tvashtarkatena

"GUN FELL FROM POCKET, STRUCK IN NECK" is listed as the cause of death for MRNP's first recorded casualty, a Mr. E.H. Hudson, on New Year's Day, 1897. C.W. Ferguson died in 1915 in the Paradise Ice Caves after he "POKED ROOF OF CAVE CAUSING COLLAPSE". John Moskin was the only park visitor/worker to be killed by "PREMATURE DYNAMITE BLAST" in 1939, near the Ohanapecosh Campground. One unidentified victim drown in the Ohanapecosh Hot Spring during that same fateful year. Dangerous place, apparently. The second leading cause of death, at 68, just under "FALLING (88)"? "AIRPLANE CRASH". 14 people have committed suicide, 4 have been murdered. and 4 had trees fall on them. Surprisingly, 2 people died after they "CAPSIZED". although one of these also went over Sylvia Falls, which may have been a factor. There have been 3 drug overdoses - all involving prescription drugs, one from an Albuterol inhaler (!?) At 93, climbing accidents (involving summit attempts) are vastly in the minority among the 394 folks who have died in the park since its first recorded fatality.

Rainier's pretty crevassed and icy this time of year, so familiarity with crampons, ice axe, climbing roped, and crevasse rescue is recommended. Weather can be tricky, too. If you want to nab a volcano, St. Helens and Adams have non-glaciated routes. All the pleasures of climbing steep, deep moon dust with none of the inconvenience of reduced gravity. You might consider a backpack/scrambling trip through some of our lesser known but still incredible areas on the eastern slopes, which have both better weather (in general) and larches (which will be in full color). The Oval Peak area of the Sawtooth/Chelan Wilderness, or the Shell Rock area of the Pasayten WIlderness (Osceola, Monument Peaks, etc) are two areas you may want to check out. Both are accessible from the towns of Twisp and Winthrop on Highway 20. The Cathedral Peak area of the Pasayten also makes for a fine loop trip with plenty of high scramble peaks along the way. The Entiat River area (Cardinal, Emerald, Saska, Pinnacle peaks) is also a nice eastern slope destination with plenty of larches and moderate summits. More popular but still full of larches and high scramble peaks: The Mt. Maude, Lyman Lake area from the Phelps Creek trailhead. The Goat Rocks wilderness, just south of Mt. Rainier, would be a decent west side choice for a multiday trip, weather permitting. None of these require permits (except St. Helens), although you'll probably want to buy or borrow a Northwest Forest Pass for parking your vehicle to avoid an international incident. Topo maps are available for the Pasayten, Sawtooths, Goat Rocks, and Mt. Adams Wilderness areas. St. Helens has its own map, too. Otherwise, its Green Trails or USGS maps. REI carries all of them, but call to check stock - they run out this time of year.

Willi's not a bad dog! He just loves certain smells and tastes so much that he can't resist. Not that he needs to, cuz he doesn't live with me anymore, thank Jebus.

In one day Willi the Party Dog chewed through my altimeter, pack waist buckle, ski pole strap buckle, and harness leg loop buckles. That was his opus, before he destroyed my leather furniture and floors. That dog definitely made me a better person.

We're also out of coffee. Please bring some as well. Thanks buddy.

I'll take it to work on my roof. Just drop it off at mine sometime between 3 and 4 today. TIA.

Bring your dog to the beach, too. [video:youtube]I2MzfWbVUbo

Anchor off the horse and re-ascend.

Always a pleasure to get your TRs.

Blake Herrington, ladies and gentlemen. Bear n ice.

Getting out with your friends and a camera: Not complicated.

Sounds complicated.

BTW, a dead horse dropped from Snow Creek Wall would have the kinetic energy of a 6 pound cannon ball fired point blank at a baby's face.

I'm just fuckin wicha, dude. I know what you meant. But 9.8 isn't all that fast in the acceleration department. Can we dodge them? YES WE CAN. Christ, I DODGE THEM. Think about it.

or descend at 9.8 m/s. The roof is not aidable?

Well, in that case just kill Kenny.

In general, exactly what I said, which, in one specific case, is exactly what you said. There is always the option of tying two ropes together, rapping and swinging to a climbable crack or route below the roof, ascending a rope length back up on top rope, anchoring, then having the top guy pull up a rope length and double rap to you. Why is this party blindly rapping over giant roofs again?

Once more, with feeling: Falling things don't travel at 9.8 m/s^2. They accelerate at 9.8 m/s^2. They can be travel at any velocity between zero and terminal (or faster when ricocheting) I've dodged a fair number of rocks, doing all of the above you say is impossible in the very limited time available, so proof is in the doing, I guess. Sure, fast moving rocks from high up can sneak up on you. They are the exception, however. Most rocks bounce around, or don't come from that high up, and are quite avoidable if action is taken. If full cover is available, take it. If not, track and dodge. A 5" dia chunk of granite at terminal velocity has the kinetic energy of a round fired from an AR 15. At that point or larger, it doesn't really matter whether it hits you in the helmet or the face, so don't let it hit you. Perhaps a climber's not always as focused as a batter, but climbers get pretty tuned in to the sound of rockfall, and react pretty quickly, a lot of times not even consciously, when the shit comes down.

re-ascend until you can swing to a new anchor, move anchor, descend, repeat until dead or down. Is this a trick question?

It's not too fast at all in most instances unless you're in a coma. Of course you're gonna take cover, but I've dodged a lot of rocks that way, and I've got the reaction time of a traffic cone. I'd be dead about 3 times over had I just 'ducked'. Batters dodge baseballs traveling at 3/4 terminal velocity all the time. Pretty much anything bigger than a basketball is going to kill you regardless of whether you're face up or down, so you might as take an active part in avoiding it. A softball sized rock traveling at terminal velocity will take your head off, helmet and all. In addition, not all deadly rocks are moving at terminal velocity. A 2000 pounder sliding at 20 mph will do the job just fine. BTW, 9.8 m/s is pretty slow. I think you've got 'velocity' confused with 'acceleration (of gravity)', which is 9.8 m/s^2. Rocks can travel at any velocity up to terminal (up to 75 m/s, depending on shape). The Baby Jebus helps those who help themselves. Track and dodge.

I've had problems with Snoseal solidifying and cracking at low temps. Then when the temps warm up, water gets through. That was years ago. Don't know if the formula's changed or not. Apply your Nikwax, then hit the boot with a blow dryer (without delaminating anything). It should last a long while. Delamination, of the protective outer rubber for example, is a common cause of leaking. You can repair any delaminating of the protective rubber with Shoe Goo by wrapping electricians tape round and round the entire boot in the delamed section as a clamp. Clean first with alcohol and a Q tip.

I use this Nikwax product on both leather/synthetic boots and it seem to last a good long while, better than anything else I've tried, anyway: link I also clean any abrasions on my Charmoz's fabric with alcohol and tamp it down with super glue. Really extends the life of those light and fast boots...but they do eventually look like Hell in the process.

I did a route near the SW face in '88 with some Russian exchange climbers and the rock wasn't too bad. The rock on the FT Traverse side famously sucks, however.

...and zero whiners as friends. All the world loves a complainer.

It's not so much that I want a new car, it's more that I really, really want to trundle my current one.