OlympicMtnBoy

Oh sure, blame me right up there in front! I would just say you ought to climb some more Olympics rock, this is far from the chossiest climb I've been on out there. I can't entirely agree with your description though, maybe you just ended up on a slightly different line than I took last year with sjwages. I found the second pitch the worst and won't argue with the choss there. After that we mainly stuck near the ridge crest and I was able to find decent-mediocre pro the whole way up. We managed to find good ledges for belays right on the ridge crest, I don't remember anything being semi-hanging. Anyhow, glad you made it up and down safe. I'd happily do the route again myself. It's not a good route for a new leader or someone not confident on 5.6 but I thought it was great for moderate multi-pitch in the Olympics. :-) Let me know when you are ready for more!

CAMP with the universal binding, never had any probs. I've worn em on my tennies, hiking boots, and big clunky boots. No antibott though, gotta make your own. The Grivels have always looked nice to me too.

Bump. Anybody? Fun Olympics rock in the Needles, heck, I'd even go cragging at the Elwha or Chimacum rock, gotta get out and do something. Training hike anyone?

So I decided to go to my ten year high school reunion, which is poorly planned for Saturday night. I have sunday free and possibly the first half of monday. I'm flexible on objectives. Something up in the Needles might be fun, or ?? I have plenty of gear and will be leaving from near Port Townsend. Drop me a PM. :-)

Is there still a big price difference between here and B.C.? It worked for dental work for a friend of mine ad it's not too far to go for follow ups.

Neato, maybe I can finally try on a pair of JBs when I head to PDX next. Yay high tops!

Bummer, you should know better than to order anything from them in the spring/summer. Heck we even have Yosemite TRs showing up from our own cc.com crowd! Seriously though, I've had good experiences with Russ but it's always been at other times of year. They do have a reputation for not being timely if there is climbing to be done. Good stuff though. I hope you get your gear soon.

I saw what looked remarkable like a pika living inside of Tubal Cain Mine in the Olympics. I'd never seen any rodent like it in the Olympic before. It certainly wasn't a rat, squirril, or chipmunk of any kind I know and it's definately chilly in the mine with the creek flowing out of it.

So once again the spring weather is not so great. I do however need to get out and get some exercise, more than I generally get craggin anyways. Anyone out there want to take the gear for a walk somewhere. I'm in Seattle and pretty much open to anything except for hiking in to Colchuck Lake again, pretty damn tired of that road. Any other objectives you have in mind? PM me. - OMB

Nice job, looks like the Olympics season is finally opening. So what about that mythical rock route up the steep side of the dome?

I got hit on 524 coming back from Index. F**ker was literally pulling over every single car that went by, two at a time. He just stood in the road and pointed at people. So I ask for a court date (ticket in early march). I called the court last week since I hadn't heard anything. "Oh, we're a little backed up right because of our emphasis patrols, check back if you haven't seen anything by the end of NEXT month." Apparently you can "defer" one ticket every seven years if you don't get another ticket for a year. You have to pay a $150 fee, but it won't show up on your record.

I've seen old pics of belay pants with through the crotch zips that also allowed you to zip the legs together to form a sort of elephant foot sleeping bag bottom. I don't remember who made em, but if anyone knows I'd be curious about those too.

Yep, the Olympics always have a little more hidden away then you think. Nice job getting out there. Now I just wonder if the steepest part of that face even becomes a fun snow/ice climb? Hehehe.

Same boat, I got some Ice 9000s but I think they are a tad big and I get a wierd pressure point on the inside front of my left ankle. Might just try to find a size down (anyone need a nearly new pair of 11.5?) and then figure out the pressure point. As to your list, I don't think the Scarpa Phantom Lite is actually a double boot, just a single with an attached gaiter. I don't know anything about em, but Lowa also makes an Expedition 6000 and Expedition 8000 that I think are both double boots (at least the 8000 is). Just don't look at the price.

So the weather "might" actually be sunny, this being spring and all, and I can probably ditch work. Anyone wanna hit anything within striking distance of Seattle? Not so excited about the Exits or Vantage, but I could be talked into it. Never climbed at Darrington, could be fun? Is anything still in around Snoqualmie? Olympics? Other suggestions? I have plenty o gear and can drive (but only nice roads, borrowing Grandmas car right now). Will lead up to 5.10-, follow harder, prefer that you don't need belay lessons. PM me!

Can't most anyone get these at any Shell station by buying 10 gallons of gas?

Umm, yeah, that's what I was climbing too. Those nice ones over in Renton. Lucky bastard.

Feathered Friends in Seattle (not sure where you are) has Ice 9000s in 10.5 if you want to try them on. I think they're on sale for $320 too. I tried on a 12 (no 11 or 11.5 there) and it was a tad big, so I think these 11.5s will fit me. I normally wear a 45.5 La Sportiva Nepal Extreme and 11 or 11.5 in other stuff. Skyklone said he takes a 44.5 on his Sportivas and the 11.5 Ice 9000 is a tad big. Maybe that will help.

PM sent on Ice 9000s.

You bastards who spend too much time on the internet took all the stuff I want. Just in case I'll get in line for the larger big bros and aliens. I'd buy your funky Russian cam but they were only $12 new last time I was there. :-p

Dean Potter is really Alain Robert??? I knew the French were behind this whole thing! It explains sooo much . . .

Thanks, makes me feel better about the terrible time I had getting back down with my shorty skis the weekend before. That snow is just crap for skiing down from the lake right now. I got passed by vw4ever on his slow shoes too, ended up just bailing off the skis and postholing in a couple spots cause I didn't have enough edge to ski the icy crust (which of course wouldn't support me without the skis). Nice job on the couloir though. :-)

Note the height, 27.5". I saw a review on a brit site said it was hard to do much inside cause it was so freaking squat. No personal experience though.

After the recall debacle, I sent all 9 of my Aliens back for tensile testing at the end of January when I went on vacation (non-climbing). I got em all back a couple weeks ago with nice "tensile tested" stamps on the swages and little tags that said "tensile tested by Dave Wagonner". Given my painted on ID markings, and tags on the clip-in loops, none of them seemed to have been replaced (ie: failed the test). I am once more happy with them. I haven't used the offset TCUs yet, but Aliens still have a secure place on my rack. I talked to Dave once before I mailed my cams in and he was terse but gave me the info I needed. The other guy I talked to when I called to check on the status of them after a month was very nice, found my cams, and moved them to the top of the to-do pile. I said I didn't need them back immediatly, but it seemed like they were willing to make an extra effort if I had a big trip coming up (since they'd already been there a month).

AJScott, thanks for the nifty pics, gives me some good encouragement there. The winter direct listed in the new Olympics guidebook is different from the summer route, it goes climber's right of the SE ridge and has mixed potential depending on snow conditions (according to the book). The summer route is way on the other side of the ridge. Deception looks like it could have some fun potential in the right conditions. I've never been up there before. Damnible, sounds fun if the road is open high enough. Spring cc.com party in the Olympics anyone? Maybe after this next bit of snow settles? - OMB