rocky_joe

IIB- I don't think anyone 'blindly trusts' any piece of gear. It's not too much for one to expect a piece of gear that in all likelihood will hold their life at some point will perform in the manner in which it was advertised. Aliens, as Aric's work has shown, do not perform at the level at which they are advertised to perform. Also, please quit posting drivel that is unabashedly irreverent of any grammatical adherence. Aric, Thanks again for all your time, money and work. I hope that CCH will either get their act together or be shut down before more climbers become injured or worse.

Great TR, haven't seen that one yet. Looks super fun, and nice photos!

hoping to climb thieslen this weekend again, then Jeff via JPG, Dragontail (hopefully Serpertine arete, and the sisters thing again. but that's if my knee gets better. interest?

So bad judgment on my part. We made a bad choice. I felt at the time that it wasn't such a bad thing and we were doing it "safely" by watching the entire slide and yelling rock, but now I really feel like shit about it. I don't want to be that guy, who everyone thinks is some douchebag and makes exceptions to universal rules for his own purposes. So, I'm sorry I tossed rocks. It was dumb, irresponsible and dangerous. I won't be caught doing it again, and most assuredly won't climb with people looking to toss rocks either. I can't imagine how shitty I'd feel had someone been hurt, or worse.

I've seen, more than once, Mazama rope teams of 5-10 on the chute, not placing pro. Hence my distaste. I didn't mean to suggest that Mazamas cause all the congestion problems. But to say they don't play a role in it is also wrong. You are also right in saying that they do a lot of good teaching new folks the ins and outs. I would rather see newer climbers up there with Mazamas (or Obsidians or Chemeketans) than on their own. Sorry I spoke to generally. I'm aware of the fact that mount hood is the 2nd most climbed glaciated peak in the world...which is why I try to avoid going up the chute most days I'm up on the hill.

you're right, and normally I wouldn't be caught tossing rocks...but the whole runout was visible and there wasn't a soul to be seen.

I totally agree. That shit is fucked and if I got to the Hogsback and saw that I'd have lunch and turn my ass around. No fucking reason people can't climb the gullies climber's right of the main chute. Fucking Mazamas and their goddam rope teams of 80.

Trip: Mt, Washington - North Ridge Date: 6/25/2009 Trip Report: So apparently under all that white wet stuff we call snow there's this thing called rock. I had heard of it before but I never really believed. As it turns out my disbelief was not entirely alleviated by the STELLAR rock quality on this route. Seriously the stuff was great, holds so obvious (and mobile) that one never had to tell your partner where the next foot was, because all to often he had already seen it as it whizzed past his head. And like the old cascade adage goes "the best thing about climbing in the cascades is that when you aren't fond of a handhold, it's okay, just put it back." Leaving Eugene at the ungodly late hour of 6am, my body still hadn't adjusted to the idea of waking up late to climb. Oh the pains of summer, sunshine, warmth, bare rock...just terrible. We got to the TH and quickly realized that the crux of the day's activity would be avoiding something we heard the locals calling a "mosskeeto." Never heard of 'em before but the little tikes sure enjoy sucking (blood). Bug spray may have been an oversight. To the climbing. A quick 4 mile jaunt took us to the ridge, which now bare was only modestly more strenuous than a City Center Mall escalator. Being paced at this point by Tom, Mike and I were unaware of the second crux of today's climb...withstanding the horrid stench coming from just a few metres ahead. Seriously I think Tom took a bit of Devil's Kitchen home with him the last time up Der Hoodie. The Summit Block: a nearly inspiring hunk of choss with the possibility of some rock well below the facade. We roped up, but I'm not sure why, the gear was not much beyond psychological. In fact, Tom only place one piece, a sling. Mike soloed and I was left to prove my guts by toproping the whole affair...yay. Oh well, still up. One super exciting pitch of climbing no harder than 5.4 and the scramble began. The views from the summit were sublime and the weather pristine. We soaked up some rays and even scrawled our names on the register. This was the nicest day I'd been up a peak in quite some time, and the first time I was keen to hang out for more than 5 minutes. A few more minutes of bullshitting and such and we were back on our way down. The scramble to the first pitch was straight forward and from there we set up the lone rappel. Back on the trail and making time. God, scree skiing is just about the 4th best thing ever (right after sex, drunk biking, and exploitation of southeast asian labour forces). Once to tree line we remembered the original crux of the climb. Them damn PI Lawyers (oops I meant bloodsuckers) were everywhere. I think I may have actually spent more energy keeping them at bay than I did walking. All in all, a fun climb and decent workout...too bad my knee is now fucked beyond comfortable. Hope it recovers, cuz I have a few more plans for the summer. Gear Notes: Small rack 60 m rope Dome Protection Approach Notes: Forget Bug Spray. Harbicks for jerky and Trail Mix

because the skull by itself is so much better.

teach a kid on gear? kenny you're an idiot. good to see the kid getting out so early. that's badass. bummer she wasn't wearing a helmet the first lead tho.

WTF are you talking about? Buy a suburban.

petzl ropes suck. I liv my beal. I've a few buddies with petzls, they fray after a year of use.

Y'all haven't seen that yet? Def worth the time to watch it (once if not 4x). Big fan of the part with Johnny and Micah, watching it now, its a damn shame.

I dunno about RumR but I belay 13a off the couch. It's great. When my buddy trains I've been known to catch 13c. I'm pretty impressed with myself.

Paul- The gates are no longer a viable option for an easy trip up Hood. From the both the photos and what I saw they appeared to be WI3. The Chute is pretty much the standard these days, esp since the Hogsback forms a lot further left than in past years. Good advice about traversing low. I've been up the SS 2x this year both times traversing about half way between the schrund and hot rocks...I like to get some uphill on the traverse and save myself from a couple hundred extra feet of straight uphill. But definitely don't traverse above the schrund, no point in crossing it these days.

oh and boxer briefs...when i decide to ditch the nanner hammock

Mom says "helmet on," and then I can take the bus to my job.

bump...let's hear that beta, I know you've got it...

It's that time of year again. Snow is melting rapidly and masochists across the PNW are beginning to ponder 'the Marathon.' Having "completed" it last year (as well as swearing I would never do it again) I am now looking to remove those quotation marks and clear my conscience of the whole event... I've learned a lot and read even more. But, I have a few questions to which I have yet to receive any definitive answer. So, here it goes, a last ditch effort to rally the troops and get the answers I want. N. Sister, Bowling Alley: What is the earliest it has been entirely snow free? With such a low snowpack this year is it unreasonable to aim for the first weekend in August? S. Sister, N. Ridge: Which line is the best for the traverse? Red Line: This is the most direct, but having taken it last year, is also very very very sketchy. The red line is pretty true to the route I climbed...any easier line that I missed in the blue box? Green Line: Anyone taken this line for the traverse? About the yellow box, I have never been at the right place to say what is there? Is it just a transition to scree or does the glacier hang there? Finally, what is the one item you forgot that you would never do the traverse again without? No Spray please, I don't care how fast you've done the traverse...or how the N. Ridge isn't 4th class (that means you Wimsey)...just answers and honest beta from anyone who has done the Marathon.

oh yeah, i suppose you did mean a book as opposed to a service...oops. here's my recoommendation for Oregon High if you can get a copy ($50+ on eBay)

Check out Timberline Mountain Guides. http://www.timberlinemtguides.com/

I was up there Sunday am when the guy fell. I was with a few new (the brand spankin variety) climbers; not the best thing to watch when you're that new. The guy was downclimbing, slowly. I can't say exactly why he fell...that was the only part I didn't see of the fall. His tumble started about 100' below the summit ridge and continued til 20' or so before the hot rocks. He pinwheeled for the first 100' and then started rag dolling (apparently unconscious). There are three things about the fall i can't explain, how he's alive, how he managed to cross two ropes and not take anyone with him, and how he didn't break anything (from what I heard). When he fell I was right at the top, so I didn't head down to him, but he was quickly attended to by someone who seemed to have the qualifications (WEMT or higher is what I heard yelled...I think). He was quickly cleared of head/spine and they had a team help him down to the base of Devil's Kitchen, from there I understand they arranged a snocat to meet them at palmer to take him down. Hope he's healing well.

all this talk of falcons, but nothing of the needs of those falcons have. I think a falconer may have a few solutions for y'all.

is the pinnacle better (easier) with or without snow, assuming good snow.

cuz softball sucks.