spionin

jeez frieh - we need to add an "embarrassed" smiley option to the posting form. thanks for the kind compliment - but i should really credit my discreet partners who don't give away the reality: the sketch, the bailing, the shaking (maybe even crying a little here and there) - that's behind the pictures

troy and i had a mountain glamour shot session up there.

pope, ... i've been trying to come up with a response, and have nothing on this. i'll be sure not to use wool mittens while leading ice.

thanks all - it was a really great day. happy to provide a conditions report. i'm not sure - i had to stop 3 feet below the anchor b/c of the leg. i think the tree is it.

it's such an awesome cragging area, so close! next time, come by for sure! piton - that's awesome to hear, thanks! i tried my friend's cobras, but i just don't dig 'em. he really got the whole rotation around the pinky rest down, but i'm really into the wrist flick. i've heard about the trigger before - it's a grivel slider, yeah? haha. hope he's reading this. the knee is good, thanks. it's taken a beating over the past few years (busted ligaments from skiing, fractured kneecap...) - this is totally mild.

yeah, dave said he's never seen it so fat. it was definitely a great chunk of ice. there a few ramp-looking features up the climb, and they do have some snow on them. so we generally opted to not use them due to uncertain foot and tool placements.

thanks! a friend helped to jerry rig the quark pinky rests on them (drilling ensued), and they've been working quite well! i was concerned about the changed pick angle (the pinky rest causes the lower part of the tool to become pulled back further from the ice), and i do have a hard time pulling the tools out sometimes, but roj s has said that it might actually be somewhat beneficial because of the more aggressive pick angle. they certainly perform for cheap[er] alpine tools! next step - be able to lead that stuff with my Chouinard zeros!

Trip: mt baker - pan dome Date: 12/27/2009 Trip Report: dave (Dave_S) and i climbed pan dome on sunday. the falls are FAT. our route: p1: the ice fractured a lot, while leading p1i took out a sizeable dinner plate, which hit me square in the knee (i had stepped up with my right leg, and it was bent). i finished the pitch, but could no longer really step up on it (or bend it). dave (being a total stud) ran up the more sustained p2. he credited being hung over for his cool head and lack of sketch. i don't know, my hangover didn't have the same effect... but anyways, back to the tr. p2: a group of very polite vancouver-ers top roped the route next to us. here's one of them rapping down 3 feet below the anchor my left foot slipped and resulted in a bend of the injured knee (i'll spare you the transcript of my reaction), and i ended up stopping there. so i guess technically i didn't finish. dave lowered me. thanks to my rad partner - he fetched a helpful ski area patroller and i got carted out to the parking lot on a snow mobile. great day. Gear Notes: screws of all lengths Approach Notes: 10 min walk through the ski area

Trip: leavenworth - rainbow falls/careno falls area Date: 12/26/2009 Trip Report: troy (t_rutl) and i did the right side of rainbow falls right (WI3) and careno falls left (WI4) on saturday. temperatures were in the teens for most of the day and the ice was great, although we began hearing stuff falling off rainbow as soon as the sun hit it mid-day. careno right looked awesome for anyone wanting to climb the free-standing pillar (not me, not this time) careno left was in good shape on its right side, and offered decent pro. we both had a great time, and only saw three other groups out the entire day! (troy took most of these photos - thanks dude!) Gear Notes: screws, didn't have to use any rock pro. Approach Notes: 10 min stroll from parking

pan dome is in and FAT. -veronika

wow, the cloud blanket looks pretty awesome! great photos!

you got it!

too bad we didn't see you from the other side of the valley

thanks for the positive outlook, fat ice is certainly welcome!

Trip: Liverwurst - Hubba Hubba Date: 12/19/2009 Trip Report: troy (t_rutl), steve (coug4) and i toook a little cragging trip to leavenworth. the conditions weren't, uhm, best, but the company was too rad to miss out on. we hiked up through water-logged snow, through a thick whiteout, stared at the gps for a while (it was giving info that firmly conflicted with the analog compass), when suddenly the falls revealed themselves the climbing was alright - the ice was really wet and mushy, hard to protect, but i was able to place a few nuts and a solid pin into the rock. it was nice to sneak in a climb before everything is obliterated by this warming trend Gear Notes: a few stubbies, mostly rock pro Approach Notes: per wa ice guide

i dropped my crampons (wrapped in OR gaiters) somewhere on the way down from chair peak, probably within 15-20 min from the upper alpental parking lot. must have slipped and fell one too many times. please let me know if you find them. the crampons are BD bionic pros, dual point the gaiters are black OR crocodiles, size S thanks!

nicely done, doug!

i'm selling my no-longer-in-use backcountry setup: dynastar agyl6 skis, 170 cm. a little long for me. i'm told that 170 would fit someone weighing between 130 and 160 lbs. they are on a slightly more rigid side. naxo nx01 bindings - good condition, medium length. my boot size (whatever corresponds to W6.5-7) is about the smallest they can accommodate. bd ascension skins - glue in good condition. i had this set tuned over the years at pro ski, and the guys there told me that a fair price for this would be $250. pm me if interested.

hey, how's the weather looking? it was getting quite inverted and warm up in the canyon by the time we left (wednesday) - 28F in town, 51F on our drive up to the main lot! hope the ice is keeping stable for you guys.

nice! way to win the prize hope to see you in the hills soon!

hey doug! thanks a bunch for the returned anchor! hope the climb was good - a little heady, huh? dave and i tagged it - he pulled but burned out at the top of the crux and i re-lead it with the placed gear (totally clipped at my shoulder at the top of the column - was burning up!). -veronika

Trip: Hyalite Canyon - Date: 11/21/2009 Trip Report: Dave_S, t_rutl and i spent the past week at Hyalite. we drove out of seattle on friday, 11/20, at 7 p.m. and arrived in bozeman about 12 hours later, in time for breakfast at over easy. troy's friends steve and austin met up with us and took us to twin falls area. we started off on some WI3-3+, 45 m lines. it was cold, the ice was definitely fatter than anything i've seen this early in the season. the second day we met up with pu (joe). we did mummy II and then ganged up on the scepter and lapped that a few times. both are in good conditions. joe crashed on the floor of our totally sweet pad for the night, gave me a lesson on skinnin' a deer with the help of a toyota truck (true story, people), and the dudes had their bacon for serious MENergy in the morning. we headed to champagne slot and champagne sherbet. the approach was super easy compared to the previous days, and the routes didn't disappoint. sherbet was a sketch to protect, so chandeliered. i looked for a place to pound in some pins, but the rock next to the flow did't look too solid. nonetheless, the climbing was awesome. and the company was rad. t_rutl should post the report on days 4-5 shortly. cheers. approach notes: WI2 on the road. bring 4-wheel drive. gear notes: stubbies. bacon. powerthirst. group notes: fantastic sense of humor. no ego.

tested and approved. thanks for setting them up!

thanks guys for putting this on, it was great. my favorite part was graham getting the crowd totally riled up during bryan's go at the finals. it got pretty wild.

scored a few days off and going for a scenic drive north, ~sun -> wed? i'm going through bugaboos, selkirks, and on to banff. might take a look at skaha. climbing is always an option. come with or catch a ride.