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DPS

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Posts posted by DPS

  1. Terrapin,

    Your main consideration will be what peaks are accessible at that time of year. Certainly W Ridge of N Twin is a good choice and can be very good in the winter. Baker and Shuksan will require a longer approach than is typical in summer. A ski ascent of the Sulphide glacier on Shuksan would be a fine objective with probable lower avalanche danger than other routes on the mountain.

    Other areas with good winter climbs include the Snoqualmie Pass region (Chair, Red Mtn, the Tooth)and the Tatoosh Range (Pinnacle Peak, Plummer Peak, etc).

    Bear in mind that the Cascades typically recieve a lot of snowfall in March and avalanche danger can be considerable. The weather can be downright miserable. Be prepared to drive a ways if you really want to climb. Rock climbing at Vantage or Smith Rocks are usually good rain day alternatives.

  2. I have a great 'epic' story about a friend of mine with whom I went to school with at WWU. He rode his bike out to Larrabe and was bouldering on a steep traverse. He popped off and landed with one foot in a tide pool. As he continued to fall over his ankle snapped. He instictively put out his hand to catch his fall and broke his wrist. So, he gets on his bike with a broken ankle and wrist and starts to ride home when he discovers he has a flat tire. He has to stop and pump up the tire every so often. He makes it back to town and is heading up the final hill to his apartment and he falls over bloodying himself further. I think at that point I would have just layed in the road and waited to be run over and get it over with.

  3. I climbed with a guy who was alway tinkering with his stuff. Some of his more memorable inventions:

    An old nalgene bottle with a hole in the top that tubing fit through to create a hands free drinking system...years before the bladders came out. A binder clip closed off the tube when not drinking. Leaked like hell.

    He bought a full on Gore-tex, one piece suit, then glued adhesive non-slip stair tread things to the knees and elbows...in case he had to self arrest they would offer more friction.

    A mini picket, bigger than a tent stake, smaller than a picket...good for, well nothing.

    Various pieces of home made rock pro including 'hexes' mades from round pipe and T-tonsmade from T stock aluminum.

  4. I checked out all of those. The Golite was by far the bulkiest (when packed), the Marmot was cut like a circus tent. Of the Wild Things and the Patagonia I liked the cut and packability of the Wild Things, so I bought that one. Wild Things is the only one made with Primaloft which is more compressible than the Polarguard used in the other jackets. According to the web sites the weights are as follows:

    Wild Things 28 ozGo Lite 34 ozMarmot 32ozPatagonoia N/A

    [ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: danielpatricksmith ]

    [ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: danielpatricksmith ]

  5. I may be taking a short trip to Yosemite this early spring with my Dad. Can anyone offer some suggestions for some interesting scrambles that would be snow free in March and have a nice 'summit'? Nothing too technical, my Dad is not really a climber.

  6. Jhamaker,

    The clove hitch is the primary anchor knot prefered by many professional guides. The idea that it slips a bit under (extreme) loads is a non-issue propagated by Mountaineers and WAC club types. Given enough of a load even a figure 8 will slip. If a load large enough to make the knot slip comes on the anchor, then having some dyanamics in the system can only help.

    Dan

  7. Climb High and myself had just enjoyed an ascent of the East Ridge of Ingalls and were preparing to descend the South Face when we were met by a large band of Mountaineers in various stages of ascent. We down climbed well off to the side of the pack train. One of the senior Mountaineers yelled at us for knocking rocks down on them. It was actually their own lead rope team dislodging rocks with their rope. I think they were just pissed because we were down soloing, in tennis shoes, what they were taking as a 'serious route'.

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