DPS

Off White, I did not mean to imply you were a doof. I was just being cheeky.

Off White, Hmmm, Randy Leavit doesn't do any alpine stuff at all? Maybe that's why he only made it to 7,500 meters on Gasherbrum IV.

The hobo spider is readily recognizable because it carries its wordly possessions tied up in a bandanna strung from a stick that it carries slung over one shoulder. It is often found hopping trains.

That would be a neat trick. I am sure it is possible, not sure if it has been done. I used KBs where cam hooks *might* have worked. My partner lead a pitch using LAs and small angles where perhaps slider nuts or those teeny tiny Wild County Zero friends *might* have worked. Index Town Wall offers many good clean aid routes: Green Dragon and Town Crier are a couple of longer routes.

Jens, The approach pitches had some small snow patches and seepage, but looked climbable. Real shitty, sandy and loose but climbable. I'm sure you noticed that half of the Girth Pillar formation itself had fallen off sometime since the first ascent. Makes you wonder how stable the other half is.

sk, Clearly you are a Kahlil Gibran afficanado.

quote: be back down by 4pm at the latest if we start around 7 or 8 am). Wow, that's mighty slow. I did that ski a couple of weeks ago. Took about 3 hours R.T.

I had a great time with MVS on our little adventure. I had been wondering for a long time what the knife edge ridge to Denny would be like. That curiosity is what drew me to climbing from the get go. Always wondering what it would be like from the top, or what I would feel while on the side of a wall, these were my early motivations. Spending a lovely day with a great companion like MVS is mostly the greater motivation these days, but it is nice to satisfy the curiosity from time to time. Thanks to MVS for a great day!

Andy, I would try High Climb, he posts here from time to time. (Try the search feature). He lives in Tacoma, is about your age and is a GREAT climber and great guy to hang out with.

quote: Maybe Dru is confused with Tonya Harding's slot since she was in the news yesterday Now THAT was funny!

Norman Clyde, I don't believe the rangers have to authority to tell anyone they can't climb. Nor should they be in the business of 'qualifying' folks to climb. If that were the case, then it could be an additional liability. If someone were to get hurt or die, a huge lawsuit could be initiated on the basis that the rangers told them specifically they were fit and prepared to climb.

Juan, I am rather partial to dark haired, dark eyed women myself.

Alex, MattP, I am wondering if the exit is not mismarked as well. I think our route is actually not visible in the photo. I thought we topped out farther to the right than what Alex depicted.

While I don't want to second guess anyone's decisions, I would like to point out that descending the North Ridge of Baker would be a fairly easy prospect for two 'experienced' climbers. There are only 2 pitches of steep terrain on the route, easy to rap with v-threads or bollards.

Mike, Why not wait for better approach conditions and more stable weather?

I got my daughter an Edlerid helmet when she was around 8 years old. It is a hard shell hetmet similar to their adult models. It was cheap compared to parental guilt and hospital bills.

I had the BD hotline and was disapointed in the longevity, especially since I paid full price.

Good for aid climbing, too bulky for free/alpine climbing. I use a ~4 foot piece of 8 mm cord tied to my harness.

NE Couloir beta: Near the top when the couloir forks, go left. Here is a good description: http://www.mountainwerks.org/alexk/climb/TRNEButtressCouloir.htm

I second whiplash. The summit of Ruth is a fine bivi site with spectacular views.

Little Buddy's cousin, HighClimb, is well on his way too! Maybe we can call him Not So Little Buddy?

Damn it, I knew I should have taken you up on your offer to climb. Nice work! I am guessing that your's is the first solo ascent of the route.

Thanks.

I was thinking of running up and doing the Tooth Saturday morning. Does anyone know how much snow is left on the trail and in the basin below the east face of the Tooth? (I have found the fastest conditions to be when the trail is snow free to Source lake, then snow covering the talus.)

I don't like to get involved in pissing matches, but here goes. I have had the pleasure to climb with Colin a number of times. If you have not heard of him yet, you will. He is one of the most focused and talented people I have climbed with and I would wager he has climbed more hard shit in the last two years than many people do in their entire career. (Have you noticed that people who haven't climbed shit resort to spouting their many years of climbing). What's more, I don't believe Colin would lie about his ascents, he doesn't need to. You pathetic jerk offs who slander him on this web site can take a flying leap.