benb
-
Posts
100 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by benb
-
-
Stoked to have my handle back!
-
Anytime...
-
Conditions were perfect. I did not see or hear any rock or ice fall that may have led to the accident. Down at the bottom of the fall was a different story. Everything from all the folks above us, the entire west crater / old chute area was coming down on us. Two guys made it down to where I was after a bit and once we decided there was nothing to be done but get out of the fall line, we climbed back up to the Hogsback.
I think he just slipped. Landing in such a way he could not get an arrest in before he was going too fast.
The accident has been playing in my head on repeat for almost 48 hours now. I am reminded of the consequences at stake. Reminded about how many people are actually involved in a solo climb. Reminded that each day, or step may be the last one. For Mark and his family, I will try much harder to make the most of each day and the steps it brings.
-
I witnessed the accident yesterday, and was the first person to reach Mark. It was indeed on the south side. Truly sad. My condolences to his family and friends.
-
Damn Ben, Where have you been all my life. If I ever have a questoin about anything regarding alpinism, I now know someone who has a heaping helping of advice to spew my way!
Do you know this much about other mountains?? Or is your experties limited to The SS of Hood??
-
Ya, no doubt you guys turned around.
-
looks like a fun trip. Nice work!
-
the eye healed quickly.
That was a wild day..
-
you a mountain climber stalker??
maybie i did
-
Wow that sounds f-n sketch!
I would like my handle back, but not because you peel off some crazy rotten gnarlyness.
-
Wow, several near-misses in the same thread! Sketch!
-
Looking for some info on the New Tele Norm system.
It looks like the system is releasable, but not DIN rated?
Anyone have thoughts on the interface?
Cheers,
BenB
-
I was able to enjoy the new parking area last week. Thanks and nice work.
Those are some waterbars.... more like table-tops. Makes me laugh that the USFS deems them necessary over on the dry side of the hill.
-
Left the summit about 01:00. SW Chutes 01:30- 01:45
-
Trip: Mt Adams - South Side/ SW Chutes
Date: 8/18/2011
Trip Report:
With hopes to find some nice turns in the South West Chutes, I headed out of the parking lot at 05:30. Out of eagerness to get my skis off my pack and on my feet, I found snow that made for frustrating skinning at 7,500ft. After lack of traction on the pre dawn snow, the going got much easier when the sun took the edge off. It was starting to work out.
The going was good. There is a bulge in the pitch leading to the false summit that I had to boot pack. With that short section as the exception, I skinned on up, arriving at Pikers Peak at 11:00
The going from Pikers to the summit was tough. Sun-cupped, wind-blown, runneled out, chicken heads. I was able to stay on top of the madness going both up and down by traversing and kick turning. It looked easier than walking, but it was not much fun.
After a nice break on the summit, I cruised down to check out the SW chutes. I was happy to see the snow was relatively good. The conditions were great. There were actually way more turns that I could put together without a break. The bottom 500ft of the chute was runneled out but negotiable.
The traverse back to the south side trail was straightforward. I strapped my skis back onto my pack at about 7,700ft.
Back at the car at 05:15, pumped to get some mid August, high alpine turns.Nt
-
Trip: Mt Rainier - Emmons Glacier
Date: 7/18/2011
Trip Report:
I had the opportunity to get out on the Emmons Glacier last week. We had an excellent adventure.
Four of us were looking for a good time. Our plan was to make the trip without packing in a camp. With gear for a semi-comfortable rest at camp Schurman, we hit the trail at white river at 11:30. Our weather forecast was questionable. With hopes of a window, we cruised up the path happy to see the route as clouds came and went.
We arrived at camp Schurman at about 17:00. We got to work melting water, and pitching a tarp to get some rest. Sunset at camp was a treat. We ate, drank, and enjoyed the sea of golden clouds surrounding steamboat prow. We crawled into our trash bag bivy/glissading suits with a 23:00 wake up call.
Roped up and moving at 00:15, the sky was clear, Seattle was glowing and we were pumped. We had an enjoyable go up the corridor. The weather was unstable. We were sandwiched in-between two cloud layers. The lower layer would rise, the upper layer would fall, but when we needed to see the route, or features ahead, things would clear out.
At the top of the corridor, there was a double crevasse jump to negotiate. A couple 1 - 1.25 meter jumps. Once past this obstacle, negotiating the remainder of the crevasses was straight forward.
After what seemed like hours of the summit rolling away from us. We joined the ridge and the crowds from the DC route heading up to Colombia Crest. We reached the summit at 09:00. After a few minutes and photos, we headed back down. The walk down un-eventful. The clouds were in and out, hiding camp Schurman as we approached.
We packed the rope at the top of glacier basin, put our bivy/glissading suits on, and shredded the ditch on our rears.
Back at the car at 05:30 made for a 30 hour round trip.
Thank you Brian, James and Chris for excellent teamwork, and great memories. Looking forward to adventures ahead.
Gear Notes:
Glacier Gear
Approach Notes:
White River T H
-
thank you for the advice. Some good Ideas to think on.
-
-
I guess I was thinking out loud with the question/comment being.. 25 lbs. is a lot of stuff. I wonder how I can get by with less. I should not have posted it on the SS Conditions thread. I did so because I think the pic I posted of the top of Palmer was cool. Then I just kept on ranting. I was up on the SS for a quick workout and dry run. There was no climbing objective. I had a few hours to get out, and I wanted to get some turns in. I thought if I was gona hike up there, I might as well get geared up as if I was going to skin out to climb something exciting. (For grins, say Sandy HW/Wy East traverse) I do realize that the objective would dictate the gear decision. So I suppose, the gear list I mentioned is more or less what I would have with me on one of the many challenging, ski mountaineering adventures to be had on Mt Hood.
I apologize for the poor placement and lack of clarity of my post. I am curious about solutions others use to keep the weight down, while keeping a reasonable level of safety for myself/partner/s, or to aid others.
-
Not Tollin or being sarcastic. Maybe it would help to add that the gear I took was for a nice work-out on my ski, and a test run with a newish pack. Trying to figure out how best to load it. I suppose I should have started a new thread and not blasted it on this south-side spool.
Mt axe and tool would be for climbing steep routes. On the SS that could include one of the devils kitchen hw gullies.
Shovel for snow stability or possible bivy
Picket and Fluke for snow/rime protection
Slings for clipping into pro
Prussik, well, with all that other shit, I figured a couple ounces for rescue, or ascending potential seems reasonable
-
Needed to get the blood pumpin, so I mashed to the top of palmer Saturday. The ski was great.
My pack was 22lbs. I just dont now how to make it lighter. I feel everything I carried was needed.
Gear list: puffy coat, puffy pants, bivy, stove kit, 100ft 6mil cord, picket, fluke, shovel, mt. axe, ice tool, crampons belay/presik/slings, snacks, 1 liter of h2o. Would have packed a screw and a little more food but forgot. guestimated weight of 25 lbs in the pack. Skiing on F1s, TLTs, BD Stigmas.
(my solo ski kit) with company, I would loose the 6mil cord and have a 60m half rope
Ideas?
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
-
So it was checking out lines on gunsight. skiing on lakes lookout. Thanks, it been a few years. Makes me want to get back out there.
-
I was lucky enough to ski that line down Lookout. I believe it is called gun-sight. My sister was a patroller there for several years, giving me a reason to drive out. I have always had a great time skiing Anthony lakes. Superfun line.
-
All the reasonable lines have been skied. Most of the crazy ones also. Go check out the photo so Scotty Grahm going huge out there. Photo is in the hurricane ski shop at the bowl.
My guess is anything that looks like it might go as a climb has been done. As far as records of such sweetness… You would have to have overheard a conversation at Charlie’s.
Condolences...
in Climber's Board
Posted
Good People, My party and I were on the saddle between the false summit, and the summit block, and I witnessed the accident.
Grey was approximately 200ft high on the east face of the block when he fell. He and his partner began the climb just about in the center of the east face. The two became separated about 50ft up the face. Grey was trending north, climbing strait up the face making many class 5 moves. Greys partner was about 100ft off the deck following a ramp system that was heading to the south.
My team was at the base of the rock looking for the route, and I was back a bit 50-75ft from the rock, watching for rock-fall.
Grey was spread out in a move and peeled off. I do not remember seeing or hearing holds break, but it is possible. He came to rest in the moat at the bottom of the east face.
Greys partner was able to down climb after a bit. He descended back down to camp with another team that was helping post-accident.
I am proud of all the folks up on the hill that day. Good decision was made, with safety and compassion driving them. Greys partner did a great job, he kept his composer in very difficult situation that prevented adding more risk to the situation.
I am sorry for our fallen brother. May the sweet vibrations of the universe bring peace to those who are grieving.