RaisedByPikas

is that a bear paw snow shovel set up for use as an anchor I see? I saw on the packaging that they show it being used as an anchor but then give no strength rating. Anyone know how strong they are?

Rather than be blatantly dishonest and take advantage of a store's generous return policy, we could be ethical about it and pay Cascade Designs $10-15 dollars to repair the problem. If it's irreparable, they often will give you a new pad for free... a much better way to interact with a company's warranty/return system than scamming REI. As climbers, we can perpetuate each other's dirtbag ways, or perhaps we can perpetuate better practices. For the record I was joking. The only time I will push the limits on what is ethical in regards to the REI return policy is when it involves a crappy REI brand piece of equipment. In which case I end up spending more money on a good piece of gear.

Here are some pics... Looking towards Sahale

Not saying its ethical, just an option...

Buy a new one from REI. Return leaky one to REI a few days later.

Trip: Eldorado Peak - Standard Route Date: 6/26/2010 Trip Report: My wife and I made the trip up Eldorado on Saturday and Sunday. The knife edge ridge has cornices on it for the last 50-100 ft. The bootpack was solid up to the cornices where it looked like only one or two people had continued on. There wasn't much of a point to traverse 50ft over to the summit just to have to stay 15ft from the edge so we turned around at the cornices. A ranger checked for our permits at 7500 ft. I will figure out how to post pics when I get home. Gear Notes: Glacier Travel Gear. Approach Notes: Trail is snow free until the very end of the boulder fields. The gulley to descend to the glacier is mostly snow filled except for a short section to cross a moat. We ascended to our campsite at 7500ft unroped due no visible crevasses on the route. 2 small crevasses starting to open up on the ridge up to the summit.

Getting a cozy for the canister may not actually help, it depends on the temp of the fuel vs the temp of the air. If the temp of your fuel is colder than the air (probably the most common case unless you are in really cold weather), putting a cozy on the fuel will actually hurt the performance since you are keeping the air from warming the fuel. The only way I know to judge the relative temp difference is if I see frost on the fuel can and its above freezing. Obviously means that the fuel is below freezing and the air is not.

If you know someone with a drill press you could put the correct diameter bit in the chuck backwards and try to press it out. If that fails then +1 on drilling another hole.

Josh, we were up there with you (we were the people with the bandannas over our faces), did you hear/see the rock or snowfall at the bottom of the steep gulley up to headlee pass? It went right across some of the ski and boot tracks. I think you guys were almost off the snow at that point.

PM sent on slings.

How do you guys think it will look on some of the non volcano cascades peaks such as eldorado or anything around there?

I found a snow shovel on the approach to the south rib/gulley/buttress of Guye. Let me know if you think its yours.

I'm intrigued by this tent but can't find any info on it besides whats at that link. When was it produced? What is the ventilation system like? Do you know of any online reviews of it? Thanks.

Looks like about a pound for the set of 8.

Anyone seen these before? I wonder how they actually hold up. http://shop.gear4rocks.com/nuts-stoppers/rock-climbing-plastic-nuts-set-of-eight-/prod_25.html

The gates need to make an X when opened. If the top of your gates are pointed in opposite directions AND they are facing opposite directions then what happens if one of the biners flips around. Now they are both oriented the same way which is pointless.

My cheap sport authority waterproof pants have held up fine for two glissades down the thing. Holding up to the ice axe pick when I wasn't paying attention is another story.

Ive done Adams twice in good hiking boots and properly fitted crampons. That, an ice axe, and backpacking skills are about all you need. Just take the crampons off before glisading.

Got back last night. There is no 3 extra mile walk and cold springs is almost completely melted out. Plenty of campsites. Get to the summit before 11:00 to avoid light to moderate postholing for the last few hundred yards. I dont have skis yet but if I did now would seem like a damn good time to use them. Just a note that will probably only apply for the next week or so until the snow melts a little more. For us, the main trail of footprints in the snow on the way down lead too far to the east of the actual trail. Us and another two groups overshot the trail by a few hundred yards and accidentally crossed the creek bed (which as far as we could tell wasnt much of a creek bed) that leads to the campground. Bushwacking in a southwesterly direction got us back to the trail.

Does anyone have any recent updates on the road to the south climb? Are sites at the lunch counter melted out? Any other pertinent info? Im looking to take my brother and friend up in the Mon-Wed timeframe. Thanks

or if you go donw furher, 1251:16 {30:00} CAM-3 I think everybody here is going to get their medical**** good thing no one drank last night, huh?

I had one platypus develope a small pinhole leak. However my current one has been going strong for several years. When backpacking I usually stap it under the large pouch on my backpack, usually where a helmet would go so if it does rip the water doesnt end up in my pack. The only other problem is putting your pack on and having the nipple get pressed open in between your pack and your back but its a minor inconvenince.