Dannible

Might not make any difference to you depending on how old your car is, but I think using BD voids your warranty in most cases. My dad used to work at a dodge and VW dealership and I remember him saying that there were a lot of people coming in with engines that were messed up because they used biodiesel (maybe they just didn't change their fuel filters enough?) and often they didn't know that they voided their warranty.

You might be right, the pictures match up pretty well. I was thinking that that area would be a bit easier to get into with snow covering the brush, but also thought the river crossing would be rough right now. If it's true tell us about it, Blake.

A few months ago I was pretty sure that we would be in Iran right now. Now I don't think people would let that happen. There would just be too much public outcry. If Mccain gets elected, it could happen. I still have faith in people's ability to do the right thing after they've screwed up a few times. If it does happen then a lot of us will get to start thinking about being drafted.

The rock looks a little red (and fun) for Erie. I'm guessing it's not in this state.

Funny you should bring up that movie, I just watched it last night. I agree that Rainier climbing permits are legit; without them there would be a lot more people who shouldn't be up there trying to just go for it, and they help support the climbing rangers who are good about hooking up info on conditions. NW trailhead passes are more of something that taxes should already cover IMO. That said I do have a one year pass around somewhere.

If you are planning on bringing the down jacket anyway why not bring a lighter sleeping bag (20-30 degree) and wear your jacket in your bag. That way you shouldn't need to bring down pants. You can survive with just down clothes, but in most cases you won't be comfortable. The bivy sack will do very little as far as keeping you warm if you are already in a tent, if you leave it and your down pants at home, you've saved enough weight to just bring a sleeping bag.

Peeps still buy those things? Do you have any idea just how serious going to the mountains without the proper permits is?

I was thinking about that the other day. The first digital camera that I ever used was a Sony Mavica that was .3 MPs, had no zoom, and cost my elementary school something like $800. More recently I got a canon 20d, a 8 MP slr for $600.

In most cases real jobs limit how much climbing you can do. Screw jobs.

There are a couple of others on Slesse depending on what you're looking for. Look up the North Rib and Navagator Wall. Also get a Cascade Alpine Guide and check out the Picket Range.

Thats a good point. If you are leading a big group and dealing with rockfall big enough to break helmets, something is wrong. I myself use a Ecrin Roc, but mostly because I got it for sale, and can't justify buying a new one right now.

Were you able to get your hands on a fishing pole?

Cool, thanks. Can you buy passes at road checkpoints, or will they just not let you pass?

I read in an old TR (from 2006 I think) that some people thought that guides are now required in the Cordillera Blanca, but it didn't seem like it was being enforced. Does anyone know anything about that?

Keep moving and you'll stay warm during the day wearing light clothing. Fawk that shite! There's just no reason not to bring a 1 lb down bag and avoid such discomfort (and the toll it takes the next day). If you're worried about weight, leave your bivvy sack (which weighs a lb or more) at home, and take a 3 oz emergency bivvy sack (EMS brand or other) in case the weather goes south, and just sleep under the stars in your 1 lb down bag. Think outside the (bivvy) bag. I think part of the thing that I said about how I like to keep warm during the day had to do with the fact that it was a pretty wet and cloudy summer, and one can get pretty uncomfortable in those situations if they don't have some warm stuff to put on. Example: on that long trip we ended up getting rained out and had to walk out in the rain and had to hitchhike home (we were starting and ending at different places) Blake seemed pretty cold and wet and since I had more clothes I was really pretty comfortable even though I was soaked (I have yet to see a waterproof jacket that really keeps you dry in the Cascades). On shorter trips I often find myself climbing through the rain too. As for the bivy sack vs. 1 lb down bag, you are 100% correct. Bivy sacks (that I can afford) are no good for real rain anyway, so there is no reason to not just have a sleeping bag instead. Problem is, I already have a bivy sack and have too many other things to spend my money on before I get a lighter bag. And like I said, the light emergency bivys suck. I actually had one on that trip but by the end I just slept on top of it because since it doesnt breath I would just get soaked, which took away from the warmth my clothes could give me. They are better than nothing, but as far as I'm concerned they are emergency use only, and really a plain space blanket is a lighter and better option for that.

I too am young and poor and have a rack of whatever was cheap at the time. I have one RE robot in the .5 camalot size. It works just fine, and I like the fact that it has a doubled over sling that can eliminate the need for a draw, but their range is very limited. They look like Metolius cams and have almost the same range on paper, but at least with the one I have the action isn't as smooth and I would only want to place it in the middle of it's range. When I am taking things off the rack for weight it is almost always the first thing to go. I would say either buy some of those and wait to get better cams in the future as your second set, or better yet look for something better on sale or used.

A lot of people thought I was an idiot for saying that the war was a bad idea in 2003.

I read somewhere that cams with more defined teeth (like WC or metolious) hold better in wet or icy cracks. Anyone know anything about that?

Personally I care more about being warm during the day, and have gotten pretty used to going into my happyland (a warm beach where it's just to hot to do anything but lay there) to get through cold nights. By the end of last summer I was alright with just a lightly insulated/waterproof jacket, light long underwear, rainpants, a bivy sack, a 5 oz foam pad, and a warm hat. Sleeping with your feet down in your pack helps a surprising amount too. I went on a six day trip like this and only had one night of no sleep (sleeping on a cold slab on a windy night), one night of little sleep, and the rest were ok. I seem to be less affected by sleep deprivation than some. This system gives me a more comfort and options during the day when the weather is less than perfect. Eat some fatty food before you go to bed, if you wake up cold eat more, and if it's really bad do some pushups. Sometimes I brought one of those non-breathable emergency bivies (not the space blanket kind) too, but found that by morning I would just be soaked and colder than I was without it. If you are somewhere where you can have a fire then you can bring less and it will be even better. When it's a bit colder I'll go with just a sleeping bag, and lay out the rope to sleep on rather than a pad. I'll admit that a half-bag would be nice, but there are too many other things that I want to spend my money on first.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. If you think Erie sucks try living in Olympia where the only climbing within 2 hours is Fossil Rock. sickie

A straw is also good for sucking up water from tiny pools on rocks, or deep inside cracks. Another tip that I posted on another thread recently is to bring plastic grocery bags rather than snow stakes if you use a tent in the snow. Fill the bags with snow and bury them. They are lighter and work better in many cases.

Remember when we melted my shoes and sock trying to dry them? My tip: when drying shoes over a fire, you don't need to put them in the fire.

Thats north of Squamish, right? There should be plenty for you to do around there. Erie is about 45 minutes away from you (outside of Anacortes) and is hated on by many people but is really pretty good for western washington. It is mostly sport routes and gets less rain than most places around. Plan on being lost the first few times you go there. There is also some fun bouldering in Larabee State Park, which is about 15 minutes away from you. There are also some sport routes on Mount Baker Highway near the town of Glacer (one hour away). There is a guidebook called Bellingham Rock or something that would be a good place to start.

No point in going to 32 when Erie is right there.

For anchors in powder bring some plastic grocery bags, fill them with snow, and burry them. Lighter and better than most snow anchors for tents. For what it is the Beta light is really nice.