Alex

quote: Originally posted by dberdinka: Complete North Buttress of Bear Mtn Girth Pillar on Mount Stuart Thin Red Line North Buttress of Fury North Buttress of Terror North Buttress of Nooksack Tower North Rib of Slesse Ptarmigan Ridge on Rainier Anything technical in winter I've done all those, but have failed miserably on * South Buttress Directissima of Der Tooth * Direct NW Buttress of Mt Marrymoor, Klewin Finish * N Face Granite Mountain, Cougars variation * Howdoyoupronouncethis Rodeo, on the intimidating and sheer North Wall of Si Spire * The crazy link up of Cougar, Tiger, Bear, and Lions-oh-My! in the Central Cascades in winter Now THAT shit is hard!

Gib Ledges has to be one of the most commonly climbed routes on Rainier in winter. I kinda dislike Rainier as it really is pretty much a 2 day outing, instead of Mt Hood which is 1 day... Not a volcano, but someone mentioned baker, so I thought I would add that NF Shuksan in winter is commonly climbed, very easy access on skis in mid-later season, lots of ground Mt Baker, dunno, I think that access road to Coleman side gets snowed in, and thats a fairly long road. More non-volcanoes, but Stuart Range is very accessible in winter and many routes up there are commonly climbed (attempted anyway) throughout a normal year; weather tends to be on the good side and it tends to be colder there. Suffer fest is only related to how far into the range you go: light suffer == Colchuck Lake/Colchuck Peak (still great conditioning!), medium suffer == Stuart Lake/N Side of Stuart, and so on. Little Anapurna and backside of DTail for non-technical routes. Adams on skis is not bad, its not like the approach is 10 miles of uphill really, its just 10 miles. You even get to camp in the trees ifnyawanna. I still think Hood is it as far as winter wonderland access goes, just cant beat driving up to TLine and getting instantly blasted as you step out of your car! [ 11-18-2002, 06:49 PM: Message edited by: Alex ]

it IS only mid november! the ice will come, might be Christmas, though, which is normal. desert climbs typically only come in in January. need 2 weeks of good cold weather and itll all be good. Alex

a few things Ben Manfredi, did you ever take some pix of the Strobach climbs when you went in there a few years ago? I have Larrys originals which are still the best I have seen, but looking for some others if they are out there. Other rare pictures: looking for pictures specifically of Palisades - February Falls Anything in Quincy Wildlife Area Rainy Lake - an overview shot of Rainy Lake Right and Left? I've got nice action shots on the climb, but looking for something that shows both complete lines Mazama - a picture of goat wall in good conditions? perhaps too much to ask for Mountaineers Creek - anyone ever get a good shot of this commonly climbed ice from Mntrs creek road? Entiat - Tyee Falls Mt Rainier - Skookum??? White Pass - Horsetail if you have it, the only times I've been up there with camera, the damn thing was running water

nice thing about sailing: when it sucks in the mountains, its good on the water! Round the County race - a 2 day race around San Juan County. On Sat you leave Westsound on Orcas and sail down around Lopez and San Juan to Roche Harbor. A rockin good time at Roche, then the next morning from Roche up around San Juan, top of Orcas, Waldron, and back to Westsound. Sat, blustery conditions (20kts) to weather to a long beam reach along the south end of the islands. Sun, full conditions (25-30 knots) tight reach to close hauled all the way back 35 miles to the finish line. First Sight goes to weather, day 1. Nice rockin' beam reach under spin along the South end of San Juan island to the finish line. [ 11-15-2002, 01:09 AM: Message edited by: Alex ]

Lose to Oracle 3 times in a row? Was the round one performance just bullshit? These guys are all great sailors and their boat points higher than any other, you cant tell me Chris Dickson makes such a big damn difference on the helm of USA-76!?!?!?! Even Oracle breaks their spin pole and they didnt make up ANY ground on that downwind leg. WTF? WHAT THE FUCK??? Better start winning or the McKees are gonna have to call Tacoma home when they get back! Argh!

I really wouldnt want to know what Dru's "secret spot" was!!

many times, highly recommended. speaking of which, if the weather is ok thats what I plan to do Saturday... Alex

quote: Originally posted by mikeadam: Send your resume to recompense@hotmail last I heard, you were doing the sysadmin thing mike, so pls send resume to mikeadamson69@hotmail

good one!

There are several approaches that have been used to these climbing areas over the years. Even armed what I am writing here it is essential that you come prepared with map and compass. The US Forest Service map to Wenatchee National Forest, or the Green Trails map #304, Rimrock, or whatever you like. climbers should always bring skis or snowshoes, and a shovel. The approach to the Motherlode area: Drive to the Tieton River Road, near Rimrock Lake on US Route 12, from either White Pass or Yakima. Turn onto Tieton River Road, plowed in winter, and proceed 2 miles, passing Goose Egg Mountain. The first option is to turn onto Milk Creek Road, Forest Service road 570, drive a hundred yards and make an obvious left uphill. climb steady switchbacks and the winding road past Kloochman Rock on the right to its junction with 1201. Turn right onto 1201 and proceed past several large clear-cuts to road 609. Park here, and follow road 609 to where it terminates at a clear-cut, a quarter mile further. Strobach Mountain is visible directly to the south, only thirty minutes away, but the ice climbs are hidden by trees. Travel south through the forest, staying high, towards Strobach Mountain to the south. The second option is to continue past Milk Creek to Forest Service road 1202. Proceed up this road for several miles, then leave the road and bushwhack Southeast through the forest to the right hand side of the Motherlode area. The third option, to approach Dome Peak climbs, is to take road 1202 to where it is gated, and continue up the road up several switchbacks to where it comes close to Dome Peak. Several clearcuts here offer views of the climbs in this area. Bushwhack directly to the base of these routes from the clearcuts in about 45 minutes from the clearcuts. Once you do the approach a few times and become familiar with the area, it gets vastly easier. Alex

paul, right on. for the record, Dec 31st is the official cutoff day. Alex

wow, what memories! I too have done alot of these things: playing darts, useing each other as targets. Only we called it ninja wars. Indeed, we even got unsharpend chinese starts and hucked them at each other. Eventually we graduated to BB guns (protective eyewear? what protective eyewear?) and shot up each other. Then paintball because at least you could prove when you tagged someone. When we tired of shooting each other, we got in cars late at night and performed "sniper" attacks on 18 wheelers on the freeway (we believed doing against passenger cars would startle someone so much they could actually swerve and hit us, or run off the road, and we didnt want that...) shooting arrows straight up, yup we did that with broadheads. We knew we had 30 seconds to run for cover (the wood shed) and so it seemed fine...until the arrows started landing in neighbors yards... touch the tree-top! great one! we used to climb oldgrowth eastern white pines (like 200+ feet high) and use grappeling hooks just to reach the first branches. thats actually what got me into climbing!! we put together bottle rocket launchers out of copper plumbing tubing, and shoot them at each other. Lots of M80s exploding on skin (hurt, ouch). we drew the line at quarter sticks We would sit in dense trees and huck large pinecones at passing cars, thinking they would think it was just the tree dropping pinecones. Of course, if you are in the car, and suddenly assulted by a volley of 5 cones, you might think differntly... ripping it up with dirtbikes in the local farmers field. he hated that. The first time he came after us with a shotgun was the last time we did that. jumping off the roof! yeah but that was fun, not stupid...learn to drop and roll...important ninja technique got fully camoed out and wandered around the local state parks with machetes, guns and knives. no harm ever done, but were not too surprised when the local cops finally caught us (no doubt after many "terrorist" sightings) and confiscated all that stuff and called our parents. "hunting" just about anything, with any kind of weapon we could get our hands on pour lots of gasoline on sidewalk, watch neighbor kids approach on bikes, light er up!!! thinking I was terribly clever pissing off some upstate NY locals, and then trying to hightail it in a my BMW 2002 with Jersey plates. Thats the day I discovered a stock 2002 is NOT a rally-ready car!! paintball sniper attacks against ATMs and local businesses, culminating in an attack against a convenience store where a hated high school classmate was doing a shift that night...it was all so pointless, but we didnt know that then tying a rope onto a bumper and really getting rockin on skateboards. Thats when you discover "speed wobbles"!! rock attacks against freight trains. yeah yeah we all did this, but we also had track cops to reckon with, so the dirt bikes were always stashed for the getaway

I've done this route in early season just after the highway opened. It was a great ski from the summit!! Alex

I tried exploring aspects of my motivation http://www.mountainwerks.org/alexk/climb/why.htm I ended up not coming up with really good answers to the motivation behind the successes and failures I find that as I become happier with different aspects of my life, the climbing aspect, or succeeding at climbing, became less important sometimes lately I have done trips with a shuddering thought in the back of my head "Gee, it would be really *cool* to just go hiking!" I can't believe that voice is in my head, so I just proceed business as usual and shake it off, but the voice comes back and I question my motivations to lead that 5.10 pitch. Its usually only after I have succeeded at something that I get the elation - so when I have not succeeded at a difficult thing in a while, I find I dont remember the whole mystical high I get well. Its a downward spiral into mediochrity, but maybe I am beyond the point of caring hope not, but its not something i can rationally decide, it just have to do.

quote: Originally posted by Mr. Natural: ..it was done in jest and .. Doug, no offense taken, really!

looking for a pair of quarks I found both telemark-pyranees.com and barrabes.com don't ship this type of stuff to the US anymore, but someone pointed me to sportextreme, and I ordered them. Jury is still out as to how fast they will get here the price sure beat paying 225$ + 8.6% sales tax each (total of 250$ each!) for them at REI or wherever.

Alex check the date smart guy. guess I'm not so smart

"In the days before the elections, Gephardt aides and outside advisers said he was all but certain to run for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, and considering stepping aside as minority leader immediately after the elections or a few months into the next Congress." I am tired of seeing weak-as-Kokanee Democratic nominees for real leadership roles. I wouldnt vote for Gephardt. I was forced to vote for Gore when W showed up, and Nader was sure to not win. Not like the Republicans have it any better (I mean, shit, W is the best they could do?) Why do we have a real leadership vacuum in this country on both sides of the political aisle? I bet half the reason voter turnout is less than 50% is directly related to the lame-ass politicians who bubble up from who knows where and make "choices" so seemingly pointless. Man when Tim Eymans initiative passed again, I was just going to puke.

you should knock your price down a bit loren, I've now bought two complete sets of new tools in the last two seasons for 300$ the set: pair opf prophets at barrabes 310$ pair of quarks at some other place 300$ Alex

I am not a real climber, but I have a 4WD Honda Civic wagon.

quote: Originally posted by DLL: Still awaiting a third though, anyone keeping an eye out? Spindrift? Still awaiting a thid what, ascent? This route was climbed by many parties last winter... Alex

whoh, JayB, I am sorry, I originally looked at the Ergos, which I dont want, my search image was just off I guess. You are right, 153 is a great price and worth the extra 20$ to avoid sending them to my parents in Europe, then having the 'rents send em here. Thanks for the pointer, sold.

no. Quarks! 230$ Euros on this site. 130$ Euros at Telemark Pyranees. I did the math, I want it from Spain.

quote: Originally posted by JayB: quote:Originally posted by Lambone: One may also argue that it is possible to climb thin ice, or fat ice without "bashing it into submission." It's called technique. Anyone know where I can buy some of that? I heard it's way cheaper if you order it from Europe over the internet... JayB, they dont ship technique to the US, just like everything else they wont ship thanks to "Free Trade" American retail industry. Political Rant, since I can't order Quarks from Telemark Pyranees anymore: Free Trade to an American == Let us sell our shit anywhere and anyway, relying on overseas slave labor, but when some damn non-american company makes something that could possibly take away marketshare from a competeing American Corporation, KEEP IT OUT OH MY GOOODDD!!