DPS

huh? If you tie butterfly knots in the rope between the climbers then you have to send an unknotted rope down so the guy in the hole can prusik out.

Agreed. Also a half rope, in my experience, is more durable than a skinny single rope. The skinny single rope achieves its weight savings largely at the expense of sheath durability. 50 meters is a great all around length. Good for technical climbing, plenty long for glacier travel. Look for something 8-9 mm X 50 m and you should be good to go. My preference is the Edelweiss 8.5mm Sharp Everdry. Not cheap, but a great rope.

Ice axes are for steeper slopes, they are not walking aids, they are climbing aids. They should not be used as canes, that is what treking poles are for. On low angle slopes (~ <25 degrees) trekking poles work fine for balance and the other points you made. I have seen climbers use one trekking pole and one shorter axe to good effect. The best of both worlds. If I have to bend over to use my axe, I use my trekking poles. The slope is not so steep that I worry about sliding off of it. On steeper slopes a long axe must be lifted higher before plunging, tiring the shoulder. That said, if you enjoy walking around with a long axe, more power to you, but I am sticking with my 58cm axe (I am 5'9") and my trekking poles. Petzl makes and axe with an extendable trekking pole from the bottom. This may solve the problems you encountered without having to carry trekking poles if you don't like them. I still recommend beginning climbers buy an appropriate length ice axe (58-65 cm for most climbers) and a pair of trekking poles.

My vehicle was a plain Chevy pick up truck. I had a sturdy diamond plate aluminum tool box with sold steel locks. It was large enough to put my approach skis in as well as all of my and my partners gear in. I had no stickers at all. To me, sticker from gear manufacturers serve as advertisements to thieves as to what they might find inside. Political stickers just might make someone angry enough to vandalize my truck. Everything went into the locked tool box and I never had a theft. When I car camped, I used a cheap tent and sleeping bags so if they got nicked it was not too big a deal.

+ 1 for Evazotte. I have the thin, full length one from Pro Mountain Sports. Feels about the same warmth as my RidgeRest without the annoying ridges that collect snow.

I'm sure plenty of folks will disagree but...I drink a couple of liters of water when I roll into camp, drink water throughout the night, and drink a liter in the morning before I leave for the summit. On the summit push I carry two liters of water and no stove, although this can change given time of year and the experience of my partners.

I see snow shovels as being situationally relevent. BC skiing and winter climbing; definitely. Summer climbing in the Cascades, probably not. Everything in between is a judgement call - can be usefull but often not necessary.

Probablly not, but I see your point now. Those SMC stakes are light enough to bring a few.

Now you are officially overthinking it. Either one will be fine and useful for both snow and ground situations. Still, nothing beats the MH soft snow and sand anchor for pure snow. http://www.backcountry.com/mountain-hardwear-snow-sand-tent-anchor

I haven't used the Sum'Tec, only fondled them in the store. The upper curve should not have a bearing on the self belay/plunging. I use a tool with a similar curve (Petzl Aztar) and it plunges/self belays/self arrests just fine.

Sum'Tec adze in 59cm length paired with a Sum'Tec hammer in 52 cm length would be the bee's knees for Liberty Ridge and similar routes. Grivel Air Tech Evo or the BD Venom are also good choices but not nearly as sexy as the Petzl tools. \ BITD I climbed Liberty Ridge and many other classic, steep alpine snow and ice routes with a 60 cm SMC Shuksan axe paired with a 50 cm SMC Himalayan hammer. Basically an old school version of the above set up.

4 pickets is crazy. Why bring the lightest tent then negate the weight savings by bringing the heaviest possible items for stakes? Think outside the box. Snowshoes, shovel blade and handle, dead manned trekking poles, stuff sacks filled with snow - whatever you have will already work perfectly.

For snow the MH soft stakes, (parachute kinda things), are the way to go. Looks like MH no longer makes them though, these are the closest I could find: http://www.rei.com/product/725165/rei-snow-and-sand-tent-anchors. I bring enough stakes for the body, and then use deadmanned trekking poles, shovels, pickets, ice tools, skis, buried rocks, etc for guy points. If I am not carrying over and I need to take the guy points with me, I take the tent down and pile snow blocks on it to keep it from blowing away.

My wife likes Bruce's Boulder and The Hand as well as Non Vertical Smile.

Boulder and top rope to develop climbing moves and skills, aid climb to learn gear placement.

I recognize that plane. Flew into the Thunder Glacier in it.

They had the ice axes, but the chockstone had frozen in place. I think many of the id tags went missing.

I believe the Mont Blanc replaced the Summit/Cumbre of which I have a pair. The Summits are a great all around alpine/mountaineering/ice climbing boot. Sumamits are not quite as burly as the LS Nepal Evo, the Mont Blanc appears to be a bit beefier than the Summits.

You are right, its not that bad. Each of those things really only happened once.

That is very hard to believe, especially given that the rules are written down on official UNFS websites for all to read and they very clearly state pets must be leashed. Very few public spaces allow unleashed pets. I have a call in to verify. I will report back when the rangers return my call.

Marmot Mountain Works in Bellevue has, or used to have, a box of odd pieces and parts. Its a long shot, but you might try them.

I was neither wrong nor lying. num1mc was both wrong (there is a leash law on Mt Ellinor) and lied about me (I'm not mean to dogs, despite what my intentionally ironic tag line may indicate).

Thanks Dane. num1mc has no problem lying about me, but I don't lie and I do at least a modicum of research.

For three season use, an MSR Pocket Rocket or Giga Power stove are cheap, light, and durable.

I'm not sure where you are getting your information, but according tot the Olympic National Forest (where Mt Ellinor is located) website: "Leashed pets are allowed on trails in Olympic National Forest. " http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/pets.htm Explain to me how I'm lying.