DPS

Nice Beaver!

Wow! Elegant line. Nice photos. Is this in the Chugach? What kind of rock is it?

Unless you are taking giant whippers on your rope you probably aren't coming close to creating the forces neccessary to break it. The fall rating is determined by a standardized test which replicates extreme falls. When kernmantle ropes were being developed one manufacturer gave climbers new ropes and asked them to log the number of falls. John Stoddard reportedly took something like 187 falls on the same rope.

Scarpas tend to fit wide feet better than La Sportiva. That's all I can say.

FWIW, I have known and climbed with Nick for nearly 14 years. He is a really great guy.

Fantastic photos!

When I was keen on winter ascents up the Cascade River road area I brought a chain saw and come along to clear trees out of the road.

I think these kids are going places.

Sorry KirkW, I didn't realize you were on your period.

Lighten up KirkW. I was alluding to another thread, my post was meant to be funny. I actually like Oregon quite a lot. As for Rob I can tell you he is definitely not a douche bag. I would like to say I'm not a douche bag either, but I am not very objective about myself so I could be wrong.

Way to rock the double brested blazer. Kickin' it Lee Iacoca style!

How do you know? Personal experience. Years ago I got my truck stuck in a snow bank. A big 4 x 4 happened along and was willng to tow me out. The only rope I had long enough was my climbing rope. The 4 x 4 literally sling shoted me out of the snow bank thanks to the elasticity of the rope but it broke and snapped back putting a dent in the tailgate of the other vehicle. I'm sure the forces generated in a manual hauling system are much lower than those generated from a 2 ton vehicle yanking out another 2 ton vehicle (from a running start no less), but I would not want to climb on the rope afterwards. BTW, glad you got the vehicle out of the ditch.

Haven't you heard? Oregon is full of hippies.

I guess the short answer would be down is superior to synthetic in every way if you can keep it dry. I am a huge believer in synthetic insulation for outerwear but still rely on down bags but I don't intentionally climb in the rain. The difference in weight and compressiblity between a synthetic bag and high quality down bag is considerable in my view, especially if you are looking at -30 bags where the difference is over 2lbs. A synthetic bag that warm is to me at least, far to bulky to consider. As temperatures drop the more sense it makes to get a down bag, both for weight and space savings and because rain will not be likely.

I think this company does custom sizes. I have heard good things about them. http://beyondclothing.com/products/softshell/softshell-pants/

Mt Baker is the first 'big' mountain I climbed. It is an excellent venue for learning mountaineering. I have introduced many new climbers to the sport by taking them up Baker. Another option is to take a longer, more comprehensive course like American Alpine Institute's Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership - Part 1 http://www.aai.cc/ProgramDetail/mountaineering_leadership1/ or Alpine Ascents International 13 day mountaineering course http://www.alpineascents.com/cascades13.asp . At $2200 - $2300 it is more expensive but you will have the opportunity to learn a lot. If you factor into the equation your travel, loddging, gear, and clothing expenses it is not that much more.

Welcome Dangergirl. Fisher Chimneys is one of my favorite routes on Shuksan and August is a good time to do it. Here is a link that may be helpful (although not super): http://www.summitpost.org/fisher-chimneys/155674 Here is a trip report by the incomparable Steph Abegg that may offer more details: http://www.summitpost.org/mt-shuksan-fisher-chimneys/470490 Here is what I can say about the route. Finding the correct gulley at the start of the chimneys is kind of tricky. Choosing the wrong gulley can make the climb much more difficult and potentially dangerous. I recall needing to get on top of the talus/scree field, nearly hugging the cliff walls, after the trail from Lake Ann peters out. The correct gulley 'should' be the first obvious gulley you find. There used to be a faded, yellow circle of paint at the entrance identifying the correct gulley. The correct gulley is not super hard, mostly 3rd class with a few points of 4th. I have seen people belaying in the chimneys but it never seemed necessary to me. 'Chimneys' is a misnomer, the gulleys are fairly wide. If the gulley seems more difficult than 4th class or is narrow then you probably took the wrong gulley. There is an awesome place to bivi on top of the chimneys, below Winnie's Slide. Flat and sandy with room for a few tents and a wonderul airy position. Snow for making water is close by. By August the route can be icy and broken up in a couple of spots (Winnie's Slide, gaining the Upper Curtis Glacier, and Hell's Highway). Bring a 2-3 screws in addition to your regular glacier kit. The summit pyramid should be snow free by August and offers a few route choices. Climb loose gulleys up the south face or take one of the ridges. I have done the west ridge a couple of times, which is a solid, enjoyable climb. I have heard the east ridge is good too, albeit a bit more technical. The south face has numerous fixed rappel anchors. You may want to bring a small rock rack for the pyramid (e.g. 6 medium to large nuts, 3 cams (.5, .75, 1) that depending upon your party's comfort level may be useful for a few belayed pitches in the chimneys. A 50 meter half rope seems to be about the right length which can be doubled for any short sections that you want to belay. Best of luck, DPS

I've towed my truck out of a snow bank more than once. My thoughts: 1)Using an (expensive) dynamic rope will not be very efficient since much of the force applied will simply stretch the rope rather than move the vehicle. You would be better off with static rope. 2)A dynamic rope will be shot after you are done. 3)Aluminum carabiners and glacier resuce pulleys may fail. Get steel industrial equipment rated to hold the expected load. 4)Drape a blanket over the rope used to haul out the vehicle. This will keep the rope from snapping back and breaking the windshield or denting the towing car. (Voice of experience talking). 5)Use 2" tubular nylon webbing to build the anchor. Wrap the webbing around the anchor (e.g. a tree) three times and tie with a water knot with long tails. The anchor is attached to the first strand that went around the anchor, rather than the strand with the knot. 5)Getting a tow truck to pull the car out is probably the easiest option, and may not be that expensive depending on where the car is relative to a population center.

The people around your neck of the woods probably have not spent much time in Washington or Oregon. And yes, we have bike shops and in Washington and Oregon.

I live in Issaquah, Washington, a suburb 15 miles east of Seattle. My office in Pioneer Square (near downtown Seattle) is a 20 minute bus ride away. I can literally run out my front door and 9 minutes later be at a trail head with a hundred of miles of trails for trail running, mountain biking, and sometimes even AT skiing. 20 minutes away is rock climbing in North Bend, 30 minutes away is Snoqualmie Pass with lift serviced skiing, back country skiing, alpine rock climbing, and winter mixed alpine and ice climbing. 2 hours away is Leavenworth. November through March can be dreary. This time of year makes me want to go to Joshua Tree or Red Rocks. Winter climbing in the Cascades takes a lot of effort, but it is some of the most rewarding climbing I have done anywhere. As someone already mentioned, living here is like living anywhere but with good access to the mountains.

Thailand, Red Rocks, Sierra back country, Smith Rocks.

From I-90 take Exit 15. Drive South on SR900 passing the traffic light for the entrance to the Talus neighborhood. After about three miles on the right is a small trail head (signed) for Cougar Mt that would fit 3 or 4 cars. From here you can walk to the top of the crag to set top ropes (bolts and/or trees) or continue walking south on the road shoulder. The crag is a short distance from the trailhead on the right.

I never doubted your skills. The video is exactly what I would have expected.

Pete Sinclair's 'We Aspired. The Last Innocent Americans' is a really nice biography. Pete teaches English at Evergreen State College. He and his party made the first ascent of the West Rib on Denali and he was one of the first climbing rangers in the Tetons.

I tried my hand at guiding, and I sucked at it. I have a number of friends who are wonderful guides and some of them were very mediocre climbers. One thing to remember is guiding is NOT climbing. You are not being paid to climb, you are being paid to teach, coach, and make decisions that affect the safety of your clients. There is a big difference. Apply to RMI (Rainier Mountaineering Inc). They set the lowest bar for new guides. Basically you need WFR, CPR and LNT before you apply. If you don't have WFR or CPR, sign up for them now. RMI offers the LNT training if you are hired. They don't care whether you can climb or not. They are looking for specific physical and personality types. If you fit their mould, you stand a good chance of being hired. If you are selected from your application you will attend a two day try out the first week of May. Make sure you are in good physical shape as part of the try out will be to sprint from Paradise to the top of Panarama Point. If you are a dude, cut your hair, take out any earings or other jewelry, hide any tatoos, and shave any facial hair. Also if you can help it, be caucasion and tall with a thick head of hair. Make sure you know all the basics including rest step, self arrest, anchor building, hip belay, how to tie all the knots including (especially) the butterfly knot. Be prepared to teach all of these skills during the try out. Any certifications you can get before you send in your application will look good, like avalanche courses. AIRE 1 only takes 3 days and is pretty reaonsably priced. If you want to stick with guiding you will eventually want/need to take AMGA courses. You will need to fill out both their application and climbing resume. Go here for new guide requirements and how to apply: http://rmiguides.com/about/employment.php I wouldn't worry about a letter of intent or even a traditional resume. They will determine if you get a try out based on your application and climbing resume. You may also want to investigate Outward Bound or NOLS. They put more emphasis on 'soft' skills than other guide services. Best of luck, Dan