montypiton

your rope is nylon, so pretty much any mild detergent will work. gentle cycle (mainly because you'll get less tangle than regular cycle), low heat. air dry (a no-heat dryer cycle is ok, but you'll spend hours untangling your line) woolite and no heat is a pretty good inexpensive recipe...

for general alpinism, I like to carry a multi-tool (Leatherman or Sog - I avoid Gerber because I've broken every blade on two of them) -- just because I sometimes need more than just a knifeblade. specific for climbing, & just cutting webbing or cord, I sharpen one edge of my nut-tool, and slide a section of air-compressor hose over it for a sheath - one less tool to buy & keep track of...

Most single all-round mountaineering boots are warm enough for winter in the Cascades. I've not needed a double boot until well below 0-fahrenheit. Sportiva, Scarpa, Technica, Boreal, Vasque, Lowa, Hanwag, Raichle, Kayland, all make excellent boots -- try on as many as you can find, and buy the one that feels like you were born in it. For a newbie, I would not recommend the integral neoprene gaiter style. I've seen too many friends rip the snot out of them. Warranties are of little value when your gear fails two days from the road... A seamless leather upper like the Sportiva Nepal will outlast anything else, but will also be heavier than synthetic. Ultralight-high-performance must be balanced against long-haul durability.

don't forget college outdoor programs -- many offer high-quality instruction, and often don't require that you be an enrolled student. they can be a great source of partners, as well...

Dulfer was the first rappel I learned forty-three years ago, and in 1972, it saved my life when the knot on a swiss-seat failed and I detached from my brake setup. Fortunately I had routed the rappel rope from the brake between my legs and then to my brake hand. On a dead-vertical rappel, I stopped myself sitting in a bight of rope, looped the brake rope over my shoulder and completed the rappel as a dulfer. Todd Skinner could have done the same when his harness failed, had he routed the rope between his legs. I have taught rock-climbing for both amateur and professional venues since the seventies, and always insist that my proteges learn the dulfer as an emergency technique. I still frequently use it on winter climbs when I'm in a hurry.

I use a fine needle & thread, baseball stitch, and don't bother with any adhesive or coating. quick, easy, seems to last...

I'd go with the smallest HALF rope you can find -- just don't drop to a single TWIN. If all you're using prusiks for is to get out of a crevasse, go with 4mm slings -- they're only carrying bodyweight. modern (current) dry treatments may be more durable than you think - I'd spring for it if I were you.

I'll admit that virtually no one digs snow caves on Denali, but in the two seasons I spent there (admittedly a LONG time ago) most of the old hands, and all of the climbing rangers, were building igloos. They are easy to build, and far warmer and more stormproof than any tent. My second season, we didn't even take a "basecamp" tent - just a bivvy tent for use in places where tents shouldn't be. For all our glacier time, we built igloos -- it's nice to be able to sit around inside in you underwear when it's thirty below outside... if I were to go back to Denali (and now that I'm an empty-nester, I'm considering it) I would not take a tent for glacier camping - I'd build igloos,

check pm's

check pm

yer still a bit early for the best ice in the Stuart / Enchantment area. tons of seasonal ice lines April - June most years, but they require more freeze/thaw to form than we usually see this early. Dragontail, Stuart, Argonaut are all great, but usually dry or snowed under this early... Argonaut has at least two couloirs on the north aspect that go about WI2-3 when they're not buried in snow...

if you don't need front-points, "micro-spikes" work pretty well, and are far cheaper than any full-on crampon. we've used 'em on water ice to nearly forty-five degrees...

Millenium Wall is done for the season - but keep going another 1.5+ miles up the trail, and you'll find "Fourmile Falls" (see previous post w/ movie - climbed it again w/ Mark Shipman and Dave Allyn day before yesterday). There's more undocumented ice/mixed in cliffs below Fourmile Falls. We'll be exploring most of March, I think. At 3000' and well-shaded, should hold into April... -Haireball

Pieter - check your PM's

Pieter - check your PM's

I like Aces -- stiff enough for comfort in aiders, perform well into 5.11 range (they climb better than I do, certainly). Find 'em cheaper than dirt on ebay, and resole 'em. I've got C4 and Onnyx if ya need rubber, or I'll throw a half-sole on 'em cheap. I have several pairs in the bin, sizes ranging from about 9.5 to 11.5 if ya wanna demo or confirm sizing. Or if I have a pair that will work for you, I'll make you a deal that will feel like you stole 'em. Talk to me, John...

Check your pm's - season just got a new lease on life!

Ass-Clammin Update 2/4 Ice is going fast in spite of freezing nights. Pearly Gates, fat last Thursday, was gone by Saturday. Tumwater Canyon: no new beta. climbs still looked good last Thursday, but that may mean nothing. Most likely not worth driving from the West side next weekend. Icicle Canyon: I climbed at Dog Dome on Saturday, the chimney far left ("Dog Nasty Dike" summer rock route) was still leadable. A ledgy mixed line to its right was still doable, but hangers were pretty fragile. Unless we get a hard freeze for a few days, its probably gone. On the off chance that we do get a good freeze, the bridge will stay for now -- it wasn't put up until March last year... Saw five climbers in the Funnel on Saturday. Walked up Sunday to find the flows quite active - we didn't climb the Funnel itself, but did climb a better protected line a couple hundred feet left. While descending, we watched a pony-keg sized rock trundle down a snow chute off to the right of our line. The ice is elevated enough on the left-hand wall that it is safe from what comes down the chute. Still - sobering. So, yes,there's climbable ice at Hubba-Hubba Hill, but only for those sufficiently experienced to manage the objective hazard. Lets hope for another extended freeze. Pearly gates, as I mentioned above, is gone. Everything on the road side of the river, including Rainbow Falls, is gone. Until we see another extended freeze, this is the last Ass-Clammin Update -Haireball

my school district has a winter break the entire week of presidents' day, which, including the two weekends, gives me a nine day window - and I have friends in Bozeman who keep bugging me to come that week. I would love to be able to share travel expenses if anyone can swing the time -- pm me. -Haireball

Brad- I appreciate your doing the research. In my thirty years here, I've never been told that the Smear itself is privately owned. I've spoken a number of times with one landowner there (an acquaintance of long-standing, though not a close friend) who says he speaks for his neighbors on the road, and he has never given any indication other than that they object to use of the road to approach. If the landowner who actually owns the Smear objects, I'm content to remove it from my report. At one point several years back, an absentee landowner near the flow had actually provided local climbers with a key to the gate and stated that his permission to approach his parcel via the road authorized us to use it to pass other parcels. This caused some bad feeling, and some locals, including myself, took to paddling. Anyway, thanks for the assist. Also, I'm perfectly aware that stuff was falling during the chinook. Hell, I was climbing on some of it! Nevertheless, the consensus of the forecasts I've seen indicate a cooling trend through the weekend, and I'll be out. Maybe we'll meet - I don't believe I've met you. And, while I'm sincere in saying I appreciate your assistance, in future, I'd sure appreciate a more polite tone when you help out... -Haireball

"conditions on Drury should only be reported by someone who actually got on it" I whole-heartedly agree! I make no pretense of reporting the actual conditions of these climbs -- the place for that is a trip report. I will continue to report what looks like it might be worth hiking to. Just because a climb "looks" fat or complete doesn't mean the ice is any good. That caveat would apply to every climb I've listed, and could even apply to conditions reported in a trip report, since our local conditions, in my experience, vary quite significantly even by the hour.

ice influence in the last 5o years? -- Will Gadd? don't know about alpine, but difficult to ignore regarding ice for the past 25 years or so...

Haireball's Ass Clammin News, 1/31 Contrary to popular belief, our one night chinook has NOT devastated ice climbing in the Icicle and Tumwater canyons. In fact, if what remains is any indication, it appears aspect/sun has been the bigger factor. Tumwater: Drury remains complete, probably climbable for the young & dumb crowd No sign of the Pencil We've probably seen the last of the Drip - it lasted less than two days Across from Castlerock, climbs remain reasonably fat, but have been reduced to normal historical dimensions The Smear remains fat - please avoid using the road approach - contour the hill above the ditch, walk the riverbank past the private property, or paddle across the river at the Smear. Icicle: Funnel remains fat, now reduced to normal historical dimensions Some flows remain climbable on the upstream side of Eightmile Butt-rest Icicle Butt-rest is completely stripped, we've probably seen the last of it for this winter Dog Dome is reduced, but still presents plenty to do, and the bridge appears to have remained in good shape Pearly Gates has been reduced from grossly obese to merely normal historical dimensions Rainbow Gully still has top-outs on some lines Candlestein Left has survived, but Candlestein Right lost its top-out Caliente and Black Power are gone Entrance Exam remains as a mixed problem It froze again last night, and is forecast to cool though the weekend into next week. -Haireball

three access opportunities avoid the property owners' issues: 1) paddle across the river from the developed raft launch opposite the Smear. 2) walk from the bridge upstream along the river instead of using the access road. the river bank is public access by state law (I'm a riverfront landowner in Leavenworth) 3)Fawn Gully and the Smear can be accessed by contouring low on the hillside from the bridge, on public land. Silver Tongue may be accessed from the top of Fawn Gully or the Smear.

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