DPS

What I would like to know is why the news reports use 'hiker' and 'climber' interchangably. ie. 'I team of climbers on Mt Si....' 'A group of hikers on the Rupal face of Nanga Parbat....'

I had an enjoyable evening putting faces to names and swapping war stories with Wayne and emhemic. I was very flattered to be recogonized as 'the guy with the huge sausage' until I realized Allison was referring to Mattp's photo of me from a climbing trip. I am looking forward to it next week, although let's choose someplace smoke free. Your lungs will thank you.

An article in the newspaper mentioned a snow mobiler from Spokane died in an avalanche in Idaho over the weekend. His name was Kopczynski I wonder if he is related to Chris Kopczynski who climbed with John Roskelly for many years?

Leejams, I have been in a moderate storm on Ptarmigan Ridge on Rainier with the Betamid. Worked very well, winds were `30 mph. I would not want to be in an all out tempest, though. I would go with a Bibler or Integral Designs for that kind of weather. Obsydian, While I agree that training needs to exceed the demands of the climb, I disagree that carrying a big pack is the way to do. Carrying a heavy pack up Si trains you to be slow. Train cardio by doing long slow distance (trail running for 1.5-4 hours) and interval training (stairs) and strength by lifting weights (espeically squats). I have seen people fail on Rainier because they could not carry their packs a few times, but this was because they did not know how to pack. More often I have seen people fail because they did not have cardiovascular endurance.

Rocksanyone: The 6/12 route is described in very good detail in Trail Running Guide to Western Washington: Over 50 great Trail Runs by Mike McQuaide. I have a photocopy of that section somewhere. I can't adequately describe the route as I have only run it once following someone else. I see that you live in Renton. I live in Issaquah, email me if you are interested in trail running, we can talk climbing at the same time. bighurtbob@hotmail.com Courtney is correct when she writes that the only way to train for a climb that requires one to carry a lot of weight is to carry a lot of weight. The thing is, I can't think of any climbs that require one to carry a lot of weight. Colin did an impressive traverse of 7 (or more) pickets summits with a sub 20 pound pack. That's bivi gear, rope, rack crampons, ice tools etc. Far more gear than one would need for any of the mountains that Rocksanyone mentioned. Leejams: Here is a list of items I would take on a non-technical overnight route on Rainier: Black Diamond Ice Pack Stubai Aluminum Crampons Grivel Air Tech Racing Axe REI Onsight harness Midweight long underwear top and bottom Lt weight Schoeller Dynamic pants, simple, no zippers or extra pockets. Marmot Precip Jacket Marmot down Sweater Primaloft mittens/gloves fleece liner gloves fleece hat Black Diamond Betamid tent, shared Feathered Friends Virio Sleeping bag blue foam pad, cut down to fit shoulders to hips, tapered. Pocket Rocket, 1 liter Pot, wire gate biner used for lifter, 1 large fuel canister 7.8 mm, 37 meter rope, shared Black Diamond Big Easy locking biners, 2, a couple of spectra slings, pulley, 4 wire gate 'biners Prussik slings Picket 2 liters of water Food.

I disagree with most of the previous posts. Training with a heavy pack trains you to be slow. The mountains you mentioned can all be climbed with a pack no heavier than 20 pounds if you pack carefully. Train by running. Here are some suggestions: Couger Mt; Wilderness Creek Trailhead on SR 900 ~4 miles south of I-90. Tiger Mt. Highpoint Way, exit 20 on I-90. There is a great route on Tiger called 6/12 summits that is 34 miles with 8,000 + feet of elevation gain. Mt Si. Nice for a quick, easy run. If you are worried about not being strong enough then lift weights twice a week. Squats, lunges, leg press can build serious muscles.

I store climbing gear in huge plastic containers I buy from Target.

I am friends with one of the missing climbers. He was a part of the crew that included Charlie Sassara, Pete Metcalf, Roman Dial, Pete Athans that were putting up hard stuff in the Alaska Range in the 1980s. I hope he is ok.

Would like to climb J-Berg Sat-Sun. Email me at bighurtbob@hotmail.com soon.

I would like to climb alpine ice routes this Saturday and Sunday. I have a route in mind but I am flexible. Please email: bighurtbob@hotmail.com

I've couloir routes some years in August and had ice on the rock climbs other years in August. I would think Black Ice, Vision Quest, Enclosure Couloir, NW Ice Couloir on the Middle would all be good candidates for this time of year.

The La Sportiva Boulders climb extremely well, but are cut narrow so my ankles 'roll' often when hiking down hill. Also they fit narrow feet best.

Actually the Betamid sleeps two very comfortably, plus all the gear.

Yes. We started up a broad, shallow gulley to the big ramp. We intended on meeting the S Face. Warm temps and poor ice conditions shut us down just short of the ramp. Nice line, though, I'll be back.

Had a go at the East face of the Tooth. The ice was thin, but it was the warm temps that shut the attempt down a pitch and a half up. The NE Slab looked very good, but for sure was likely to be similarly affected by the warm temps.

For the sake of historical accuracy I feel I should clarify the route that Nick and I climbed instead of NY Gully. We had every intention of climbing NY Gully but had a disagreement as to where the traverse to the base of the box gully began. We ended up climbing above the correct traverse and then traversed left into a gully system. The climbing was pretty easy most of the way. We climbed a steepish dihedral getting sticks in moss. We roped up to get past a steep head wall of mixed sugar snow and rock. I never knew this route had a name.

Lambone, I believe there is a temperature inversion so higher elevations would actually be warmer.

I am seeking partners for an Alaskan trip, preferably during the last two weeks of May. I am interested in attempting some technical routes including Ham and Eggs Couloir on the Moose’s Tooth, SW Ridge of Peak 11,300 and the Nettle/Quirk Route on Huntington. Objectives and time frame are flexible. I have prior Alaskan experience and am willing to take on the logistics responsibilities. If you are interested, shoot me an email. I need to firm up some plans soon. We can do some climbing around the Cascades to see if we are compatible. I live in Issaquah. Please email bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Daniel Smith

I am seeking partners for an Alaskan trip, preferably during the last two weeks of May. I am interested in attempting some technical routes including Ham and Eggs Couloir on the Moose’s Tooth, SW Ridge of Peak 11,300 and the Nettle/Quirk Route on Huntington. Objectives and time frame are flexible. I have prior Alaskan experience and am willing to take on the logistics responsibilities. If you are interested, shoot me an email. I need to firm up some plans soon. We can do some climbing around the Cascades to see if we are compatible. I live in Issaquah. Please email bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Daniel Smith

I got an ice pick from my dad one year. I think he thought he was being funny.

Be sure you try on the Six Month Night Parka before you buy. I had my mind set on it and then I wore it. It is stiff and bulky. The Marmot was cut like a circus tent. The DAS was nice but out of all of the belay parkas I tried on the Wild Things had the best fit and cleanest lines and was the most compressible. I bought it and have not regretted the decision. Can't vouch for the warmth, cause I have not had it out in real cold weather yet. The main difference is the Wild Things is made of Primaloft while the others are Polarguard. The DAS also has less insulation in the sleeves than the body. Just from trying on all of the jackets, I would guess the Wild Things is warmer than the DAS. The Six Month for sure would be the warmest, but I would hate to pack it.

I ate cliff bars the mornign before the marathon and ate power gels during. I have done longer runs not eating anything and felt fine. I was not tired at all during the marathon, my legs just cramped and stiffed horribly. I probably would have done better walking on my hands at that point.

I'm pregnant? Damn it, she swore she was using birth control!

Mattp is right. No devils club, no slide alder, no annoying switchbacks. The approach gets you out of the valley into alpine nirvana right quick. Just stay out of the talus at night.

So I came down with the flu on Wednesday and ran the Seattle Marathon on Sunday. I felt pretty good and was easily making my splits (<6:50/mile) until mile 17 when everything cramped. My diaphram, my stomach, my hams, calves, quads, outside of quads. It was the strangest thing, it was like my muscles had frozen. I hobbled across the finish line, about an hour longer than I had anticipated. I drank a liter of water before the run, and drank a cup of water at every station and power aid at roughly every other station. I drank at least as much, if not more than I did during training runs. Some questions: Are the cramps a possible affect from the flu? I had been drinking lots of fluids and water spiked with Emergen-C, a powder with Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potasium, etc. Could I have overdosed on those elements thus causing the cramping? I had been doing my long runs on trails, runs much longer and harder than I anticipated the marathon to be (up to 24 mile runs with ~8,000 ft elevation gain) and had never experienced any cramping even when I drank no fluids during the run. Fellow runners advised me to do at least half of my long runs on pavement to get my body used to the pounding it would take. Could my poor performance be due to the fact that my longest runs on pavement were only 16 milers? Any ideas?