alpinemorg

My friend Ross H. completed a 1 hour 56 minute time this week, starting & finishing from the Alpental bridge. For fun, we envision future circuits (Tooth, Guye S. Rib, Commonwealth Traverse) starting from the Alpental courtyard and a run across the bridge, a-la the great mountain races of the Alps which start and finish in the town squares at the fountain. Our crew have all been heavily influenced by close-to-home alpine adventures that involve speed, minimal gear, rock & snow and lastly (most importantly?) a 30 minute drive home to food, wine & friendship. This thread has long helped create a "time" of what we considered fast on one of our favorite tal features & workouts. Sadly, 3 hours is my consistent time and won't be getting shaved any time soon unless new knees are in the works . Despite some of the negative & possibly jealous comments throughout this thread, thanks to everyone who appreciates other people challenging themselves & having fun in the mountains...and then sharing it so the community can be inspired and/or motivated by it. Mountains and Rivers without end!

Tell me what your old alpenstock looks like/who it's made by (both fairly distinct) and I'll see you re-united.

Cool TR, thanks for sharing your stoke and learnings from one of my favorite valleys in the world. I wish some more climbers I know had their ego's as firmly in check as it sounds like you do in regards to learning and self-examination. Cheers, Morgan

Hello. Am curious if anyone has been climbing at the spires recently can tell me if there's any existing snow hiding or small streams of moving water in the basin below (S & W) the LIberty Bell group? Any beta is appreciated, trying to figure out how much we'll have to carry for some link-up days. Thanks, Morgan

North Face of Bryant. It had filled in half the lake.

We came upon that Thursday AM while a friend was working on skills for his AvyIII exam. Suspected it came down in the night or Wednesday. Incredible size, lateral deposits, 'bulldozed' season snopack in the middle, and 4-6' deep moats/glide-cracks near the sides. It was a great lesson, and much interesting conversation. Would really have liked to have seen it go from a SAFE distance!

I wonder some times if people would behave differently if they were able to hear their inner dialogue saying something like this: "Cool, let's talk shit about another climber we don't know because something happened to them and not me. I have no professional experience in mountain rescue, guiding or instruction but I love taking pictures, have a website & bio and consider myself an avid outdoorsman!" Or if they had to say the same things to the afflicted person and his bros in a bar at the ski hill?

Frank--did you post these on turns-all-year.com too? Ski gear seems to turn around faster there....especially since you're offering these at a steal! Later--Morgan

Hey Chris, Good bumping in to you in Mazama a few weekends ago and chatting about this. I appreciate the conversation you're trying to have with this, and not taking the obvious bait dangled by those opposing a few SINGLE pieces of sturdy fixed gear in a valley full of choss and colorful webbing. I think I might have found a solution though that will fall closer to the local ethic? During a quick AM Tooth lap today, I cut off the mountains of excess (and often poorly placed) tat; tomorrow I'll go remove more from the places it's not needed on Guye's S. Rib, East gullies & everywhere around the NW Ramps and upper W wall. I plan to then create a few pieces of fixed-pro at the site of the old pitons by drilling a 'Stone Abalakov' and threading this recycled webbing tat. No bolts will be placed, and this 'fixed-pro' can be replaced monthly with the colorful webbing we love to garter the Tal with! I do plan to do it on lead, hand drilling so I can with a clear conscious say I had an authentic 'first-ascent party like experience' and not dumb it down for myself, I will be looking for a partner/photographer if you're not working! Cheers, Morgan

I found a mess of your equipment on the trail to Neverland at Exit 38's Far Side. Please PM to let me know what you lost and it's yours. Cheers, Morgan Miller

Cool TR Mark. I have a question about your system next time I see you at the climbing gym Morgan Miller

On May 25th SW Face of LB was dry and climbable; some ice in the pitch two chimneys but easily avoidable, some snow on the 3rd class benches higher up and near the rap-off. We were going to come down and climb N. Face of Concord after, but first pitch was heavily iced up. May 26th downclimbed the S. Arete of SEWS after going up the SW coul. All rock sections were clear of snow and dry, snow patches in all the flat benches. I'd be curious if there were any ill effects from last weeks snow storms.

PM Sent.

It was brought to my attention I was harshing (or was hating the word?) to much, and I don't like to be to responsible for hurt feelings. So in an effort to pracitce well-balanced living I feel I should also pay a compliment to the critisized (though I did think I was showing positivity towards the Original Poster....I digress); I am thankful you made it out safely and hope you feel grateful and blessed with your outcome, I also appreciate and respect your dealing with your own situation and not dragging others in to it.

So not only are you a soloist, now you've survived your incredible epic. I'm sure you're now penning the next piece of classic alpine literature. Can't wait to read it...douche. Thanks to the OP for useful info.

PM Sent.

I just laughed at a cartoon on page 12 of the new Alpinist this morning that satirizes this situation perfectly.

Thanks for the TR. A friendly correction for your memory bank. Based on your TR Topo, you hiked to what is called 'Nordic Pass' before hiking on the shoulder/ridge to Catherine...good (short) ski descents abound from the entire area. Windy Pass is roughly a few hundred feet west of Nordic Pass, in the vicinity below Windy Acres and Silver Peak, and has Nordic Trails groomed over it in the winter. Cheers.

I haven't posted on here in I don't know how long(never really did actually), or even been visiting much, because of the merciless bullshit discussed/happening above (yes I know that most of it was tongue-in-cheek). Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for sharing what you did, and specifically your vision (i.e. the 'About Me' section of your blog). It's good to hear from another soul diving in to a relationship with a specific area of mountains. I'm a Snoqualmie Valley mountain bum who has chosen to shirk much of the state in order to revel in the alpine playground that is available here (and because gas is expensive). Drop me a line Type E if you ever want to ski some watersheds or climb some ridges. Mountains and rivers without end ~Gary Snyder~

There will always be snow up high. Put those bindings to the test and screw the weather man.

That guy does look like he's having a lot of fun.

Thanks for the report, glad you're ok.

Sorry, I'm inept at reading that sort of thing....what exactly is it implying and what should letter writing be for? Very curious as that is an important area to me in winter too.

Uh-oh, I think somebody's pissed to be up and at work so early! Agree with DREP though, hopefully we all remember that dip-shit accidents can happen to each of us before the fangs come out! Flame on.

Ooops! Sweet jesus some of you have to much time on your hands .