DPS

Check your PMs.

Short answer, yes. Maybe not for most cragging situations but definitely important for the alpine.

"Don't need a helmet, got a hard, hard head. Don't need a wrinkle, I'm already dead. Don't need a bandage, there's too much blood." -Pearl Jam

Seems to me that showing your ID to prove that you are the owner of the ticket is a reasonable request of the airlines. Occasionally I am asked for my ID when I use my credit card, seems like the same issue.

30 meters is plenty And a picket, prusiks, pulley and most importantly the knowledge to use it Ice axe, it would suck to be bent over an ice tool. One can use the top of an axe to pound pickets. I agree Baker is only 10,778 The air is not any thinner in September.

I really pictured myself more as one of the Hardy boys.

Thanks!

gotterdamerung = ?

How is your hand doing?

Funny, I learned everything I know about weaponry through the history channel too.

The M-16 fires a light, high velocity .223 slug that is designed to tumble through the body and break apart into bits of lead and copper. It would suck to get hit by one IMHO. Early complaints of the M-16 involved problems with them jamming during combat use. This problem was solved by chroming the breach.

Attempt to climb in Darrington on Saturday. Get totally soaked from the brush on the approach. Built furniture the rest of the day. Sick on Sunday, watched the olympic Marathon. The guy from Brasil was going to get beat anyway, still sad though.

Yes, it is true.

I wonder if Tom has heard how much it costs to climb Everest these days. Where is he going to come up with that much cash?

Out of shape, slow, weak climber looking for a partner for this Saturday. I would prefer something alpine, probably on the eastside to get the good weather. I am open to ideas. Email at bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Thanks.

VW4EVER and myself climbed N Ridge of Stuart in a day on Saturday. We passed the party of four. The party of four was climbing as two separate ropes with one rope considerably faster than the other. The faster rope topped out shortly after us. The other two (one fellow is the father of a hotshot local climber) ended up biving below the gendarme. (I know this because the party of four had radios and were in contact with each other.) We met another party who had ascended the West Ridge. The six of us joined together to make the descent. After some false starts and a partial descent of Ulrichs (it was a white out with cold rain and wind) we managed to find the Cascadian and descend. I was a little worried about the folks still up on the ridge, it was a horrible night to be out.

I did the full North Ridge car to car in 14 hours, and that time includes getting lost on the way in because of the avalanche debris, and a minor epic in the West Ridge gulley on the descent. The West ridge approach is shorter and the climb itself is much shorter. So I think 8-10 is pretty reasonable.

8-10 hours maybe?

From the Sulphide you get outrageous views of the Pickets. Really remarkable. Having done both Fisher Chimneys and the Sulphide I can say the Sulphide is in every way less strenuous, and that my friend, is a money back guarantee.

Fisher Chimneys is not a difficult route, but requires a certain level of confidence in rock and ice climbing as well as good route finding skills. I did not find Fisher's Chimmeys to be significantly easier than the North Face. I have seen more than one party belay pitches in the chimneys and on Winnie's slide and the ramp gaining the Curtis glacier. A inexperienced climber may also wish for a belay on the summit pyramid. If your friends have never rock climbed or done any kind of ice axe work, the Sulphide may make more sense. The Sulphide is more scenic, has easier route finding and still offers the rock climbing on the summit pyramid. The Fisher Chimneys route may start at a higher altitude, but you promptly drop 1,000 feet which has to be regained at Lake Ann and also regained when you are most tired, right before the car. The Sulphide is much less strenuous.

I'm siding with the monkey on this one.

I would like to get some pitches in after work at Exit 38. Would anyone like to join me? Email bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Thanks.

I did Boulder Glacier two weeks ago and I don't think there is anyway to climb Sherman peak without crossing a glacier. Maybe I am wrong. The Boulder/Park Cleaver is very mellow and crevasse free (and not really a glacier if you stay on the cleaver) until about 9,000 feet or so. The rock on Baker is typical vocanic choss. I would not intentionally climb on it. Consider climbing Mt Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier. Yes, it is the glacier but is very tame and would be ideal for a first time glacier plus there is a rock scramble at the top.

I second Paco's suggestion. I am a big fraidy cat when it comes to glaciers and I would not hesitate to solo the Sulphide again. The views are unbeatable.

My 10 year old niece told me I am going to hell. When I asked why she replied her dad told her so because I am a biologist and believe in evolution.