billbob

Might want to add "occasional / frequent whiteout conditions" ?

Looks like the guy in the red coat is contemplating the muttzamas route... is he the one who forgot the rope?

Put a saddle on that sucker and ride.

Says he's too tall to ride, besides he walks almost as fast as I ski. That said, I heard he's damn good at falling and coming out unscathed, maybe we should organize an event to watch him try. I'll supply the beer!

At 9 my son started on a relatively simple wall at the school gym so I started taking him to a "real" rock gym. Amazing how fast they learn and grow! Bringing in tutors like Tony Yaniro and Boone Speed may have been a bit over the top in the early years, but they helped intoduce training techniques and got the good habits going. He was in the USA Climbing comp circuit for five years before burning out. It's a delicate balance between competition success and just plain fun in climbing, so be careful about pushing. I'm not sure the mental stress is all that healthy for kids since they typically lack the tools to cope until some level of maturity is reached. After a year of sloth and almost 16, he's only now wanting to climb again.

Not really, just not easily impressed. Too many wannabe's out there trying to be the "first". To the point that most of the antics are uninspiring and boring. STFU noob Sounds like somebody had a bad day

Lots of talk. Set a date. Couloir needs a handicap, like wearing crampons. No, wait - what if he only drank beer the whole way?

Kids! Why, when I was a young lad we ran it in one day on all three legs. Three days on one leg? One day on three kegs?

I had promised my sister to take her BF on a easy climbing trip. Conditions were great on the drive up, then we hiked a few miles and set up basecamp. Unfortunately we were so buzzed from the 12 hr drive/party that we had neglected to pick up supplies (actually we did get a bag of candy bars at a gas stop). Next morning we hiked out early, then drove back to the nearest store, leaving all the gear at camp. Returning later on the access road found heavy snowfall eventually stopping the car 3 miles from the TH, so we starting hiking back with two grocery bags of supplies and a replacement bag of candy bars. Slowed by drifts and "Brother Dan", we arrived back at the TH at dusk, just as the storm was really picking up. Dan says "I can't feel my feet" and I only then notice he's wearing construction boots and corduroy pants (and cotton sweat pants) which are all frozen stiff. No way we would make the ridge walk back to camp like this, so we piled into the back of an old datsun pickup w/ a little topper over the bed. OK, yeah, this sucks but things could be way worse. Dan continues complaining about his feet for a while. Finally I suggested he take off his boots and socks and put his feet under my jacket. The wind is howling, the little truck is rocking with the gusts, and it's gotta be in the low 20's. For sure my little sister would kill me if I let anything bad happen to her BF. As Dan removed his frozen leathers it immediately became all too obvious that he suffered from some sort of rare mutant foot fungus, and consequently an odor most foul emanated from under my parka all night long while Dan and I sat and shivered and smoked and ate snickers until sunrise. Maybe he couldn't help it, maybe it was some rare genetic disorder or possibly he had picked up some tropical affliction not of his own accord, and I know it sounds awful to say this, but Dan, I STILL hate you.

Thanks for the details, appreciate your experience and all the info on snow conditions ! Late Saturday afternoon(4-ish) I met a couple youths up at the I-Rock saddle who told me they had gone up the Leuthold and descended the Gates. Being the nosy type I asked them "by what means did you descend over the large ice step?", to which they replied "we just downclimbed w/ no pro". One could only politely assume they were simply far more accomplished climbers than they appeared, given the potential for disaster and all that. Being an older type, I try to avoid such situations and typically employ solid anchors connected to a reliable rope/climbing partner.

Experienced partners preferred, Sat-Sun this weekend. Camping I-Rock Sat nite, have the orange Sierra tent. Other W side routes possible, not locked into doing Leuthold just anticipating west side conditions to be decent Addendum: 4 PM following Monday - (aka Epistle of the 5 P's) Last weekend saw great conditions, camped alone at I-Rock saddle, no partner to be found. Wasn't into downclimbing the 10' ice step on the descending SS route without a belay & partner. Yeah, I could have left an anchor and rapped down the Pearly Gates but was too hung over to consider it.

Hey thanks for the nice early morning pics, looks like somebody has the alpine start down. We need a guinea pig for the first run up that WCR slab, wait and see if there aren't a few volunteers this weekend.

Two days for an old guy like me is doable barring a heart transplant in the near term. Twenty or so mpd is a good pace given the terrain unknowns. That said, if there is enough interest perhaps consideration might be given to doing both 1 & 2 day groups starting at the same time?

PM'd

I'm in s pdx with the ride, 5am departure plans, room for 5 comfortably, 6 if very close friends. Need meeting spot near I-5 & 217.

One Day ?!! How many miles?? I just want to know what you are eating!

SS sucked today, wouldn't have gone but for the need. Moderate wind, typical whiteout above 8K, ubiquitous ice pellets, and damn is that snow level almost above the Silcox?. Postholing in snowshoes up Palmer since the cat hasn't been there since when. Way too slabby up there (duh). Maybe next week, more likely not given the current conditions. Heard this winter is looking like record snowfall at Rainier, what about Hood ?

We thought that our trip last year mid-August would be successful, until three days of crap weather hanging at Muir convinced us to seek elsewhere. Good choice since the weather remained another three days. Just goes to show ya, the best laid plans...

Drink LOTS of water or just drink heavily. works for me Things are rarely as bad as one thinks. Or they're worse So think positive(ly) get over it Pray? Be About Love.

Hi, my son is 15 and has spent 6 years competing in the USA Climbing circuit, altho he's a bit out of practice right now. Problem is he's never climbed (rock) outdoors and is hot to go for it. Last year he was leading 5.12 at Club Sport and summited Hood once. Are you all in the Seattle area? We live in PDX... BB

I'm a sex addict, can't seem to stop doing it! I have no control over it, it's like every other night or so (not as young as I used to be) I want to have more sex. My girlfriend is the enabler, always trying to get more (yep, she's way younger than me). There have been times when I desperately wanted to stop the cycle of addiction but have not found the willpower, like somehow I'm hardwired for it. Seriously, having been thru AA and NA programs in the past for good reasons, yet still continuing to drink and smoke (Much more moderately these days) while not yet self-destructing or becoming incarcerated, I might add to the above commentaries in that there are a wide range of personalities to consider when making rather general statements on addictions. Do we addicts function on different levels? Are there truly "functional" addicts? Does an Irish heritage preclude any reasonable chance of not becoming what some people consider an alcoholic? Does a desire to consume 2-3 beers every day mean I'm (still) an addict and will I be a addict if that drops to 1 beer every day? Can this disease be managed over a lifetime such that it does not result in problematic behaviours?

BC, I've used the Garmin 60xxx for a couple years and found it to be an asset. Don't know if other brands have the same issues as mine, to wit: 1) Ya gotta keep it relatively warm. Last winter in a whiteout the screen went black, reportedly from the 22F temps and the fact it was sitting in the outide pocket of my shell; and 2) While it does have a compass function, if you are using the map and are not moving, then just turning and pointing the unit will not provide accurate spatial orientation. The unit has to be traveling (horizontally), something not always possible, maybe a bit risky watching a screen while climbing. BB.

Maybe we could meet in person, you know, way up on the S side around 9,500' elev. I would be grateful for the opportunity to point out a few things, for example the view of the beautiful White River canyon. Just over there, yep, a little closer and you can see all the way down...

Hood is a hike? Call TMG. Please.

Triton X-100 and its brethren are ethoxylated phenols and are particularly environmentally unfriendly, if that matters to you. It breaks down to produce various toxic congeners of phenol. Phenol as you know is rather carcinogenic, mutagenic, and all those other -genics. As to the composition of tech wash or sport wash (IMO a better buy) one could send a sample to such laboratories around the country that perform such reverse-engineering services at rather high cost. One might also try blend varying amounts of nonionic block copolymer-type surfactants along with a mild sequestering agent, an appropriate dispersant, and perhaps a fluorinated wetting agent. Add in some deionized water and mix at the right temperature and you might come up with something. Alternatively you might search the US Patent database (USPTO.gov) and try to copy someone else's fomulas, which works as long as you don't try to sell or give away anything produced. There is another and more expeditious manner of getting started in this area but one would need an expensive laboratory and business license to avoid legal issues. Or you could just go to Walmart.