layton

Hey all you ccc.comers! Just saying hello from sunny CA! J-tree is nice n' warm, (albeit sandbagged...i.e. Comic Book and Exorcist, but Illusion Dweller was the best pitch I've ever led!!!). So Far 35 pitches in 4 days! I'm heading to Lee Vining with my partner and his Gaper client (stupid bastard) so I guess I'll be soloing and TRing. Oh well, he gets ditched after only two days of ice so it's off to Redrocks where we plan to climb Epinepherine, Eagle's Dance, Refried Brains, and Ginger cracks in a 4 day spree. My hands already look like I've got Leporcy (sp?) Hope the ice is fat when I get back, although I won't look forward to the slogging. Someone go send some shit in the mountains. Soon I'll be joining y'all and staring out my window too.

BD pins ARE camp pins.

Bog snorkeling is part of the approach factor of drainageering! Frodo gives it a try in the Two Towers for sport. In fact the whole gang gives it a go in the Fellowship in the Barrow Downs! An ancient art for sure. I bought a new hyperlight epic-pertex-kevlar 'Slip n' Slide' for wicked fast descents. I was going for the new Black Diamond 'Crocidile Mile' but they haven't worked out the 'hit the bump and take a dive' factor yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I went from 5 stars to 2. so I whipped myself and called myself stupid for a couple hours. Now I'm ok

As many of you know by now, I've quit climbing for my new sport of choice...Drainaging! I haven't worked out a scale yet, but here are some of the criteria for a kick-ass drainage! 1.Steep as possible 2.As far from the road as possible 3.MUST be on an extremely forested hillside...otherwise see talus-groveling 4.Gullies w/ice are not concidered drainaging...see avy-doging 5.The more wet,mossy,waterfalling, cliffed out sections the better 6.Mung Mung Mung! The more the better 7.The choice routes are overgrown w/slide alder and devils club. 8.Extra point go to swinging on roots, pulling on grass, grabbing dirt, and slipping on wet mossy rock. I'm going to Newhalem this weekend to get some FA's. I firmly believe these are the new future of climbing. I know they are WAY harder than any stupid climb, and the potential is outrageous! Anyone got any golf shoes, and kevlar I can borrow?

Just buy a few different ones and pound on em at some roadside shitpile or mossy cliff somewhere. 1.Slide it in till it constricts (about 1/2 way) 2. Bang on it and the pitch will increase. 3. Stop banging on it when the pitch is the same twice in a row. 4. It's crap if you get a thud, or some unmusical sound. 5. or just wail on it till it fuses to the rock. They are very very very useful iceclimbing where the rock is waterpolished and the only cracks are tiny, or wierd. To get em out, use a shitty biner that you will never use and attach it to a sling you will never use and pull on the sling atttached to the biner and tap the piton left to right until it loosens enough to yank out w/you ax or hammer. Or give up and wail on it some more and give your parnter $10 for fucking up his/her piton.

Yes, so I have discovered!

Great topic! My dad lives in chicago and teaches in the south side to a very very poor all black neighborhood. He's shown them photos of me climbing. 100% of the response was that I'm very very stupid. Maybe there's a gene thats on the same group that is on the series of genes that determines racial characteristics that determines if one likes outdoor activities. Scientists think they've discovered a gene that determines if you'll be a risk taker or not. Here's a question for y'all. How many of you are the youngest child in your family? I am.

Naw, I figured it to be a zoo on Chair. I've done it a while back, and wouldn't really concider doing it again unless its the only thing in. It was one of my 1st alpine ice routes and I thought it pretty lame, I don't think I placed a single piece of pro on our one pitch simul-solo of the thing. (my opinion, I'm sure it was in very ez shape when I did it, and very hard shape when you guys did it..way to go! ) trask, I wasn't bitchin' too hard. Just thinkin' out loud about what Climzalot said, concidering he's usually pretty mellow and nonconfrontational.

I know what you mean about not wanting to repeat it, but totally worth the 1st time! Once again, nice job!!!!!!!! Now you'll hold your head up higher when you drive by Hope.

I'd be as pissed as Climzalot was after seeing 1,000's of people wankin' up on chair, getting mauled gy gapers with their useless snowshoes on the way down, and looking for how other folks did and finding only banter on this post. I'm very guilty too... But, I'd agree w/him. I wouldn't post a TR on this website right now 'cuz it seems like butting in on some inside joke you don't understand. This response was for those of us who don't give a damn about snafflehounds or horsecock.

Just for the record, I didn't finish the route last year. Yes the avy debris way EZ going to the face (see Kearny's guide for the line we used to access the face). But it was late March and the second I hit the actual face it turned into a wallow in very deep sloppy snow. I hippo waded to the base of what people think is the Spindrift Coulior, and climbed to the intitial ice pitches to find them mostly melted out...evil. Then the sun came out and BLASTED us. I got the hell off that face quick as it turned to a 4000' slurpee. I fell into a crevasse 1/2 way and had a hard time getting myself out! I think folks are not climbing the Spindrift coulior when they say they did. I was talking to Jason Martin yesterday and he mentioned that it may be just to the right of where folks are climbing...more up the face of the right hand mini-peak. Who knows, but Nelson's updated Selected Climbs will show us the actual route, as Well as Jason's upcoming book (which will have many routes listed on this peak). Jason thinks that the Spindrift Coulior may be as hard the the intitial reports claim, but then again, maybe not. Either way, I think the line folks are taking looks totally awesome. Kinda like a Stairway to Heaven that's been stretched out and pitches separated by miles of snow slogging.

Thanks! The reports sounded like it wasn't mixed, just snow covered rock. Guess I read wrong. Guess I have to wait, since the avy conditions on the approach right now must be serious.

Way to go Dru! I'm jealous. Good job. Did you like the climb? How did Knight look?

I've got a question about this route. I'm sure I'll get flamed for sure. 1st, how long did it take you guys, and colin too . The guidebook time seems too long. 2nd, what makes this a good route? The reason I ask is b/c everyone seems to say it would be sweet w/ice on it, as I would expect. BUT, with no ice on it except for snow, people still are climbing it. What's the point in doing it as a winter climb when it sounds like it's just a rock climb? If it's just a rock climb, then would it be a good summer climb. I expect the answer to be no, so then why would it be a good no-ice winter climb? Seems kinda pointless and contrived just to do it 'cuz it is winter outside. Unless you plan on climbing it more than once, would you advise to wait until it's iced up nicely to get the real experience of the route? Regardless, I still would like to do it and kudos to those that did it. I hope my question makes sense, if not, I'll try and rephrase it.

Avy debris is the key to accessing the N.Face. There is NO avy debris in any of the chutes off the headwall. It would be awfully wet trying to get to the face right now. Expect a bushwack to the right of the face if you're planning on climbing it right now. May need to wait a month till the debris fills up the chutes enough to climb.

Nutrageous and the new Fast Break have won me over. I missed the old peanut butter snickers sooo much, and am rejoicing upon the arrival of the replacement (fast break). 3 muskateers are next in line. Also, swedish fish, gummy rapberries, fuzzy peaches, and gummie grapefruit slices. Then some nice healthy dark chocolate washed down w/ some lemonde! Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mmmmmm! A cool glass of MILF. Preferably a soccer mom!

I'm at the B'ham library checking the weather. Yes, it would be the suckiest to have to descend that approach w/tons of shit. In fact it would be quite dangerous. Cory and I (after we gave up on 5 separate attempts b/c of avy) brought a tent shell, 1/2 a copy of dune (the 2nd 1/2), and a bottle of sleeping pills up there the final assault. We wore all of our clothes and took some Melatonin and waited 2 days w/o bags for the route to stop avalanching! If I were you I'd bring bivy gear up there and if it craps out, bury you shit and go back to base. Next clear spell, carry some extra food and try it from base camp. If it craps out you'll have a tent +/or bags to crash in. Repeat ad nauseum. Every time the weather cleared we climbed up to below the route just to have it crap out again (5 times). That's why I suggested to be flown up there during the good weather so you can get it while it's in. Scott and Kelly sent it from the Ruth Glacier and back in 8 hours!!!! Below Dickey is a great basecamp. Check out Grandess Asses on London Tower. Also the NW shoulder of Bradley looked good. There's a rock line on Dickey that may go too. I'll show you. As for Peak 12,???? that Steve House likes so much, I never checked it out. Looks fun from the photos. Good bouldering below the mooses tooth.

They don't idolize, they climb. It's not talent, it's determination. It's definitely not me posting this reply sitting on my ass in the library after driving all over creation looking for ice. Anyone is a hardman in my opinion who steps out into the unknown, who is probably scared, but tries anyways. .....or it's someone who sends sick shit! Yeah! P.s. A good mantra i've used is, "Calm Blue Ocean."

I just got off the phone w/Jason Martin. He mentioned a Jay ("J")? Mtn across from Cashmere Mtn in Leavenworth. I guess it doesn't show up on any maps and the locals dubbed it J. Anyway, there are 3 couliours I guess on it, one being wicked steep and long. Any beta from the locals? Let's not keep it a secret (at least from me). Photos?

I'm game. Wake me up when it's in.

Checked both of em out. Same story. Good snowpack and cover, but the steep parts don't have much ice. Need more melt freeze. Give em another storm and sunny period and they may be good to go. I may be wrong so go anyway and rub it in my face.

Looked fine, but it wasn't in. The snow conditions were pretty crappy that month. It's just before Ham and Eggs, same approach. Go into the coulior and climb up it. Probably descend ham and eggs if you can find it on top. Try n' get Paul to fly you to the glacier below the route and save some sloggin (although there are some fun pitches on the approach).

...who's apparently been stalking me!