OlympicMtnBoy

Nice handiwork Pat! I use a small nail puller/hammer that I found in the hardware store for a few dollars, like a tiny hammer/crow bar. Works great for stubborn loose flakes on new routes too.

If it's a nice weekday I'd cross the pass and hit something up with you Pat, or we could have a solo aid party and get on routes next to each other and shout insults back and forth!

Here is a pic from last night with Vern of the Punchbowl/Trotsky's. He may be a bit more optimistic than I but at least Trotsky's Revenge took screws. The Cable was a great TR but very wet and not quite touching down (although some ice blobs at the start made the mixed moves easier). Extra fun in the dark after work. ;-)

Always fun to see winter stuff from the Olympics! Thanks!

I HAVE used both. The plastic just isn't going to get you through hard snow/ice chunks that you often encounter. In soft snow, they work great, so do a lot of things. Better than nothing, but not what I'd want in a real emergency. Snowclow actually made a metal "pro" version I was interested to check out but never have used.

Hey Nate, I'm around if you have some ideas for something that's not too much of a drive from L-worth. - S

I think I could also dig a snow cave with the plastic cutting board in my kitchen. Given enough time I could also do it with a spoon. So yes, you probably can. I would much rather have a "real" snow shovel with a metal blade for most conditions though. That looks like a nice light toy to play with in good weather or if you are rando racing and need to meet some arbitrary rule requirement for "having" avy gear. I used a Snowclaw once and it was functional but not what I'd want for real emergency shelters or for avalanche debris.

Can I come? I'm good at dropping unneeded gear!

Been raining hard and in the low 40s in Leavenworth, some of the stuff in the Tumwater might survive if it gets cold again, but looked pretty sketchy right now. I haven't been up the icicle since last week but I'd expect the same. Avy danger is going back up too with fresh wet snow but I hear the higher stuff might be better.

I'm out of town till the 27th but I'd be up for a trip from Leavenworth on the 28th or after. I'm still warming up my ice season so the hard leads are yours though. ;-)

You can come to Leavenworth and get one of mine. We even have some tiny bits of ice. Have to wait till after x-mas though. - S

My guess is that picture is just from the ice climbing up there and not the long snow/ice route listed in the book. There is some decent ice that forms up there near the lake most years for some ok single pitch cragging (except for the long approach and short days when its in). I think that picture you linked to is of someone on the ice flow to the far right of this pic from the same person: I've never heard of someone climbing the 1200 ft. line recently but it shouldn't be hard to climb something up to the ridge, lots of options. I would guess most people humping ice gear up there go for the shorter but harder ice flows instead of steep snow. Also might be pretty dry this year so maybe not enough snow right now? Ice climbing could be cool though without the snowpack, post pics if you go up there!

Those don't seem to have been available through mountain gear for a couple years now, not sure why they are still listed. I think the main use is for in-bounds avalanches (which DO happen) where the ski patrol is immediately on the scene with a Recco receiver to look for potential victims. I know at least some of the local resorts are equipped/trained. I'm not aware of any actual rescues but it seems like the system is getting more popular and probably wouldn't hurt (obviously never a replacement for a real beacon in the BC).

I think it's one of those things that are specifically not available separately or why would you buy the $800 jacket. Be handy to have one on the keychain though. Let me know if you find a source. Maybe find some older european gear or boots (aren't they built into some euro downhill boots?) you could get cheap and cut the reflector out? Edit: Looks like $30 or $40 on ebay would get you something if it's worth that much to ya.

Even with increased patrolling and enforcement, fee revenue won't cover enough of the operating costs. The first round cuts chose to decrease staffing and only close a few parks. I'd expect to see a lot more parks "mothballed" in the next year. :-( Beacon and Peshastin aren't exactly highest on the revenue generating list.

I think the La Sportiva Superfly was like that too but those are long gone.

Yep, it's a shame we can't fund State Parks through taxes (what, less than 12% of their funding now?). Personally I don't care if you don't want to pay for what you don't use, your grandkids might want to visit these parks some day. Raise my damn taxes! Please! My sincere apologies to the workers losing their jobs (I worked several summers as a park aide). I just hope these decreases don't result in further closures, and even lower use fees collected, and further closures . . .

I think ski boot fitter have little stick on pads than can go on the inside of the boot above the heel to provide a tighter fit in that area. Might ask at a shop if they have any of those pads for sale.

Smithbrook was nice last Sunday, we toured up a couple miles and then over towards Lichtenberg. Only heard one snowmobiler all day, I don't think it's that popular for them. Any road you get on right now is gonna be icy though. Not sure about other options.

I've used those Solomon amphibian type shoes with some success (in Red Rocks a couple times actually for stuff like Epinephrine). They are kind of like a mesh tennis shoe which doesn't protect the foot from catcti but keeps the rocks out and keeps me from banging my toes like with sandals/flip flops. They are pretty light and pack almost flat which was an issue for me as I hate to clip shoes to my harness and don't want my pack too bulging full. The plastic soles on those would be much improved with sticky rubber but I'm not sure you can resole that type of super light shoe easily.

Cool, except now that makes 4 (of 9) movies I didn't really have to pay to see at the Banff Film Fest in Leavenworth. Good find.

The canyons I've done will trash your rope pretty darn quick with all the sand, rapping into water, running your wet rope through sand again, etc. I wouldn't want to climb on anything I've done more than one or two dry canyons with. Do yourself a favor and get a cheap skinny static line. The canyoneering ropes (Imlay?) that you can get have tougher sheaths and float which are nice but those are pricey. Also depending what canyons you are doing you may not need 60 meters all the time. If you have any old retired ropes laying around that'd be a good cheap start.

Tempting, if it was for an extra day I'd consider it, maybe next time?

I used to drive an hour to get to the VW in Bremerton when I was living near Port Townsend. Of course I'd end up going like 3 times a year, mostly just in the winter. I'd find a buddy and make a rainy day of it when things started to get to me. Go have lunch at the mexican place near by and then go back in for some more. Now that I live here I sure wish there was something in L-worth or Wenatchee. I just put my hangboard up today. Moses Lake would be a bit too far.

It was several years ago but for my holds I used a drill press and a drill press vice. It took a while with a masonry bit and my dad dribbling water over it to cool the bit, but it worked and made for cleaner holes than a hand drill (which I didn't own at the time anyways). Softer rocks like sandstone worked best. Normal t-nuts/hex bolts after that made moving them easy.