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markwebster

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Everything posted by markwebster

  1. Just curious, why are you selling this gear? Buying something new, or did the wife discover your toy stash? There is an old joke about eagles. They have extremely sharp vision, but they can't count. As long as you can sneak the extra eagle chick into the nest when mama eagle isn't looking, she will never notice.
  2. Thanks for that picture, very revealing! I wonder if it would benefit from a soft cover...like leather or something. That foam looks like it could rip very easily while having an epic in a chimney. I'd love to replace my old Joe Brown helmet with something lighter...but not if it will wear out in a season.
  3. I heard that from that mountaineering store in Ashford, on the way to Paradise. He stocks that helmet. He might have just been speculating, but said to watch the upcoming spring trade shows. He said Petzl tends to lead the way, then other companies jump in. So it may all be rumors. I considered painting it with artist water color paint...
  4. JasonG, How durable is it? I heard you can sit on it, and it will reshape...like memory foam. Is that true?. I worry that it will get crushed in my haul bag and crack. I've been known to sit on my pack from time to time.
  5. I am also considering that helmet. There are some big time alpine climbers wearing them. I think I saw someone like Colin Haley or Jens wearing one in a photo recently. The one person I met with one said he loved it. And considering that all the great rock climbers don't wear helmets at all...this thing is so light...it could become very popular, even with the obvious drawback of the missing shell. Any helmet is better than no helmet. I did hear that there will be a bunch of copycat helmets coming out this spring, using the same foam technology...but with more acceptable colors. I was about to buy the neon orange Petzl Sirocco but my wife forbid it. She said I looked like a pumpkin head dork :-)
  6. BootsandPants: good tip, I changed it to skis, boots and poles. rob: Yes, people drink Fireball...in quantity...but maybe I hang with too many dirtbags. I added a "print friendly" click function, after which it fits on standard copy paper. Keep the additions coming! You guys get out in the mountains more than me.
  7. Hey Mark...wet ones, beer, paper towels, I think of them as groceries. It would be nice to add Fireball though... Mosquito net is something I should add. It lives in my pack and should be on the list. There is no chair on the list because needing one would mean I'm getting old. I like my drunk chair: make a "T" with two peices of firewood. If you can't balance on it, you've had too many Mikes.
  8. I tend to forget stuff when I go on climbing trips, so I made a list: Packing list for climbing trips It should be print friendly. If you have ideas for adding to it, I'd love to hear them!
  9. yes, drag and drop would be a huge help, especially for people who are awesome climbers, but not as computer savy as those of us who spend our days staring at computers. I don't know what is out there as far as plug in drag and drop functionality. I do know that anything on the web that involves user friendly interactivity, almost always involves heavy back end programming. One thing that might help would be some video tutorials on how to take a picture out of a camera, size it down for the web, upload it to the cc.com server, and then write a tr, while inserting the image, and describing it. If you twisted my arm, I could do that, in a variety of image editing software. This is a video I recorded on removing a rope from a photo in Photoshop. I'm assuming that managing this website is a labor of love, and that it runs on a shoestring? How about asking for a one time donation to help pay for a drag and drop functionality? I'd throw in some cash.
  10. I've cut back a bit, and it is partially because you need a thick skin here...which I don't always have. Also, and I suspect others have encountered this...I go on a trip and post my pictures on Facebook...which makes uploading photos very easy. Plus Facebook, or at least my account, is all friends, not public. So there are no attacks. Then, after a while, I post pictures here...which means I have to upload my images to my personal webserver, and then write a trip report here, carefully noting the image file names and pasting them into the text entry boxes, making sure that I have the relevant words next to the image file names. You don't get a visual reference while talking about a picture...you have to know the file name. The user interface here is sort of "last century"...but you do get what you pay for :-) As someone else said, uploading images to the cc server is awkward. Putting my images on my server is perhaps not optimal for longevity of a cc.com trip report...but my server may well outlive cc.com...I intend to keep my domain name for as long as I own a computer. And then I have to post my own tr on my blog-climbing page. So that is three times I write a tr, for every trip: Facebook, CC, and blog. Not that I'm complaining...it's fun sharing photos and stories. Couple ideas: improved image uploader, similar to facebook where multiple images can be uploaded at once, and you get a visual reference for the image you are describing. The ability to post a tr in an iframe? Don't know if that would work. So you could write your normal tr on your blog, and embed it in an iframe on cc.com? That brings up the old issues of framesets and copyrights, etc, etc. But overall declined usage might have more to do with the economy. There aren't a whole lot of jobs left anymore where you can spend hours surfing the internet and get paid for doing nothing.
  11. Brian, this me on Fisticuffs, 10b. Starts out yellows, goes to blues, and finishes on Camalot #4's. Sorry we didn't get one of you...we were both on top. Photo by Craig B.
  12. Brian, Thanks for pinch hitting when my buddies were too hungover to climb! I will post your pictures, it's been on my list. Work has been completely nuts. Craig did get some shots of Fisticuffs, I will try to get those out of Facebook and add them here.
  13. Those are awesome sunset photos! Good job getting those with a PAS. I might have been there the same night.
  14. I sold my 7d, sorry. My wife allows me my toys, but I'm only allowed to have one DSLR at a time :-) But b&h has some awesome deals on used gear. I had this 50D and took many awesome photos. It's all metal, with a guarantee: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/801032770-USE/canon_2807b006_eos_50d_slr_digital.html Or a plastic used t3i with lens: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827671-REF/Canon_5157B015AA_EOS_Rebel_T3_Digital.html T3i shoots awesome video, and much lighter than the metal D series. My buddy craig, pictured above, has the t2i and takes amazing pictures climbing.
  15. JasonG, that Canon P&S looks nice! I have the Sony RX100 for my P&S: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AJNJDDI?psc=1 It's the best small one I've had so far...but even it frustrates me. It comes very close to my old 7D in good light. Diepj, I shot for 8 years with rebels and then the 50D, and 7D. I was perfectly happy with those photos. However, there is something about the dynamic range in the shadows that starts to noticibly pop on a full frame. Look at my old trip reports and I'm sure you can see it. This is my first TR with a full frame. There is nothing wrong with crop sensors though. There is an old saying about photography: "It's not the camera, it's the mind behind the camera." The main reason I got the 6D was I was curious, and wanted a new toy. It works great, but in 3 years it will be old outdated junk. I need to stop buying toys and save for my retirement :-)
  16. I've gone through a series of padded camera bags over the years. Climbing is really hard on them, especially when you drag them up chimneys like Orphan, 5.9 jtree, or Battered Sandwich at Index...you are lucky to get two years out of one. I've been known to paint liquid rubber tool dip on the bottom to make them last longer. This is my current one...or it may be a variation with a longer nose. I have a lens flare shield thingy on the end, and it makes the lens pretty long. http://www.tamrac.com/products/adventurezoom3/ I am working up plans to make one from scratch, I plan to have full grain leather on the bottom, which is where they always wear through. The key thing on a camera bag for climbing is to have two straps, a waist strap, and a shoulder strap. I tied 9/16 climbing webbing through the steel ring attachment points on the bag for the shoulder strap. So that can't come unsnapped...it's tied in with water knots. Also, you need both a zipper, and a snap closure. Double security. The waist strap got upgraded to full seat belt width webbing, with a snap buckle. That way you can take your shirt/coat off on a ledge, while keeping at least one strap on your body. But leading with a big DSLR camera is a different mind set. You can't push your limits with a big rack, and a big camera. But I enjoy photography so much...it's worth it to me. I have compromised a few times by climbing with a smaller cheaper lighter lens... smaller bag, and awesome bokeh: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-Standard-AutoFocus-Lens/dp/B00005K47X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391464209&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+1.8+50mm+lens I also have a nice point and shoot for really hard leads, they are getting better all the time. The lack of control always irritates me though. I guess I'm spoiled by good tools.
  17. Well done Jason, great pictures and a thoughtfull write up. I quit Alpine climbing altogether even before we had our kids. The wife and I had some very close calls...we saw the writing on the wall. Like you, we had a number of friends die alpine climbing. We still do some backcountry skiing, but cautiously. Cragging is good enough for me. I do miss the photos up high.
  18. Thanks. Yes, the images are noticeably better than my old 7D, which I sold after a year for $800. I didn't think a full frame sensor would make as much difference as it did...quite remarkable. I had already purchased the canon 24-105L lens last year, and it was great on the 7D. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/397662-USA/Canon_0344B002AA_24_105mm_f_4L_IS_USM.html But when I put that lens on the 6D, because of the whole crop factor sensor thing, it went from a nice lens, to a perfect lens for rock climbing. 24mm becomes wide angle on a full frame sensor, so now I can shoot my partner on the ledge, and get them all in the frame. I have less magnification out at 105, but I don't miss it. That lens is also 4.0 throughout the zoom range, so you get nice bokeh at any zoom...and it is almost all metal...very little plastic. Those two together can shoot almost anything. Night sensitivity is amazing. I can shoot at up to 6000 iso with zero noise...or, low enough noise that it is easily fixed in Adobe camera raw. The only negative is the weight. I lead up to 9 with it on...training weight! When I do something harder and take it off, I feel a lot lighter.
  19. Trip: jtree for xmas - too many to count Date: 12/20/2013 Trip Report: I took my annual trip to Jtree. I've had several people ask me where my tr was. I got busy at work...but things have finally slowed down enough to post. I have a new full frame Canon 6D now, so the pictures are better than ever. Who knew a full frame sensor could make such a difference? My wife and Craig came down as usual, along with some other Seattle friends. Honestly, you don't need to go down with a partner...it's super easy to find partners in jtree. Walk around the campground, they are everywhere. Without further ado, here they are. I will be brief with my comments as I am supposed to be working this rainy Saturday. Just like last year, I had no partner initially, and a sucky campspot (Jumbo Rocks), so I painted for a few days as I watched for an open spot in Hidden Valley. Sorry about the size of these images. I make them 1920 for video includes, or Facebook...but this website has sidebar columns which cramp them. Intersection Rock. As I was working on this painting, I saw John G. from last year while leaving my car. I told him about my troubles finding a campspot closer than Jumb. He pedaled over an hour later to my easel at Intersection. "Dude, I got you hooked up! You can share a spot with my buddy in site 6, but you have to decorate the Secret Santa box, like, with a drawing, or something?" Who says art doesn't pay? I did a quick sketch of Chimney Rock and I had a spot! This is my new painting of Intersection Rock, which I've not painted before. This is Des, she started and owns: http://seattlesalads.com/ We are on Godzilla meets Bambi 5.9, a great long hand crack on the back shady side of Echo rock. We may have drank some Jamesons the night before: Hanging out in the desert, weather was perfect this year. Craig, Vlad, Des and my wife Sue Sue following Double Dip. She loves that climb,but I hate to lead it because I'm alway rusty at friction. I was looking down at the 25 foot runnout thinking "She owes me for this!". Des and Vlad: Sport climbs at Indian Cove: John G. and Tanner. Getting the party "rolling". Met a great guy from Seattle after I stopped painting named Dave B. We climbed together for two days unti my wife showed up. Dave following first pitch of Bird on a wire, 9+. The second pitch has a scary crux right off the hanging belay. I was looking up at Dave thinking:"factor two fall!" but he got through it. Dave on Hobbit Roof: Lolo following hands off: Lolo following Toe Jam: Aaron about to follow La Reina 5.9 Tanner on Sexy Grandma 5.9, love this route! Tanner and John free soloed all over Intersection Rock, even above left Ski Track, to the top. As casual as if it was a root trail. We made two night time hikes through the Chasm of Doom. I've noticed it's harder to find when you do it after a few drinks: in the Chasm, at midnight: The hardest routes I did this year were: Fisticuffs, onsite lead 10b...super fun splitter Rollerball 10b-ish - followed Craig up that one, wow, not sure I could have led it. My friends are still down there living the life...
  20. pm sent with details. They could easily be mine. I am missing 5 slings.
  21. I got an email from a guy who was interested in this old discussion. I did find a way to get off the Verizon bandwagon...but not with ham radios. Here is my reply to the guy who was interested: I was not able to talk my wife into taking the ham test, even though it is dead easy. I did buy a $100 handheld ham radio, and it works awesome. It reaches 50 miles without a repeater (Gig Harbor to Tiger Mountain) and all the way to Spokane via the repeater on Tiger. I also got a Yaesu ft-857D car ham radio, and I talked to Moscow, Russia with that, plus all around the US. I quickly got bored with Ham as a hobby...just a bunch of old out of shape guys talking about the size of their antennas. Didn't matter if they were in Russia, Minnesota or Alaska: "Dude, what kind of antenna do you have?" I thought it would be cool conversation with strangers about the meaning of life, or lifes styles in foreign lands...nope. But as far as replacing my cell phone with a ham radio...it depends. Do the people you want to talk to all have ham radios, and licenses? Then yes, it could work easily. The other hams could hear your calls, but if that doesn't matter, then it would work fine. My wife and I just arrange car pools in Tacoma, so it would have worked perfectly. What I ended up doing was getting a wifi phone, and an $8 a month dumbphone from AT&T, no contract. My wifi phone works everywhere there is wifi, and the dumbphone covers me when I am driving, and or out of wifi range. I talk about it here: http://websterart.com/html/dumbphone-wifi-phone-case.html
  22. I first saw the Kong Gigi when I was simul belaying my partners up Central Pillar of Frenzy in Yosemite. A Yosemite guide came up to the same belay and simul belayed his partners up the same route using the Gigi. I was struggling to pull both ropes through my auto locking Guide ATC. There was a lot of effort involved in pulling down, it was hard on the elbows. The guide was doing it effortlessly, and he was using burly fat ropes, but through his Gigi. He commented that he had suffered from chronic elbow problems until he started using a Gigi for his everyday guiding. The Gigi has a rocker spine that allows one rope to be locked off, while the other side can still pull up rope. But frankly, I rarely use any auto lockers. It's too much work. I like an equalized anchor with a short tight leash to a secure braced stance. And there I belay off my ATC, facing down to my follower. This allows me to be more flexible...such as when I need to haul them up the route by walking backwards, using my legs to pull...something you can't do with an autolocker. And it is less important for the anchor to be perfect, since it won't even get weighted. I build good anchors, but prefer to keep them in reserve when possible.
  23. Well said! I've been seeing these at Vertical World for a couple years now. Price is coming down, and cheaper versions are showing up. The longer you've been climbing, the more likely it is that you will need them. Particularly useful for belaying one pitch vertical routes. When John Bachar endorsed them, I was convinced. My neck hurts bad when I belay a lot in gyms. I'm planning to buy some this year.
  24. Ah we are back to this. The gangbanger situation. Whether it is one leader, with 6 non leading top ropers, or an organized group tying up an entire cliff for top roping. It's basically the gym mentality coming outdoors. I hate starting lines with "Used to be..." or "Back when I..." What used to be doesn't matter anymore. These people are here, and they aren't going away. There are a couple of solutions: Always carry a trad rack. Many times I've been at Smith where all the bolt lines are tied up. But right next to the bolt lines is an old trad line...and no one is on it. Have you ever done Old Testament? Or both pitches of Lycopodophyta? Fridays Jinx? Pack animal? Or routes that can't easily be TR'd like Tammy Bakkers face? How about Bookworm? No one ever does bookworm (except me), and it is right next to Bunny face. The next time you mentor a new climber, teach them to always lead, never, ever top rope. Have them follow you up a few easy cracks, pulling gear, and examining placements. Then make them lead. This means you will have to search out the really easy 3rd and 4th class cracks, sometimes even short boulders with cracks. Stuff that is so easy they could free solo it. Have them put in their own gear. Follow them up and critique the placements. Teach them the value of being a leader from day one. The Icicle canyon in Leavenworth is a great place for that. It's how I learned to climb, and how I taught my family, and many friends. If I can't lead it, I won't climb it until I can lead it. I don't even like following routes I can't lead, but I will do it occasionally for a good partner. If all you are doing is following or top roping, it's a sign you have the wrong partner. I can't stop the top ropers anymore than I can hold back a river. But I can choose not to participate. And anyone I teach to climb learns to lead from day one. If it's too hard, skip the top rope, find something you *can* lead. You will be a more competent climber for it. And don't be afraid to lead trad routes that are too hard. Hang dogging your way up a route is a tried and true technique for learning the moves, refining your gear placements, and generally wasting huge amounts of time. You will anger people waiting in line, but they should have gotten up earlier. Next time you do it you will know the moves, and it might go clean.
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