CascadeClimber

Front: Fred ate my dinner. Back: Then he stole my girl.

I feel sick to my stomach. Ben was a fine human being: Kind, thoughtful, humble, and passionate. We climbed together at Hyalite last winter, where he went from newbie to WI4 leader in four days. His unassuming and humble manner belied his indescribable level of fitness and athletic prowess. We'd recently made plans to go back to Hyalite in December. My heartfelt condolences go out to Troy, the Hummels, and the rest of his partners in play. Peace be with you, Ben. -Loren

What is the distance from the bottom of the bracket to the top of the rubber grip on your tools??

I hear Costco does a decent job. Also, the Canon 900 and 9000 series inkjet printers do a good job. I have an S9000 (new version is i9100) that makes beautiful 13x19 prints. -L

Mikey's Gully: Not in yet (not enough water, it appears). Climb left of Mikey's: Climbable, but marginal, if any pro. Quite a bit of falling ice on Saturday. We bouldered at the base, but decided not to walk around for the TR. No snow here at all, so no flotation required. Some alder along the old road. The slope below the climbs was loose and tedious. Narada Falls: Ha. Half of what little there was fell down on Saturday. Stuff next to Narada: Not bad for some laps. Eagle Peak: Teaser drools. Long lines, though, if they ever come in. Nothing to speak of visible on Unicorn or Castle. The stuff way up on the Nisqually (9000' or so) also looked marginal. The area is hurting for moisture. Some pics here: MRNP Ice DBB has some pics up, too: Dave's Pics -L

IMHO (coming from Quasars) Pros: - Hook well. - Good clearance. - Excellent pick attachment system. - Good pick geometry. - Nice pinky guard, even without the Fang. - Small grip. - Large hole in the head makes it easy to clip them with a biner or to a harness. Cons: - The damn Android attachment point is too low. I have the leashes shortened all the way and they are still too long. I'm considering adding an extra hole father up the shaft. Also, as DBB mentioned, you can't mantle on the head of the tool- you have to unclip. - The picks are way too soft. They mushroom over on the tip and are overpriced for how long they last. I got two seasons/pick set with Moser tools, and use two pick sets/season with BD gear. - If you don't have the Fangs, Vipers will destroy your gloves. - The shaft does flex a bit. - You have to have a hammer or an adze on each tool: The attachment mechanism is different that Prophets so you can't simply remove the tail-end of the tool and reattach the pick. - They make a funny clinking sound that takes some getting used to (not a big deal). - Not as damp as Prophets. - I'm not fond of the BD adze design. - Could use a touch more head weight. They're nice, but I'd still be climbing on Quasars if that pick attachment system was so poorly designed. More conversation here, if you are interested: Viper Discussion on MtnCommunity -L

I disagree. Even in my limited outings the last couple years I've noticed a lot of new trail "improvements" that have added silly distance and switchbacks to otherwise fine trails. That moronic trail to Cascade Pass, the Ingalls/Longs Pass trail, and the PCT from Snoqualmie Pass to Kendall Pass are three examples of some idiot(s) with surveying tape getting way, way out of control. There is nothing graceful, elegant, or scenic about these trails. The Ingalls trail in particular is an ugly blight on the hillside. Horses and hikers are a bad mix anyway. I'll opt for a little brush, no horseshit, and a shorter walk almost every time. -L

I always thought it was mine tailings. I've read that it is a separate and much older formation, though I can't cite the reference. -L

Anyone have recent beta on this road? Is it driveable to the Cathedral Rock trailhead (trail 1345)?? Thanks- Loren

My springtime project, almost done: A little more plywood, some paint, and then it's time for holds... -L

Without a suspect? Isn't that, like, THEIR FUCKING JOB?? I guess the damn police are busy protecting and serving (their budget) by writing "click it or ticket" citations. How can they be expected to investigate an actual crime like this? -L

Clarification: Part I and Part II are not the same people, or the same route.

Not Icicle Buttress. And the hint is for Part I, which is here: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=186124&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1 Can you say "Pope on a rope"?

And here's a hint for Part I: -L

My wife saw a bobcat on the fence a couple years ago, and I'm working on the camera... Thanks all for the input. -L

I called them after my first cat went AWOL, about the time the scratches first appeared and we found the scat. They aren't at all interested unless the animal has been seen several times. -L

A little more info: It seems to happen about once every two to three months, always at night. It's been happening for about two years now. If it is a bear, I think it must chimney against the fir to scratch on the cedar, but I've never been able to find any fur on the fir. In the last two years we've had two cats get out of the house, never to be seen again. About a year ago we found a large, tarry dropping in the back yard. I hope it is squirrels, because my daughter refuses to camp out in the back yard anymore for fear of bears. -L

I've been over there before; it ain't a walk. Though my yodeling partner was willing, the Beckey-esque 3rd class gully with the overhanging chimney we climbed to get to Easter Tower was enough for me. Next time... -L

It's a cedar tree. For perpsective, the ladder is eight feet tall, and the marks go 20 feet up the tree. Closeup of a section about 10 feet up. Closeup of what looks to be a claw mark. The lines are about 1.5 inches apart. Methinks it's a bear, but others are arguing for squirrel, racoon, and a bird. ???? -L

Espied recently from afar: No fair guessing if it's you or your belayer! -L

Hey! You aren't supposed to be using anything other than Windows Movie Maker! I'm turning you in. Seriously, though, I just finished up making some short videos from stills, and (free) WMM was a much better tool for the job than ($500) Mediastudio Pro. MS has a pretty decent product for basic editing. -L

Premier kinda sucks, but everything in that range seems to have problems. I've used Ulead Mediastudio Pro, but they can't seem to get all the bugs out and keep issuing patches for patches. If I was spending the money over I think I'd go with Vegas Video, which was just purchased by Sony. Best way to get VHS into the PC is to use the passthrough on a mini-DV cam and run it in on IEEE1394 (firewire). Analog capture tools, like the ATI All in Wonder products are a nightmare for editing, so work in DV type AVI as much as possible, and copy from mini-DV to VHS at the very end. Check out some of the forums at www.dmnforums.com and www.creativecow.net for more info. -L

Some of the Canon cams have audio problems: The mics pic up sounds that the camera makes. Great optics, though. I got a Sony DCR-PC101 last fall. I'm quite happy with it, and it's plenty small. It can be had for well under $1000 now. -L

It is worth knowing that Thesenga's explanation, as posted at camp4.com, was sent out as an attachment to a threatening letter from his attorney. I'll leave it at that. Talk amongst yourselves.

The very top is a terrific choss heap, but the rest is beautiful with great skiing. The view from the top is unreal. You don't really save much by camping at Summerland. If you take two days, maybe try to camp up higher. I just put up a very belated TR here: Little Tahoma TR -Loren