Spencer

Why is it the Park pass you buy at Mt Rainier "toll booth" is good for a full year FROM the day you buy it, however the Climbing pass is only good for the year you buy it? I know I look like a cheap %$#%^ but it just occurred to me that this doesn't make much sense.

HEEEEY BIGTREEE, Where did you pick up the hard copies of these maps?

The lodge looked close to complete from the outside, and it's a citrus mix in my bottle.... Funny I didn't even think of that, I just thought it was a cool shot. I have a different bottle for overnight in the tent, and yes its a totally different type of bottle.

It was the flagship store, and as I mentioned, my joking with the clerk about it didn't go over well at all, she gave me the "stink eye" pulled back the rental price list, as you may be aware REI doesnt require a $$ deposit for it's members.( another clerk laughed it off though) She did say it would be spring time that their rental gear would be up for sale.

"Used" Koflachs in common sizes on ebay are going for retail or more, my new Kolfachs are being worn by a the thief who smashed my window on my truck to steal all my climbing gear last summer in the Costco parking lot, I do have a pair of Sportiva leathers however having a number of miles on them they flex like regular shoes now, causing me to have to adjust my crampons every 20 min or so, or have them "pop off" at the worst times. I really like the Koflach fit, ASOLO doesnt feel right to me, REI will have a rental gear sell off this spring,they have a room full of Koflach's, I will be there. As a side note: I sorta joked with the rental cleark at REI, about renting a pair of boots amd maybe losing them and then just paying them for the lost boot's, SHE DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS VERY DAMN FUNNY! : )

Has anyone been in the Mount Daniels area yet this year? Cle Elem rd leading to it has not been passable in years past, I have the climbing bug something terrible, ( nice weather does it) Avy danger still a issue however will evaluate it slope by slope. And no I don't want to snowmobile in

Trip: Camp Muir - Date: 2/24/2008 Trip Report: Got a early start up to Muir, very quiet given the fantastic weather, I don't have snow shoes and packed my ski boots and carried my skis up to Muir, snow was a little soft above paradise up to around 7000 ft then it was the styrafoam that made it easier to kick step my way up, took around 5.5 hours,(not in form quite yet) to hit Muir, put my old ski's and boots on and had a really nice ride down, again the lot was only half full, hmmmmm there should have no new post between 6am and 5 pm on this site today.

Trip: Mt Si - Main Date: 1/23/2008 Trip Report: Great training climb, I have a habit of carrying much more than I ever need and this day trip was no exception, myself and two sons ready for anything, trail starts out very straight forward at about 1.5 miles it gets a little icy at about 2.0 miles cramponned up, near the top wore my snow shoes for a while although not necessary, had lunch near the top and headed back, at the car in a little over a hour, Great day, great work out, nice change from the usually Tiger Mt hike and of course no avalanche hazard. trail-head lot is a little scary to leave the SUV, I was car prowled last year still a little gunshy Gear Notes: Bring it all....

Oh Ya, Wolf is 95 and did speak and joked about teaching the Whitakers to rope up, he then sat down and told stories and listened to thers drinking a coke! I hope at 95 I am that sharp. Ed Viester and Dave Hahn also have some great stories, although many tragic.

Rainier Mountain Festival always a cool event some good deals on equipment, Picture is Mountaineering Legends Jim & Lou Whitaker Peter Whitaker, Ed Viesturs, Dave Hahn Did anyone else go this year?

Your correct Larry C said " I intend on resigning" in the meantime his legal team is hard at work, Republican senator Arlen Specter agreed saying he should fight these charges and rescind his resignation.

Very cool! it always has amazed me how people make a guy who hits a ball into a hole a national hero, but real athletes go relativly unoticed. Congrats Again!

Trip: Rainier - DC VARIATION Date: 9/4/2007 Trip Report: Did anyone summit using the "DC variation route" in the last couple days? has it changed? hows the snow, Mike's site has just a short note on the route. My last attempt failed as my son thought wearing his tennis shoes up to Muir wouldnt be a problem, he ended up spraining his ankle badly at 8700 ft "goofing around" during a break. he limped back to the car around 1030pm, we will try again on Fri,

I was 14 in the mid seventies we were on a "simple" alpine climb of Mt Danial, it was a youth alpine trip. I was lead on a 3 person rope team with two girls my age, nearing the summit the one of the girls fell pulling me backward onto my back, all three of us were in a very fast slide into the cloud cover below, both of them lost there ice axes mine was hooked on my boot, it seemed like forever I reached and reached for my axe finally reaching it I dug in and slowed us fifty feet above a rock outcropping we sat silent as the Adults in a controlled glissade caught up to us it took us more than a hour to get back up to where we were. It was my first summit, we were roped at the waist( no harnesses then), the guides asked us not to say anything about the "little incident" we didn't until now. We also seen a small cessna smashed on the mountain from a crash the year before, do any of you remember that?

HUH........ You can have my SUV when you pry it from my cold dead hands. and if it wasn't "for us"(climber, hikers etc.) my new friend, the environment wouldnt exist as we know it,so that you could look at it and think we all should ride a horse to the trial head. Thank you for your concern (although misguided)

All this talk....Politics Religion, it would be like climbing with Ned Flanders and Rush Limbaugh...... hmmmm can we do drugs and climbing next?

I have learned a couple things here 1. this would make a great political cartoon with the political debate going on on as your being belayed. 2. never debate with JayB he far more articulate than I am and whatever his political beliefs may be I would probably agree to not "look stupid". 3.NASCAR is still a conservative sport, and no one cares.

I should have put both labels in quotation marks, we all know who is who, it doesn't bother me to talk or do activities with anyone regardless of "who they voted for" but it was very interesting that all eight people were became very talkative when politics came up . and it all started because one Woman had a No W sticker on her climbing helmet. I tend to be with larger groups climbing it was just a observation. And its well known in the south that Car Racing is for conservatives, I dont make it that way, its just that way.

I just returned from a climb with a group of strangers, however after talking with them for two days it wasn't long before we all realized we were all "liberals", I usually have a no religion politics rule with people I don't know but sometimes it just happens. So my question is do conservatives climb? it's well known that several of the Kennedy's have made Rainier summit Al Gore and his son did it in "99" and Maria Cantwell has been seen up at Muir recently.

Tiger mountain west both the main trial and the cable line much steeper, you get 2000 ft of elevation gain, keep it under a hour with a 30 lb pack.... it also has great canopy so even on the crappiest northwest days there's no excuse not to train. sadly though my cell phone works all the way up and I just cant seem to ignore it!

Ok, its just my opinion, however with my two sons who both climb on there own now, I bought all there equipment when they were 16 after three trips they lost or damaged beyond repair half of it. after that I made them earn each piece back, and in some cases buy used stuff, and this time each piece they engraved there names, kept there gear in there room separate from mine and painted everything crazy colors and put stickers on all of it, they haven't lost anything in more than 3 years,crampons are always sharp and flags have there initials. were not this kids parents but it would be much better if he understood what most of this "stuff" cost. (sorry just the dad in me)

There was a great pair of size 11 plastic boots on craigslist for $75.00 also weekly trips to 2nd Ascent in ballard is always worth it for used clothes,and sometimes gear, and given your age you might approach the owner and offer a little work for gear. Good Luck!

Which area are you using for crevasse rescue I also wanted to go over some basics with the group I am going with this week ( weather permitting) We trodded up to Muir and raced back before the weather hit.

I love rain also however there is a time and place and postholing up in the rain to your favorite summit isn't one of them, I much prefer a heavy snow to a downpour. why now God Why???? what did I ever do to you.....

I have called off a trip because of questionable people in the area, a buddy of mine parked his car only to come back two days later and have the shock that some fool had taken a axe to his whole car! he drove this home, a hour long drive with more than a hundred axe cuts in it, and no glass.