Frikadeller

If you don't like the way we drive, then stay out of our state. sickie

I was not trying to ridicule the man. He was apparently on some sort of spiritual quest, thats fine. But I still can't see how one gets lost at 7200' on the SS of hood in good weather. Maybe I am just very familiar with the area, so I see things differently.

How does one get lost at that altitude on that side of the mountain?

I don't think that I believe you. Since I started riding my bike, I sold my car(s) and make my wife ride the bus. As a matter of fact, I ride my bike to go climbing too. I think I am gonna invent "bike tire chains" so the OSP will stop harassing me when I ride timberline road to go skiing... As a matter of fact, I also ride my bike for work. I am a HVAC tech, and carry my tool box, torch set, recovery machine and pump on a rack, and carry my ladder on my shoulders. Both ladders. It's a bitch to get big parts, like 5 HP motors and stuff, but hey, that's what the "Crankhead trailer" is for. See life is great without cars.

Interesting video. I guess that bike rider learned the hard way that pedestrians have the right of way. Unfortunately, he found out the NYPD way. But he is also lucky he did not get a plunger shoved up his ass while the cops where chanting "It's Giuliani time, motherfucker"...

I guess I am just feeling a bit "assholeish" The "too many beer s club" will do that to ya... Not to worry though, I was up there in the last few weeks too...

Godskid5, the only way you will know, is if you just drive up there, and hike the ridge, and look for your self. Sorry, not trying to be mean, but it always seems like you are looking for beta, but you never have any beta to report back. Sure conditions change rapidly. Thats the nature of the mountains. Do yourself a favor, and get your shit together, and go try the Sunshine route this weekend. Be prepared to climb a few schrunds. Be prepared to cross a few snow bridges. (My partner fell into a crevasse two weeks ago on the lower Elliot), and have a car shuttle set up, because decent down cooper spur is not good right now. As a matter of fact, no alpine route is "in" right now. Go kayaking instead.

I think I looked at you like you where "cracked" when I let "the Jerk" try to operate my camera on the summit of hood a few years ago.... All he did was make fun of my name the entire walk back down the Hogsback.... "Otto huh?, isn't that the driver from "The Simpsons"? "Did you know that a lot of Nazi's where named Otto?" "Whats with that old school ice axe, when you have a modern "ice tool" strapped on your pack"... Blah blah blah.... Yeah, the dude lives up to his Avatar name for sure. I almost kicked his stashed trekking poles and pickets off the hogsback that morning too. I would have never regretted it...

Maybe I misunderstood you in that other post that you and I both know what I am referring to. I guess it's stories like this one that leave a lump in my throat, because it's exactly how I lost my Father. I get emotional thinking about it, and sometimes I get hyper-sensitive about the subject. Yet on the other hand, I continue to alpine climb even though I have had the worst of the worst happen in one of my own climbs. But it has yet to make me feel "immortal"... Quite the opposite. To each their own.

Wow... That really sucks... Terrible news, my condolences to the family. I know your pain, I have been there my self. I am sure Ivan will come along anytime soon, and tell us about how "immortal" stuff like this makes him feel. On another note: I am suprised that anyone is coming back down the spur in these conditions. Two weeks ago I watched the entire north side gullies erupt into a full on rock slide avalanche... That was around ten AM.

unless you like hopping over bergschrunds and stuff like that, no. BTW, I found that the snow, even when "soft" was very runneled out and had the beginnings of "large" sun cups, that made my decent shitty. Your mileage might vary. Here is a pic from snowdome....

Was up on snowdome last weekend...

buy rando gear with Dynafits. never look back. it is the supreme ski tool for the alpine environment I am not made of money, if I was, I would take your advise... Ahhhhh... Yes! The "surf".... Once you try it, you will understand the allure of the "snowboard".... Heh.... Sorry to hear that you have only seen five of those tracks... I usually burn many of those tracks a year. I cannot do that on my "skis".... Call me a "knuckle-dragger", I could care less. But when you dorks are submarining your "skis" in deep powder, think of me "surfing" over that crap, having a great time... Maybe I'll sell that Tele set up... Anyone looking for some chili bindings, with a TRP 100 release?

You source is in used stuff for glisading. Check the places (Next Adventure, second ascent etc.) for decent stuff that will not break the bank if you rip them. I don't think I have a pair of snow pants, hiking pants, or Gaitors that do not have crampon hits/holes in them.... Comes with the sport... Buy some skis/snowboard and forget about glisading... Just ride down.

there aren't enough of you 20 minutes to transition and can't side hill out there You have been watching the wrong guys... 20 minutes to transition? But, I did buy a Tele set up this year... So far I think it sucks. But gimme some time, that might change.... Or it might not.

I like the annual splitboarder gaypride parade! Whats wrong with splitboarding, huh, fucknut?!

The "freedom of the hills" also includes you being "free" from any sort of "canine intervention".... In other words, leave the dog at home... This puppy hangs around, but it's not my responsibility....

Nepal extremes suck as "snowboarding boots".... Trust me.... They have way too much flex in the ankle. Great for Frenching up a hill, crappy for a snowboard.

Awwww.... Shit... I guess the SW chutes will have to wait til next year. Bummer.

From this angle, it sure does look like the whole mountain blew...

Yeah, I hope they get it open again by next weekend... I just have a feeling that the SW chutes will be melted out any later. Well, that will probably blow any plans I had made to get up there next weekend...

Speaking of boots, the snowboard world is very slow at coming up with something that is a suitable "snowboard mountaineering" boot. Most of us have come up with our own solutions to the issue that will have to pass until something is mass produced. Personally, I have been using regular Koflach plastic mountaineering boots, and substituted the stock liner for a taller liner from some old Tele race boots I got off e-bay. I just loosen the velcro power strap when I am hiking or skinning. I chose this so I could use my step in crampons, and my other strap crampons do not fit my snowboard boots.. This seems to work OK for me, but eventually I am gonna buy a Voile system board in the future that can use MTN PLATES. (I have one of the older Burton models with the old interface, and the plates are only for the Voile system. My Partner uses the MTN PLATES on his split and utilizes AT Ski boots. He claims that they hike really well, and are stiff enough for snowboarding. I am probably also going to end up getting the same set up in the future, I just have to destroy the current setup to justify a new one. (And I am slowly working on that!!) For what it's worth, I don't even take out the split when the snow is this consolidated, and just boot up a solid board... Powder, that's another story, the split is mandatory...

You want pix? No "pix" of "duct tape gaitors, or construction hard hats... But here is one of "mountain puppy in training" on that very day..

Weird day. I was up there booting my snowboard up to Hogsback. None of the decending climbers I ran into mentioned anything about an accident. I turned around at the near beginning of hogsback because the snow was just about perfect. That was around 12:30... As I get back to the car, I see a circus going on at T-line, and some old man with BiNoculars was ranting and raving how he just watched some guy snowboard off the "summit" (Not quite guy, but almost.) and they had the lower parking lot coned off for the helicopter. Good time to get the hell out of that place... Weird, though, I did not see anything at hogsback... I did, though see the two kids in Jeans and construction hard hats on the rock below crater rock trying to put on alpine boots and wondering how they where gonna get on their skis... Hey guys, thanks for kicking the bowling ball sized rock down at me. I love that kind of attention.

WTF?!?!? Are you just an asshole, or what?