OlympicMtnBoy

Nice, I've been meaning to hit that area one of these days when I'm out there with nothing better to do. It's good to see pics of it.

Still looking, no PM or message from JH.

Nothing in my inbox, wonder if we're having PM probs on the site. Try email, stewartmatthiesen(at)hotmail.com. - S

So here's the deal, I found an MSR stove over labor day (PM me if you lost one). This is great cause my really old Coleman hasn't been performing well up high in the cold so I can use a new snow melter. However, I just found the stove, no fuel bottle or pump. I've never owned an MSR stove before so I don't have one laying around. I could go shell out the $50 at REI for a new pump and fuel bottle, but I thought someone here might have an extra spare laying around. I need the standard (not dragonfly) pump, obviously in good working condition, ideally the newer model with the harder to snap off plastic bits ( http://www.rei.com/product/709004 ). I could also use a fuel bottle (22 oz or so) to put the pump in. Let me know if you have something. I'm in Fremont (Seattle). :-)

Nice TR, I wonder if I can still get up there before the season ends.

An alternative to the pliers bit is to take a visit to your local Home Depot (or some other hardware stores) with everything measured out. They often have a big swager/cutter in the cable isle you can just borrow for your two crimps.

So it's not climbing, but I thought I'd post here just in case. I found a fleece jacket and a stove out on the Olympic Coast this weekend. We hiked from Rialto to Ozette and found these along the way (different locations). Super bitchy ranger Lea has them at the Ozette Ranger Station, wouldn't let me hold on to them for you (I suspect she'd like to keep the stove herself). Call them to claim, and let me know if you do, I'd kind of like to know the outcome for my complaint letter. In general I have only had great experiences with rangers in the Olympics, but this one was particularly unpleasant, rude, and unhelpful. I still want these items to go to the rightful owner.

Coolio, it's a fun route. We were up there last weekend and did it. We ended up with two teams in front of us and luckily they both bailed below the 5.8 flakes for lack of big gear. Funny enough I led it without placing anything bigger than a #1, even though I had up to a #4 camalot. That was the funnest pitch. Also we rapped with a single 60 three times to get to the gulley, one more past the chockstone, and one more time to the skiers right of the gulley from a tree near the bottom. Didn't need a second rope for anything, or were you just using a 50m?

So it looks like it might not rain too badly till the afternoon. I'd like to get out on something but I only have one day and I don't want to spend all of it driving. I guess clipping bolts at the exits wouldn't be too bad since I haven't been to at least 38 since last winter. Anyone up for it? I can drive (leaving from the westside) or meet you at the P+R. I haven't been clipping many bolts lately, but I'll at least be leading in the 5.10 range, especially there. I would like it if you can lead 5.10 as well so I don't have to do it all. Shoot me a PM. I'm open to other ideas if you don't want to hit the exits although I only have Saturday (and it's going to rain anyways). :-) - OMB

I'd hit an exit with ya on Saturday, check your PMs. - OMB

I could be up for Warrior in late October. Weather is a crapshoot but maybe we'd get lucky and find some ice somewhere in there?

Bummer on the foot, way to self rescue though, I hate that hike out even when my feet are good. I really have to climb that route. Heal fast!

I have one of these: http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/tarp.shtml It takes a little more thought to pitch but it's super light and has worked good for my summer/nicer weather shelter.

Frickin awesome, that looks like tons o fun. Nice job.

Looks like I found a partner, thanks though. :-) - OMB

So I thought I had a partner lined up, but they thought differently and now I am in need. I'd like to get a couple of good days of rock in, maybe up at Washington Pass or something. I spent the first part of this season on ice and snow in Peru so I'm feeling a little rusty on rock but probably leading 5.9+/10-. I'd like to do some longer routes (5.8+) and hopefully not have to lead everything or wait too long for you. I have all the usual equipment and a car that will probably make it there and back. Send me a PM or give me a call at 360-301-2585. I can leave early Sat or Friday afternoon and need to be back Monday morning. - OMB (Stewart)

I second the shade/cover up thing. I also have had good luck with Bullfrog, I especially like the Quickgel stuff, it's only spf 36 but stays on really well and is about the only thing I've found that doesn't sweat off into my eyes. In Peru this season I also used "Sol" high altitude sunscreen, Feathered Friends has it. Clear zinc oxide that only makes you look a little like casper, stayed on well and didn't sting my eyes.

Wow, what an awesome trip, you pretty much did the route I've been thinking about for the past couple years. Awesome pictures. BTW, is that Doug Ray with you? Do you still post here Doug? We should get out on something some time. I also saw your Buckhorn-Warrior TR and actually we were out that same weekend, saw where you signed in on the trail register. Of course we were carrying big steaks and a cast iron pan so we didn't make it much past Tubal Cain that day. ;-)

Nice, kinda inspires me to do a retro post of my Kyrgyzstan trip, maybe I'll get around to that eventually. :-) I'll have to get to SE Asia one of these years now too.

Finally! CFF has something useful. No, the machine at my gym does not have a vertical gain stat, and that's exactly what I was trying to figure out. It's also some version or other of the Nautilus Stairmaster so I'll assume that definition of a "floor" is the same. One floor in stairmaster world=10.66 feet, 94 floors=1000 ft. Before you go off, I KNOW it's just an estimate, it's also an indoor gym. :-p Thanks CFF.

Ok, so I was in the gym on the stairmaster (I know, working out indoors is lame but it was my lunch break) and I was looking at the stats on the screen. How much is a floor? When I've climbed 90 floors in Stairmaster world, how many feet have I climbed? Rough estimate?

I've got a pair of Rossignol Free Trek Ventures which are basically the same thing as the Grimper. They fit all my crampon compatible boots fine. I like using them for approches, basically the same as snowshoes with an occasional glide. They don't have as much flotation as real skis if it's powdery, but work pretty well anyways. I am NOT a skier. I never had a pair of skis before these. I've had them out on the lift slopes a few times with my leather mountaineering boots and had fun. I can't ski with a pack worth a damn though and thus have never really gotten a whole lot of advantage from them coming down except on snowy closed roads or gentle slopes with consistent snow. I had a hell of a time getting down from Colchuck Lake earlier this season when the snow was a hard icy crust. I'd either have too little edge to keep control on the ice, or too little flotation to keep on top of the softer crust in the sun. I think that was just shitty conditions for skiing though. I'll have em out again next winter, but one of these days I'd like to try real skis and stiffer boots.

Sjwages beat you all to it so it looks like I'm roping up with him again. :-) Maybe next time. May it be dry for all of us.

Yep, at it again. Anyone up for some rock or something else? I'm pretty flexible, but I'd like to climb something. I can do a long day but I really only have Sunday. Saturday I'll be shooting at stuff with my girlfriend and the FBI. I have a car, rack, etc, and am in Seattle at the moment.

I love cc.com for this sort of stuff! Thanks for posting that John. I'd be interested to know the year. Anyone wanna give it a go?