Kevin_Matlock

Looking for anybody who wants to slog up the south side 30 mins from T-Line Lodge to the right-side gullies for some casual practice. I have a little crevasse rescue and Z-pulley experience, but am rusty as hell so I'd like to brush up. While we are at it I'd like to set a top rope and do some 70 degree snice climbing just for fun. Thinking this Saturday but if this doesn't work then let me know. I'm currently enjoying an extended summer vacation (aka 'laid off') so a mid-week day could work, too. I have pretty much all team gear but if you have an extra picket or two then bonus. Also have wheels and don't mind driving if you can get to my house (or are close to the Tualatin area). Shoot me a PM if interested.

Steve, check your PMs. -Kevin

You might look into the Skyline trail up in the Olympics. Not terribly high elevation (high point at 5k') so it shouldn't be too snowy. About 45 miles, IRRC. Did it last year and it was very cool. Somewhat remote with bear sightings, a few places with stunning views, challenging in spots but not overly hard, etc etc etc.

Another vote for him here! Thought Jon was going to plunge his axe into the dood's mellon; have to say he would have deserved it too. Seriously bad form. Was hoping to see a mountie somewhere to read him the riot act. Def a ticket-able offense. Hope both dogs made it down and were only tired and shallow wounds; and I hope the majority of those assclowns in that party who were looking confused about the correct decent path stay the fuck out of the mountains from now on. And this coming from a guy who normally doesn't care for dogs in the woods! This was a terrible sight.

Update as of 7/12: Jon (dinomyte) and I bivied on the summit Sat night. Light winds, lows in the 40s, and summit alcohol made this some good times. A few bivi sights on the eastern rim are free of snow. You will be on the snow for a good portion of the time down low. The trail is wide open (dirt) from about 8500' on up. Morrain lake is just now starting to show some liquid H2O but basically the area is still VERY snowy; pretty freaking amazing for this time of year. There are a couple of spots that might be sketch if the snow is hard, so an axe might make ya feel better on the descent. But there are so many lines possible that you could likely avoid any of the steeper traverses. If the snow is soft there is little reason to take any tech gear at all. On the approach from Devil's lake, its best to just drop down into the ravine which still had tons of snow. We saw the trail up slope on our right so we got out of the ravine... this didn't help much. Better to just ride out the ravine to the terminus.

Wow, congrats on topping. Looks like a fun alt route if not a little misguided. Regardless, good job.

Was skinning up on the south side on Sat. Didn't see or hear any of this avy action, but sure was amazed at the numbers of ppl who clearly don't watch tv or surf the web for avy forecasts. Considering also that there were some large groups topping out around noon, there are a lot of lucking people out there! Where's Darwin when you need him?

Hey man, I'm the other half of the two that you met at CS TH. Beckey books.... what do you have; just vol 1 if I understand the post? I'll take whatever since I don't have any of 'em. PM me and we'll work something out to hook up.

Good stuff young man, although I seem to have read this story elsewhere. And, I also hear you "like goats". ...and so what the hell is the point?

Yup, that's their current loc (right behind a music store... or was it a ski shop???). They were likely closed for Col. Day. Was in there a couple weeks ago and was told they signed something like a 5 year lease so they are there for a while. I get the distinct impression that they hate moving as much as we hate having to re-find them.

Never been there before, but isn't that pretty close to be "splitting gas cost"? How many miles from Redmond is it???

PMs

batboy has spoken; end of discussion. fine, take your adjustable fifi, but the daisies in an aid setup are suppose to be body weight only, or have I missed the point of aid climbing all this time. pro = fall impact daisies = advancement and the shortest of short drops since they are static. care to elaborate Dru?

never tried 'em, but heard that they are sketch unless threaded JUST RIGHT.

Weeerd! Just did the Skyline loop a couple weeks ago. "WTF" was the expression of choice during most of that trip. Nice work on the trip-n-TR.

I find that I can't top step as easy with the adjustables but I still like 'em better. I usually just keep the fifi attached for the extra close up (plus mine is dialed to where I like it for easier high stepping). The problem with adjustables is that you gotta be careful of keeping the release lever away from the wall. Allowing a biner or some other gear to press it will scare the piss out of you.

How 'bout that giant bee's nest in that sappling right there on top? That thing still sitting right at face-height all cocked and loaded for the first poor sucker who doesn't notice it?

Side question: are pizza and ding-dongs still on the "bad" list?

Unfortunately easy access to fun ice routes is ellusive in Oregon. I'm assuming you've heard/read the gorge stories at odd times over the winter. Some years it forms up really nice for brief windows, other years not at all. Do a seach here of "gorge ice" or maybe google "columbia gorge ice"..... that's bound to return some hits. Pretty much the only other ice is high up on some committing climbs or playing around in spots like the Elliot glacier on hood. The most reliable source for ice around here is to head north young man. Pick up this excellent book - http://www.amazon.com/Washington-Ice-Climbing-Jason-Martin/dp/0898869463/ref=sr_1_1/103-7586889-4319065?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187794477&sr=1-1 and also look into all the great ice up in Canada.

South sister would be fine, but its really only a hike. Maybe try middle sister since there should be less people and it might add to the mountain adventure. Neither are technical so you should be ok either way. You could always take them up to the hogs back on hood which is sort of close to the summit, gets you on snow, has pretty good views of some neat mountain terrain, plus you get the full-on stink from sulfur.

I'm no speed mountain climber, but you might have to suck it up and GET interested in running.... uphill. I know that Ed V. is a running fool and look where it got him. I think probably the best training is actually doing. Climb (hike) uphill as much as possible. I think running comes into play since it taxes your system more than if you were simply walking up the hill, thus over preparing your body for the beating it takes in the hills. Other options might be stair master, walking on a treadmill with the angle cranked, or biking hills. For me, running is as close as I can get to training for climbing. When I'm really into a training regime, I find that hill work is hard to beat.

what sort of pro did you place? how many pickets? meters of cord? pack animals? how many days on the approach? can I rap into the crater? is there a starbucks on top? is this the preferred method of hydration? what other beta can you provide?

Slings are really the order of the day. That and just a couple of smaller cams/nuts (up to .75? Nothing over 1" should be needed). Leading up through the bowling alley you might be able to sling a boulder that is dead center but that's really all the reliable protection you'll find before topping out at the rap anchor. For the last pitch you might want to fix like we did in which case I think all we used was a small nut and a few runners for the belay anchor and there are horns on the summit. Again, don't over-do it and drag your aid rack up there! A single 60 will get you up, but twins were very nice for rapping the alley (can be done with a single and a bit of down scrambling though).

Just to enhance Steve's TR, here is my sub-TR and pics... Me and Jon headed out from Pole Cr TH at 3. Soda Cr at 4, treeline at 5:30 or so. Worked our way up slow and steady; taking a break and met Steve, Jonathan, and Brad probably around 10. Quick introductions and continued on as a group of 5. Camel's hump 'bout 11. Not so sure on Steve's timeline as I was thinking it was later than 11:30 on the summit... seemed we started down around 1:30 or 2, so I'm guessing we actually summitted around 1pm. Not 100% sure though. Casual time on the summit. On the decent ran into a large group just starting on the traverse.... further down a few other small groups. Jon and I were back at the car taking in much needed brown, hoppy liquids a tick after 6pm. The weather held just fine with a thick cloud mass threatening us most of the day to the west. By the time we got to the car it was over-cast. Pics here are meant mostly just for the details on the summit block and not so much a photo essay (because I suck as a photog).... enjoy. First light at timberline - Over-all conditions.... leave the skis, tools, and screws in the car - Mid-way through the traverse - Finished with the traverse, starting on the fractured ramp into the bottom of the alley - Final stretch into the funnel at the base of the Bowling Alley - Looking up into the Bowling Alley. Maintain a line to the left of the alley 2/3 of the way up this shot, then angle right and above of the large sun-lit mass in the upper right of the picture - View from the top of the Bowling Alley, peering over to the final pitch to the summit - From the ridge between the horns, last pitch to the summit. Aprox 50' of relatively high quality rock - Location where you pop out after the Bowling Alley (see climber in red) - view from summit down to the base of the final pitch - Jon and Brad on the summit - Awesome view of Brad starting his down climb off the summit. Nope, no exposure here - Steve on summit - down climbing the summit - rapping the bowling alley - And just to make it a full on "tourist route", here's some videos... get yer popcorn ready - (having problems embedding the vids, so sticking with links)

Any pics Commander? Not looking to climb it again anytime soon, but it'd be cool to see some other pics of what the route looks like covered (already seen some, but not many to be had). And even in spring (at least this year), I heard of at least a couple dudes who tried to climb the bowling alley with a mix of ice, snow, rock, what-have-you, and after the leader peeled and their pro popped they bailed. Really, it's the traverse and the bowling alley that will get you, that last pitch up to summit was amazingly decent quality by comparison; I wasn't the slightest bit worried about it being bare with it's exposure.