skyhigh
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Posts posted by skyhigh
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Well, keep me in the loop also. My sixteen year old daughter and I climbed Adams last year and this year she wanted to do Rainier. Last weekend we teamed up with my climbing partner and two of his friends and we attempted it via Camp Shurman.
Almost at the top of the Inter Glacier she declared she didn't like climbing mountains anymore. The rest of us stood there in shock of course not knowing what to say. I was scared I pushed her too hard and that this was going to be the end of her climbing. And then a sleepless night of tent shaking 75mph+ winds with dirt and grit everywhere didn't make me think we would ever go climbing again.
But, she was feeling better and a little more rested and ultimately came away wanting to keep climbing. Whew! That was close.
Keep me in the loop. Baker might be a good choice for next time.
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This is a good topic. The rigors of climbing require that you disregard many common warning signs. There's a reason humans have historically avoided mountains. The safest and surest course is to stay at the bottom. But we don't do that. So when do we turn around? Ed Viesteurs was so proud of his decision to turn around close to the summit on one of his 8ks yet he spent an inordinate amount of time justifying that decision and the remedy. I read somewhere that you're not a true mountaineer unless you can get within reach of the summit and turn around early.
The appeal of climbing is that it is a very personal experience. It's just you, the mountain and the elements. And the same is true of the decision to turn around. Unless your partner or guide makes the decision. But prior to them making the decision it's all up to you.
But I agree with the original post. It's an important aspect of climbing that's not explored adequately.
My advice is to calculate a turn around time down low when your brain is getting plenty of oxygen. When you get to that time either turn around or proceed carefully. I don't know. What's the best way to calculte a turn around time?
Mike
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I took my video camera up Hood and did get some interesting narration. I really sounded stupid. More stupid than normal. And slow. I recorded some while climbing and let's just say it's not edge of the seat stuff. Having said that I still think it's a cool idea. I might try again some time. A helmet cam would also be cool. I'll see what I can do about some pics.
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Very nice. Thanks for sharing. The mom thing was funny. Right where you were mentioning the falling ice. Good timing Mom!
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Great pix. My favorite was 408a with your partner small set against snow shapes. Frame that one. Thanks
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Great pix! Thanks for sharing.
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Try getting rid of the period after the email address.
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rhyang wrote
most of us know one or two people who seem like they have a few wires that aren't connected properly (so to speak). Would you climb with such a person a second time ?You did. And according to your TR enjoyed it.
Do you know very many people with all their wires connected? Climbers? CCcomers? Yourself?
I just spent twenty minutes reading through five pages of a thread you started about being upset at this guy because he might have ended up with two of your biners. Now you are obviously on a mission to "warn" off any prospective climbers.
It sounds like you had a good time climbing with him on August 20 on North Peak and at Feather Peak on Oct 1-3. You wrote "fun climbing" Yes, I read all your TRs on Climber.org. Most of your climbs were solo. Interesting. God, I know, sometimes I need a life.
Your tirade has guaranteed that there are two people I will never climb with. You're the other one. Too many losers here. It's time to really move on.
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Sore subject for me. The last two years we participated in the annual lottery for time at 5 mile butte lookout east of Mt Hood. This year they informed me that they were going with reserveamerica and to wait till they went online. I missed the startup date by two days. Every weekend and school vacation for six months was already booked.
It was a great spot though. I think it was a three mile ski in. Last year with the late snow we just drove in. Not nearly as fun.
It's a shame this public facility is controlled by some private company only answerable to their shareholders. Grrrr.
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This cell phone subject is a pet peeve of mine. I have a particularly hard time making calls from the tops of mountains. I use Verizon and currently an LG6100 but the same thing would happen with my previous phone.
I have full signal strength, like five bars and when I dial a number it tries and tries and tries and then the call will fail. Maybe one out of ten attempts will go through. Something is amiss but I'm not sure what. It happens on each side of Puget Sound. It's like I'm getting too good of coverage. ??? Anyone know whats going on?
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Climb: Mt Elinor-up summer route down winter rote
Date of Climb: 12/17/2005
Trip Report:
This was my first solo climb. Thought I'd start out conservative. The road was snow covered about a mile before the lower trailhead. I took my front wheel drive van, chained up, and made it ok but was pushing it. I drove to within a hundred yards of the upper trailhead.
Once on the trail under the tree there was no snow till just about the fork for the summer and winter routes. I took the summer route up. Pretty icy. I was glad I had crampons. Pretty minimal snow. Came down the winter route. The top half was nice with plenty of snow but bottom half alternated rocks and snow.
Gear Notes:
Chains, crampons, ax
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You could do some reading right now. Learn about the routes. Mike Gauthier wrote an excellent guide that has some great advice about what your experience level should be. This forum has a ton of information. Go to the Rainier area and start studying the Trail Reports.
There was a great post about a guy that fell into a crevasse on his way to Camp Shurman. Oh yea, you'll want to practice your crevasse rescue procedures.
Drive up to Paradise and check it out. Maybe hike up to Camp Muir.
You'll have a lot of new questions after a couple of weeks. We'll be here.
But you can do it. Good luck!
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You mean Nitro isn't a standard crevasse rescue tool? Well that's going to shave a couple of pounds off my next climb!
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How are any of you going to feel if a friend, co worker or relative gets crushed by the old one,
I think that would depend on which friend, coworker or relative....or at least which side of the family.
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Those shots are with the S410? Very nice! Congrats on a great climb and TR.
Mike
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I recently learned why people have their ice axes upside down and how my pack would carry them the same way. I began to wonder just what the heck all those other loops and straps and buckles are for. Does anyone know of a good primer for backpack use? Mine is a Dana Design and their site is pretty good but it doesn't address the obvious things like the sewn in webbing with loops. Thoughts?
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We did the ID on Thursday. Nothing difficult. Well, other than the normal 14k mountain stuff on an hour sleep. Followed two RMI groups. We left Muir at 2:30 and wished we had left earlier as the trip down was getting a little soft. We had one member stick a leg through once. RMI had one ladder with boards across a 4 footer. On the way down I speculated that we might be the last ones down ID this year. Things were getting soft fast. Anybody go yesterday, Friday?
Mike
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I'll never forget my stay at Lena Lake. After it got dark and they turned the boombox off on the other side of the lake
it got real quiet and an owl let loose with a few "hoo hoos" followed by an obviously frightened little girl saying "mommy, I want to go home now" It was funny. 
But not my idea of a backpack trip to a lake. -
Here's another more detailed article. Bummer click here for the News Tribune article
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Taken two days ago on the 25th. Notice rockfall on upper left DC
[code<br>] [/code]
Also see Another Ingraham/DC picture Here's one of Camp Muir click hereMike Baum
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My friend, Roy, and I climbed the route yesterday and had a great day. Met another climber who said he's climbed it a couple times a year for the past twenty years and yesterday was the best weather he's climbed in. Saw a total of 5 other climbers.
Parts of the climb were a slog sure but what climb doesn't have a slog factor? The Hogsback and Pearly Gates were fun. We left our snowshoes in the car but I wish we would have brought them. Used crampons from Hogsback on up. Beautiful day.
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I was up on Elinor last Monday and was able to drive all the way to the upper trailhead with chains on my van. I don't know how much it's changed since then.
Elinor is on the way to Staircase. We hiked up the chute and wished we had gone the "summer route" as it was hard to kick in steps. Somebody had camped shortly after the two routes split.
You can probably do better. Weekends get a lot of quads and 4wd enthusiasts. Have fun and let us know how it goes.
Mike
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I frequent a photography forum where Kodak reps will chime in occasionally. I've learned to look for that "Rochester" location as an indicator. I see I should consider "Longmire" in a similar fashion.
Mike, I've read your book cover to cover a couple of times, (not much of a plot, but definitely stirs the passions)and I recognize your authority but it never occured to me you would be the contact regarding this gate issue.
I am not an informed user. I barely know when the gate is open and closed. I just checked and it's 9 and 4:30. Is that long enough for a slowpoke like me to go to Muir and back? Is that both directions? What happens if I get stuck at Paradise because the gate is closed? Will I get in trouble for sleeping in my car? What about Forrest_M's comment about the gate not always being closed if it doesn't snow? That was my suggestion. Personally, I'm not going up there if it's snowing hard. Call me a sissy.
Thanks for getting involved.
Mike
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Here's the response I got from my query:
Dear Mike:Mike Gauthier has answered this question on the forum. Thanks for your interest in Mt Rainier National park.
Curt Jacquot
Park Ranger
Oh well. Good to see he's not wasting our tax dollars with superfluous verbage. More time for coffee waiting for the gate to open.
Mike
Found Prius Key Mt Elinor
in Lost and Found
Posted
We gave Sarah and Kurt a ride down to the Mt Rose TH as she had injured her leg and we just now found a Prius key in the backseat of the van. Probably was theirs. Don't know their last names. Give me a call with any info. Mike 253 is the area code and 884-9005.