DPS

You know, most of the fees are not really user fees at all. They are parking fees. If you don't leave a car at the trailhead, there is no way for them to collect the fee.

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.

http://dnr.metrokc.gov/hydrodat/seatacprecip.asp

No, why do you ask? I would expect a little more sympathy from a fellow who just returned from Mexico. Viva del Sol!

Do I train in vain? when will the weather improve? I will go to Smith.

Their tarp thingy is 1/2 pound lighter than the BD Betamid. I don't know if that justifies the extra $ 271.00.

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 ]

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.

Dave, If I were to buy a down parka for the use you mentioned, I would buy a Marmot Parbat. That said, get a Wild Things Belay parka. Dan

Kelty Redwing sucks. Just nothing good to say about that pack. I owned one and the shoulder straps ripped off.

W, Check your private messages.

Grivel makes an 'alpine hammer', smaller and lighter than the BD Yo hammer. I find this to be the perfect thing for predominately clean routes that require occasional pins. Makes a great cleaning tool for stuck nuts and what not.

Wear your seat belt on the way to the crags.

In reply to the post about Cadet in winter. Alex and I climbed it in May a couple of years ago. I recall it was a nice hike. Expect more snow in winter.

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

Hey, I was the one that said Ipsut Creek!

Chris Landry sounds right. At any rate Doug Robinson wrote about it in his book.

It would be cool if those who released the balloons wrote the geographical point of release on them.

Doug Robinson was not skiing, but was filming the skiing. I think Sylvia Saudan was the skiier, I could be wrong.

I am pretty sure that Petzel advertised the Reverso as an emergency ascender in a print add.

Thanks for the report Dan!

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'.

Ipsut Creek (sp?).

I have a 9.4 mm, 60 meter dry rope that, once the spot that the rock hit is cut out, will make an excellent glacier rope. And hey, this rope has what you lack and need..experience. Its been on first ascents of waterfalls, on long alpine rock routes and up mixed routes in Alaska. Sure your partners will look at it and ask how old it is but you will be able to truthfully answer that you just got it.

Shouldn't you be in school young man?