OlympicMtnBoy

You could also try Evan at Blackrockgear.com (in Greenwood/Phinney). Not sure if he'd want to do custom stuff but he has the skills with ultralight down gear. But I think others are right, for the cost of that much customization you could probably buy a new bag.

Nice job, way to get er done! Third time is the charm!

Nice TR, that was one of my first alpine climbs, inspired by the old Olympic Mountains climbing guide cover. It's a beautiful area and a fun easy climb up a cool feature! I still need to get back to do the rest of the Sawtooths.

I just love this thread only for amount of gear both lost and found in these few posts. Awesome! Oh and nice climb too!

Nice way to do it! I'm gonna have to copy your bike loading techniques there, if I ever get off my butt to do such a thing!

I dunno, "Game Knuckle" is what the Strong Men eat. Looks like a great trip!

Nice jungle pics!

Looks like fun, it is a pretty ridge in your first pic there!

Off the original topic, but DPS is right that riding up hill can suck, however riding back downhill is awesome if you are coming out the same way. If it's too steep to ride comfortably I just get off and brace the pack on the handlebars/frame and push the bike. It's kind of like having a cart for your pack and feels easier than just hiking if you are on a good road. Not any slower than just hiking on the uphill, much faster when you get to coast back down. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Hehe, nice TR, sounds like a good time overcoming the difficulties and getting through! It's easy to underestimate that "route" as the park service officially classifies it to differentiate from a "trail". The three times I've been up there have always had thick clouds gather in the afternoon up there, no matter the forecast which does indeed make the somewhat complicated route finding difficult on the descent. Next time just take plain hiking/approach boots too and you'll probably be happier all around. Now we wanna see some pics! I love that area up there and that arete should get done more.

Are you sure it's the UV that's bugging your eyes. Sometimes my eyes get dried out and irritated just from the wind you often encounter and don't pay much attention to. It happens on cloudy days as well and is sometimes worse when skiing (below tree line) if I don't wear goggles. Eye drops might help then, or clear goggles/glasses when it's not bright out. I don't think increasing visible light opacity would help much since they already block UV. Unless you are getting a lot of leakage as mentioned above.

Hehe, I was just giving you a little extra prodding. Thanks for all your work on this, it's really cool to see everyones pics and have a chance to participate!

Cool, it may have overgrown a bit since I was last in from that side several years ago. It may also be that my partner once took a header between two house sized boulders in the boulder field and I thought I was gonna have to carry his body out till he popped back up a minute later.

Nice job Tom, looks like fun! I need to ski off Stuart one of these days! The last time I was up there from that side (not counting skiing on a good snow pack last Feb), I found it was much easier/faster to pick up the trail on the right bank of Mountaineers Creek rather than scrambling the cairned boulder field route. It didn't really become a trail until after you were in a ways around where the boulder field starts. Is that trail gone? Or just still hard to find?

Is there gonna be a "Photo Contest Winners" thread or something or do I have to scroll to the 10th page of each category, check the winner graph, then go back and find that number pic in the big list? I'm lazy. . . ;-) Great pics all!

Nice job! Here I thought it was a lot of work to solo the much shorter Leaning Tower as a first Yosemite wall (with a similar practice schedule in the rain at Index).

Or come up and do the complete Dana's Arch with me!

Second on the Spyderco Ladybug, tiny and light, really nice blade. One lives on a biner on my harness with some prussik/rap cord, never take it off, never notice it till I need it.

Sounds like a fun trip with some good elevation there! Any pics? I need to get back out in the Olympics!

I keep meaning to get up in there to ski! Looks like fun! And Lowell is right, Martin peak is the last peak of the Needles, just before Deception.

I spent a season teaching climbing to kids at an outdoor ed. school n southern CA. Every day I'd have to hike out and set up a bunch of top ropes on some 30 ft slabs. After a little while I decided to start learning alternate rappel methods since the kids were almost always late anyways. Dulfersitz works fine but is a bit painful and I'd hate to do it on anything overhanging for more than a few feet. That being said I have used to a few times while canyoneering where I knew the raps would be short and mostly into water or down slippery chutes. Let me leave the harness and crap at home and travel light, and a bit more secure than handlining it with frozen fingers. Then again, you aren't going to need to spend time doing crap like that in Yos. :-)

I think I've worn my hardshells like twice in the past 5 years and that was for skiing in the rain. Wear synthetic undies and a softshell and if you're moving you'll dry em out and keep warm. I hardly ever take hardshells anymore even in the pack although I do use some fleece lined, nylon shelled overpants in the winter sometimes. I'd go with the lightest/cheapest shell you can find with full zips if you're just going to carry it. The Mountaineers would disagree.

The bridge to Khazad Dumb . . .

Matt following on the NE Buttress of Chair Peak. I don't know why I'm posting as there are way cooler pics upthread!

Sunset bivy below Mt. Hardy.