Alex

ROFL! Classic!

Caveman, if I give you beer, will ya quit punching me?

Larson, your a funny funny person. Even if you are mike adam! Alex

Brent, typically the North Cascades Highway is opening right about then, and there are some great Spring climbs that are accessed from the road. Climbing in the Liberty Bell Group (SW Couloir S Early Winters Spire), or going up to Colonial Peak or any other variety of things is possible. Also, the Mountain Loop highway opens about that time of year and the Monte Cristo area is a real nice destination for earlier season climbs. Things like Monte Cristo, Cadet, and mountains in that group are good destinations. Alex

so where is it?

I love when self-professed "newbies" with Alsaka Range experience pop out of the woodwork!

Study Hall! They let you surf online during Study Hall?? When I was a kid, we flung spitwads at each other and oggled the chicks, we didnt have computers, or the Internet! My the times, they are a'changing!

Rafael, for 24.95 I will send you an autographed print of myself climbing South EW Spire....

Larry Nevers Jr writes: " Just got back last night, conditions are bad. There must have been a thaw,Sad Cebu was totally gone, Sudden Change only had ice at the bottom up tothe crux. The top of Dropline was melted out. The curtain left of dividegully was out, the two routes on the rock band above that were in but verythin. We started to climb the right side one but decided the ice was toothin to hold reliable pro. Larry "

Hey Paul! Tracked Access Mechanism, roger. I tried to go in the 2nd week of Dec or something and couldnt even get up the first 1/2 mile of Milk Creek road w/ 4Runner. Larry and I had been in in October scouting around and the ice had already been forming then, so I was pretty sure stuff would be in. Was that your new pink flagging out of the clearcut? 4 flags to yellow? I think you and I use the exact same approach, while Larry uses a completely different one. The ice was definitely staying even with the warm temps, contrary to what seems to be happening in Leavenworth and elsewhere. Perhaps the only place in the state that has ice right now besides Baker. Alex

512Dude, agreed, that has been changed in later versions of teh guide. Alex

Shit, I am so tired of being a Rope Lead. Seems I was "On Belay" ages and ages ago...like for about 2 days last October! I propose we get some more creative titles into the mix. For lack of something better to do, Jon, Tim, here are some suggestions: 1-20 posts On Belay21-40 posts Climbing41-60 posts Secuuure, eh!61-70 posts RMI Guide71-90 posts AAI Guide91-100 posts Moondancer101-120 posts Lurker121-150 posts Chestbeater151-200 posts KnowitallDumbass201-300 posts WI6Ropegun301-500 posts CascadeSprayer501-1000 posts Unemployed1001-2000 posts Employed Computer Professional2000+ posts Dru and Caveman get to choose their own titles.... Alex

Went up to Strobach with 3 other people Saturday. I dragged/shuttled 3 others on skis to within 30 min of the climbs. We then hiked in with floatation...or at least two of us did: one forgot his skins, one ditched the skis and skins in the trees a bit too early. Currently there are 4 lines completely formed and many lines in various states of forming. The 4 lines are: The fourth route left of Seperation, looks to be in hard 5 condition! This route has yet to see a second ascent. The first route left of Seperation (unnamed), in WI4 condition (I climbed this one with partner), Sudden Change of Plan (WI 3+, first route right of Seperation) in pretty fat shape, and Sad Cebu (WI3, second route right of Seperation, climbed by the other party). Ice Dream was not formed. We did not get a chance to look at First Ice on the Right, due to cloud cover. If conditions get a little colder, this place will be pretty exciting come mid-Feb/March. Alex

I went up once in October before the snow flew, and then in the second week of Dec. There was much more snow than we expected and we did not climb. I have a snowmobile now, though, and am going up this weekend! Alex

spent 12/25-1/1 in Banff. weather: clear and very cold, ranging from -15 to -25C in cold places. In Golden, Pretty Nuts, Riverview, Essondale Left are in but a little thinner than usual, as has been mentioned. In Field, Mt Dennis climbs: only Guiness. Pilsner and Carlsberg are both not really in. Many Yoho climbs looked in from the road. Silk Tassel not in. Mt Stephen climbs looked OK, including Masseys and SuperBok On the Icefields Parkway: Bow Falls is in, Ulis is not. Wet Dream in. Balfour Wall in. Cosmic Messenger and Bison Falls in. Murchison in but horrendously wet. Most Mt Wilson climbs not in. Ice Nine coming along well. Riptide in. Lower Weeping "in" but Weeping Left in perhaps the worst shape I have seen it in a long time. Weeping Pillar in. Snivelling in. Mixed Master not. Polar Circus in. Panther Falls in. Bridal Veil in first tier, very thin 2nd tier. In the David Thomson: 2 Oclock in, 570 in, Nothing but the Breast not in. Lake Louise/Banff. Cascade is in with little hazard from above until the next cycle. I heard Professors was not in yet. Rundle climbs not in. VerticleTurle lists most of the other Banff climbs (above). Alex

http://www.kidclimber.com/Frightening, fascinating. I am sure the kid loves to climb, but does the web site need to read like an 11-year old needs to be this famous? The pictures of the kid on El Cap and leading hard trad routes are a kick. In one it looks like he is leading Sunshine Dihedral <shudder>!

Went up into Alpental this morning. Its been pretty warm up there even with these last few cooler nights. Alpental Falls is running water.Kiddie Cliff is in but buried. You'll get a whole 20 ft of actual ice climbing in.There are some crazy looking thin icicles 100-200 yards downvalley of Kiddie Cliff, stuff that did not form last year, than certainly have potential if it keeps freezing. Wasnt able to scope out upper valley due to cloud cover and time. Snow is deep, but beaten snowshoe tracks all over the valley. Alex

Consumers speak with their wallets, not their values. Patagonia and a few other select companies are the only ones to ever have successfully married the two. IMO Tibet will be free when the Chinese stop believing it was a historical part of China, or when the Tibetan people revolt, whichever comes first (read, never). But pressuring the Chinese won't get the U.S. anywhere. I think China has always been a question mark for the U.S. foreign and economic poilicy..you look at the market and you cannot ignore it. You look at the government and you cannot ignore it, and yet you are pretty powerless to do anything. This is always an interesting question: support a culture in the hopes that it becomes more like your own, and "sees the light", or punish a culture in the hopes that the economic and social hurt inflicted forces action? Which is more likely to succeed? Which is more likely to succeed in your own lifetime? Americans have a short attention span, and that goes for government and leaders of this country as well as the everyday Joe couch potato. 13 posts already and not a hint of the downward spiral into mindless spray chaos? And with people like trask and Dru already weighed in? I am shocked. Shocked. Alex

I agree, I've lead both Icy BC and Waite For Spring in much leaner conditions than those pictured here. That ice is fat! Alex

Thanks Phil. Yes, Strobach is near White Pass, Horsetail is near Chinook Pass.

Strobach: tried to go into Strobach this past weekend, the snow was too deep to drive the roads and we were too late to do the hike. Can't tell you if there is any ice. Bring a sled or come really early. Horsetail: running water.

I have vol 1 and vol 2 of the Chamonix alpine guides in English..send me an email to borrow. Alex

.org is being held in reserve for possible future use, but nothing is planned at this time. Alex

Scott, it better not be, there is a ban on Cascade Legends posting here.

clikc his profile, its the icon with the guy and the question mark. His email is listed there.