dan_forester

I have taken this class, though it was about 5 years ago. When I took it I thought it was a good overview of a broad range of mountaineering skills, but it moved slowly. There were a lot of lectures and skill sessions in large groups. I don't remember a lot of real high-angle snow practice but the crevasse rescue sessions were useful. If you're mostly interested in the snow stuff I believe the Mazamas also offer a snow & ice class. If you already have significant experience climbing you might find the pace and the limited curriculum of the ICS class frustrating. I did meet some great partners in the class, so if you are looking for people to climb with, it's a good way to get to know fellow climbers. Some of the folks who help out with the class post here occasionally; maybe someone can chime in with more up-to-date information?

no need for a helmet on Mt St Helens

that pretty much sums it up!

Slandering people you don't know isn't really insight. I've met Monty a couple times and your description doesn't sound like him. which isn't to say that the Mazamas don't need to do a better job in general on managing their groups... taking a dozen people on a climb is irresponsible, and I wish they'd examine their policy on group size. I was involved in the Mazamas for a few years but am not any longer - I decided that their practice of mobbing routes with armies of inexperienced climbers was not something I want to be associated with. Dan Forester

no need for a bridge. some of us badly need the exercise. also the approach helps to keep that part of the park a little less crowded. good luck on your guidebook project - if you need something to spend all your profits on, I'm sure there are a ton of erosion control type projects out there that would be worthy (i.e. the walk off from the backside of Koala Rock, just to name one such potential project).

also at Rocky Butte - (1) warrior wall: don't remember the names of the climbs but there is a bolted 10 something on the right and an 11-something in the corner to the left. you could probably do some swinging between those 2. (2) also between espresso and blackberry jam, maybe? or even just on blackberry jam. I haven't been out there in a while so my memory might be faulty.

Nice pictures & nice work on the aid solo. Getting into the cave is really the only place you need to worry about knocking rocks off - there is a lot of loose stuff there. I think the rangers, and everyone else for that matter, would care a lot more about someone on the trail getting hit by a rock than by someone bivying discreetly in the cave. The last time I was at smith I saw the ranger scrambling over Asterisk Pass; I was surprised because I've never seen a ranger anywhere except the parking lot. He seemed like a friendly guy.

I've seen this at Shovel Point - ropes running across the trail, or is my memory bad here? No bolts at Taylor's Falls either? Sorry for the drift, the policies at crowded Minnesota state parks probably aren't relevant to whatever crag the OP is talking about, which I imagine is semi-remote?

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Great photos, Mtn Shots, esp. this one: thanks for bringing this back, Tyler!

that's right where we were, we must have missed the obvious gully I guess.

a couple years ago we were on Elinor in the summer & tried to scout out a good traverse over to Washington. We kept getting cliffed out. With a rope and a little gear there would have been better options; I remember seeing what looked like a solid-ish rock ridge (exposed) that I would have tried with a rope. I've heard that the routefinding is more straightforward coming from Mt Washington to Elinor, but I don't have personal knowledge of that. Sounds like a fun idea, looking forward to hearing how it goes!

I don't think that additional bolts or fixed lines are going to make the butte any safer. It's fundamentally a pretty dangerous place to set up a toprope, especially when it's wet and muddy. There's definitely access trails that I avoid when it's wet (silver bullet, warrior wall). What folks need to stay safe there is (1) good judgment and (2)knowledge of options for setting up a rappel line or a fixed/safety line. I've been lucky enough to have climbed out there a lot with Bill, who knows the area real well and showed me a bunch of great spots to set up safety lines, etc. Folks aren't generally used to having to rig up a fixed line in order to set up a toprope anchor, but the butte is special in this regard; there's spots where it's kind of crazy not to use a fixed line or a rappel to get to the anchors. In general, I'd say if it looks at all sketchy, look around for the nearest big tree and build an anchor. Extra webbing and short ropes always come in handy at the butte. Choose rappelling over downclimbing when you can. I'd be fine with a couple more rap bolts but like hemp22 says they probably would disappear pretty soon.

what this board needs is more Cobra Commander. I've tried Barge cement for a similar (poor-climbing-style-induced) tear on my old shoes. that didn't work so well. another thing that didn't work so well was duct tape over the toe. what did work pretty well was getting them resoled.

lots of good information here...

Bill, I second Jay's recommendation for the essay "A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again" as an introduction to DFW. "Infinite Jest" is incredible, one of the few books I reread over and over - mostly for the (sub?)-plot around Don Gately and the rest of the 12 steppers - but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that to someone to read first. It's like someone expressing an interest in Joyce & handing them Ulysses. Right now I'm reading the collection of essays "Consider the Lobster" which is very entertaining - there's a piece (which I've also read somewhere on the web) in there about the 2000 McCain primary campaign which is really interesting to read in the context of the current presidential campaign. McSweeney's has some great anecdotes and memories of DFW on their site.

wow, it was your lucky day.

nice pictures!

half free + half aid = 'fraid? that's my preferred style as well.

that was a pretty good article, and a touching story. Best wishes to Dr. Lee's family & friends.

that's a great picture, Mark!

kraftwerk...the antidote to LS:

delivering papers in Minnesota one weekend when the temp was -40 F, -79 with windchill. That was in 1985 or 1986. I never want to experience such bone-chilling cold again.

sounds like you're enjoying Korea, Rick! Glad it's working out.

snow on the N ridge is a good thing - kicking steps up & plunge-stepping down beats the tedious late-season scramble. however snow on the pct is not as nice, especially when snow cover on the pct causes you & your partner to miss it on the way back...though I wouldn't know anything about that first-hand of course.