montypiton

Doug 1. to clarify, I was testing the current version of both cobra and viper JoshK - I (who have pretty damn enormous hands)also disliked the previous cobra for the "hourglass" grip. Near as I can tell, the current versions of both tools use the same grip, which is very comfortable (read smaller/narrower), though lacks the trigger-finger support that I prefer.

eightmile road was gated about a month ago - can't help with other questions -Curt

Using both, I came away with the impression that the Viper offers a more "natural" swing, while the Cobra works more effectively with a "hooking" swing. My first pitch with the Cobra surprised me, because I expected the "natural" swing that has been BD's trademark since the Chouinard days. Adding the wrist-snap of the "hooker" swing, the tool performed beautifully. This makes the Viper an easier tool for most folks to handle on low-angle ice, and the Cobra a more positive dry-tooler, also requiring less of a "power" swing on very steep ice. Although they handle a bit differently,both are versatile enough for a generalist.

Sliders are nice. I would use 2 per shaft - one "high" as a matching support, the other fitted to my trigger finger. I've cobbled the equivalent on several sets of tools by chopping wire-rope thimbles to a J, and attaching with hose-clamps. On old straight shaft tools without a bottom handrest, it takes three per shaft to get my rig. I used to insulate the metal thimbles with bicycle handlebar tape. I do modify picks, but not much. Most recently I noticed that the picks supplied with the latest version Cobras I got for my son had no bottom bevel on the first tooth at the tip of the pick. Sure enough, the picks were sticky. The release improved immensely when I extended the bottom bevel all the way to the tip of the pick. This is really more "tuning" than modification, although I have to get more aggressive by the time I've worn through two or three teeth (more than an inch, for most tools). I work my picks mostly because I'm too cheap to replace them until they get REALLY SHORT. And I'm far too lazy to go to the lengths that Dane does.

Please, if Pete's post is not "tongue in cheek" just everybody keep quiet... it already is hopelessly overused... at least in snow season we don't need reservations and permits... yet...

thanks, Plaidman! there are probably as many "best" ways to core screws as there are avid ice-bums. I say, try 'em all and use the one that works best for YOU. my own favorite seems to vary from day to day, even hour to hour as conditions evolve...

thanks for the report. looks like a great line.

great piece of beta. we could supplement the NWAC reports/forecasts with ground-based observations from wherever posters happen to travel, if folks will make the reports. any interest? moderators? BTW - I have 10" new in my driveway in Leavenworth this morning, which leads me to guess that hazard from the Enchantments to Stevens Pass might be Extreme for at least today. Take care... good day to ski in bounds at a yo-yo area...

actually, Steve, I was pretty damn impressed with my son's performance! I mean, I got a RIDE down...

Condolences for wife and dog. Hope Colorado proves a healing ground for you. To quote Heide: "I knew the mountains would make you well!" I pray that be true for you...

My apologies to OffWhite and any other who may have corrected me. I'll admit that my trivia piece is pretty old-and that the tidbit was offered "tongue-in-cheek". (an example of my sometimes inappropriate attempts at humor) The claim was offered at the 1983 National Avalanche School, held in Reno. By that time, transceivers had been so widely accepted that virtually noone used cords anymore. Created by the USFS in the '50s, the National Avalanche School was the source of all subsequent avalanche science in the US. It no longer exists, of course, with the need it once met now better met by its many successors. I don't know the details of Unsoeld's burial, but I'd be surprised if he was using cords that late. Skadi & Pieps both had beacons fairly widely available by that time... But Willi was pretty old-school about a lot of things... And Lostcamkenny makes a very appropriate point. I had understood ground search to have been suspended because of the danger to ground based searchers. Say a prayer for any who might still be out...

One advantage to plastic boots is that most are still beefy enough to ski out from the 14000' basin on the West Butt, if you're a ski-mountaineer. You could even climb the West Butt in an AT-boot with overboot, if you choose to ski for the approach and exit... whatever you end up choosing, fit them "generously".

Well done! While it may get buried in a more normal snow year, it looks well worth chasing in a year like this! Quite a prize!

My youngest son and I attempted his first real alpine route last June, and were caught by a sudden violent lightning storm near the top of the NE Couloir on Colchuck. While attempting retreat,my belay stance was destroyed by a lightning triggered avalanche of snow and rock that swept me to the Colchuck Glacier, severed the rope with which I had been belaying Michael as he downclimbed, and left him, age 15, marooned in a moat at the side of the couloir near its top. Michael successfully solo downclimbed the couloir (amazing kid),to find me,, to his surprise, alive, and in the care of four climbers who had witnessed the avalanche from Dragontail, and had dashed to help. One of them ran out to call help, another hiked out with my son, and the remaining two stayed with me and kept me alive for twelve hours until a military helicopter arrived to evacuate me to Central Washington Hospital, where my favorite climbing partner, and friend of thirty years, Dr. Mark Shipman, predicted "If he lives, he'll be back on the ice this winter". Dr. Tom Ettinger, another long-time climbing partner who had been Best Man at my wedding, managed to save my right foot (right ankle was fractured, and had been dislocated more than twelve hours by that time) and I spent the next four days in surgery to reconstruct my right ankle, right forearm, and jaw. There were so many fractures that we were still finding undocumented ones when I began physical therapy a month later. I was released from the third medical facility in August, and had the last casts off by September. Aggressive physical therapy has enabled me to walk without limping. Aggressive psychotherapy has enabled me to keep my job rather than claim disability. And, sure enough, I had two days on the ice last week, the first one with Shipman. My son's account of the episode can be read at caringbridge.com, if you enter my name, Curt Haire, when you access the site. I still have no memory whatsoever of the climb or fall. Helluva year...

How about if we each vote "no" several thousand times? The poll appears to allow that... BTW - avalanche safety trivia: there has never been a recorded avalanche fatality where the victim had had an avalanche cord deployed!! get rid of your transceivers, guys!! in both cases, carry and use an appropriately prepared BRAIN.

Your river crossing brings back fond (not) memories of the same in about '84, when slurpy-consistency river ice made it impossible for me to reach the highway side bank returning from our successful climb. I got dunked, and my partner spent the better part of that night stranded on the Fall Creek side, until a friend had the bright idea that we could tie a light line to a hammer, and throw the hammer across the river. My partner had retrieved the kayak,via a line we'd tied to the stern but in my dunking, I'd lost the paddle, and failed to keep hold on the bow line that would have allowed me to pull him across. Once we got the light line across, getting him was a piece of cake. Glad to hear your experience was better. I wouldn't count on that Lake Yolanda crossing to last the week... It's pretty rare to have it freeze bank to bank... Rolf told me once that he prefers to wade the shallows below Swiftwater in hip-boots, but I've never tried that...

Welcome, Sam. After reading your blog about the Mallory/Irvine mystery, I gotta ask: Are you sure you're not one of the Bard brothers?!? If Alan wasn't dead this many years, I'd swear he could have written it. Maybe you're channeling? At any rate, it was fun!

Finally called the neighbors, & have their report: they didn't even try for Drury... felt it was just "too cold" and that they didn't want to work up a sweat on the approach and then freeze all day on the climb. So they went to Hubba Hubba and climbed the Funnel instead - said they had a great time... and do listen to CascadeClimber: Drury is not a "fun" climb when you see rock showing through the flow from the highway...

My experience with neoprene is my hands got as wet from perspiration as they would on a really wet ice day with normal gloves - and they stayed colder once they got damp...

Drip was not even close to the ground on Tuesday. Fat ice at the top if you can dry-tool the lower half... The party planning the Drury attempt that day are neighbors, and they haven't called to gloat, which is a suspicious sign... Most of the Old Farts like to wait until the flowpath is completely covered, because the Waterfall Wall functions as something of a heat-sink due to its sun exposure. Alan Kearney and I had screw placements falling out of soft ice when the air-temp was around 0-F on one ascent back in about '83... Our solution was to shorten pitches so the leader would establish the next belay anchor/stance before his protection screws started pulling out!?!? Scary... Lotsa short stuff in in the Icicle Canyon, though - spent yesterday (the 9th) working out the kinks at Rainbow gully. FWIW, I prefer my Rebels to the new Cobra - I was climbing on my son's Cobras because my replacement Rebel isn't due until January... The hand-support at the base of the Cobra actually compresses my mongo fingers, and is enough bulkier than the Rebel support that I kept banging the grip against the ice; also, it lacks a triggerfinger fitting, and I missed the "power-steering" effect. Most likely operator error, and I'd get over it if I used the tools for a while. I guess I'll get to see between now and January... -Curtis-the-Haireball

I presume you've tried Chessler... if it doesn't exist there, it probably doesn't exist...

Damn - after every day for forty years I now only have to do this stuff on Dec. 11? What a relief... Sorry if that sounds a bit jaded, Jason. Some of us have been at this longer than many on this board have been alive. I am, in truth, happy to see a larger population at least prepared to "talk the talk" for one day out of the year. It's a start... -Curt

When I was on Aconcagua (1989-90) the only radios we saw on the mountain were the Argentine military. They maintained a presence at Plaza de Mulas, sort of like the NPS did on the West Butt of Denali in that decade. In those days, parties were required to apply for their climbing permit at the army base in Mendoza. If that is still the case, then I'd guess your answer would come from the Argentine army...

I used to ski on old short alpine skis with "bear-trap" bindings in Galibier Superguides, which had a pretty soft upper for a leather alpine boot. I'd guess a really good skier would have no trouble in a boot like the Sportiva Nepal. I have a friend who steers a pair of army surplus "white elephants" tolerably well with the Makalu, but the Trango series with less ankle support would present a serious challenge for most skiers who've learned on modern alpine equipment. disclaimer: this is coming from a guy who learned to ski in the early 1960s - my first pair of alpine ski-boots were roughly equivalent to a modern "medium weight" nordic touring boot, and my friends and I were "ski-mountaineering" in the Teton and Lost River ranges before plastic ski-boots existed...

rain gutter material? gotta say I've only heard rumors of such projects, but there've been quite a few rumors over the years... the best non-rumor I can provide is when my best friend from high school attended Montana State University in Bozeman back in the '70s, and got in trouble for creating a 10-story ice-wall on his dorm by running rubber tubing from the 10th floor bathroom faucet out a window when the temp stayed -30F for a week. He and some buddies then proceeded to top-rope the feature from the same window (with 90-cm ice-axes, no less!) I always wonder whether anyone would have noticed if they hadn't got caught CLIMBING on it...