Cobra_Commander

If people paid attention to some fairly simple rules there wouldn't be a problem. He's had to work a job that constantly deals with climbers who think rules don't apply to them when inconvenient. Such as the dicks who let their dogs roam free after repeatedly being told not to. I fully understand his angle.

The next step is a smoking off-leash dog, on fire, taking a nap overnight in the monkey cave

General Advisory

Speaking of fires smoking is also illegal in the park until the end of October.

Cle Elum has a taxidermy shop on the main drag called "Keepin it Real".

raw mileage will improve performance far more than any equipment will

Driving to Smith from Portland is probably the worst environmental offense, if that's the concern. Best stick to Rocky Butte.

I always thought Cle Elum might be nice with a sneak attack to Snoq Pass when good, but not in the raining misery of North Bend. I couldn't handle the drive up to Baker from Bellingham.

No. If your friends can't transition in the time it takes you to assemble a splitboard, your friends have work to do. The only advantage to a splitboard is if you are already a dynamite snowboarder or have the gear. You get thrashed on the uphill, traversing sucks both skinning and riding, you have a set of sails on your back when carrying, the wide skins are a pain in the ass, and if the terrain is rolling (a considerable chunk of good PNW terrain) you will be left behind. There are those who make it happen, but they are the exception. I think it's a disservice to lure a mountaineer into splitboarding when there is an option to go with skis, as it will eventually be limiting. People generally don't seek out long breakable crust runs.

Unless you are a really f'ing good snowboarder and are insanely fast at your transitions you will be left behind by your skiing friends. Only the very best split boarders can keep pace with good skiers in ski mountaineering terrain in my opinion.

If you are starting from scratch, a ski rental/lesson package will go a long ways towards knowing how it's supposed to work. They are usually cheap to hook you on the drug.

Great PNW ski. Didn't realize they were still in production. Learning to ski on Invernos and 404/500's is dangerous. The chance of ripping your knee in half is high.

Also MP is def the place to check first if you're looking for suspect beta. But if you're interested in reading about trade routes turned into unnecessary epics, cc.com probably beats MP.

Someone should at least stick a skeleton hand under it for Halloween

That piece coming off Wrong Gull is GIANT, with the bolts now sitting "mid-face". People were probably stuffing cams behind that thing. Think about that next time you're yarding up the last 30 feet of Free for All!

The best part of Free Lunch is chit-chatting with the tourist hikers on the trail below as you climb up the first pitch. The conversation can be amazing. Something about the acoustics of the wall let you hear people talking down by the drinking fountain from way up there too.

I enjoy every beacon photo I see but I have to say those are candidates for the worst photos of all time.

Bluebird looked like it was in need of some traffic last time I was there.

It's pretty standard for self-appointed beacon locals to make fun of other climbers for not knowing the perfect foothold or placement on one of the 8 routes they climb. I always feared the butthole pitch, more than any of the others.

Many young climbers are self-important tools, guide or not. Much of the reason snowboarders get a bad rap too. Well, maybe the snowboarding plays a part in it too.

My pleasure.

Newsflash: some people are cool, some people are assholes.

An agreed-upon single rap line with good hardware for popular areas is less unsightly, safer, and more pleasurable to tat all over the place with people wandering about.

He's not. This shit goes for BIG money. Steeptech has been a license to print money for the TNF ever since Scot Schmidt.