CascadeClimber

Is anyone else using these? I'm having a problem that I hope is operator error: With the leashes adjusted for proper support, the strap to the clipper is so short that I have difficulty grabbing it with a gloved hand. It seems like maybe the bracket attachment location on the shaft of the tool is too close to the grip by about an inch?

Thanks, wdietsch. It's really amazing what can done over a weekend with Photoshop.

I think perhaps Fred meant not violin, but "Violin".

Eighty and still going strong. That is so effing cool. Anybody want to pitch in and get him something?

I've quickly grown to appreciate the 'tink' sound it makes when it hits the ice: It means my pinky was just saved from a mashing. I think I'll still use the old Super Courmayers on moderate alpine routes, though. -Loren

Last time I was up there I hiked up a large, recent tough *in the trees*. It wasn't snowing and there was little fresh snow at the base. I got hit by a sluff at the last belay and there was a sizable (but not huge) slide while we were descending from the top. Both started well above the climb and they happened with 15 minutes of each other. I'm not trying to scare anyone off, I just wanted to point out that you cannot assess the avalanche threat from the bottom or approach on that climb.

The Night N Gale and Shriek approaches are extraordinarily bad places to be when avalanche danger is up. The slides that come down the Night N Gale gully start way above the top of the climb and sometimes stop within spitting distance of the river. Be safe.

Drury was climbed last weekend.

Looks like Guye Peak from Cave Ridge to me.

Blue socks and black pants and still a Babe Magnet. Go Fred, go!

I don't know what it's like right now, but I've seen that very thing going into and out of Chair: Bullet hard amidst the ice-fog in the valley, mushy glop above the ice-fog, and nicely frozen again on the North Face.

Yeah you ruined my lunch plans. If I can make a suggestion: http://www.newart.com/

The email address in your profile is wrong- all the mail sent to it is coming to me. And soon I'm going to start selling it off to the highest bidder. You need to add an "s" to the end of cascadeclimber. -Loren

Didn't climb it, but we weren't out for ice. It looked pretty lame- WI2 or so with lots of snow and cheese-ice. The one above Mikey's (Tato or something?) was really thin.

There was a sizable slide up there in the last few days. It started on the east side of the main gully that most people climb in the winter and ran down nearly to the waterfall. There were lots of rocks and other terrain anchors visable along it entire path. Scary conditions out there. Be safe.

Not bad, kinda spring-like corn/slush (if you like that sort of thing). Coverage is thin but not atrocious. Night operations very limited. Alpental closed at 4:00, just as I got my boots on, despite a posted close of 5:00. Summit West was running three lifts. I got bored and left just as a monsoon started.

I'm headed there in 30 minutes. I'll post when I get back.

Hmmm, I somewhat disagree, at least in repsect to climbing outings for class credit, where credit is not given for the climb unless the summit is reached (unless this policy has changed). I think this creates an inordinate amount of pressure to continue, and strife in the groups, as some people are trying to get summits in under graduation time limits. Yep, yep, and yep.

The position error (if it is) could be a result of using two different Datum (NAD27, NAD83, etc).

Isn't "Considerable" just the middle rating on the five-rating scale? I wonder how many days we have below that on an average winter? Besides, the rating system is only a guide- you can find stable slopes on "Extreme" days and unstable slopes on "Low" days. They are saying there is a very, very weak layer right now. Let's all be especially cautious. My thoughts and prayers to those involved in this tragedy. -Loren

Got any pictures for us gapers??

Thanks for the update Fern, even if it is depressing. -L

Yeah, forget the ice. We know it'll show eventually. Tell me that Santa is going to deliver a plow to the Phair Creek road.