all) worth it. thanks Fern. -hw

okay who is doin the bainbridge shuffle tomorrow? just coming off "the funky illness" but i am. who's in? looking for riding (and/or carpool) partners. PM or call me immediately if you want to spin it. I am going a casual pace. planning to catch the seattle side 755am ferry. crowd is best then. 206.459.8750 if you are already riding call me and maybe i can meet somewhere on the BI side. here's to a sunny day..... -hw