OlympicMtnBoy

Well shit, trip canceled. I need to go to Bremerton to get my turkey. Plan A AND Plan B both gone to crap with the weather.

Crap, my turkey just got stuck in the snow (literally) and I have to meet it at the ferry at 6:30 PM tomorrow or there will be no thanksgiving. I'm still up for a morning session or just ending the day by 4 or so to get back.

I could take all or most of the day off tomorrow. Is anyone interested in poking around to see if anything is forming with the recent cold. I know, probably just taking the tools for a walk, but it'd be nice to get out. I have plenty of ice gear. What I don't have is a good snow vehicle so I'd prefer to meet in Seattle somewhere or a park and ride along I-90 and hop in someone elses car. I'm open to other suggestions or even just an afternoon drytool session too.

How did I get two identical threads? Oh well. Ivan, let me know if you wanna come up for some icy aid at Index some time, maybe not sport aid, but there is sporty aid to be had. Supposedly there are some ugly holes to climb into on Cave Ridge too but I'd need somebody to show me where. Dorian, I think that's why some of my stitching isn't so straight . . . :-)

Yeah Dave, that's a good project too. Maybe I can blame my less than straight stitching on multitasking. ;-)

Dammit, I'm stil jealous, looks like a great time. I'm gonna have to get me somma dem rockin speekerz too!

Dammit, I'm stil jealous, looks like a great time. I'm gonna have to get me somma dem rockin speekerz too!

With a couple of rainy days last week I got out the ol' sewing machine and finished up some projects. Here are the results: a tiny haul/rope bag (about the size of a 5 gallon bucket), a beefy wall bag, and a tiny hook bag. I found the super burly haul bag fabric by recycling a large marine water bladder from free bin of the marine surplus store. The lighter yellow VCN came from the same place and was formerly a large container with a metal frame. Anyone else got any cool rainy day projects going on?

With a couple of rainy days last week I got out the ol' sewing machine and finished up some projects. Here are the results: a tiny haul/rope bag (about the size of a 5 gallon bucket), a beefy wall bag, and a tiny hook bag. I found the super burly haul bag fabric by recycling a large marine water bladder from free bin of the marine surplus store. The lighter yellow VCN came from the same place and was formerly a large container with a metal frame. Anyone else got any cool rainy day projects going on?

Hey Chad! I might be able to skip out on work Tuesday. It would be good to see you and get out. I'll give you a call!

OMG Gene and Layton, my problems are solved! Now I even have a good reason to wear my goggles around town! Enhanced reality here I come! Can these do Google Goggles too? JFS, thanks, I hadn't heard the the Foretrex had the newer antennae, I guess that came with the 301/401 version. Maybe I'll think about that one again since there don't seem to be any other contenders just yet. It still looks like the same OS as the Geko though. Is it still limited to 6 characters for naming waypoints too?

I've thought that too when going through in the spring. I know there are a few rock routes up that way, search the AAJ online for them, but I don't know about mixed or ice routes. Might be a good time to check it out?

I don't mean that the 500 waypoint limit is a problem, it's just that it's the exact same technology (with memory limitations) as the Geko that is 8 or 9 years old. I know that there are newer better antennae and that solid state memory is damn cheap. Is there anything that has some of these newer things built in? The Foretrex is just a repackaged Geko and I could just spend the $80 to get a refurb Geko. Does no one make a simple GPS anymore? The phone option is very cool and I have some friends doing that, except that work pays for my basic phone and no data plan. I don't like having those extra monthly fees, and I have broken a few phones and don't want to have an expensive one (mostly water damage). The etrex vista hcx is onsale at REI, but still not sold on that over the geko.

So my venerable Garmin Geko 301, after probably 8 years and thousands of miles being beat up in my pocket, has finally kicked the bucket. I'm actually still frantically trying to get my waypoints off it while it only intermittently powers on and drains batteries in a matter of minutes. So I guess I need a new one but I see all these new touch screen 3-d maps, talk to your SPOT, make phone calls, etc units. Is there something out there that just has good reception, is small, light, durable, and has a barometric altimeter? I normally just take waypoints at breaks, occasionally enter locations to find, and use the altimeter. It doesn't need to have maps or anything fancy. I really liked the Gecko 301 but it's been discontinued (although the Foretrex is basically the same thing). There must be something out there though that has the improved signal reception of newer unit though and isn't limited to 500 waypoints and 6 character names like the old Garmins (and the Foretrex). Suggestions? Or should I just send my Geko back to Garmin who offered to send me a refurb for $80.

I'm so jealous! Looks great!

I sense thread drift . . but . . . That's similar to the theory Brian Ellis mistakenly used in May when rappelling from Serenity Crack in Yosemite. His jammed knot DID work it's way through the aluminum rappel rings and he did not survive. Also realize that as your skinny rope slid through your webbing anchor it was generating friction that could potentially cut through the webbing. No knot slipping needed for your anchor to fail then. If you are rapping off webbing you definitely want to use the method pictured above to ensure your rope can't rub on the anchor. I've used it fine with a 5.5 mil spectra pull line but only where I was fairly sure it wouldn't catch on anything, otherwise I'd make shorter raps with one rope.

Thanks Lowell! I had it on my list and finally read the first chapter a couple weeks ago. Great work and a fascinating read. I especially liked this bit following the near disastrous first descent of Mt. St. Helens: "The men finally found each other and rejoined their girl friends who had been waiting at the bottom of the mountain during their climb. With six bottles of homemade beer, they drove to Cannon Beach in Oregon for a night swim in the ocean. “Ha! Marvelous,” recalled Giese. “That was quite a day, quite a day!”" I look forward to reading the new chapter!

I use a short skinny rope (30 or 40 meters) for more moderate routes where you are likely to encounter a lot of easy terrain or simul climbing but only have a short step or two of difficult bits shorter than your rope length. A lot of routes in the Olympics have short steps but rarely multiple severe pitches in a row for example. Same with many volcano routes. If the route is going to involve a lot of pitched out climbing or long sections of water ice then I will opt for a longer rope (60 or 70m). The descent may also dictate how long a rope you need for the raps as well, but most of the moderate routes I'm thinking of also have fairly moderate descents that don't involve multiple long rappels in a row.

I've gone out to practice snowcave building as a fun activity when the weather was too crappy to do other things. That and some avalanche transceiver practice makes for a fun day. I think we did it once in the boyscouts too. A snowcave isn't complicated, but making a comfy and warm one where you stay dry and don't suffocate does involve a tad more than just digging a hole. Freedom of the Hills has a section on it I think. I don't think it's uncommon to practice with a friend, even if it's not an expert skill you need to be taught.

I emailed all three.

That looks like fun! I wanna come! I'm not sure I can make it to Trout Lake Saturday though. :-(

Who needs an excuse? He was just in town last week! Lookin a little older and his voice is faded from the drinking/smoking life, but he played a lot of great classics.

So for those of you who have used these gloves and been "warm and dry", how do they compare to other gloves? Or are you usually "warm and dry"? I have never had a glove that kept me dry, maybe my hands just sweat a lot and I climb in wet snow (of course I use thinner gloves when working hard). Would these be any different?

Cool, I'd love to check it out. Not sure I'd pay more than $1 though. ;-)

I highly recommend you check out the "How to Big Wall Climb" posts on supertopo.com by Chris McNamara. There is some great stuff there including some videos going over basic aid technique, gear, etc. http://www.supertopo.com/a/How-To-Big-Wall-Climb-Table-of-Contents/a139n.html