Chad_A

Hot damn! I couldn't remember what website had the Rainier Norwand cam on it. Thanks

actually, one of the links does have the paradise cam, just the one facing south, not toward the mountain.

c'mon, somebody!!!

Still available; had plans, ended up cancelled. Can leave any time on Saturday, have to be back Monday night. Call at 503 679 1187, email, PM, Etc. Open to options, just don't want to do dog routes.

Don't have much of an opinion of all of this, except to say "good on them" for having the fortitude of completing the three most boring routes on the volcanoes in 28 hours. I would've went to the nearest brewery.

http://nwhiker.com/pnwWXcam4.html http://nwhiker.com/pnwWXcam2.html I'm sure that most of you have seen these, but it's nice to have them compiled in one place. Check out the website http://www.northwesthiker.com/ for trail info by region. Sorry if you all already know about this.

I have a Chernobyl, and a pal has the Chaos; we both took ours to a plastics supply place, and had them cut HDPE framesheets for them. Added a neglible amount of weight, and they both carry much, much better now.

I lead there on a two-day-a-week basis; you can always PM me, and see if I'm going to be down there. Feel free to look me up. ---Chad---

Looking to get out. PM if interested, or email me under my username. Wouldn't mind doing Buckner, as I've been shut down a couple of times.

Whoa, that's a recent pic? If the freezing level was down, and you could get high enough before the sun hit hard, the NF would go fine. What a strange year. The NF in June? Go figure.

Don't know how old your fuel is, but if it's been around for a while, might want to try a different batch and see if it does any better. Just a thought.

Nice TR, and good job with giving it a shot. Sounds like you had fun...it will be most rewarding to go up and finish it off, now that you have the skills to do so.

I picked the wrong time of the year to move... wish I could've been along for that one. Crackalicious, have fun if you head up!

There you go. Nice pup!

One thing to add: Suunto's service department is very nice. I thought that, with my original Vector, that I'd screwed up the o-ring, because it freaked out, and failed. Sent it in, and turned out to be a cracked case (I'm pretty hard on my watches, evidently.) It was a year and a half out of its warranty, and they replaced it with a brand-new looking remanufactured unit without a cent of cost. Seems to be their policy to send you a remanufactured unit when they receive your unit (probably makes for a quick turnaround time). I sent mine in again to get the scratched face replaced, and again, they sent me a brand new looking reman unit. Very nice!

I'm usually down at the PRG a day or two a week, to lead, or whatever. Occasionally, I'll do trips to Smith to practice trad; most extensive windows of time off I have from work are reserved for the alpine, though. If anyone is looking for a 'round town lead partner, look me up. I check my PM's here daily.

Glad you made it back okay...and welcome to the site

Yup, fact of life, brother. Just because it's Smith, doesn't mean that it's totally immune of objective danger. Total load of bullshit. You go unnecessarily knocking rocks on people, and make no mistake about it, you are the asshole, period. And maybe Dr. Flash Amazing is mistaken (not likely, of course), but doesn't objective danger stem from the environment or other factors out of the control of humans? So, like, if the Churning Buttress fell on 50 people gaping at someone dogging their proj, that'd be objective danger. Pigeon attack at the top of Vomit Launch; objective. Spontaneous nubbin failure on BBQ the Pope; objective. Louts dumping choss on your head; poor choice on their part. Being a gravel-dumping chosstronaut above a popular zone on a busy day at Smith is not cool. I've seen C.C.'s post, and the great DFA's posts, and put that way, I see where you're coming from. On the Christian Brothers traverse, with that said, would it be obvious from the getgo that you would be dumping choss on the people below you? If not, I don't know if you could call them an asshole. Just, uh, unknowing...

I think that might've been Oleg and I. I knew to do that, because I've been screwed before with trying to approach in the dark; what looked like it would go, wouldn't (Neri knows all about this ) Given the low freezing levels continuously, and the precip, I'd bet that the approach to the headwall would be a piece of cake right now. Give 'er a week to settle the snow, and it'd be golden up there, I'd guess. Like ashw said, though, you're not likely to find any fun technical stuff up there, now. Back in March, in the dry spell, there was a little to be found. Now, with some fresh up there, prolly won't. Have fun up there whenever you go! Every time I go up there, I'm reminded how goregeous it is.

Yup, fact of life, brother. Just because it's Smith, doesn't mean that it's totally immune of objective danger.

What's wrong with children wearing helmets, too? I see kids wearing helmets on a daily basis while riding their bikes. Good climb, Nick. That one's on my list. I think the exposure might be a bit much for the g/f to follow me on it, after rereading the original post

So, with all the climbing that I've done in the last two years here, after the grand move from flatland Michigan, my girlfriend has noticed that the tempo just seems to keep ramping up, and that there's no end in sight. "So, what big goal do you have in climbing, for this year, next year, or even ten years from now?" Mind you, she's supportive in asking this; she's always glad to have me home, but notices it when I'm climbing regularly. I'm "more like myself". It took me a second to answer her, but I guessed, off the top of my head, it would have to be something small, but difficult, in the Alaska Range, Waddington Range, or something fairly difficult in Peru. Here's where I'm looking for input; advantages, disadvantages, steps in skill to overcome, first, that are hard to experience in the PNW. I've heard people say in the past "It ain't the Cascades, Jack", so that's why I'm asking. I understand that climbing Hunter, even though is at near the same elevation as Rainier, must be much more difficult, almost by any route. The Waddington Range sounds great; I picked up Serl's book on the range, and there looks like some truly inspiring things to climb up there, but I'm guessing that it may be just as expensive to get in there, as the Alaska Range. I was wondering what the "intangibles" that the Waddington Range have, and how they stack up to the Alaska Range. Peru, on the other hand, sounds awesome. I've heard secondhand about the sheer faces, and the rotten snow that seems to almost impossibly cling to them, from close sources. Only, I don't speak anywhere near the language to feel comfortable with getting there, unless it's easier than it seems. I'm guessing flights there aren't that expensive, though. If anyone has been to any or all of the ranges above, feel free to share experiences, and what you would suggest to someone in a position like mine, and transitional climbs that might help ease someone, with greater goals in mind, into the bigger ranges. Please don't spray on this post. Other than that, speak up. If people need a list of climbs I've done to gauge a response, I can reply to that, but out of not "chest beating", I'd rather not unless asked. Most of the regulars around these parts probably have seen some of the TRs I've been involved with, anyway. "Tawk amongst yoselves"

Looking for someone to Lead with (or TR with, if you don't lead) at the PRG tomorrow. PM me, or email me at anderson7149@comcast.net. Thanks!

Oleg called the other day about the road opening. If I remember right, he said their respose was the end of May sometime.