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Bergretter

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Everything posted by Bergretter

  1. That is a fantastic picture! Makes me laugh every time I see it. I can't wait till my little guy is learning the same lessons, and hopefully, I'm teaching him. Nice work, Dad.
  2. Jeremy is a very calculating and conservative snowboarder, as an old time splitboarder myself, I admire his mature riding style. Check out his splitboarding movie Further sometime and you'll get to know him well.
  3. These boots are older but worn only two or three times. I wear a 43.5 in all my other La Sportiva boots but these ran a bit small, so for cold weather they are out for me. Willing to ship. More pics available if requested.
  4. I'm curious about these devices as well. I was pondering the question if you should be on a steep slope wallowing in deep powder anyway. Will these things get you into a place on the mountain you shouldn't be in those conditions? My old school thoughts were if you can't make progress in that type of terrain in those conditions, should you be there?
  5. Petzl Spatha (small size). Compact so you cut only the strand you should be cutting, lightweight, orange in color to assist with not losing, combo serrated and straight edge, carabiner hole, one handed opening.
  6. What age child are you referring to? My 5 y/o will only tolerate comfy keen style boots! He climbs rock better than me in 'em but we haven't tackled much inclined snow yet.
  7. I'm with you on using the split setup for access to climbs, getting on with the route, and descending steep snow in the most fun way possible. I've used splitboards to access climbs all over Alaska and Washington and found them to have some weaknesses but what an awesome way to slide in with the boot you will be climbing the route in and not having to dick around with AT or ski boots. My latest model in use is Voile's Mojo RX with the light rail bidings, seems work just fine with my La Sportiva Nepal Evos or Nuptse boots. I am 6 foot and weight 195lbs, carrying 20 or so pounds on average in the pack, using a board the measures 166. The shorter board works just fine in maritime climates, and cuts a bit of weight. I admit the flats suck, but worth it overall imo. When the slope gets sporty due to hardpack or ice, I slap on the viole split crampons, work like a champ, or just continue on with my mountaineering boots cramponed up and board on the pack. I made due with an old burton setup for years, trying AT boots with step in bindings, koflach boots with mountain plates, everything just a bit shy of what I really needed to make it work, so finally bit the bullet and dished out cash to get the right setup.
  8. As far as using your Koflach boots, I tried using my old Asolo plastics back in my early split days with the mountain plate bindings (toe/heel bails) with no joy, trying to keep the opposite side of the deck up during a heelside turn ended up being impossible in firm conditions....too much heel flex. Also had problems with the toes/heels of the boots dragging due to boots being so long(on back foot only). Ended up using AT boots to make those bingings work for many years. I've since switched to using my Nepals or Nupses with regular strap bindings since I enjoy accessing climbs with my split and those boots work much better in the alpine for me.
  9. Man, thanks for the TR and info, we were debating on making the pilgrimage all the way to the Palisades, but it looks as though the season on the Notches may be over earlier than later this year! Is early September an average 'in condition' time to attempt these routes?
  10. Bergretter

    First Aid Kit

    Pack basic supplies to sooth their minor cuts and bruises, then take a Wilderness oriented aid course at the level of Basic, Advanced or to really develop confidence, the First Responder. The wilderness version of these courses will teach you how to take care of most situations encountered in the wild with appropriate supplies AND how to improvise should the situation dictate.
  11. Thanks for sharing your experience on Sahale Peak, Luke. To add my opinion to this SPOT discussion, if I were looking to bring one device into the backcountry for emergency use only, I would go with the McMurdo Fastfind PLB, smaller and lighter than SPOT, sends out a GPS fix to the SARSAT system which is more reliable than the Globalstar system that SPOT uses (read, possible delay). The PLB requires no annual fee to use, just pay purchase price and done for life. Also, the PLB's ping out a signal on 121.5mhz, which I can tell you from first hand experience assists aircrews in conducting the fine pinpointing of your location. If I wanted my spouse or friends to be able to track my progress, send out 'miss you, I'm fine' messages every so often, and have an adequet way to reach out to SAR services, and willing to pay a monthly/annual fee, the SPOT would be ideal. Of course my satellite phone is the ideal machine, being the new motorola 9575, lighter and smaller than previous models. It utilizes the very reliable Iridium Network, is able to communicate via two way voice (phone), two way texting, and programmable SOS button is the ultimate way to explain to SAR services your predicament and exactly what aid/supplies you need. Downside is initial cost of unit and satphone minutes are not cheap. Just some food for though and what I've experienced through the years.
  12. I've got a 40 pound four y/o and use an older model singing rock full body harness with good results. My boy seems to feel secure enough in this harness to swing in it, randomly fall off the wall (testing Dad's reaction time!), and flip up-side down in it. I imagine any model full body harness for a child would provide similar security. I would be much more nervous with him in a waist harness at this age.
  13. Oh man go for a stout 2-3 person tent. The haul up to Muir is not that far or particularly difficult to be counting grams. When the weather kicks up, and you are living in that space for a few days, you will be counting your blessings for the space and the sturdiness. Hut is fun, but if you want good sleep, do the tent. Add my vote for the use of scoop style tent anchors, had to chip them out last departure from Muir!
  14. I'm excited to get my 3 y/o boy off the ground. I've got a full body harness that he is just about to fit into. What would be a good way to introduce him to the vertical world that won't give him too much of a scare the first time around. Maybe a low tyrolean rig to scoot across? Or just haul him up a small wall on TR and see how he likes it. What have other parnents tried and found works?
  15. Heard of folks getting some summer time crevasse climbing in on the Mendenhall, but not sure of the details on doing this. Maybe someone from the are can chime in.
  16. Storm's Damage Still Lingers on Olympic's Staircase By Christopher Dunagan Friday, May 23, 2008 OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK The popular Staircase Road into Olympic National Park remains closed, despite efforts to repair damage from the December storm, according to park officials. Other areas are opening up as repairs are completed, said Sue McGill, acting superintendent of Olympic National Park. "After the tough winter and late spring we've had, we're pleased to have nearly all of our roads and campgrounds open for Memorial Day," she said in a statement. "There is still extensive damage to park trails and park bridges, as well as deep snow. We strongly encourage all hikers to use extra caution and to check with the Wilderness Information Center before setting out." Here's a brief status report: Hurricane Ridge Road: Weather permitting, the road will be open daily for the spring and summer season, although nearly 10 feet of snow still blankets the ridge. Major construction could create delays of up to 20 minutes, as motorists contend with up to four miles of unpaved road and construction equipment. Call (360) 565-3131 for current conditions. Heart O' the Hills Campground and Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, including snack bar and gift shop, are open. Deer Park Road: Park officials are hoping to open Deer Park Road on June 13, although the winter's heavy snow and late spring melt may delay openings at Deer Park, Obstruction Point and Hurricane Hill Road. Dosewallips Road: A washout outside the park boundary keeps the road closed. Elwha Valley: Roads in the Elwha Valley are open along with Elwha and Altair campgrounds. Boulder Creek Trail is covered in snow above 2,200 feet, and the Boulder Creek camping area has a foot of snow on the ground. Lake Crescent: Roads are open along with the LaPoel picnic area and Fairholme Campground. Log Cabin Resort, Fairholme General Store and Lake Crescent Lodge are open. Sol Duc: Sol Duc Road and the campground are open. The trail to Sol Duc Falls is open and snow free, though snow cover begins just beyond the falls. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is open. Coastal: Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette areas are open along with Kalaloch Lodge. Hikers should check with the Wilderness Information Center for trail and tide conditions. Kalaloch Information Station is open Friday through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hoh: Hoh Road and campground are open. Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park and forest information center in Forks is open Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Queets: Lower Queets Road is open seven miles to Matheny Creek. A new access route into the Upper Queets Valley is open. Queets Campground is open. Quinault: Quinault Loop Road, North Fork Road and North Fork Campground are open. North Quinault River Trail is impassable beyond Wild Rose Creek. Graves Creek Road is open only for foot, bicycle and horseback traffic. The Wilderness Information Center can be reached by calling (360) 565-3100
  17. Access is an issue right now for the Olympics, you can get anywhere you want, just expect a bit of road travel. Call (360) 565-3131 for the latest road closure information in the Park. One option that I know of for great skiing, is to drive on up to Hurricane Ridge lodge, talk with the rangers about where to park your car for the night(s), skin out Obstruction Point road (7+ miles or so), and setup base camp somewhere near Elk Mountain or Maiden Peak. Tons of runs on either side of this ridgeline, from Hwy101, looks to be a lot of snow up there still. We've had quite a few melt/freeze cycles so it MAY becoming stable, tons of wind deposited snow on the N/NW aspects this winter though. I imagine there's a possibility of some icy spots and/or corn snow developing. Anyone been out this way lately with beta?
  18. Check out Washington State's DEM site, listing all SAR resources by counties, Wa. State Sar Resources Mountain Rescue Units, Mountain Rescue Association As stated by many, it is wise to donate directly to the unit of your choice for best use of $. Your dollars are greatly appreciated by us SAR types!
  19. Good info, and thanks for posting the park's report in the Access section. Maybe a post in the Olympic section would spread the word as well. I've been playing (and working) at the Ridge since the early '80's and have always felt pain with the changes in winter road access. Not to start a heated discussion, but after discussing these issues with friends in the ranger ranks, it seems that constant budget cuts from high up are forcing weekday road crew hour reductions to be made every year. Also of note, the road is closed much of the time due to avalanche danger to road crews and visitors via many established avalanche routes that could (and have!) ripped across the highway, maybe some active avalanche control would also help to keep the road open. As stated in the above post, please act! Every letter will help.
  20. I will say, I like the size of the '88 version a bit more! As far as the content, I applaud efforts to add information to the book regarding available sport and alpine rock climbing areas, not that Olympic rock is the best, but there are many fun lines out there. As you said, it probably has value, so if you do have an interest, the new version is useful.
  21. No snow, although weather today and tomorrow promises to be very wet and windy, may bring some mixed slop. Some routes can be climbed with wet conditions, although the more days of constant rain, the more gets wet. Bring a brush, usually this time of year with the bad weather and lack of climbers promises ledges will be loaded with crud. All bolted nicely with access out/in on the top as well. Enjoy!!
  22. Hey, powderhound, what would be your desires exploring the Aleutians? I have been to most areas with the CG and can pass along some information depending on what you are looking to do.
  23. I've had great results from Dermatone products especially on long, sweaty snow slogs. Coming from a person VERY prone to sunburn, don't forget to screen inside the nostrils and ears. As the Doctor says, clothing and hats work the best, I HAVE to wear a hat or my scalp burns every time. Anyone else burn the roof of their mouth during long alpine outings in the sun?
  24. Injured climber hoisted by USCG Port Angeles Dolphin helicopter off of The Brother's summit Sunday evening, weather was a bit marginal but the rescue was completed successfully. I don't have the climber's name yet, but I do know he injured his achilles tendon making self-rescue very difficult if not impossible. Olympic Mountain Rescue crews had hauled rescue gear up to Lena Lake and beyond to the climber's camp at the base of route 1 to facilitate a lower from the summit if a helicopter evacuation was not possible. OMR personnel remained in the area overnight and ensured the two remaining climbers from the party made if off-route and down to the trailhead alright. Good job to all involved!! Check out the hoist-cam video: http://coastguardnews.com/video-coast-guard-hoists-injured-man-off-mountain/
  25. Elwha it is! Slappin' Skeeters is, as mentioned above, the easiest route there at 5.7, although there is a 5.8 and a 5.9 just around the corner to the right. All routes are bolted and most have chain sets at the top and some half-way. This would be a great spot to introduce new climbers to the sport once you have led up and set up a TR. Bring a brush early in the season as the sand builds up on the ledges during winter. Steeple Rock is a few miles out the Obstruction Point road from Hurricane Ridge parking lot (closed due to snow right now) that has some fun 'alpine rock' style routes, though most have their fair share of loose rock, but exposure and views are awesome. The Olympics Climbers Guide is a good reference for all that the area has to offer, with the new sport climbing section a nice addition. Good luck.
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