ScaredSilly

Last summer we got started on average around 5:30. That worked for us old guys who like to enjoy a little nip and a cigar before turning in. Still got to the top of before many.

Ditto, the above is SOP for many, my self included. Of course it does help if the last person lets you know when they have taken the last piece out. Otherwise just solo.

Because one can inspect boots, crampons, tents, etc. pretty easily. But a rope is more difficult. Sure can see gross wear and tear but it is the unseen that is more difficult.

Normal, what da ya mean? Ever heard of shifting base lines? The FA of both Liberty and Ptarmigan Ridges were made in Sept. Oct ascents were not that unusual. Of course ya gotta be a old fart to about the opportunity for nice fall ascents.

To my knowledge no one will rent ropes or harnesses as they are soft goods and it is not possible to insure their reliability. Guide services supply these for their clients but then again they are responsible for pretty much everything.

I got a similar ticket once while parking on the state highway right-a-way. At the court house I asked the FS officer to produce the law that said the feds could cite some one when their vehicle was on STATE land. I also asked them about how under the fee program they could cite a vehicle when the program was to collect fees from people. Which then led to my next question, though my vehicle was there they had no proof that I was. Further, if I had been there they had no proof I was recreating. My friend's trick. He would take the envelop and put the receipt portion in his window. Not wanting to litter he would put the empty envelop into the drop box. See the person who collects the fees is not the LEO who tickets the vehicles. So the left does not what is happening on the right. To the OP send a USPS certified letter with explanation to the court. Hopefully they will toss it.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1031002/Mt_Hood#Post1031002

Well Yankee did get one thing right most climbers are a bunch of degenerates :-))). However most are not degenerate morons - though some are. Needless to say Sobo your post was a very nice response.

Viento Blanco !!! Got to love that!!

Always interesting on DC. FWIW when passing a group it is no different that passing on the highway. When there is no passing lane the group being over taken maintains their speed. The faster group passes in such a manner that they do not cause harm to others. So in this case IHMO you were spot on - have the other group cut the trail switch back while your group continues on (and if needed slow just a bit to let them finish). Further, they should cut the switch back in such a way that if they screw up and fall they fall past your group and not into your group. The last point is very important. I rarely pass anyone going up as we are typically on other routes but on the way down we are usually on one of the standard routes. We always pass on the low side. Besides preventing the fall hazard it prevents our rope from getting in the other groups way - especially if we are moving fast and have slack in places.

There can be a melt pond at Observation Rock. Otherwise nothing above it that I have seen on Ptarmigan especially as the bivy is on the ridge. I have found melt water at 10k on the N. Mowich at that bivy (which is not a standard bivy). I guess one could bivy at Observation get water and haul it with them to the bivy on the ridge.

I love the Spray Park approach, done that 3 times now. Nice shots of the rock variation (we went left and did the chute). Bummer about the AMS and tossing yer cookies. That sucks. But can relate as once I got sick from food poisoning or something fortunately though once I got to Sherman. The walk out sucked. BTW Stubbies on Rainier???? HAHAHA the weight savings is lost by the practical usage.

Actually the East Rib is quite safe especially if one takes the cut off. It has about as much objective danger as some of the other Rainier routes that I have been on. For instance, for many years Curtis Ridge was considered to be a dangerous route. However, we found reasonable rock (by Rainier standards) and very good climbing. BTW I find the descent down the DC to have quite a bit of objective danger. And more people have been injured and killed on it than the Willis.

Having been on the wall in early March we found very reasonable conditions as it had been a low snow year. What stopped us was high winds (viento blanco). You will spend more time on the approach than the climb. For us the biggest objective danger were the cracks. I can not remember the last time I fell into so many. At one point my partner and I both went in - albeit different cracks. After we bailed and got back down to the moraine the whole central face blew out.

Been there done that in much worse conditions. In fact, we did it as well 11 others in a 2 hour period. 9 of us holed up until conditions cleared - a group of 4 that split into two groups did not. Which resulted in a huge rescue.

Ugly links but ... http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg!/?ss=110606&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5191108&navid=120000000000000&pnavid=null&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Mt.%20Hood%20National%20Forest-%20Alerts%20&%20Notices http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPyhQoY6BdkOyoCAGixyPg!/?ss=110606&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003828&navid=170120000000000&pnavid=170000000000000&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=detail&pname=Mt.%2520Hood%2520National%2520Forest-%2520Offices

When two pursuits are in conflict it is typically the new less established one that gets eliminated. Especially, when in this case where it has the great potential for mayhem to not only themselves but others. Most people doing swings, free falls, etc. have little to zero knowledge of the dynamics involved. First, it is a few climbers, next thing ya know it is some some kids with their mom's clothes line. I remember one of the first accidents with a bridge swing. The guy and ~4 others were going to swing together then drop into the water and be picked up by boat. He figured that because each weighed less than 200 lbs that 1250 lbs test cable would be good enough. The video shows the cable going ping right after the cable was fully loaded. Broken bodies and IIRC a death occurred. Not too mention a lawsuit.

~8.5-9mm x 40-60m is fairly typical for me for "mountaineering" routes.

This post should really be in access forum as well: http://www.ktvz.com/news/28500142/detail.html I hope the swinger has some personal liability insurance as they are probably going to need it.

Nice, but I do not see any mixed climbing. Just wandering between some crappy frozen in place volcanic rock :-).

Previous discussion ... http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/999961/1000_fine_for_out_of_bounds_sk#Post999961

I have a storm and a spot. Both are great lights. Much better than the mfg offerings.

You should contact WDFW and send them your picture. It might be very helpful if can be id as a griz. Which is does look like.

It is typically the sheriff (or if in a National Park the incident commander??) who will make the decision on whether a person is cited, which will then as part of conviction will require restitution of the rescue costs. I do believe there are few counties that can charge directly for a rescue. It is rarely done even went it should be

Similar avalanche in the Alps but with severe consequences: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/26/france.alps.bodies/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2