olyclimber

I got terrible news today that our very own @chucK , a long time OG cc.com poster and moderator passed away in a climbing accident in the North Cascades last week. I'm still processing this info myself and I'm a bit in shock, but I have got the OK to share a bit of information about Chuck Spiekerman's celebrations of life in case you knew him and want to attend. His friends on this forum were many...he was at tons of CC.com events and was a very active climber. This thread can also serve as our own memorial to Chuck so if you have any pictures to share or stories to tell please post them up. **PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR DISCUSSING THE DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT. POSTS TO THAT EFFECT, ALONG WITH OTHER THREADS ANALZYING THE ACCIDENT, WILL BE DELETED FOR NOW.*** This thread is for celebrating @chucK not discussing what happened last week. There will be a time and place for that sort of talk, but especially since he was one of our own the discussion must not be an armchair speculation but rather about the facts as presented, and abstracted from personal judgements about people. We will make a time and place for that, but it is not now. Any discussion would be absent the facts anyway. There is value in discussing accidents so we all learn, or more often, we remember to remain alert and vigilant from absent mindedness in situations. Be careful out there. The following information was passed along to me (the "I" is not Olyclimber). ALL INVITED, DENNY CREEK CAMPGROUND I just reserved Denny Creek Campground for Aug. 22 (next Thursday). Site 34. Group Site accommodates 35 people and I think dozens of tents. I plan to be there around 3:00 p.m. and setup up for a potluck. We can tell Chuck stories, drink bear, barbecue, whatever. The following day, those who are able will follow Bill and hike with Chuck’s ashes on a trail to the base of the climb that Chuck and Bill started three weeks ago. Chuck said it was a 4 hr hike one way, Bill, if I heard him correctly, said it was a 5 hr hike. Mary hurt her foot this morning. If she is able, we will hike to the base of the climb and spread Chuck’s ashes. If she is not able, we will do whatever she wants. It is possible that we won’t have the ashes. In which case, we will go anyway. The main point is to get together, share each other’s company, and tell stories about Chuck. If more than 35 people show up, they can sleep in their car, get a different campsite, whatever. I am not going to micromanage who camps where or what the menu is. I just want people to show up, grieve, and celebrate Chuck’s life. ALL INVITED, U.W. This one will be sometime after UW reconvenes on Sept. 25. We don’t have the venue yet. Chuck’s work colleagues, including Kevin, are working on this. This one will be more formal and better attended. I envision a few speeches from behind a microphone, powerpoint of pictures of Chuck, maybe even a pastor, although I realize that Chuck wasn’t at all religious

word. we were young and wild and free.

how much can you spend? if you can afford a Sony RX100, that is a pimpin camera, very small form factor.

sounds like a honeymoon to remember!

Another of Chuck (2nd from the left, I think he is talking to @klenke) from way back...one of the first Pubclubs I ever went to.

Imagine RCMP Bob, the Royal Canadian Mounted Polack! Striding into town mounted on his beastly steed, dressed in red, mounty hat affixed. Solving the cold case of the Mysterious Missing Bicycle like Sherlock Holmes. Or maybe the RCMP are just like the cops down here, they could give two fucks if someone stole your bike. File a report, and they'll "get right on it". But this cable thing, it is costing real money. And once you pass a certain threshold of money, there is different level of scrutiny. I don't know if they'll solve it or not, but I'm betting they are actually looking at it versus finding whomever stole your bike and pissed your cheerios there you sheep shagger.

Sausagefest, Chuck with a smile on his face

Yes my wise Polish one....it is all a part of God's plan. Not an accident. Petition to change it to "Incidents in North America"?

maybe the cable was melted by sick internet burns

forum gets turned off tomorrow. sorry guys.

sounds like an awesome game of chicken to me. you seem to know an awful lot about this cable failure stuff dru! hmmmmm....

Nice! I prefer it earlier in season when its more snow slog and then a glissade on the way back.

I read that, and thought the same thing. If it was "sabotage" that would be crazy to cut a cable under such a load. the cable is actually 55mm, 6 strands. if they are calling it that, must be some evidence to support it. I heard people in the area describe a loud noise, but what they described sounded like just what you would hear if a cable snapped and "released the load". Something @jon hears everyday in the bathroom.

https://www.momentumclimbing.com/sodo/ Can't believe I just learned about this yesterday, but there are two new climbing gyms going in in Seattle by Utah-based Momentum Climbing. Lots of things I don't understand, but I'm totally OK with given that the locations are convenient to me: Why are they opening two locations so close to one another? I get that one will be bouldering and that the other will also have ropes. How they fit in with the second location with the SBP, whom Cascadeclimbers.com has partnered with in the past...other than yeah...ropes will make them different. Anyway, cool to see more options to get your pump on!

I need help from CC.comer to help identify the best content on CC.com. Your favorite TRs FAs, FWA, FFA, etc First Descents Great stories (think Uncle Tricky) All time classic threads (for whatever reason) What else? Reason being is I want to tag them and make them easier to find. You can just link the post to this thread. If you look around the board you can see I've already started the process.

yesterday i woke up...

Buy a few tickets for me. It is a fund raiser for Ulee's high school team.

Still have a bunch of tickets for sale for THIS YEAR! NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY! hang on let me find the info...

Swallow's Nest. Yes, now I'm feeling long in the tooth. I remember going into their Sixth Ave store, but I was poor and couldn't afford anything in the store.

Yeah I'm just talking about mom and pop type shops. Obviously REI isn't going anywhere, nor the manufacturers. The key is either you have low overhead (low rent), or you have huge bags of money to open a flagship store in the downtown, bankrolled by $800 jackets which cost $50 to make. I guess.

I heard there was already a liquor license application in the window there at Second Ascent as of this past Sunday.