Jason_Martin

The person who did the traverse with Joe Stock in 15 hours and 40 minutes was Andrew Wexler. Andrew's mildly active on this website. He submitted a TR to cc.com on an ascent of the Cassin Ridge a few years ago. Jason

There is a gear anchor just below the boulder. In a rescue situation one should not worry about leaving gear behind. If someone put bolts in on such an old line, someone else would just pull them out. The last thing we need in the Icicle is another bolt war. Jason

I did a bunch of rebolting in Red Rock Canyon. Greg Barnes at the ASCA donated all of the bolts. You should contact him about this. http://www.safeclimbing.org/ If they can't help, check out the Anchor Replacement Initiative: http://www.climbing.com/community/ari/ Those guys heard about some rebolting going on and wanted to help out. In other words, the resources are there and you probably won't have to spend any money at all. Jason

That's a very long survey to expect climbers to do before climbing or to do after when they just want to out to eat... Jason

I once took a wilderness first responder recert course with a guy who was studying how backcountry users read signs. He found that if you put something unusual in the sign, more people will actually read the sign and do what it asks. I suspect that this is one of those tactics. Jason

Super cool guy. I spent some time with him in J-Tree a few years ago. Dude's got some great stories... Jason

http://alpineinstitute.blogspot.com/ We'll keep updating as we hear more... Jason

Hacksaws and crowbars are only needed for old or weirdly placed bolts. Glue-ins are the hardest to remove as you have to heat them up with a torch. Tons of info on this can be found at: http://www.safeclimbing.com/education.htm Jason

The American Alpine Institute recently started a blog with that includes news, conditions reports, and tips for climbers. You can find the blog here. Jason

Bela's a guide in the sierra. His email should be on the AMGA website under ski guides... Jason

Anybody ever do Thunderbolt peak? What's the "classic" line on that thing? Jason

The American Alpine Institute is currently seeking guides to work in the alpine environment on rock, snow, and ice in the North Cascades of Washington. Pay is commensurate with experience. Newly hired guides and apprentices participate comprehensive guide training program in May led by Michael Powers, former AMGA Technical Director. These are summer jobs that can lead to additional work in the Sierra, Red Rock, Ouray, and Denali. Contact Dunham Gooding at dgooding@aai.cc or 360-671-1505. Jason D. Martin AMGA Certified Rock Guide Program and Expedition Coordinator American Alpine Institute

When's your next one due? Ours is August 1st. Holly was born on July 31st. Almost Irish Twins... Jason

As you guys know...it's crazy with a baby around. We recently discovered that we're having another one. There going to be a bit close together but it's good. We're finally making the plunge and moving back to the Northwest for good...! Here are some photos of my daughter on some of our adventures over the last eight months. This is our first camping trip with the baby when she was about a month old. We took her up to Flagstaff for a long weekend. Her second trip was to J-Tree: About a week after the J-Tree trip we went to Yosemite: She likes camping. This is her in the morning after a night in her improvised sleeping bag: Here she is on Mount Charleston playing in the snow: Here are a couple pictures of her in Red Rock: Here she is supporting the company I work for at Red Rock Rendezvous. It's hard to see, but the page she's holding up has a picture of me on it. She's a strong little bugger. This is her showing off in the tent at RRR. She's able to hold her weight pretty well, but it's probably not a good idea to just let her hang six feet off the ground: Sometimes she does finger stacks to stand up in her playpen: Recently my brother graduated from pararescue school and we went to his graduation. Holly is sitting on the pararescue seal in Albuquerque. She took her glasses off just as I was trying to line up my baby PJ photo... Oh well. This is her with a snotty nose in the wind on top of Explorer Peak in Las Vegas: I don't know how we're going to handle two of them about a year apart from one another...but if I know one thing. I know that this strange adventure of parenthood is only going to get better! Jason

The new parking lot is for horseback riders. It will be where the mountainbike parking lot was before. There will be an outhouse there. The BV road will remain unimproved, but it will be accessed from the new lot. The mountainbikers supported this new lot. In my opinion this was a major mistake on their part. No more single tack. No more seclusion. For the riders it's going to suck. For us...it probably won't make any difference. Jason

As a former high school teacher and the spouse of a current elementary school teacher, those types of actions don't suprise me at all. And it suprises me even less that the parents didn't do anything about it... I do think that creating ground rules for any type of activity with people you don't know is a good idea. It's an even better idea when those people's kids are involved. Jason

Maybe is you are doing 100. I have gone that way. It was solid 3 to 4 hours. I've gone that way a number of times from Vegas. It usually takes me almost three hours on the button from the city of Las Vegas to 29 Palms...a little longer to get into the park. Jason

The Hosts at RR often work at the Eight Mile Campground at Leavenworth during the summer. Though it seems like they chill out after they leave RR. Jason

The Old Campground was outside the loop road near the alternate Oak Creek/Mount Wilson access. There has never been a campground inside the loop. No, the camping up near Mountain Pass is nowhere near Calico Basin. It is about five miles west (uphill) of the Black Velvet Access Road on Highway 160. Jason

You can find this by driving up 160 past Black Velvet Canyon to the summit. There are a number of Forest Service Roads but they are not well marked. The better roads jut off to the left (south) toward Potosi. If you poke around up there you'll find a good spot to bivy, but I wouldn't leave anything there during the day. Your other options are far away. There is camping at both Mount Charleston and at Lake Mead, but those places are a hell of a commute. Jason

Holy lameness Batman! I lived in Sequim for a year and climbed in the Elhwa a couple of times. The season is when it's not raining and it's not dripping down the rock from the mud and vegetation above. The "rock" feels like hard mud. But if you have to be in Port Angeles for something or if you want to check something out before or after a trip into the Olympics, it's probably worth going there. But I wouldn't make a special trip there. Jason

Yes, what do you need to know? Rendezvous is a blast! If you're going to be in Vegas during the festival do yourself a favor and at least come to the parties. It is really fun! If you want to get away from the crowds, climb obscure routes, there are thousands of them. If you want to climb one of "the classics" the day before the festival, you're going to get hosed. But there are a million routes that people who attend that festival will not hike to or climb. So it is your own fault if you have a hard time during that time frame. Jason

Dan's point is that it's disrespectful to others who are trying to enjoy the quiet of the wilderness to play loud music or instruments without their permission. It's becoming more and more common every day to go climbing and have some yahoo at the crag with some kind of stereo blaring music. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is. It has an effect on other people's wilderness experience and is the antithesis of the Leave No Trace principal "Be considerate of other visitors." Read the specific notes on the lnt website at: Principals of Leave No Trace There is a certain well known guide on Denali who likes to play the fiddle. Some of you know who I'm talking about. And it drives people camped near him up the wall... I find it very inconsiderate of him to do this. But few people are willing to say anything to him because he's a very well known individual. And for those of you who can't seem to climb without music blaring, try an ipod with earpieces...and if that doesn't work, there's always the climbing gym... Jason

So what kind of packs are you guys using to carry your little ones around on your backs in the mountains...? I'm definately planning on doing some long day hikes with my daughter. we may even do some light overnights. I'm looking for something that would fit the bill for this kind of thing. I've been looking at the Kelty Kids Adventure. Does anybody have any experience with this pack? If you don't have this pack what do you like or dislike about the one you do have? Jason

There's a steep roof with a crack splitting it just a few feet to the right that looks a lot harder than it is. The roof goes at 5.8. Jason