cascadesdj

That may be one of the funniest posts ever! Esp the ironing board. Thanks for lightening up a rainy evening!

I agree, but we're becoming a mean nation of tax cut fanatics. I've heard it said that a civiliztion can be measured by how it treats its young, old, and sick. We're not doing so well any more on any of these. You can't run a compassionate, modern democracy on a starve the budget philosophy. Raise my taxes--I'm for good schools, medical for all, good roaads, and ,yes, free recreational amenities like we had in this country 40 years ago. Just make it progressive and fair. When Bush "gave" us all $600 checks a couple of times, we gave half of it away to people we knew were hurting. In the 1950s the top rate for the rich was in the 90% range, now it's 35%! The consolidation of wealth in the small % of the richest Americans continues to increase. If we let the wing-nut shills on the far right and in the so-called Tea Party run the show, we're doomed and, ultimately, so are they! But the long vision is not their thing, just more, more, more for me now and the hell with the common folk. RIP The Great Amercan Experiment if this continues. There, I feel better for that rant!

I know of a man who has CF and climbed Rainier with the guide service at about age 20. I think lots of hikes and easy climbs before trying anything extrordinary would be prudent. The severity of the symptons can vary widely from one person to another, so you can't just figure it's OK to do something because someone else did.

Guess I'll stick to the logging roads and clearcuts I've been skiing around on in Kittitas County for almost 40 years. No ice axe required.

Make sure to make regular visits to your dermatologist when you get older. Good report, and cool fox picture.

[quote=ivan teaching in general might be a good occupation for you - plenty of breaks, if nothing else Teaching is a great option. I'm finishing up a 30 year career this spring, and have been able to have time off for raising kids (read: in addition to "raising", climbing with, biking with, hiking with, even road tripping with, etc). And all the while, at work, teaching mathematics, including calculus which has remarkable metaphoric similarities to climbing--I even rate problems 5.9, 5.11, etc. It's been a great deal. On another note, I personally don't agree with quitting your job and getting unemployment. It's really for people who are in a fix and need it. Work and save for your time off. That's the right way to do this life. Of course that's my opinion, and others will disagree. Do what you know to be right, but find a way to get out there and live fully.

Don't like it? Don't climb it. That's simple. I think it's a wo rk of art, not to mention lots of hard work and money by the LW and friends! I'm not a boulderer, but see no problem with others enjoying it to their heart's content--even if it sometimes negatively impacts the areas around the routes. Go have fun and try not to be too judgemental about someone else's idea of fun/adventure.

Good pictures! In the second picture, is that slab avi evidence all over? Could you ascertain the avalanche danger?

That would have been Goran Kropp, right? I know he died there, was it a bad placement? I only know about his mountaineering exploits... Yup, Kroop. The line apparently unzipped. From what I heard, he was not an experienced trad guy.

right because accidents like the Vance Atkins one from he 90s where he broke off a big hold which broke his belayers arm, then fell on his belayer since he was no longer belayed, breaking his leg and rupturing the belayer's spleen, don't kill anybody so they are acceptable right? Uh, no, not accetable. So let's look at the above common sense rules I listed that those guys broke: In the fall zone? obviously yes, grigri? I doubt it, paying attention? I can't say for sure. Helmet? dunno. I can say, however, they failed to do what they could do to minimize the danger. And we need to do whatever we can to minimize the danger whenever climbing. Should we all quit alpine climbing because of the regular litany of fatalities we hear about every season?. Some of them are really "roll of the dice" ones. i.e, the Rainier (1981?) 10 or 11 dead in the STANDARD route ice wall collapse, Luebben this past summer, Alex Lowe, Lacelle, etc etc Even if you keep your head totally in the game, I bet statistically, you're more likely to die in the alpine than at Vantage. vantage is a pile. it will never in a trillion years magically turn into solid rock.

There have been 2 deaths at Vantage, ever, neither by rockfall or bolt failure. One--inexperienced trad placements on Air Guitar, the other by rapping with only one side of the rope down. My rules there: helmet, don't stand in the zone of potential falling rocks, use grigri, never belay sitting down, pay attention, the last of which I admittedly have not always followed as closely as I should, you know, talking while belaying, etc. Anyway, I think with these rules, the danger is can be minimized.

Come on, I've fallen at least 100 times at Vantage over 15 years and I weigh 200 pounds, and nary a bolt has pulled. Has this happened to you? I know a guy it happened to at Smith! Anyway, the "likely to pull the whole chunk of rock" statement is a crock. Maybe it's happened there once in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of ascents over the years there.

Thanks for the story/lesson. I never sit down while belaying--anywhere. When stuff comes down, you have to be able to move, and now. I've seen several rockfall situations, especially at Vantage, and always wear a helmet when climbing. Anywhere. Lots of people don't wear one at Nevermind wall at Exit 38, but a friend of mine was there when a small tree fell off of the top of the wall, spontaneously! I've also had a cascade of rocks come tumbling down at Write-off wall, from the woods above.

We climbed all day on Monday, and it was a little cool but very doable. The problem there sometimes this time of year is fog that sits over the river and the climbing area, often making it prohibitively cold. You can tell if this is the condition before you leave home by going to the WSDOT site, clicking "state view" and choosing West Vantage and Silica Road. If you see shadows on both, the sun's out, you're good to go. In the past, I've driven down there on a beautiful day only to be fogged out in this one little piece of the state! No more. I have had shirts off climbing there every month of the year.

I live in Roslyn and have climbed it in both summer and winter conditions. The gullies in the winter can be kind of fun, not technical, but good glissading down. There is snow in those gullies right now, but not nearly as much as usual this time of year. I climbed one of the prominent aretes in the spring on a gorgeous day once. Don't bother with rock pro. It's pretty much choss. We did have fun, though. You have to test each hold and only after that, use it. I'd say the hardest moves are around 5.5. Careful, though, if you don't test the holds properly and move with care, there are lots of death fall opportunities. I've climbed many days with the "teacher" Eric, mostly sport. There is some decent climbing (sport) around this area, but it's not around Peoh Point. It's up by Lake Cle Elum and Salmon la Sac.

I biked to Smith in 2001 from Roslyn. It was 268 miles one way and it took 4 days. I met my son there and he brought the gear, we climbed about 4 days and then drove home. You find out where the hills are that way. It's basically 40 miles of mostly uphill going south from Biggs Junction on the Columbia River to the little town of Kent. That was brutal on a hot summer day.

I'd rather be in the mountains thinking about God, than in Church thinking about the mountains. That's the best line yet!

I'm 61, still climbing, hiking, and biking a lot. No one ever suggested I'm too old, but if someone thinks I am, well, so what? I didn't even start technical rock until I was 45.

Wonderful job! My condolences to you and yours. I went to Mt. Rainier HS with your father, I think (class of 66). He was a star basketball player and a fine human being. We used to play "horse" over at Dave Anderson's house. I've always held Rod in high respect. Best wishes to him and all of you. Doug Johnson

There is a establish climb up there???? Does anyone know more details about it? Yes, there is, completed late summer. Start about .2 miles from the NF parking lot (Ingalls Lake, Esmerelda Basin, etc TH), on the right. Large pullout on the left. Hike up right on right side of large gravel wash area 15-20 minutes and thru talus field to largest tree at base of rock. 1st pitch starts left of tree a ways. Part of your adventure may be finding this, although when the sun's right, you can actually see some chains from the road (barely) and the glint of metal hangers here and there. Goes from 3rd class to 5.9 in 8 pitches. After pitch 6 hike left maybe 100 feet or so, looking at rock on the right for bolts (5.8), then great stellar 5.9 final pitch. Not well cleaned throughout. Helmets mandatory. We did car to car in 3 hours. Single rope rappels (60m) make for a fun and fast descent. It's a cool, largely scrambly route with some exposure in places. Very moderate feel. Courtesy of Leland and Dave Wolfe.

Really? There's quite a few crags es in your own backyard you should take a look at. And pretty much any route put up by Leland Windham. OK by me. I prefer having lots of pro. I liked IB, especially the last 3 pitches with the great air. And Cond Addict. And the new 8 pitch one up the NF Teanaway. All cool, safe, and fun. Well, parts of IB maybe not so safe, especially when pulling rope on descent, thereby knocking rocks all over the route.

another old guy with a "memory like a hawk" Uh, I can't remember if hawks have a good memory.

The pics remind me of the love part of my love/hate relationship with winter. Thanks.

Yeah, and then there's me! 61 and cranking hard on 5.9 sport, even the occassional .10 and a rare .11a, as long as I've dialed it for weeks! W0W! But at least I know something about grammar. "One less excuse" is flargrantly, blatantly, disgustingly bad grammar. It's fewer, not less. Less applies to bulk quantities, fewer to discrete units, as in "fewer cookies, less milk". So there, I do 5.13 grammar!

So does anyone know of a site that gives regular snowpack depth info for various places around the Cascades? And I don't mean just the ski areas with their suspect data.