rocky_joe

a tent? shit if you can't drag an RV where ever it is you're going...why the fuck are you going there? One of them nice country coaches for sure. Totally wind and waterproof. Plus a place to shag.

there were tracks to the summit from the gates yesterday morning. y'all shoulda been out there yesterday, clouds rolled away just as we needed them too...fantastic summit views.

Dane, I might be way off base but it seems that you are criticizing the wrong aspects of the light skinny and stretchy alpine ropes. The long fall you mentioned was, as you also stated, a result of the double/half rope clipping technique. While a single rope would have eliminated the possibility of this technique, might it also have put unacceptable angles (and strain on individual pieces) in the system in the event of a fall? The double rope technique has several advantages, but as with all trade-offs carries a few disadvantages...the longer fall being perhaps the worst. Regarding weight...the single is lighter, but it also has to be carried by one partner. That's ~10lbs that could be split 5 and 5 (or less).

i've still never seen much trash, but i guess i just haven't looked that close. drunken eyes at night tend not to see much detail. and thanks for the clean-up you've done...I know a lot of ppl who appreciate it.

i'm pro with a cat...but make sure you get something bigger than the S-160...prob best to roll with an S-230 or bigger. that'd be the day tho...definitely show Ian what's up.

hey guys...its not pig flu any more...seriously keep with the times...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682 i mean, really how often do y'all check the news

people don't trash the grasslands. they're just as clean as the bivy site.

What can I do to stop this. This is bullshit BLM does nothing that would merit a $5/night fee. If they put in nice toilets and bigger pits, nicer tables and cleaned it...then maybe, MAYBE. But as is, there is no reason that they should make us pay to enjoy our (almost) wild places.

today...i'm buying a hammer to 2nd my axe next paycheck...completing the pair. So I'm not just looking for a second tool, but also trying to figure out which pair is best. Wish I didn't have to colllege kid sized income I currently have, but gotta work with what I've got.

wow, dane...you just made up my mind. thanks a lot. *I guess I should have said that I have an axe...I'm getting the tool for that steep bit on mountains like Hood(not SS), Jeff and North Sister with the hopes of getting to harder stuff in the next few years.

yeah those are the same as the aztarex, they just have a rubberized handle, also $30 more each. I hate making decisions.

So the idea is to get a tool that will serve me for several years at least. And while this season I'm only looking at volcanoes, I haven't begun to consider what I want to get on next season. The ultimate ambition is to climb stuff like TC on Dragontail...more technical alpine. And again while that is the goal I wouldn't mind having a tool that would allow me to go ice cragging once in a while...so, Viper or Aztarex?

Opinions? I have a cool little deal where I can get them for the same price. But I have a few questions regarding each... Aztarex...how does it handle alpine style ice? ...water ice? ...self arrest? Viper...any thoughts on using it for schtuff like Sunshine, Reid HW, JPG, N. Sister, etc. or is this tool meant strictly for steep ice (both alpine and water)? ...can it arrest?

When the piece blew, I was caught by the anchor, not thomas...although the fall should have been much shorter. I did fuck up and only made it so the anchor was equalized at three pieces...the blue nut held the fall and the cam was pretty useless. Reason...I didn't twist the left hand loop, and didn't tie in a shelf since the 8' sling would have created unacceptable angles...should have had longer sling or simply "x'd" the loop between the blue nut and cam. About the soundtrack...would have included it, but I was pretty sure that Ivan holds some sort of TR licensing for that...I'm not a big fan of those sort of lawsuits. (the song was "We fly high" by Jim Jones...ballin!

Trip: The Columns - Ski Tracks--Aid Date: 4/28/2009 Trip Report: So I know what you're thinking, "Why the fuck is this kid writing about some lame fucking day at the columns?" Am I right? Well, normally that is exactly what I would say in response to a TR that boasts the location of the columns' caliber just before clicking the link out of morbid curiosity. Well, trust me there's a story, and besides you've already clicked the link so might as well sit back and relax while I spin you a mid-week aiding yarn. (and besides, how many times have you read one of those Ivan aid TRs from beacon?) 6:09--"hey thomas, just got out of the library, fuck my life man...this 3 midterms and 2 papers in 3 days is killing me." --"tell me about it. what's say we go aid the columns?" --"... fuck yeah, but how bout we make it the shortest two pitch in the world and get some big wall practice...some of those guys on CC.com talked about doing that back in the day." Less than 30 mins later Thomas and I arrived at the columns, unaware of the miniature epic that awaited a mere 20' over head. Etriers tied and gear racked I took the lead for the first pitch. "nice dude, you're on." I started "climbing" and within maybe 20 minutes had completed my fantastically uneventful aid pitch of the same crack I've free'd at least a dozen times. I built an anchor (blue stopper, orange metolius, purple stopper *important details*) and set thomas up on his new fangled reverso^3 and began belaying him up. Being the kid he is, thomas didn't bring his jumars, so a free attempt (in tennis shoes)it was. His climb went quite smoothly and seemed that the cruxes were getting out the gear my fat ass had weighted. a few more minutes (and takes) and thomas was up to me. *NOTE: hanging belay, anchor has now held body weight x2 for over 20 mins* Thomas cloved in and we racked him up for his lead. Thomas being a bit greener than I when it comes to aid (although he schools me in real climbing, especially that crack shit) required a few bits of beta. The first few pieces involved me giving him pointers on what I've found to be most efficient and he carried them out quite nicely. He placed his first piece, a beautifully placed blue stopper, stepped up and then came a yellow metolius. good placement, good test tugs, good step. Thomas was moving quite smoothly albeit slowly and then "pop." My mind didn't register the sensation of falling until a few moments after my fall had been arrested. Sitting at my anchor I was talking Thomas through some, now unimportant, minutia of aid technique, when all of a sudden I was 4' lower. The purple stopper, #4, had popped and I had fallen. How the fuck it happened I don't know...it had held body weight x2 for over 40 mins now, why the fuck did it just go like that? (I can only assume we were unknowingly filming the sequel to Vertical Limit) I didn't really have much time to care, because I was not 4' below the one piece that was holding my weight. I had thomas send me down some gear and quickly built a new, even more bomb proof anchor. in the meanwhile Thomas fixed the rope to his highest piece as a backup for the one piece holding me up. As soon as my new anchor was built I was in it, and Thomas could once again begin climbing. Fuck that was scary, and for all the tension of the past few moments the next bit of Thomas' lead was just as horrifying. I now didn't trust any of my pieces, but I didn't have a choice, because unlike David Blaine I cannot levitate. Thomas' last piece before the lip took him all of forever to figure out (it was now well past dark o'clock...I have now been hanging for over an hour and my legs are asleep, I am impatient and feeling light headed. Thomas finally finagles a black metolius (my largest piece, God a green would have been fantastic) into a good high point, steps up and crests the lip. With the rope fixed I begin to jug it (which takes be all of forever to figure out in my shaken, light headed state). A couple moments later I've cleared my mind with one exception, getting off this goddamn rock. In a matter of (what felt like) a few moments I am up top and untied. I spend a good few minutes getting the shock loaded clove out of the rope and the make sure that I have all the gear that we took up. I toss the rope and Thomas (who had been talking to some train bum the whole time I've been jugging) catches it and begins to flake. The climb is over...thank god. So what did tonight prove? Why did I write this? maybe mostly for my own enjoyment...but really I guess I felt there was a little epic worth telling. I guess I have finally realized that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to head out of doors with Thomas and not have a routine adventure like a normal person; shit always seems to hit the fan with this kid. I mean, fuck, we can't even spend an evening at the columns without a scare. Well, what am I gonna do...not like anyone else will put up with me and my shit. So for now looks like I'll just keep climbing and expecting the unexpected. Gear Notes: yellow-black metolius (x2 orange) 1.5 rack of BD stoppers 5-7 hexcentrics (I know it's a huge rack, right?) Approach Notes: cheese burger on a bagel, and the 5 block walk to Thomas' apt

Nevermind.

third for Climbing: Self Rescue. But don't just read it...set that shit up. it gives you more than enough tools to get out of many hairy situations. also, read Accidents in North American Mountaineering...learn from other's fuck ups. but most of all (this is what I'm learning) get on shit that is inspiring and well within your ability. be safe and have fun!

woohoo...and OR route, finally. I wanna get that one done asap. all my buddies say its the best thing in the park.

its a great tour or xc ski. unless you hike up Mt. Scott there's not a ton of downhill to be had. Better head to thielsen...the ski from the ledge looks fantastic...might be in th/fr this week since it's supposed to get some fresh pow...

I wondered what that was called when we were at I-saddle the week before last. That shit looks sick. We were gonna walk over and have a look (not a go) but I think the sledding ended up winning the battle (and I wasn't gunna walk that damn hill again.)

good call turning around. even when i climbed that last weekend with little wind shit was coming down, i wouldn't want to see it on a windy day. definitely a route worth doing.

hell yeah i'm getting out. it's my first full season in the mountains and i'm way stoked to get out every damn weekend, plus i can't stand to waste a weekend like normal college fuckers do. any suggestions? i'm always looking to find a gem of a climb i haven't come across yet.

Trip: Mt Thielsen - West Ridge (Standard) Date: 4/26/2009 Trip Report: Another week of this college stuff gone, and despite a mountain of homework to tackle, both Craig (cemmes) and I decided that an actual mountain may be a little more manageable. I had done Thielsen in the summer once before and Craig once in the spring, conditions looked fantastic so we jumped at the idea of a little excursion to the hills. We arrived at the parking lot right around 1am, having left Eugene around 10:30. Needless to say we got one of those super long nights of sleep us college students are known for. The alarm rudely awoke us at 3:30 and we were "soon" up and readying. All our shit packed, racked, and stowed we began the approach (which turns out is all but the last 200 ft of the climb now. A little temporary confusion as to where the goddamn trail markers were, as well as where the wanker whose bootpack we had some loose loyalty to was headed. In the end we agreed to "fuck it and head up hill that way." It worked more or less, yay. Putting us just climbers right of the ridge. A few more steps (some of the rest ones) and we were at the climb. Didn't bother to put on the 'pons since we seemed to bet getting enough purchase on the bomber snow without, and it was only 100' that would have merited using them. Having decided before the climb that we would pitch out the summit block, we roped and racked up. Craig jumped on the lead (and I was all to eager to let him have it.) The climbing was straight forward, 4th class at the most and Craig made quick work of it. I seconded and did likewise. At the rap station (thanks to whoever slung that this year, it was nice) we unroped, high fived and began the last few steps to the summit. Craig took a few photos of me on my second and stowed the camera. It turns out that much like locking biners needing to be locked to be locking, zippered pockets must also be zipped for the zipper to take effect. One step above the rap station the camera fell out of Craig's pocket and into God only knows where. *explanation for absence of photos* So there are no photos, but there is a Camera somewhere on Thielsen for any who are brave enough to go off route far climbers left. We looked for the camera to no avail. At the base of the pinnacle we put on the crampons for the descent (fantastic choice). The walk down was straight forward and went with ease. We were back in the car within a few hours. Blue bird skies, fast, hard snow and a short fun climb made for a fantastic Sunday, now to conquer that homework mountain. **Powderhound...you asked...there's no ice anywhere on the pinnacle. woulda posted photos but gravity had other plans (see above). Gear Notes: Small Alpine Rack, Axe, Crampons. Approach Notes: 3/4 the climb. Fast snow and some route finding.

nice TR, sweet photos. looks like a fun climb. way to get after it.

Any word on what the Lightning Rod is like this time of year? Cemmes and I are considering a go at it tomorrow. Has the trail been (partly or wholly) cleared? Should we expect snow on the summit block? Thanks.