CascadeClimber

Oops. Misread... [ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

Crystal was great today. Watch out for the rocks just below the Green Valley chair, but the deep and dry powder waiting below was worth it. I think everything was running except High Campbell. It was snowing hard when we left at 4:30. -Loren

Nice site, keep it up. Damn ATT/Excite blocks port 80. Oh well, at least you don't have to worry about Code Red. -Loren

The two LIVE trees broke off about halfway up. One landed on the roof of the Explorer, right above the front seat. It looked like an empty beer can that someone had stepped on. I'm heartened to hear that perhaps one person survived. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved. -Loren

I think he is talking about classic climbs, not classic fantasies. But tell us, did you free-solo or use protection?

I need a clarification: We have to go climb the routes after today, or can we submit routes we've already climbed? And what about the Twight rule: I climbed the crux so I didn't need to actually reach the summit? Using this technique I was able to free-solo Colchuck Balanced Rock: I sat in my easy chair and, in my mind, cruised it. Then I got up, ate 28 packets of Gu and threw a stove in the garbage. Since believing that I can do it is often the crux, I think it should count. -Loren

This isn't really climbing related, but I am wondering if anyone has any info about the car accident just inside the park on Saturday. I got there just after the ambulance and I've been hoping that the people somehow survived. -Loren

Oops. Make that MRNP. -Loren

From today's AAC "E-News": AAC PREVAILS ON MOUNT RAINIER MANAGEMENT PLAN As a result of concerted advocacy efforts by the AAC, Mount Rainier National Park’s Final General Management Plan has removed a controversial proposal to prohibit climbers and backpackers from parking at trailheads and major parking lots and requiring them to use and pay for a shuttle system during peak seasons. While the AAC supports shuttle systems within the National Parks as a way to reduce pollution and improve congestion, we rejected this proposal since it discriminated unfairly against overnight backcountry visitors and raised significant concerns regarding climber health and safety. The Park’s own data indicate that most visitors drive through the Park, stop briefly to take photographs or tour a visitor center, and leave within a few hours. These visitors contribute most to crowded roads and parking lots and are easily accommodated by a shuttle system since they bring little equipment with them and are gone by sunset. In contrast, climbers and backpackers usually transport a large quantity of gear, leave and return to the trailhead at all hours, and frequently adjust schedules due to weather, equipment problems, and accidents. These problems would have made it extremely difficult to design and operate an effective shuttle system for overnight Park visitors. The Final General Management Plan calls for developing a shuttle system for peak season when the parking lots are full. All Park visitors will be able to use the trailhead parking lots on a first-come, first-served basis until full, at which time all visitors will use a shuttle system. The AAC will monitor further planning of this parking and transportation system to ensure that it meets the needs of climbers. The Final General Management Plan also contains a framework for managing use of Park trails and backcountry areas. The zoning system is designed to protect solitude in more remote areas while accommodating higher use in currently high use areas. The popular Muir Snowfield/Disappointment Cleaver climbing route has been placed in a High Use Climbing zone, while the Emmons/Winthrop, Kautz and Fuhrer Finger climbing routes have been placed in a Moderate Use Climbing zone. The AAC will continue to monitor the development of specific capacities and desired visitor experiences for these zones as Rainier National Park begins work developing a revised Backcountry Management Plan. The Final General Management Plan has been posted on the NPS planning website at http://www.nps.gov/planning/mora/finalgmp/home.htm. [ 11-21-2001: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

Alas, all the ice-related pages on bivouac have disappeared in the last several days. I'm hoping that they will return, new and improved... Oops. Or, yep, rather. The pages are back. They reorganized the site: http://casbc.bivouac.com/ice0001.htm [ 11-20-2001: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

Okay, no one else brought this up, so I will. There is a difference between pounds-force and pounds-mass. They are not interchangeable. Thusly, they cannot be converted to newtons the same way. Newtons are a measure of force, not mass. Unfortunately our crappy English system of units makes this all more complicated that it should be, not to mention costing me more than a few tenths on my GPA, and the whole Hubble debacle. I don't suppose that the friendly BD rep happened to mention whether he was talking pounds-force or pounds-mass? Loren-used-to-be-an-engineer

I ordered the mono kit for mine in January, hoping to have them for Drury Falls. I got a phone from Marmot when it came in, it went like this: "Hey, is this Loren?" "Uh, yeah, who is this?" "Hey dude, it's Marmot, your order is in." "Uhhh, like, what order?" "Your Charlet Moser Grade 8 monopoint kit." "Oh. Dude, it's June. I ordered those in January, six months ago." But I have them now. And I can conclusively say that they are the shit for climbing the fir trees in my back yard. Try Barrabes. -Loren

"A Call to the Iceman and His Goddess" I bring to you a tale of woeOf freezing levels none too lowThe angst of climber's will have its wayManifesting in the form of spray The rain fell down, the rock was dampThere was a spray war 'bout smokin dope at Muir CampWay before five it was dark out-of-doorJust as Caveman made post seventeen-O-four Oh please, oh please let the cold wind blowAnd end this boring tale of sorrowFor it is true that climbing in November sucks'Cept maybe for a few of those far-north Canucks Weekend after weekend you'll sadly find usOn the Muir Snowfield, though it's quite tediousWe ski the crud, the crust, and the chunder"Isn't there something better?", I certainly do wonder So pray with me now to the Goddess of Weather AlmightyTo make the ground cold, pretty, and whiteyAnd deliver unto to me with no further delayThe new ice-climbing boots I ordered Sunday And deliver us all to the kingdom of iceAnd spare us from huge wingers, oh-so un-niceLet my ice screws and specters and screamers remain still untested;Let my ice-leading skills not by the conditions be bested May Oregon Jack this winter stay blueLet no more red stains mar that color so trueAnd for Dan let Drury not be the site of lapsAnd in Lillooet let me meet more cascadeclimbers chaps Let the powers that be keep the Phair Creek road open'Cause "A Phairwell to Arms" just looks totally dopin!And bring Carl's Berg in, just huge, blue, and fatSo I can test my mettle against that Let this year's Lillooet Ice Climber's FestBe by far and forever one of the bestAnd deliver by mail the long-promised map by Lyle and othersWho've been playing all summer, enjoying their druthers Please protect me from evil in the Reynolds BarI don't want no trouble from the bad-asses in tharOh, and I'd like to meet Fred, living legend that he beAnd have him lead some heinous ice route for me Or perhaps show me his little black bookAnd tell me the tales of routes that he tookBetter yet let me in on his secret attracting-babe-charms'Cause it seems that he always has one on each of his arms Please don't bury Mike and Ray in the snowRight beneath that crappy old Alpental flowLet Phil and his buds work first ski descent magicBring us more snow than last year, it was really quite tragic Let Alex and friends finish the Washington Ice guideCause the few routes I know are tired and triedFreeze up Alpental, Vantage and Tumwater Canyon, along with the Gorge (what the hell?)Yes that's what I'm after: A real long, real cold spell And for me, just for me, let Silk Degrees touch the groundI don't want to climb the rock again, monkeying aroundI pray that my leaders head really does jiveAnd by seasons end I lead water ice five So here I sit on my ass making rhymeJust wasting and whiling away my timeMr. Parker says, "Soon the iceman will cometh.""And we'll all go out and get us someth." Amen [ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

It is looking a bit toasty and humid at Mt. Hood Meadows this afternoon... http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/products/OSOMHM [ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

Great. Rain crust at 6000'. I know, I know, it's early. But this is starting to smell an awful lot like last winter. Ugh.

Presuming the telemetry is correct, the 103 MPH wind gusts at White Pass, and the 90 MPH gust at Alpental should do some interesting things with the snowpack, too. Beware the evil windslab!

Hey, that is a pretty funny idea: Designate the handi-crapper as the smoking lounge. After all, we paid for it. Maybe we could get that info added to "how to not get lost on the Muir Snowfield" flyer. Good point about the stoves, David. It seems different to me, but I know that is partly because I don't smoke but I do use stoves. -Loren

Yikes. Who is the uptight one here? I'll be at Muir next weekend setting up a meth lab in the hut. If you don't like the risks associated with sharing the hut with a meth lab, you are an uptight fuck and should stay away. Oh, and it is too cold to walk to the shitter, so watch where you step. I think is is rude and selfish to compromise the experience of other climbers by stinking up the hut with smoke from any source. If it is that important to you then do it outside. -LorenLame-ass Skier

Ah, you must be talking about Roman, the man of Mt. Si. Good guy. A young bull and and old bull are standing on a hill looking down at a herd of cows. The young bull says, "I'm gonna run down this hill and have my way with one of those cows." The old bull smiles at the young bull and says, "You do that. But I'm gonna walk down and have my way with the rest." -Loren

I skied to the lot last Saturday. But barely. It was quite rocky at Pan Point and there was just enough snow to avoid the asphalt and heather below. People who really cared about their skis were taking them off. If the warm air persists there won't be enough even for those of us who abuse our gear. -Loren

So it is 24 degrees at Washington Pass, elev 5510 and 54 degrees at Paradise, elev 5410. Bizarre. Let me know how your tour goes tomorrow. I'm interested in how close to the parking lot you can ski. -Loren

Nice job with the frames. Very user-friendly and helpful. But hey, the telemetry says it was 51 degrees at Paradise today. Is that legit? -Loren

I'm experiencing intermittent issues today: Sometimes threads or entire conferences are missing. A "refresh" usually fixes it. -Loren

Trango Ice Clippers suck. They catch on gear and clothes and bend easily. Twice last year I had screws fall off them in the middle of a pitch. Besides that, they really dug into my hips at hanging belays. I'll be trying the BD plastic-biner units this winter. At $4.95 they are cheaper than a large wire-gate. Plus they are light and come with a nice little rubber keeper-thingy that makes them easy to adjust/remove YMMV -Loren

I've heard that the external screens can turn into a giant blocks of ice in wet snow or freezing rain conditions. Not that we have much of that around here. I'm happy with my I-tent, though it did cost too much.