Water

this is what it currently says http://spokane.craigslist.org/sys/3320546851.html

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1084866/gonew/1/Free_70m_rope_available_on_Pru#UNREAD

aren't you the guy who spilled coors light on your slings and wanted to know if they were safe?

on that line depending on where in the 'midwest' you are...depending on what geopolitical, weather, or football alignments that can be anywhere from SW Kansas to Eastern PA. But a lot of the area is within a 3-day-weekend drive of the White Mountains in NH. While you do not have high-altitude you have elevation gain and plenty of cold to fool around with in the winter time. Might be a way to get more experience if you live in any reasonable proximity vs a single 'pop' a year flying to the west coast.

i could have told you it was 5.15c just by listening to the grunting at 2:38 in the video. thanks for sharing

i think that gets called a snowfield then, but i'm being a nitpicking doooooosh. It does melt out though. as of 9/9/12 there was no snow left: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1081973

...navigate the site here a bit. We have a climbing partners forum http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/12/1/Climbing_Partners

upper glacier on terrible traverse?? whats this glacier? there is a snow field but the last report I saw of 3sisters traverse it was pretty tiny not much left..might be gone now. imo if you are nimble the bowling alley feels far safer (when dry) to me than the traverse area when it is snow or loose rock, assuming you're not a gorilla trying to do pull up to get to the top. Though last year there was that nice moat between the snow and the summit block that was very safe, though going down from the moat to the bowling alley was probably the crux of sketch (more than bowling alley). yes if you are asking maybe solo ain't great. i am unthrilled about the fire unless it makes it even easier to ski direct line from N. Sister to the trailhead this winter..

damn that sucks.. i bought one for my wife for xmas and she absolutely loves it, would be pretty bummed to have lost it. might be going there this weekend, will keep an eye if so.

trust your gut. if you're meeting partners off the net, be willing to put your foot down hard at any point on a climb of whatever sorts if you're getting a major sketch-factor from the situation/partner. but that said on your end communicate as clearly/honestly as possible about your ability, interest, and level of comfort. research your mountain pursuits and solicit feedback from AAI, partners, online on any questions/thoughts. If you can pursue anything with anyone who was in the class with you, that is a good place to start probably.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/24/washington-state-parks-forced-into-competitive-business-after-funding-cuts/

at a gym?? I am pretty sure he is going to be doing a wilderness promotion of the book at the base of infinite bliss

hmm.. similar accomodations.. that was a great first place to check. if money is no issue tline lodge would be the bomb-diggity place to stay with the pool, hot tub, sauna, incredible buffet.. otherwise maybe a cheapo motel type thing in sandy?

Ben, you obviously need an archwood phone. call them up see what they have. really aside it seems like people have great success with the various genius phones at least on the data-transmission side of things. buddies have done all their FB shiz from camp schurman on the east side of Rainier, all over hood, etc. I have an ancient flip phone and it sometimes does that struggling attempt at making a call even though it has service. but i've seen really good success with those new genius phones. in all honesty doing the txt/fb/email route for family and biz is probably easier than voice, yea? also lets you compose your communication on your own terms vs at the moment of tenuous voice connection.

Yo meego. right now its all closed and shiz... the fire on the west side of the mountain. I think there are still vehicles 'stuck' at the trailhead--not safe for them to drive down due to fire hazard. entrance to north sister 4 vehicles got torched as well..no bueno. both of them probably done for from traditional routes until further notice (aka winter)

cookiejar.. hmm well i will admit two things that helped 1) gps 2) someone in front of us that said it isn't some brain science to do it. I fretted over that aspect after having read so many train wrecks in that section (lake ann to top of the proper chimneys). The google map satellite shows the trail and is actually quite accurate as a starting place. -you never lose elevation in any place where the route-finding is unclear. the only place I saw elevation loss was on clearly demarcated paths along route. And it was only for 10ft or something. You start to lose 30+ foot, wrong way I'd say. -starting off from lake ann... its all obvious trail until you get to a small gully that can be a stream if there is melt from above. you go up at this point scrambling for 50ft (approx) and regain clearly demarcated trail. if you find yourself trying to traverse slabby rock with a cliff below, you need to go up before this. so 1st, you get a mini thing of climbing thinking 'this is it.. but it is just a mini preview..you have more trail ahead. -from there I you are traversing talus/snow field. At the end of that a moat (when we went..dry later season I am sure) and you begin the chimney area in full. Almost the entire portion has clear foot/goat/climbers trail. Any time you are evaluating which way to go and one way has all green vegetation that looks undisturbed and the other has bare rock and they seem similar difficulty, opt for the bare rock. if its vegetated it means it is not the way. -midway up there is a trail that veers more out towards lower curtis glacier and i think a bivy spot (i did not investigate). something to keep in mind. -there are sections where you can probably go 3 or 4 different ways in the same small area. you will end up in the same area above. the climbing is all about the same, one will be slightly easier one will be slightly harder. -if you feel like you've ever moved above class 4 scramble territory, you're off route, imo. -it sounds more complex than it is if you pay attention to some basic tenets and environmental clues.

Trip: Mt. Shuksan (Mohican edition) - Fisher Chimneys Date: 8/11/2012 Trip Report: First saw this climb in 2008 before I'd done anything more than stuff on the AT or a few Oregon scrambles. Needless to say it stood in my mind as a beacon of climbing aspiration. Having done it I'm sure it was well within my abilities a while ago but it still feels spectacular to accomplish something I'd kind of dreamt about for a while. Plans last year fell through due to weather. I managed to come across so many reports of train-wrecks on the chimneys or the approach that I studied it fiercely and got ample feedback from a handful of CC'ers (thanks much) Uncas and Hawkeye joined me (Chingachgook) in this pursuit. We stayed at a motel in sedro-woolley on friday night. Self-issued permits in Glacier. Managed to run across a guy Ryan from DC who was actually in the planning for 2011 that fell through. Since then Ryan has stayed with me in PDX and attempted hood. So seeing him by coincidence on the route was fun. We had an open bivy on a rock outcropping with 360degree views right at the edge of the Upper Curtis Glacier. Up there by 2:30 or 3 and took a nap for a while. Wonderful spot to be watching the Perseids meteor shower. Running water from the glacier was luxurious to have. views from camp: Uncas and Hawkeye supplied some fine firewaters (whiskey and wine) for the group The rest of the trip was uneventful. approximate times: Left camp at 5:00am, summit and down by 9? back at camp at 10:30? ate and relaxed a bit. Car at 5:30? Home before midnight back in Portland.Contrary to all other climbs I've done, I was so focused on not screwing up the approach or chimneys that I had no idea what the total gain was, elevation of camp, how high Shuksan was, or what the mileage was. Humorously caught me off guard since I normally have these things committed. Climb was in great shape, had a blast. Escaped from the Huron. Hawkeye killed some bad folks. Had a brush with Magua at the base of the summit pyramid. Rapped 2 short spots on the chimneys more out of fun and being safe than feeling like it was required. First time climbing in the North Cascades, blown away by the beauty! We also managed a video that should be seen far and wide. Cross-posted by user MajorMajor as TR here as well. Gear Notes: 30m rope 1 ax (brought 2nd tools but did not need) 1 picket each crampons trail runners with strap-on crampons woulda been nice Approach Notes: just pay attention. do your research ahead of time. Don't do it in the dark if you've never been there.

this is normally a fruitful discussion.. lots of topics on the '2nd tool'. So the venom will probably be the cheapest. its pretty standard, no frills. Its what I have. I believe the Alpax and the Sum'Tec have t-rated shafts and pinky grips. A friend has the Alpax--it is a bit heavy/has some braun to it, not a bad thing at all. But there is no way it is the lightest of these tools. I like that the pinky grip stows away but the plastic nature/moving mechanism doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. The setup on the Sum'Tec I think is better -- adjustable along the length of the shaft=more versatile. yes? The sum'tec's pics look beautiful, not sure if they perform any diff than whats on the alpax/grivel/venom. I think the grivel rig doesn't let you replace the picks but all the other do. It also is t-rated shaft (i think) and has all them grivel mods as far as leashes and handrests etc. for good measure you should probably get one of each. and share them with your partners. and congrats on the first post. thats some serious lurking.

topoftheworld: http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12787

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1078859/Re_Rockfall_on_acid_baby_Aasga

they are posting on here already: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1078859/Re_Rockfall_on_acid_baby_Aasga

look closer. Le Renard Subtil. Nathan is probably just a Christian name from when Lieutenant-Colonel Munro publicly flogged him.

maybe if you spilled alcohol on your gear.

so, unfortunately you don't have health insurance? if you do, see a sports-specific PT or find one that climbs specifically maybe (sure can find one through networking) and get full assessment and bevy of specific customized personal response? Professional, specific, on you. I've found the internet can put information at finger tips but sometimes like the inability to see ones psychological shadow a medical professional has perspective through their training and experience that can be more valuable than the sum of 50 disparate internet sources. This avenue has some merits imo. this spring i fell skiing (just learned this year) and did what i termed a 'tomahawk'...ie the ski did not release but my head was to the ground and one leg of the ski was up in the air arcing..before sticking itself into the snow. i think i tweaked my PCL from talking to a cousin-in-law PT. Fortunately not an injury that almost ever gets surgery or compromises a lot of activities i like. 2 weeks toning everything back on it and then 2 more weeks moderate. then it was gone.