dbconlin

CC.com is the most productive aspect of my life! Whenever I am thinking about actually getting some work done, first i log in and of course that idea goes straight to the backburner. Thank god, or else I might get a promotion at work and have to actually do something! Phew!

Thanks for that one. Incidentally, I also found a page for the Wenatchee NF, which was a little more cryptically titled. I then called the office and the information they had outdated anything on the web site, so I won't even bother to post a link here. In this case, I guess you just have to call.

originally like $350

Well said. I had a surgery last year, resulting in inactivity and consequent out-of-shape-ness. I was so psyched to get back into it that I started doing pull ups as soon as I could and ended up hurting my rotator cuff, which put me out of hard climbing for even longer. Sucky!

Can anybody refer me to a good source to learn about winter road closures, i.e. when and where the plows stop? I am interested in minor forest service roads, not major highways. Is the best thing just to call the local forest service station, or is there some online source (i am internet junkie, do not want to deal with real people...)

Buck Mtn. I've been wondering about winter ascents of that North face gully (right side of photo) or the faces to either side. Does anyone have any beta (I don't have the right Beckey guide for that one)? I have a feeling the approach might be heinous w/o snow machine transport.

just picked one up at mgear for $239, trading up from my previous all soft-shell jacket (Cloudveil Ice Floe). I really liked the performance of the Cloudveil jacket (Schoeller Dryskin Extreme), but the fit and weight left something to be desired. Cloudveil advertised the weight as 19 oz., but on my scale (digital kitchen scale) it was 24 oz. The Alpha Comp Hoody weighs in at 17.4 oz, as advertized. The only performance hooded softshell I know of that is lighter is the Patagonia Ready Mix (15 oz), which I considered.

My 2 cents: While climbing is the best way to get in shape for climbing, weight training IN ADDITION to climbing gets you even stronger than climbing alone, and if you are still doing a lot of climbing, your technique can improve simultaneously. When life circumstances or weather may prevent you from climbing, you can maintain and/or improve strength which will leave you better off than if you did nothing. Additionally, if the type of climbing you do depends a lot on fitness as opposed to being able to climb a technically hard route (e.g. mountaineering, some alpine climbing), gym training may be even more important to you.

I didn't buy Dell, because I have witnessed firsthand many hard drive failures sometimes accompanied by major data loss. Instead I bought a HP. Couple of weeks ago, exactly one month after the warranty expired, my hard drive failed. Luckily everything was backed up. You never can win... Next computer will definitely be an Apple. There are just so many networking issues with Windows and they always seem to have problems.

Tools sold. Jacket and crampons still available.

I bet FF could make you a sweet one!

BD Black Prophet Ice Tools, Bent Shaft. 1 hammer, 1 adze. Well used, but no damage other than pick wear. Picks may need to be replaced soon, but could probably last another season of solid use. These are the ones with the rubber coated shaft. $150/pr, obo, with BD lockdown leashes. Simond Scorpion crampons, horizontal front points, hinged design. Good glacier/general mountaineering crampons. $50, obo. Cloudveil Ice Floe hooded softshell jacket, size S (tends to run a tad large - it gives me more room than a size M Mountain Hardwear Alchemy jacket I used to have). Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric. No signs of wear. $110, obo.

I guess for shorter trips where weight isn't so critical they are probably very well built and very comfortable and I am sure they will perform great, based on Mammut's reputation and other garments of theirs I've seen. So if the hardshell component is important enough to outweigh the weight and expense, could be a good buy.

colt 45 has a good point regarding shallow snowpacks being prone to faceting. Of course it depends on the temperature gradient, i.e. the difference in temperature between the ground beneath the snow and the air above it. In a shallow snowpack, the ground can be relatively warm while the air temp is very cold, creating a steep gradient. This results in faceting of the crystals, forming a hoar layer, which is basically like the ball-bearings upon which a consolidated layer above may slide. Of course to have a slab avalanche, the above layer must be consolidated enough to cohere. Additionally this type of temperature gradient is less likely to occur in Washington, where the air generally isn't that cold. But it can be. So it depends on current conditions, features of the snowpack that may be quite different between aspects and locality, etc. Generally speaking, there isn't very significant avy danger in WA this time of year, but that isn't an absolute rule and it would be wise to evaluate conditions in the field as you go and remain cautious, especially in light of the substantial and continuing precip that has accumulated and is expected. Another caveat is that while terrain features may 'anchor' the snowpack, in other cases they can serve as a weakness in a consolidated snow layer, from which a failure might originate. Therefore the presence of large rocks and trees that extend through the snowpack and are still visible should actually be a warning sign. Finally, avalanches are known to slide all the way to the ground surface, where the ground itself is the sliding surface, rather than a smooth consolidated snow surface as is often assumed. In this case a shallow snowpack can still slide, even without the formation of multiple layers over time. Disclaimer: most of my avy training has occured in Colorado where the snowpack is very different from Wa.

They sure look funny. And USD 319..whew! 890 grams...damn. I think it is a nice idea, the combination of hard and softshell, but maybe not really necessary. I suppose depending on climate and activity I could be wrong, but why not just go for softshell? These pants seem heavy, overbuilt, etc. "Warm mesh lining...side zippers for ventilation...drop seat..." no thanks.

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I had a hernia recently and my doctor left it up to me to treat right away or put off indefinitely. I didn't initially go to the doctor for a couple of weeks after I first noticed it either. Mine was lower down though and it sounds like mine wasn't as severe of a bulge. In the old days, there really was no treatment for these besides wearing "supportive undergarments". Now you can get the surgery. If you have insurance you will probably want to deal with it ASAP anyway since you can't really climb with it and the sooner you fix it the sooner you will be back. If you don't have insurance, I would sign up for insurance LifeWise right away and then go see a doctor once it is activated. If it is diagnosed before you sign up, they might not cover it. My bill totalled in the vicinity of $6-8,000 (can't remember) in total and I ended up paying around $1,000 of this due to deductibles and co-payment. So it is worth it to sign up for some insurance.

The 6 mm should take more than body weight though, right? If not you wouldn't use it at all. Also, it seems that it is better 'abrading' your skinny static line which is cheaper and doesn't get subjected to lead falls. I think it makes more sense to pull the lead line for the following reasons: you can lead on it if the cord gets stuck; if you have to abandon a stuck cord, you are not abandoning your lead line; the lead line would get less wear/tear; and there may be less friction/drag on a skinnier cord (?). Does anyone have any good arguments to the contrary? I think Clintoris has a good point that if you are torn between 60 or 70 m, you can always cut a 70 m down if you decide you are unsatisfied with its length. The opposite, of course, isn't true. That said, I think I would prefer a 60 m line.

At this point our voting systems can BARELY handle Yes/No, Either/Or. What kind of mess would we create with the voting system you suggest? Although, in theory I totally agree with you. We could totally do away with voting machines! All you have to do is submit a cheek cell for genetic analysis and your vote could be totalled automatically! Yeeehaw!

I guess I would use them for steep snow slopes above the more technical terrain and/or for crevasse rescue purposes. I remember placing some on the Kautz route and my partner placed one or two on the upper part of Triple Couloirs. They can definitely be useful given the right conditions. For more technical applications, leave 'em home.

man, wish I had seen ice like that anytime recently. way to go!

I definitely carry a couple of cams. You have to evaluate every placement, but I often find good cam placements. Not too many though, unless you like to carry extra weight for "training". A good light alpine mixed rack might include 0-6 screws, 0-4 pickets, 6-12 nuts (emphasizing middle sizes), 2-6 cams (emphasizing middle sizes, depending on route), a few tricams, and YES a half dozen or so pins. As others have said, emphasize knifeblades/bugaboos with a couple of small angles and avoid Lost ARrows (heavy).

Probably the best suggestion so far. Expect rain, much wildlife, and beautiful terrain.

Excellent suggestion. I did this many years ago, not in March though. It is an excellent trip. Depending on the snow year, I wouldn't be suprised if there is still snow there that time of year, although probably not too deep. It is south facing for the most part. Last year in March in Leavenworth (at comparable elevation and climate) there was still a fair amount of snow.

This is really basic, but hasn't been mentioned yet. Drop the heel. That helped me a ton when I was starting, and I continue to have to remind myself from time to time. It is a little counter-intuitive when you are on the ice, especially at first and if you don't trust your feet so much to begin with. But once you get used to it, it really helps your feet stick and take the weight off your arms.