YocumRidge

It must be January 1st. I saw so many fat people jogging in the rain this morning. Pretty sure there are new cracks in the sidewalks.

Are these Aztarex you have been working on? Mine come with their own grip rest though (pain in the neck to remove and not ergonomically molded). I would like to add a Grivel Trigger (is that straight forward?) and umbilical attachments to them. To make the attachments, my climbing buddy kindly offered to help (Thanks - Chad!) as he has access to a machine shop. If you look at the pic below, where within - the 1" - should we drill? Also, the shafts are currently taped with climbing tape, should I re-tape with a more suitable kind before the Trigger add-on? Thanks for your input, I just cannot afford another mortgage to buy a new set of tools!

Niagara falls freeze occasionally too. Why don't you give it a shot?

Witnessing the utter paralyzing horror that petrifies Portland drivers once a year during "The Snow" is the absolute, final truth that Oregon has the worst drivers in the Universe! People, you don't abandon AWD Subarus in the middle of the freeway (perpendicular to trafic at that!) just because 2 snowflakes fell out of the sky!

Oh yeah, walking was faster than driving today as always happens in winter...

Alpental Chockstone falls 12/25/09: Alpental Kiddie Cliff 12/25/09: Alpental Bryant Buttress left 12/25/09 (crappy but doable for the desperate ones like us): Sketchy pro improvisation on Bryant Buttress left 12/25/09: The Mountaineers Creek drainage is not in as of 12/26/09 (pics taken from the road #7601): Hubba Hubba left 12/26/09: Hubba Hubba right 12/26/09: Ice bouldering on Hubba Hubba right P1:

Beautiful ice and beautiful job! How is the knee? Ouch.

Oh, you were the soloist then who followed us to the base? These are our asses you took the pics of. How far up did you get the East face? We got to the start of the NF but had to turn around due to a party stuck on the P1.

[video:youtube]bXy1iiQgOAM

being traumatized and disillusioned by law school. Touray?

It is reassuring to learn we were not the only ones dealing with the gully. When have you guys been up there? It surely did not look like it has been climbed in a while.

i hear that if you turn your tool around so that the pick faces away from you then this wont happen Dodging ice chunks, not the tools!

Thanks! Yes it was. I did not think much of the new fusions. Personally, I would not use them for anything else but mixed climbing. I am still debating Cobras/Nomics though. I tended to get less pumped with Nomics on vertical ice.

TRIP REPORT: Hyalite Ice & Bozeman Ice Fest 2009 Dates: 12/10 - 12/13/09 I was having second thoughts about whether to post this TR for multiple reasons: 1. Tragic death of Guy Lacelle in the midst of the Ice Breaker comps. 2. Freih with his sick ice FAs and playboy pics/videos thereof (are these already in the editorial office of Rock and Ice?) which makes me hate myself. 3. My parents who are registered on this forum and being in denial keep calling me insane. Anyway here it goes. Day 1. Tom and I left Seattle after work on Wed p.m. and rolled into the Grotto Falls parking lot on Thu 12/10/09 to be greeted by tragic news of Guy killed in avalanche. Thanks to the organizers, sponsors and participants for the strength and motivation summoned to go ahead with the Ice Fest, hesitation notwithstanding. En Mémoire De Guy Lacelle. RIP. With our souls squeezed, we headed for warm-up laps on G1 wall. After being quickly spoiled by the Tom’s leashless Cobras, it took me a while to get used to my alpine Petzl Aztarex. Warm-up laps on G1: The Joy of Ice: Day 2. Tom had never climbed WI at the Emerald lake area (East Fork) before, so after some discussion of the avy conditions and 1.5 h grade III approach (according to “Winter Dance”), we selected our destination for the day, specifically The Asteroid 300' WI3 5.7/ III and The Comet 130' WI4+/III. Well plowed and straight forward, East fork road to the Emerald lake TH was not. Our subbie did well but not well enough to turn around in the parking lot. We lost about an hour shoveling off snow to make this happen and only then headed up the canyon breaking out our own 3-4’ deep trail. With no WFs to be seen on the horizon, we ended up too far off the gully we were supposed to take and had to traverse back to its entrance to start over. Tom on the approach: At this point, we geared up and pitched out some steep unconsolidated snow mixed in with alpine ice up the gully to make our way to the base of the WFs. Me en route to the Comet: The Asteroid: The Comet P1: By the time we got there, we realized we would run out of daylight if we were to get on WI. With the approach being a bitch, finish in the dark was not an option. A protected ledge by the Comet would have been perfect for bivying O/N but then again we had an Ice Fest clinic to attend next morning. Oh well, some unfinished business for the next time, Tom! We got back to the car in the dusk and being desperate to climb whatever WI that day we drove to Palisade Falls (130' WI3+/II) and climbed that in the dark with our headlamps. No pics here! Tom led a left mushroom ice variation and I followed a central water sprouting section. Day 3. BZN Ice Fest Clinic. We climbed pretty much all the routes set up for the clinic on G1 and beyond and my most favorite was the very right (Gallatin?) next to the mixed section. Drytooling was fun too. Drytooling: Sharon and I at the clinic: Hot chocolate, bratwurst and fire brought to you by Arc'teryx: The lead and anchors clinic on Willow Gully for those interested is greatly appreciated - thanks, Jake. To Cody in Seattle: Thanks for returning my BD fusions. Hope your mother survived the trip. Day 4. Champagne Slot (180' WI3+/II). Getting to the Flanders TH on East Fork was OK and we swiftly made it to the base of the Champagne Slot. A great route overall with some nice stemming moves. Tom leading Champagne Slot with nearly a full split: Me following Champagne Slot: Rapping off Champagne Slot: By the time we were done, another party got on Champagne Sherbet: and due to time constrains to be back in Seattle at a reasonable hour, we had to hurry up back to the rig. Glad we did because East fork driving turned again into an enticing drawback. East Fork driving in Hyalite: Gear Notes: BD fusions (demos), Cobras, Nomics, Aztarex, double ropes and ice rack. Approach Notes: Subarus flying off I-90 like planes; Tom with his eyes wide shut on my driving the stick on WI 0+ in a whiteout.

Hyalite Ice was my highlight for the year. Frozen waterfalls rule! I badly need more in the nearest future. 2 solo Hood ascents. Still suck at tele skiing but working on it. Monkey Face failure. Various sport and trad at Smith, Tieton, Broughton Bluff, Ozone. O yeah, got divorced.

Connecticut, next time just play it straight, and send SATAN directly to the US Senate: he, at least, will be prettier to look at and we won't have to endure that disgusting voice of a sedated camel anymore. A better deal for your money!

Sweet, Touray. You were missed in -15F Hyalite last weekend! A

[video:youtube]HmAde0kLYVs&pop_ads=0#t=138

It's already done!

Only if we can get a hot tub.

Where is the safe place at Ritzville to leave a car for 5 days: Wed through Sun?

What a name for a place to eat! Geographically speaking, Heidelberg in Germany is not even a part of Bavaria. Heidelberg is famous for its renown university and nothing else besides. Would not it be weird to eat at a place called Harvard or Caltech?

Bet it's a GM dialect.

Originally came off a Jeep but would fit any vehicle that takes 15 inch wheels, bolt pattern 5 x 4.5 and offset - Mid 15-25 mm. Decent condition. $ 15 - each rim or $50 - set of 4.