JasonG

I'd never considered the bee angle RE: Bachar and other solo deaths. Interesting.

I need to climb more. Great looking adventures!

Chirp- That is a fine sea run Cutt! I like your setup too.

Looking back, it's easy to see how our attitudes have changed over time, but a recent study in Science shows how much harder it is for young people to predict how significantly their lives/attitudes/hobbies will change. I am certainly not immune either, even though I am peeking over the hill. Kids/marriage changed things in ways I did not expect.

Really? What's the logic of which you speak? Gravity?

I'm such an idiot. OK, next Wenesday, Chuck's on 85th. I will try and swing it.

Right on cue

D'oh, I need to pay better attention. THIS one was north of town. For some reason I thought you were talking WS or Georgetown....oh well, hope it was grand!

If this is going to be a regular thing, I think I will wait until it is north of town. One of these times though!

Didn't Largo say something like "Anyone can fall at any time"? Seems prudent to rope up for 5th class rock if you can get gear but hey, I've got dependents. It's interesting to see that pretty much all climbers have this sort of soul searching if they stick with it long enough. As Mark said, you will see friends maimed and killed if you climb long enough. If those sorts of experiences don't change your approach/outlook, something's wrong.

Sounded like a fun time, I might just have to make the drive south for the next one.

David- If you need a guide, you should get in touch with Kurt Hicks Highly recommended!

Bob's the man! I've enjoyed his slide shows over the years and these books are impressive. Thanks for the reminder.

For your height,a Firstlight is a good option. For mine, not so much. I really wish they made a Firstlight with a 6 more inches in both directions. I can't think it would add that much more weight, and what a difference in comfort. I spent a week in a HiLight in the Pickets and it was tough.

Oh, I have no business trying for Huntington, but I do love pretty pictures. That is one beautiful mountain.

Indeed. Another impressive smash and grab ascent! Your success rate using this tactic is hard to ignore. Are you going to add a few more photos of the rest of the climb/descent?

It's so light that I can't bring myself to sit or stand on it, even though I've seen photos of people doing just that. It isn't brittle like EPS foam, so I don't doubt that you can sit on it and it will be just fine. I'm pretty amazed at the material, and I'm surprised that nobody has made a helmet out of it before. From what I understand, EPP foam has been around for a long time. It does get dented and scratched from abuse, so if you sat or stood on it in a gravel parking lot or something, I could imagine that there would be indents that wouldn't pop back out.

I've never taken a big hit with any of my helmets, thankfully. The UIAA helmet standard is higher than the CE, requiring 20% less force be transmitted to the head during a top/side/front/back impact with a test weight (5 kg) dropped from 2 meters(8kN vs. 10 kN for CE EN 12492:2000). Some of the other lightweight helmets out there made from EPS foam (BD Vapor) do not meet the UIAA standard. The Sirocco does, being made from EPP foam. Still though, a helmet can only do so much. A 5 kg rock falling 2 meters isn't exactly moving that fast. At some point the force is enough to break your neck or turn your brain to mush so matter what you are wearing on your head.

No argument that I look like a pumpkin head (Scott knows I'm no mountain god!), but once you put one on, you don't really care. I sometimes forget that I'm wearing a helmet- that never happened with the old plastic ones. The EPP foam is surprisingly durable too. I've had mine for over a year and put it through some pretty typical Cascadian alpine abuse. It isn't like the foam that is under the hard plastic shells of its competitors. The one drawback I've found is that it isn't easy to tighten the fit on the sides, if your head isn't shaped like the helmet. You can get it tight so it won't wobble around, but there is still some slop, side to side, if you get hit (at least on my head). Still, I think it would protect you plenty in the event of a fall. Plus, I've noticed I no longer need a headlamp.

When you say hard shell, do you mean old school helmets like the edelrid or ecrin roc? I don't know if there is any way that the new foam helmets will be as safe as the old ones, or distribute the force of an impact as well (but maybe I'm wrong), but I've switched to the Sirocco and couldn't be happier with the comfort/weight difference. It has been tested and passed and that is good enough for me.

That's right! Gordo says, "Always pack the Hunter!"

Not to mention the brush bash out of the White Salmon valley would be especially epic in July or August. I always hang up the skis come July, but I'm not that dedicated to any one mountain discipline. When skis make a trip more enjoyable, I use them, but ski descents in high summer or later just involve too many shenanigans for my tastes. Plenty of people do though, so yes it is possible to climb up the chimneys and descend the White Salmon. Bring some leather gloves. The sulphide would be a much better ski in mid summer (though still not very good), but the car shuttle if climbing FC is problematic.

In July or August, skiing the Fisher Chimneys wouldn't be too much fun. If you are set on skiing, it is much better to go in the spring and ski the Sulphide as a day trip, or the White Salmon. The Fisher Chimneys is a great route and well worth doing, it's just not a great ski in mid-summer.

I had no idea that Columbia had such cool mountains, thanks for the report!

.....but skiing powder is so much more fun.