ScaredSilly

HAHAHAHA ... I grew up skiing and climbing around Anthony Lakes. The old guy driving the cat is my high school sweetheart's Dad. I will have to send her a link to this thread. Bummer ya did not ski Lee's. Did that about 25 years ago on leather boots and skinny double camber 210cm skis. BITD skiing Gunsight was a big deal but not so much now.

I shall be forever young ... 24 years young :-).

Yes, it is also known as West Crater Rim but one never gets on the rim proper.

Yeah, it is called the ZigZag or as I know it the Mazama route. A nice enough variation though it can have avy danger. One can traverse over to the old chute or gain the ridge a bit earlier and traverse along it. As for the time required - a reasonably fit climber can do the route from Timberline in 3-4 hours.

While I prefer to grip the other end of the shaft, using tape such as that used for tennis rackets works quite well and does hold up:

You can expect any type of weather on M-Day. Including snow!!! Seen that several times. Mid June - Mid July are a great time. Late July - Aug can be fine in the shade. Sep is also a nice month.

The DC is used cause of Camp Muir and the fact that the guides have permanent structures there including a shitter for everyone. Of course that may soon change at least the permanent structure(s). As said, crevasse danger is present on both the DC and Emmons. But the Emmons lacks big serac and rock fall danger. Alasdair what you experienced is not that uncommon, having huge sections of a crevasse collapse. I have seen it personally a couple of times. Once after I had just gone across a known crevasse which looked to have a good bridge. Scared the crap out of me as: one I was alone, two I was at over 6000m, and three was now on the uphill side of huge gapping hole. A friend died from falling into a crevasse and being buried when a huge section of the edge broke.

Emmons is the least technical and IMHO safer from both the people and snow aspects.

I would probably set thrown off the hill for yelling poser after seeing the nonsense they are portraying. Hmm, I wonder if they will have an ice screw gun so Robin Hood can pendulum from serac to serac like dumb ass Gabe did (except he had a bolt gun).

Now if you want to gripe about something to TNF. Cory is an American living in Canada. Earlier this morning TNF news report had him listed as an American now it says Canadian.

While you boys have been pissing about on the geography, those in the field made the summit today!! http://www.thenorthfacejournal.com/gii-winter-expedition-summit-reached-history-is-made/ Cory Richards is a friend so I think it is cool that he got his second 8000m peak and in the winter too boot.

The Chakras Green symbolically represents the fourth, heart chakra (Hinduism)

Good points ... Picking nits here, "serve a need" and "are needed" are slightly different things. So let me rephase my point; while not needed, the NPS and public structures serve a need. However, dismantling them will require either delisting from the National Historic Register or for them to disintegrate into the complete disrepair. The public shelter was well on its way to the latter until recently. The blog is more efficient because of bureaucratic politics. I personally would love to see zero presence on the hill. But I fully understand and acknowledge the chaos that would ensue. The situation on Rainier is a product of being the highest peak in the Cascades and requiring an overnight on the hill and as such whether we like it or not there will need to be a presence on the hill. Especially for the two standard routes. Because of it prominence it will always attract more climbers than any other hill in the Cascades. The same for Mt. Whintey and Denali. The reason Hood and many other peaks manage to escape the BS is due to being on land managed by the Forest Service. However, they are not far behind ala Mt. Whitney the highest peak in the lower 48 with a non technical route to the summit. Those on Adams are taking a cue and look at the BS for it now. Where to the vast majority end up? On the mule trail to the top. St Helens active volcano so everyone and their dog wants to climb it. The list goes on. If a peak has a claim it is getting hammered. Those with no claim, just do not get the visitation. And today that is what it is all about visitation. Baker and Jefferson just do not have the visitation and as such do not have the associated impacts. That said the point of what to expect or mission is where it should be at. I'd like to walk down through Muir without having to step through someone's shit pile or have to see gumby get their ass pucked off the hill. If that means a ranger is up there teaching folks how to poop in a blue bag or telling gumby to reconsider their plans I am all for it. Cause at the end of the day it is going to be less of a hassle when I take a walk on the wild side of the hill. "What is the mission of the climbing program at Rainier? " Spot on ... except it should be "What do WE want the mission of the climbing program at Rainier to be?" After all it is OUR park. And if WE do not speak up the decision will be made for us!!

A few comments after several long chats with multiple people in the NPS. 1. The public shelter and the guide's (now NPS) hut are historic buildings. So there are fairly strict rules for their up keep. They can not easily be removed or changed. I think both serve a need and should be maintained. I griped over 10 years ago about the public shelter and it condition. All I can say is "keep the damn doors closed" as that is what has cause many if not most of the problems. 2. While I personally advocate that the guides us temporary shelters such as Weather Ports. The guides have mixed feelings because the snow level varies as the season progresses and such they need to be reset. At what frequency I do not know. 3. The Gombu shelter was an illegal construction and is slated to be removed. But until #2 above is solved it will remain. Similarly, the A-frame now used by the guides is to be removed, but will remain for now. 4. The whole Camp Muir update was stalled by the floods as money had to be re-allocated. 5. Climbers are not the only folks at a Muir - just look at the congo line on the weekends. Day hikers also have an impact. The NPS is aware of that. Personal side bar - IMHO there should three permanent structures at Muir; NPS shelter, Public Shelter, and the crappers. Everything else should be temporary. All of the above to a large part are separate from the climbing fee. In regards to the climbing fee: 6. Guided clients also pay the climbing fee. It is included in the guiding fees. 7. The blog is a big issue and they have been made very aware of the need to keep it updated on a regular basis. There are some politics in regards to it. That said, I believe it probably has the biggest visible impact in regards to the climbing program that if the blog is not maintained on a regular basis that many climbers will forego the fee. 8. Out reach is a big issue. Gaitor was out there. He sold the program. For the program to continue the NPS needs to look at his tenure carefully. Those who follow need not follow exactly but they need to be doing a lot more on the out reach. See #7 for a prime example. 9. There will always be mix of users. Many of us on CC are old hands and do not need the hand holding like many coming to Rainier. We want to see condition reports and get to the business of climbing. We (or at least most) how to deal with a blue bag, how to find the damn bivy site in a white out, look at a weather report etc. As such, we do not require much from the NPS. However, we are the minor, the small minority compared to the others. The others, do not mind and actually like having rangers on the hill. And some really need that person contact. Like the guy climbing in blue jeans with a clothesline. 10. Something I would like to see is the NPS go to a lifetime pass for climbing. Say after 5 season passes you get a life time pass. Or just pay up front for 5 passes. At this point some of us should probably get a refund after all the seasons spent on the hill.

Fall is a perfect time to head south to Spain/France/Italy. If ya want to clip bolts Bouix, La Turbie, Finali, Calanques, etc. Verdon would certainly be longer routes but still lots of bolt clipping. For alpine you could also go south the Maritine Alps outside Nice. I did some fun climbing while living there. Much more quiet than Cham.

The lifts may close but not all of the telepheriques. Many of the huts are fully open (i.e. staffed) for a limited time in the winter/spring months. When not staffed the huts always have winter access. However, they might be quite cold so you should be prepared to have all your gear. During April and May many huts are staffed as that is prime time for skiing for the Haute Route and for climbing many of the classic faces that melt out in the summer. I will be over there again for the last three weeks in April climbing and skiing. Send me a note with your abilities and I can try to make a few suggestions.

Actually, only pitch 9-10 are truly farmed. Back in the early 90s I climbed pitches 6-8 on natural ice. Pitch 6 actually forms up often as does a bit of pitch 8. Pitch 7 is a free hanging pillar which oddly enough was much fatter when it was natural ice. I think that season, 92??? was the first time that many pitches had formed. That said, I have to give kudos to those who did the work for the farming on Stairway as well as to the climbs to left of Bridal Veil. It was great to have some new lines to play on. Perhaps this next fall we will have work party.

Hey Dane the reason there is tat is cause locals climb it when it is fat, top out, and walk down the trail Off to ride my bike into the office.

BTW, what I find interesting is that it only applies to a ski operator. Here in Oootah, others in their official capacity can close areas. Here is Utah's version. Note the wording for the ski patrol. 13.12.020 - Closed or unsafe areas—Designation—Signs. The sheriff, forest service, national park service or ski patrol for the ski resort upon which the designated area is located shall be authorized to designate closed or unsafe areas through the use of regulatory signs or other devices. When regulatory signs and/or devices are in place, there shall be a presumption that their placement was authorized.

Also posted here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/999961/1000_fine_for_out_of_bounds_sk#Post999961 Here is what I posted in that thread: Folks should read the bill: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5186.pdf Here is the language: (b) A person shall not ski on a ski slope, trail, or area that is designated by a ski area operator as closed to the public and that has signs posted indicating the closure. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a civil infraction and is subject to a monetary penalty of up to one thousand dollars. Basically if the ski operation says the area is closed is within their boundary and you ski in it you can get fined. It has nothing to do with going out of bounds. A ski resort/patrol cannot close terrain outside of their boundary as they have no control over it. Once again the news has failed to do proper reporting. Folks should send the reporter, Ray Lane a note. rlane@komonews.com as well as the patrollers who gave him BS.

Not to be a smart ass but if you have to ask - you probably should not be considering it. Seriously.

Folks should read the bill: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5186.pdf Here is the language: (b) A person shall not ski on a ski slope, trail, or area that is designated by a ski area operator as closed to the public and that has signs posted indicating the closure. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a civil infraction and is subject to a monetary penalty of up to one thousand dollars. Basically if the ski operation says the area is closed is within their boundary and you ski in it you can get fined. It has nothing to do with going out of bounds. A ski resort/patrol cannot close terrain outside of their boundary as they have no control over it. Once again the news has failed to do proper reporting. Folks should send the reporter, Ray Lane a note. rlane@komonews.com as well as the patrollers who gave him BS.

Lama has other sponsors besides Red BullShit. Mammut <- Write the Swiss side of the company. Read their views: http://www.mammut.ch/en/cr.html http://www.mammut.ch/en/cr_sustainable_ecological.html oetztal <- Austrian Tourism

The Mazama Lodge is a fine option. During my last visit to the south side my partner and I treated ourselves to one of the Chalets at T-Lodge. The Saturday afternoon buffet after climbing was excellent!!

Gotta agree with Hugh - most mfg installed racks are held on via a couple of sheet metal screws into the stringers that form the roof. For some reason it reminds me of the story about car wheels and aircraft engines. How many lug bolts hold a wheel on most cars? 5 or 6 How many mounting bolts hold an engine on a Boeing 7X7? 4 BTW Nice little rack. Things like that are nice if they can be multi purpose. For instance, building legs so it could be used as a table.