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Ben Beckerich

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    Graybeard Nordwand, early winter.... this winter.

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I'm in Winthrop, shoot me a PM with your email address and feel free to pester me for a conditions update in later Novemeber. I'm a skier, not a climber so all I'll really be able to tell you is snow amounts and temps. Usually WSDOT is looking for 2-3 feet of snow in the avalanche paths that threaten the road to close it. Good resources would be the NWAC weather station at WA Pass if it's working and also sign up for the WSDOT North Cascades emails. They usually do a good job of sending out status reports on what's happening up there.

     

    edit: Alternatively if there is enough snow you might be able to snag a snowmobile tow up with me or others.

     

    Hell yea man.. I'll definitely hit you up. Wanna shoot me an email or text sos I can contact you?

     

    Ben@fairweather-roofing.com

    503-327-4244

    Graybeard Nordwand, early winter.... this winter.

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    I think the crux for you will be finding good winter conditions while the highway is still open. Not sure when it typically closes. You could ski or snowmobile the closed road though, if you really want it.

     

    FWIW, I have found very good conditions in the Cascade Pass region in very late fall and early winter while the Cascade River Road is still open to mile 20/Eldorado Creek TH, which typically becomes impassible by January. Very short days that time of year.

     

     

    I'll have to get a hold of WaDoT and try to get a feel for when they think they're gonna close 'er down... 'cuz yea, now that you mention it - the most primo conditions are going to be before they close it. Enough frozen liquid accumulation to climb, but not enough yet to be sliding.

     

    According to the WaDoT website, they generally close at the exact same timeframe I'm looking at - last week Nov/first week Dec. I figured, for some reason, it was earlier than that and had already planned to skin in....

    Graybeard Nordwand, early winter.... this winter.

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Seems like if you caught 'er in early/thin conditions, it might not be a complete death trap. Wait till the first few warmer storms rip through, skin up, and hope for more ice than neck deep powder on route

     

    Target time (for my schedule for my winter North Cascades adventure.... which is happening, Graybeard or not....) is like last week of Novemberish to first week of Decemberish.

     

    This route is pretty much EXACTLY what I'm looking for, approachwise, gradewise, seriousnesswise.... but a wait for spring isn't a luxury I have.

     

    What's it typically like up in the hell of the North Cascades steeper north faces late fall/early winter? Does the powder just instantly start piling up, or can the region be caught in the more southerly Cascade's early fat ice/thin snow?

     

    Thanks brus

    Intro to alpine climbing - noobs wanna do Hood?

    in Climbing Partners

    Posted

    Howdy

     

    I'm gonna start taking some semi-regular runs up Hood for training purposes, and figured I'd see if there's any noobs interested in getting drug up there. I very much enjoy guiding/teaching/showing new people the ropes in the sport, and don't mind the company sometimes.

     

    But here's the thing.... this is pro bono, me volunteering my time (I can tag the summit and be back to the parking lot in 4 hours, solo... usually takes more like 12 with noobs) to take up new people, and it needs to be around my own schedule.. so I can't really dick around with your schedule. Na'mean? Not trying to sound like a dick or anything, but I've run into this in the past where I feel like I'm doing a solid by inviting someone up who's been wanting to climb but hasn't had anyone to take 'em up, and then there's this awkward expectation that I'm going to accommodate all their work/kid/hobby/laziness scheduling requirements and stuff...

     

    So what this will look like is something along the lines of this: I'll happen to have a work schedule/weather forecast coincidence and decide to go up, and I'll let you know with like 1-2 days advance notice, and you'll either be available to go or not... no rescheduling for "next weekend" or any of that crap.. it just doesn't work like that.

     

    Anynwho... if you're interested and can be flexible, shoot me an email, and we can rap

     

    benjaminbeckerich@gmail.com

     

    -Ben

    WTB - AT skis n bootz for a short du n noob

    in The Yard Sale

    Posted · Edited by Ben Beckerich

    Gotta learn to ski

     

    Don't tell me to learn on downhill gear - I don't have time!

     

    Don't want to spend "a lot," but I'm more concerned with overall value than actual dollar figure... so I'd be way more interested in some ok-condition Manaslus with Speed Rads and some TLT6s for $$$ than some heavy/clunky setup for $$ type thing..

     

    Boots - 27-28 mondo, depending on the manufacturer. I had some 27 TLT5s with split hardboot setup and always wished I'd gone up one shell size, so probably 28 for Dynafits. I don't know how other boots fit. Would be interested in any of the light weight AT boots in that size range, though - Sidereal, TLT, whatever Scarpa's version is, et al. Scarpa climbing boots tend to fit me way better than anything else, but I don't know how that translates to AT.

     

    STRONG preference for local pickup in Portland/surrounding, so I can try on boots/check condition of skis/verify skins aren't gummed out, etc.

     

    email is best! I don't log in here for months, sometimes, and forget I have ads up..

     

    benjaminbeckerich at gmail.com

    Life Insurance

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    We recently replaced our old policies and they were more concerned with my cholesterol and BMI than my climbing and bc skiing. I ended up paying about $1,100 annually for $500k of coverage, wife was $850ish for the same coverage.

     

    Holy shit, dude... who'd you go through?

     

    The joint AAC endorses quoted me $4k for $1m

    Life Insurance

    in Climber's Board

    Posted · Edited by Ben Beckerich

    I thought AAC had some kind,of,insurance but it may be just rescue insurance. Maybe they have a connection for other insurance that deals with climbers?

     

    Looks like AAC endorses Nicholas Hill Group for "climber-friendly" life insurance.. I went ahead and put in a quote request. I guess odds are good I'll at least get a call back from those guys...

     

    If not, I'll try steven kobrin

    Life Insurance

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I swear I've seen threads on this topic before, but not finding any via the board search feature now..

     

    Who you using for life insurance, how you got it set up (term, annuity, etc), and how was it affected by your hobbies if at all?

     

    I climb and race bikes and have a couple other factors that have surely contributed to nobody ever calling me back. I shit you not.. I've had like 5 agents just completely fail to get back to me. I've heard tale of climbers/racers/sky divers/suicidal maniacs getting policies without even really being asked a lot of questions.... but everyone I've talked to has asked a LOT of questions, and not liked the answers. Thus... I've never even gotten a quote, let alone an outrageous one.

     

    So hook a bruh up. I got 6 kids and pretty much nothing to leave 'em.

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