mountaineer38

Erik, I'm flying to Seattle late on the 8th and don't have to fly home until early on the 17th. I'm coming out to climb & ski. I don't climb at the same level as yourself but I am an adventurous learner. Had planned week on Rainier but had considered N Cascades also. Please call me at (239) 560-7384 or e-mail me at dave10665@aol.com to discuss possible partnership. Thanks. David

Flying to SEATAC Fri. May 8th. Planning to skin up to Camp Muir, stay for a few days, practice skills, and possibly climb higher with others. I have all necessary gear. Completed 5 day RMI expedition climb in 2001, & have climbed various small jobs since then. Would appreciate any opportunities to climb with others, or even share/pay gas expense with someone going same direction same week.

Eric, my plans changed and I'm not able to fly to Seattle until late Wednesday afternoon. My cell phone is (239) 560-7384. In all honesty I'm probably not in proper condition to join you for a summit attempt anyway. I'll probably just climb to Muir and hang for a couple days or climb Unicorn for the view of Mt. Rainier instead. I've also considered some 8,000 to 9,000 peaks in North Cascades National Park as an alternative. If you are well conditioned though, you should try Rainier. David

My plans got changed anyway. I'm now flying out on Wednesday instead. I would love to read a trip report; however, on what the conditions were like for you today. Thanks for the reply. David

I don't have nearly the experience you have, but I did take the RMI Expedition Climb a few years ago but did not summit. I also did this year's Red Rocks Rendezvous and picked up some new skills setting anchors and belays. I have all my own gear and am planning to fly out to Rainier this weekend and stay 7 - 8 days and would like to climb.

I just posted a "beg" request on climber's board for transportation from SeaTac airport to Rainier this weekend. I am an intermediate downhill skier, and just bought my first AT setup and skins for the very trip you are talking about. I was going to climb up, camp at Muir several nights, skin up/ski down the area as much as possible and take pictures. I'm reading that new snow has been minimal on Muir snowfield. Have you skied the snowfield before? I've hiked to Muir and a little beyond.

I'm flying in from Florida this Saturday (9/23) and need transportation anytime after my arrival, from SeaTac to Paradise (or at least Ashford) and back again a week or so (flexible) later. Any help or advice? Or a ride? The shuttles seem to be defunct. Will pay for gas & meals. Anyone have a delivery job that takes them on this route? I could hitchhike but that seems a little iffy. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. David

Allow whoever will take them back to do so. Each person I have dealt with at Koflach/Atomic USA in New Hampshire has not been fair with me or backed up their product at all. As a result I will do my best to find a pair of Lowa, Vasque, or Scarpa boots that fit and climb well. Their service cannot be any worse than Koflach was to me.

I am an intermediate alpine skier, and a mountaineer. If my trips from Florida will mainly be to Rainier and the Cascades is the investment in AT gear worth the expense? I'm worried that AT boots would be painful to climb in versus a normal pair of mountaineering boots. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks, David

Anyone know anything about the Garmont Cruiser telemark boot? It's a leather boot with plastic buckle near top and a high cuff that looks like that on a double plastic boot. I'm considering a pair because I want to be able to skin up routes and ski down.

Does pyramid shaped, rocky looking peak visible in the distance on the way down from Paradise back to Ashford have any opportunities for practicing mixed climbing/alpine skills? Is it Pyramid Peak? It looks so enticing from a distance. Anyone have experience on it?

I am up for it. What would the basic plan be? I would be showing up in Seattle late tommorow with harness, boots, crampons, axe, pickets, screws, 8.5mm x 50M dry, clothing, helmet, etc.. I did RMI's expedition climb in 2000. Since then I've tried to stay in shape and collected the gear decscribed. I had been planning on climbing to Muir with hopes of joining a rope team there, but any idea is cool.

I don't know what exit 38 is but I am thinking of getting on a flight to Seattle from Florida tommorow AM, hoping to get to Rainier's Camp Muir to camp and climb for a few days. Does this sound like a good idea?

I did the RMI Expedition climb July 00. I shouldn't really complain, because the guides surely did a good job. It's just that I didn't summit and it was probably due to my own obsessing over surprise changes in the climb plan that I felt decreased my chance of summiting. Maybe the changes had to be, but I don't like surprises. I can't really blame them anymore than myself, and I guess changes in plan may be unavoidable, but I still hold them equally responsible. One thing that they deserve great kudos for was coaching, and pushing you to do better than you think you can. On the mountain I didn't like it, but I later came to greatly appreciate RMI guide Jason Tanguay as I went a lot higher and had a better experience than I would have if he hadn't pushed me to do my better than I was doing otherwise. If you can afford it, do it at least once with RMI or similar firm.

Seattle Manufacturing (SMC) makes a nice little prussik minding pulley for about $11. I bought 3 from The Summit Haus which allows me to set up a Z x C (6:1) crevasse rescue system.