olyclimber

I came in 14th in my race, in the heat and smoke at Marymoor. I wiped out twice. Wish I could have joined you, but this cyclocross stuff is turning out to be pretty fun. Got my 4th race in Arlington on Sunday. I will definitely go camp at this spot next year. Glad you got to tick it off, it is beautiful back in there.

Ah he is an InReach user too. I may be at the other end of the "risk spectrum" with my dog hikes into the mountains, but InReach sure has been nice to keep my wife from worrying about "if we made it". "It is difficult for me to gauge or quantify how much more difficult it was than soloing the route in summer back in 2009. For sure it was a significant step up, even though in 2009 I had particularly bad conditions for summer, and even though this time I had, I think, pretty good conditions for winter, and certainly good weather. It is also difficult for me to gauge, at least in my still-tired state, where this ascent stands among my other climbing accomplishments, or how this ascent will be viewed by others. I often find the public reaction to various climbing accomplishments to not correlate very strongly with the actual difficulty of the climbing accomplishment. These days what seems to count is making movies rather than making difficult ascents. It doesn’t matter really. I know from the intensity of my experience that it was pretty darn badass, and I don’t need external affirmation to confirm that to me." Damn...that sounds just like me after I climbed Chikamin with Kiba! More than anything, the thing that has always impressed me about Colin is his integrity and humility. And no doubt I could never truly judge his ascents, they are beyond my comprehension.

I saw that! Stone Henge?

There is no glacier feeding that lake. Its just western facing snow fields above. So I guess it makes sense because it being the driest year on record.

Not sure what the story is with this lake, but it sure fluctuates a lot! I was there in the late 90s and camped out to it, a beautiful blue lake right below Mt Buckhorn. It must have been earlier in spring, because the lake was full. This past weekend, at the end of summer, it is shrunk to a little pond. I think it must fill up and then empty by the end of each summer...even the google map imagery shows it full: My photo from the late 90s...must have been late spring: (I loved that tent! I think it was a Northface Arrowhead. I wore it out.) Yesterday: I assume this is normal/it has been like this? Also weird: this site describes it as a "glacial fed lake". http://www.protrails.com/trail/659/olympic-national-park-buckhorn-lake What glacier?

You guys were right. The TX4s are the best. They had the most fun. But also just kinda of the perfect balance of lightness, grip, fit, and support/cushion for my feet. Put 19 miles on mine yesterday and my feet were happy at the end of the day. Kinda of reminds of if Mythos were a hiking shoe. I'm actually considering buying another pair to stash because every time I find a shoe that works it seems like the next year they change things up a bunch and make it worse.

Which depending out your political point of view and your trust of those in power politically to spend that money in a wise and fair way is pretty smart (or not, again depending on your politics).

Yeah I’m guilty too and my excuses were pretty lame. Yeah its better in the spring.. The views from the eastern Olympics were no better today… but Kiba got another summit. You know, he could do this one. I’ll have to put it on his list. I ended bagging on section J because of the fire and we hiked up Buckhorn via the Tubal Cain today. 19 miles but that section of trail once you get past the mine up to Buckhorn pass is belíssimo. Then into the clouds from there.

Love it!

That is the cleanest summit registry I've ever seen...or at least the driest.

https://snowbrains.com/mont-blanc-mountain-hut-in-italy-crashes-from-its-altitude-of-12057-feet/ dang!

Well could have also been a camel.

I don't think I've been to that one! I will get over there. Schmitz Preserve and Mee Kwa Mooks, both which are close by to me have them. Once or twice a year you hear of them "attacking" someone, probably because that person has a hairdo that looks like a tasty rodent or something.

Slow down man, leave some of the climbing to the rest of us! That is a cool shot of that bird. The weird bird experience I have had this summer is hearing owls hoot on pretty much every trip I've taken this summer. Usually late at night, right before I go to sleep. And, after wishing I had an owl living in the trees on my tiny piece of land here in the city (West Seattle), I actually have been hearing them this summer while laying in bed at night! Its a barred owl. I should buy one of @Uncle_Tricky 's owl houses for it. But every night, even heard one up at Goat Lake in the Olys, which was strange because I didn't think they would go that high. My last was just there at the Mineral Creek trailhead when I laid in the tent next to my truck. Maybe I'm just going crazy though, idk.

The real question is whether Sasquatch is an inter-dimensional traveling super intelligent alien, or is he just another shy earthbound critter?

Two for one! Thanks both of you, I want to get back in here too now.

“My successes have largely been built off an ability to separate the negativity of my dumb brain from the mechanical motions of moving upwards.“ you are not the only one.

Bear party!

Certainly would change the objective hazards of alpine climbing if you added in getting shot at or IEDs. Looking forward to the next installment on your alpine adventures. With a camera/lens set up like that coupled with the talent to actually use it….in the alpine. Awesome. Nice to have another guy like @JasonG lugging the good gear up to bring back some fantastic images here.

No worries Rad, and nothing set in stone here yet. I have some vacation to burn and weather still looks good, so I may just head out mid-week anyway. Gotta get out there while the gettins good!

Don't go too hard on the courtship! Rat might find out.

Well, my watch is pretty fancy. It tells me stuff like this: 5987 ml Est. Sweat Loss

Probably next week at the earliest now as I got stuff going on and a short week. Next Wednesday? And @underscore_child I can't condone that, but hope you can make it depending on where it goes down

in case you needed a new ring tone or alarm sound for your phone....

Were they related?