Phil K

What kind of wind shirt would you recommend for this route? How is the cell phone coverage in case we get in trouble?

Climb: Lake Wenatchee Sn'Ice-This Too Shall Pass (?) Date of Climb: 2/24/2006 Trip Report: My buddy Jeff F'n S. and I climbed at Lake Wenatchee/ Hidden Lake last Friday. We've been up there a few times before, and there are some high-quality routes when conditions are right, like when they aren't so totally snowed over. The approach is always a bit of a bugger; the last 500' to the base of the climbs ascends a very steep brush covered hillside which is a real tarzan scene when there is little snow coverage. This time it proved to be a wallow fest, with hip deep unconsolidated snow. Of all the climbs there, only the far right gulley was showing enough ice to tempt us upwards. I believe that this is the climb listed as "This too shall pass" in WA ICE. We found lots of mixed up snow/ice which made the climbing a bit sportier than usuall. We had to be pretty careful with tool, foot and gear placements as much of the ice was just not dependable. We did manage to find two and a half pitches of climbable WI 3+ - 4 and some steep snow to swim around in. Most of the other routes there looked non-existant, thought the steeper lines to the far left could still be OK, if you could get to them. Saturday we went to the Icicle and climbed Hubba Hubba which was actually in pretty good shape. From there we traversed over to Mountaineer Creek road to check out Mr Seattle and the routes in that vicinity. They looked really poor and scrappy, so we went home. Gear Notes: The usual; buncha screws Approach Notes: The upper basin is really beautiful! We put in a fine trench to the base of the climb.

Everyone knows that the world is a creation of His noodly appendage. http://www.venganza.org/ What really convinced me was the remarkable resemblence between the drawing of Him creating mountains and trees, and the Silverton's Sickle topo in Washington Ice. No way that could be "just" a coincidence now, is there?

It's the government, theyr'e behind it all. First it's 9/11 and all those buildings imploding, and the Israeli Secret Service agents videotaping and celebrating and Bush springing all the Saudis out of the country and the Air Force shooting down Flight 93 on Cheney's orders and the missle that struck the Pentagon, and now they go and give us shitty Referees for the Superbowl because the media elite wanted the Steelers to win because the Republicans think they can take Pennsylvania and that their head coach is more telegenic, and well; at least the Rolling Stones were OK, though I think Ronnie and Keith may have been faking it, but least that was the real Mick, and I don't think he's had plastic surgery, so maybe things aren't so bad, I mean, it is just a football game we are talking about after all.

However, if you've never visited NPR or other subversive websites, you might want to hold off and keep your name off the NSA list. Hey, ya KNOW that if you aint talkin ta Al Queida on the phone, ya aint got nothin ta worry bout.

MBA? No, sounds like someone with serious, uncontrolled ADD. And a brain-scrambled, ex alki coke fiend. He ain't smart, but he does have low cunning. The big question in my mind- will history fall for all the crapola that 'Murica is swallowing right now, or will he claim his rightful place as the worstest preznit yet.

Check out Beyond Fleece www.beyondfleece.com Totally custom, so thay you can have whatever you want in pockets, etc. The steel pant sounds like the ticket for what you want. You can't beat the fit, because the garment is made to your measurements. And.... they come in any color you want as long as it's black. I got a Cold Fusion jacket from them and am totally stoked with the fit, quality, and service.

I bought a pair o Light Wings on the same theory; that they were easy on the back for alpine approaches and would do pretty well for water ice as well. I haven't been disappointed. They make a great technical tool for alpine without paying a weight penalty, work well in hard snow, and climb ice pretty well. You should compare clearance w/ other tools. I suspect that the Grivels don't have as much as some others, or if it really matters much either. This year I am planning on beefing up my Light Wings with some add-ons. You can get non-slip tape, like the kind that is used on stair treads, and cut a peice to put on the grip area of the shaft just like on the Air Tech Evolution. (Use some sandpaper to knock the really sharp texture off the tape first, or you'll shred your gloves.) There are two hammer heads, the piccolo which comes with the tool, and a heavier standard head. I've added a standard head to one of mine, and it seems to make a real difference. You can also add beefier picks, which give the head mo'mass, but might shatter a bit more in really brittle ice. The Goulotte pick is really a brute; I'm hoping to spring for a Mixte pick; a bit thinner in the tip, but still beefy. I think I will also try a nice, low tech, cheap big'old half inch bolt through the leash hole in the head, and rig the leashes through that slotted hole which must be there for some reason. With those kind of modifications, I think it becomes a pretty versatile tool. Strip it down for summer apline, busy it up for water ice. Yeah, go for it, add a horn and a trigger...... Hey wait a minute, this is starting to sound expensive. Oh, and on the Air Tech Evolution- thumbs down. Cool idea, but the head is really shaped for a straight shaft. With that bend in the shaft, I find that any natural swing results in the tip hitting at a funky angle. The plain Air Tech seems to work really well though, for a light axe.

The Grivel 360s Sharp and smooth, and the way they place so easily without having to carve a big clearance area for the hanger is SWEET! Plus, they have room to clip more than one biner at a time, unlike the BDs. My only dislike is that they don't rack as cleanly as other screws with longer hangers. Grivel makes a moulded rubber carrying setup (the panpipe {?}) to carry screws. Anyone tried that?

Philonius here was best friends with the guy who disappered on Fathers Day in 2000. He was never found. He was a very capable person, fit, experienced and equipped (yep, 'poons and ice axe.) My guess is that he's still somewhere in the rocks below the N. Sister traverse. Gawd that's an ugly place. 'Went back there two or threee years ago to check things out, and sure enough, someone else, a cardiogist from Portalnd, bought it while we were on the mountain. You can have it.

Yeah. See PM.

Howdja like that moat at the base of the SE face? Is my stuck climbing rope still in evidence?

Verified man-dog lobster throwing record. Guess who.

And while we're on the topic of things you should already have taken care of; make sure your bike is ready! A guy that I work with admitted last week that he still needed "someone" to do a little maintenence, so sucker that I am, I volunteered. Jeez, what a junker! Now, after trueing the wheels, replacing the front deraileur, bottom bracket bearing, brake cables, and handlebar tape, plus lubeing and adjusting, he's ready to go. Oh, and one more very important bit of advice; hope that the current weather forecast is wrong. Rain and headwinds make it a whole lot less enjoyable!

Nice read, unfortunately this guy and a few million well-placed voters are about 8 months too late in waking up to the stink that the bushistas have put on the good'ol'USA. Oh wait that's right, they own the voting machines. I guess it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

Got a sammich waiting in the car. I'm not sure about the health codes, but I know what's gross. It's just a good thing we don't know most of the history of what goes into our mouths.

pale luminous eyes, cold fishy skin, stringy hair; "nassssty massster."

oxycontin

Yeah, I just checked out a Mtn. Hdware catalog; that's 9.5oz. ripstop nylon material- the actual anchors are 1 oz each. I've got four of 'em and they work great. The plastic shopping bag idea has been around for a while, I first read about it in a British "Climber's Handbook" under a section on expedition climbing written by Alan Rouse. The bio on the cover of the book (published shortly after Rouse's death) lists him as the first Brit to successfully climb K2. I always wondered about that, it seems to me that getting off the mountain alive was part of the whole success thing. Oh, and they work great too, surprisingly strong. But be sure to dig all the shredded plastic out when striking your tent.

For those of you who just can't (after all...) get enough of Terri Schiavo, I just heard that Jeb "not another" Bush is having the Fla. attorney General investigate the circumstances surrounding Teri's death. Just to show the world whiat a vindictive a-hole he is, I guess. Oh well, back to the recreational flesh rippers.

'Bailed on plans for Chimney Rock. Hiked up Carne Mtn. on Sunday for some fresh air & exercise. I'm ready for some nicer weekends someday.

'Might be the right time to try one of them scary death routes you've been eying.

I just can't stand to see those Wales suffer, they're such big, intellegent, peaceful creatures.

And disregard Dru's suggestion to dose it w/ peroxide daily. That dissolves the new skin growth.

"Least they aint no blue dress for 'em ta test no DNA on. Eh-he, eh-he."