DPS

Nice photos!

I like Matt Fioretti, but have not done a trip with him. Matt Perkins (MattP) may have, maybe give him a PM.

Another word of advice: don't burn your bridges with your current employers or co-workers. You may end up working for/with them again in the future.

You will never be this young again. There are no do-overs in life and time spent climbing mountains will not be deducted at the end. Sooner than you can imagine you will wake up a 41 year old with a rapidly deteriorating body and a wife and kid (maybe 2) and a heavy mortgage. The only questions you need to ask yourself are what do you want to climb and where? A reading from the Gospel according to Mark may be in order: http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=15

Hello, I am looking for partners in the Seattle area who are interested in doing some easy climbs this spring/summer. I am recovering from a serious illness so I currently have zero fitness and I would like to ease back into it. I am thinking that there are may be some folks new to climbing who would be happy doing easy routes. If you are brand spanking new to the game I am happy to do some instruction. My garage could double for Second Ascent's warehouse so I can provide all the group gear. Also, the elderly or infirm might be interested as well. Cragging, glacier climbs, and alpine rock climbing is all good; just so long as it is easy. Some ideas I had are The Tooth, Mt Baker, cragging at Leavenworth or North Bend, easy stuff at Washington Pass. If interested please email bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Thanks, Dan

Jack fukin Kerouac!

Nice! Always fun to find adventure in one's backyard.

I do quite a bit of trail running as well as climbing and have used both dedicated trail running shoes and dedicated approach shoes for climbing. My .02 cents: -I agree with Dr. Layton. -The approach shoes I have owned are not very good for running, including an older pair of LS Exums. -The trail running shoes I have owned are not especially good for climbing. -I have put in some pretty rugged and long trail runs in trail running shoes and never had sore feet or knees. Doing a relatively benign approach (I am specifically remembering doing Prusik car-to-car via Snow Lakes trail) in trail running shoes beat the hell out my feet. I am guessing the shoes did not have enough support for the added weight of the pack? I know it was not the terrain because I ran the Enchantment Lakes loop with no pain in the same pair of shoes. I have also done some long climbs carrying a relatively heavy pack wearing approach shoes and had no problem with my feet. -I have owned several pairs of approach shoes: a pair of One Sports circa 1997, a pair of LS Boulders circa 2000, a pair of LS Exums circa 2005, and currently a pair of Patagonias. The LS Boulders by far climbed the best but both pairs of LS's were the least comfortable shoes wile walking due to the narrow toe and my wide foot. The Patagonias are the least geeky looking but the rubber is not very sticky. One Sport is now Montrail and they make some nice looking approach shoes but I have not used them. Montrail trail running shoes are my current favorite for trail running.

5.5 mmm spectra or Maxim Tech cord. Kevlar will also work.

You are welcome. Kautz is a nice route, enjoy.

As I recall you need a wilderness camping permit or such to camp for any route on Rainier. You can pick those up day of the climb when you register. I believe each campling 'zone' has a limited number of permits available for any given night. If all of the permits have been taken for the zone you want then you will need to find another place to camp, perhaps for another route. Kautz is a fairly popular route so if you know the dates of your climb in adavance it is not a bad idea to reserver a camping permit in advance. I usually climb Rainier either early or late season, or winter, or do less popular routes so I have not had problems getting camping permits day of. I was burned once - it was on a weekday during the middle of the season and some less experienced friends from work and I were denied camping permits anywhere for the DC or Emmons routes.

Nice list.

I don't listen to music while I climb. In fact I have not climbed in 6 months due to a serious illness. I have, however, been able to start walking again as of two weeks ago. I walk the dogs around the block and listen to Pearl Jam's 'Just Breathe'. A simply beautiful song. There is a video that an art studio compiled: http://www.last.fm/music/Pearl+Jam/+videos/+1-08y42pJLJ6s . It captures the beauty, innocence, bittersweetness, and heartache of young love perfecty. I think the personal difficulty of these last 6 months have made me overly emotional because I cry when I watch it.

Diamond Life on Bear Mt?

I agree with Kurt. The most versatile pair of pants I owned was a pair of Patagonia Talus pants. Lightweight and simple, they were incredably versatile. I used them rock climbing, aid climbing, skiing, ice climbing, and alpine climbing including winter ascents of Rainier and Mt Hunter in spring with insulated pants going over the top when it got cold.

I would not rely on melt water. I have done Emmons a few times and I don't remember any significant source of melt water when I was there. I always plan on enough fuel to melt all the water we will need.

My personal experience tells me that March-April are better months for TC. Just my 2 cents.

I ran the approach and deproach and soloed up and down the tooth in 2:15. The basin below the east face of the Tooth was hard snow which ultimately slowed me down what with all the back sliding. I hiked up Si with Mike May who claimed he walked the completey dry approach to the tooth for a round trip time of 1:58. As fast as Mike walked up Si I believe him.

The fastest I have heard is 1:58 car to car, that is the only time that really counts.

This sounds like the next crops of Colin Haleys.

I have a pair of Scarpa Summits that have proven to be an exellent all mountain and ice climbing boot. Similar to La Sportiva Neapal Evos but fit my wide foot much better.

What about a dry bag, the kind used by kayakers?

I use this exact rope as a single rope for moderate alpine ice and rock climbs.

I know the story but ain't spillin the beans.

I have done the Enchantments lake loop as a trail run and have often thought it would make a good ski (or snow shoe) tour. In the summer this took 6 hours and change. In the winter I would think 3 days since you have to hike/ski the road Stuart Lake trailhead. I think it would be perhaps easiest to start at Stuart Lake trail head and exit Snow Lakes trailhead (at least on skis). Avalanche conditions would be the key thing as there would be multiple slopes that would be threatened.