CascadeClimber

Climbed at We Did and Nevermind Monday and Thursday this week. Some drips and seeps, and a very few soaked climbs, but lots of dry rock. Everything at We Did is dry. Who pulled off the key hold on the second route from the left at We Did?? When did the skull-crusher roof section fall off Blockhead?? -L

I called mountaineers books when I saw that in February. They told me there was no firm date set for release and not to expect anything before August. -L

It's pretty darn easy to armchair quarterback someone else's decisions. Some of us are starting to sound an awful lot like Jon "Blame Everyone Else" Krakauer. You can't judge conditions from below: "What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above." (Daumel) And to continue with quotes, "The worst possible style is to fall." (Serl or McKay) So in my book, kudos to Michelle for retreating safely before someone was hurt and/or a serious epic ensued. -L

Perfect: Just in time for all of us to start jonesing for ice three months before there is any to climb within 500 miles, as usual. ice ice ice ice ice ice ice -L

Nice! Is there a target date for it to be on shelves? -L

I've turned back at that traverse twice now, once because of obscene avy conditions (three feet of slush on the west face, no purchase, starting wet slides with each step), once in perfect conditions, but an unwilling partner. 0-7 on North, headed back soon. How far could you drive up the Pole Creek Road? -L

I have a Fitzroy and an I-Tent, and no regrets. Both are post-BD merger. Quality is excellent, and so is BD support. They replaced the Fitz after Rainy Pass ruined it when they were supposed to be repairing it. I like the Fitz better than the Torre because I don't always want the weight of the vestibule. The I-Tent is great for those light-is-right trips. -L

Just to clear things up... We didn't get an early enough start and the little rivulet of ice was slush by the time we got there. We retreated because of poor ice and threatening snow conditions. Necro and Layton were ahead of us on the route. I'm not aware of anything they knocked down on us, but even if they had, that would have been our issue, not theirs. I'll be back...

I'm trying to work out the logistics of this one. Maybe my math skills are rusty, but I can't figure out how a face can have six established routes and only five ascents. -L

21" of fresh, dry snow at Paradise. Cool. I wonder when the road will open, if it does at all this weekend...

I like it. You might think about a 'low bandwidth' version for the folks marooned on dialup. -Loren

I'm not complaining about not being included. I was pointing out that many of us do exclusive things and then let on about it. 'Secret' ice, slide shows, parties, TR links, I climbed with Fred pics, etc. It isn't a big deal. Anyway, I only remember meeting you three times: At Loose Lady, at 38, and at a Pub Club in Issaquah. The first was pleasant, the third we were both blitzed. The only time I remember being something of a dick was at 38. There was some nasty stuff going on then, including me being threatened with ice tools by one of your friends, so I wasn't especially cordial. That was years ago, it's water under the bridge, I hold no grudge, and I thought the fences were mended. Bygones dude. -L

I guess that's the point: It hasn't all been climbed yet. I wasn't invited, but I wasn't whining about it either. I was just pointing out that we all do the same kind of shit. Those guys (DBB and Philfort) didn't even have to put it in the guide, but they did. Everyone will know all about it in a few months, if not before. Then you can all go scrog up the talus and through the boulders, beat through the alder, devil's club, raspberries, wade the creek, and pull down and downrate all you want.

I get that on the boot side of my big toes when I pound downhill a lot, say like 9000 vert descending Rainier in a day. The feeling comes back, at least for me.

Many of us have done exclusive things, parties, slideshows, trips with local legends, etc, that we sprayed about and that other people were certainly not invited or even allowed in on. The "super-secret" slideshow up in Canada comes to mind. In a subtle way, everyone was informed that it was happening, and who was invited. And I can't even count the number of unidentified alpine ice pics that a leading sprayer has posted. I've been in there three times now and the approach sucks in low snow or high snow. The ice is inconsistent and often mungy. So if the people who 'found' it and deemed it worthy want to keep the location to themselves until the guide comes out, then I think that's their perogative. If you want ice mileage, you can leave Seattle and be climbing at Marble Canyon on good, consistent ice faster than you can get to this place. And on top of that, what's been written hasn't been misleading (so far) and has more than enough info and hints for someone to figure it out if they really wanted to. I hope the place comes in fat next year and all the lines get climbed and the two I've done get downrated because they are so fat and plastic. -L

We're holding out until we get invited to next month's "Only for people who have secret ice stashes" slide show at Mattp's.

From the CASBC site: LILLOOET WEATHER: Today .. Sunny. High plus 3. Tonight .. Clear. Low minus 8. Tuesday .. A mix of sun and cloud. High 6. Wednesday .. Mainly cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers or flurries. Low minus 3. High 7. Thursday .. Sunny with cloudy periods. Low zero. High 8. Friday .. Mainly cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers. Low minus 1. High 8. That's 46F for the high on Thursday and Friday. The only thing that's going to save this season is some Vonnegut-style Ice 9.

Sadly, we aren't climbing in a vacuum anymore: The actions, and perceived actions, of climbers in every publicized incident like this has an affect on each and every climber. I don't care two licks if someone wants to test their suffering endurance, but when you go out in a manner that is perceived as improperly equipped and get screwed up (in any way that is publicized), you are selfishly impacting others. You don't need to go scrogging up the Muir Snowfield in mid winter in Tevas and hemp shorts to see if you can take it- just go sit behind the Paradise lodge for the day. They got frostbite and they were overdue and it sounds like they weren't properly equipped, by usual standards for winter mountaineering in the Cascades. That's a screw-up in my book, presuming that it turns out to be true. Opinions are like assholes: Everyone has one, and everyone thinks theirs is the only one that doesn't stink. -L

Forgetting that their equipment list is conjecture, I think it is absolutely foolhardy to leave Paradise for Muir in a storm, with more bad weather predicted equipped as described. How many people have to die after getting lost on the Muir Snowfield before this kind of shit stops? I guess if they wanted to experience true suffering, that's fine. But if so, then they should have told people not to expect them back for a week. Grrrrrrrr -L

- Anything made by BD or LaSportiva, if you buy it in the U.S. - Software sold by Microsoft or Adobe ($600 for Photoshop?!?!) - Computer consultants (and I am one) - Any part for a Toyota - Health Insurance (anyone else sefl-employed??) - Climbing Rainier legally - Climbing Rainier with RMI - Lift tickets in Washington - Prescription meds (in the U.S.) - Broadband Internet access - Breakfast in Issaquah - Digital cameras - Getting elected to public office

Yep. Here is an outdoor enthusiast who has had some adversity in his life and is taking on an immense and interesting challenge. And yet two people 20 hours overdue (at the time this thread started) in the midst of a storm are getting more press. This is a great opportunity for the press to pick up on and celebrate something positive *and* interesting. How about it King5News and Newstips?????

Looks much better to me, yesterday you couldn't see that chair lift:

Before you all send out a party of ping-pong ball imprinted Mounties out on a SAR mission for me, I thought I'd let you know I'm back. It was incredibly difficult- the trail had mud in places, and there were several downed trees. Three times I had to exit the rut to pass parties bivouacking in the trail. The partly sunny weather was also menacing (I burn easily), and visibility near the summit was limited to only several miles. After 46 arduous minutes I reached the top, and seriously considered spending the night, as I was spent and worried about descending safely. The call of a half gallon of cookie-dough ice cream in the freezer overruled my better judgement, and after 35 sketchy minutes I was safely back at the car, though quite rattled from the whole experience. Now to complete my February day in the Cascades day, I'm going out to mow my lawn.

Just so that I can meaningfully contribute to this thread, I'm leaving now to make a winter ascent of the cable-line trail on West Tiger Three. Just to make it interesting, I'm leaving my bivy gear and the ten essentials at home.