nolanr

As an addendum, I might add my cell phone took the big plunge off of Minuteman on the east side of Lib. Bell last weekend, and even if I could find it (I couldn't) I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work anymore. So if you drop your cell phone from the top of the Bell I'm pretty sure you won't be able to get a signal. You might be able to kill a passing touron, however.

I think it depends on the cell phone. My buddy couldn't get a signal on top of Cutthroat just next door a couple years ago. I've been able to get a signal in absolutely middle of nowhere places as long as nothing (mountain, ridge, etc.) was in the way. I've been on Lib. Bell but didn't have my phone w/ me. You'll have to try it and find out.

Iodine tablets most of the time, I'm amune to the taste. 30 minutes? 20 minutes seems like plenty. Sometimes I'll drink it w/out filtering or treating if it seems pretty obvious it will be pure, like straight off a glacier in a remote area.

Well I guess I've just been unlucky then. Clark and the rest of the Needles look pretty cool when they pop out of the clouds. I actually camped in Deception Basin this time rather than Royal B. Didn't see another soul. I'm sure Royal was crawling w/ people over the 3 day weekend. Did a slow, roundabout approach via Heather Creek. I was impressed w/ the size of the glacier on the east side of Mystery, some nice crevasses opened up.

My ass! I think it's a hoax. I've been up to Royal Basin 3 times now, which is supposedly in the rainshadow, and the weather has sucked all 3 times. Wet, blustery, foggy, and generally shitty. But I did almost get ran over by a deer on my way out yesterday, so that made it worth it. No kidding, about 10 minutes from the parking lot, this deer is bounding towards me straight down the trail, full speed ahead, and it passed within a foot or 2 of me. Something scared the crappola out of it. I was thinking, "Great, a cougar was stalking a deer, the deer got away, now the cougar is going to be stalking me." Didn't see any big kitties though. Seriously though, has anybody ever ecountered GOOD weather on the NE side of the range?

To the Scottish wanker: I just gotta bust this one out again--wool keeps you warm and dry no matter how wet and cold you are.

I just have to add, congratulations to all of you on this and the related thread. Very thoughtful, intelligent discussion w/ plenty of difference of opinion but no resorts to name calling and potty mouthed tirades. Bravo!

About that whole ELF thing. Read some Ed Abbey. I'm not a member nor ever will be. I consider myself a pretty much law abiding citizen. But I'm GLAD somebody is out there putting their ass on the line throwing a monkeywrench in the machinery of "progress." Corporate rape of natural resources has gone on long enough. Writing letters to Congressmen or having peaceful demonstrations sometimes just doesn't get it done. The corporate rape continues. Sometimes the George Haydukes of the world have to fight back in a way that actually accomplishes something.

Fairweather, I think all you're proving is that there is very little difference between Democrats and Republicans anymore, they're all dirty crooked ho's trading money for political favors. The Reps. have more practice at it, but the Dems. are making great strides. [ 08-27-2002, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: nolanr ]

Very doable in a day, I just did it last weekend. I vastly overestimated how long it would take, left the car at 5 am, on the summit about 10 am. The coulouir is pretty crappy, but as you near the false summit it gets better. I topped out so early I hung out there for a couple hours, then took the roundabout way back to the car via Ingalls Lake and Ingalls Pass.

I was on Thielsen a couple weeks ago, saw a huge metal tube, but no register inside. Maybe I'm blind. Smoke was pretty bad when I was there too. I could swear I heard an elk bugling from somewhere below on the west side of the peak, don't know what he was doing starting the rut already in August (just too horny to wait? or maybe 'cuz it was so freakin' unseasonably cold--40's-50's--he thought it was autumn already). Oldest register I've seen was on the 1st Castle next to Gothic Peak, started by the Mazama's in '68 or so and only half full of entries. There is a register on Stuart as of Sat.

Lachenal was on top of Annapurna w/ Herzog. I like the part in his book where Terray said him and Louis weren't out doing a bunch of FA's in the Alps (even though plenty were available still) because many of the unclimbed lines were like the ugly girls nobody asked out.

High tailed it down to Crater Lake last Sat., parked at the PCT TH just outside SW entrance to the park (there was a nice run of salmon in the N. Umpqua on the drive out, stopped a few times to dink around). Next day entered the Park and did several short hikes around the rim and down to Cleetwood Cove. Visibility was severely limited by smoke from the fires to the south. Hillman Peak had some interesting craggy spires around it. On Monday did Mt. Thielsen, some cool looking gulleys dropping 2000' down the east side w/ weird volcanic towers rising above. Scrambled on some of the little craggy things working my way back downhill. I could've sworn I heard an elk bugling from somewhere down below the peak on the west side, I did see two cow elk down by the TH on the way out. I know it's way early for that, but it was so frickin' cold for this time of year maybe he thought it was fall already so he was starting the rut, dammit! The temps never got above the low 40's at Crater Lake on Sun. Anyway, next headed north to the 3 Sisters area and away from the smoke. Weather started getting a little better. Went up Fall Creek to the Green Lakes, did a loop around the lakes, then up a shoulder of Broken Top to the highest point on the SW aspect of the crater rim. Awesome view across the rest of the rim and down into the crater. Followed ridgeline down a ways, then cut across and followed drainage creek of glacier up into the crater. I love that place! Followed the right hand moraine up to its top, started to run out of day so I headed down via Soda Creek trail. Wed. climbed Three Fingered Jack and traversed completely around the mountain using Canyon Creek Meadow TH as entry point, descended down to PCT after topping out, followed it N to saddle above upper Canyon Creek Meadow, then descended to meadow and followed trail back down. Fun outing. I was surprised by the quality of rock on all the volcanos I played around on, it's not as rotten as their reputation suggests. The worst part is the scree slog approaches. The rock on the summit towers aren't that bad, I didn't think. Anyway, headed out east on 20, crossed over into Idaho, then N up to Riggins and into the Seven Devils next to Hell's Canyon. 2 night trip up there, scrambled up three of the peaks on my 1 full day up there. He Devil was by far the funnest and best climbing. Then a long hot drive back to Seattle thru the Palouse country and I-90. Great trip.

Not climbing related, this is second hand from a tour bus driver in Glacier NP, MT re: stupidest questions he's been asked: Q: How many undiscovered lakes are there in the Park. A: We've found all but 6 of them. Q: At what elevation do deer turn into elk? A: About 6,000'. Tourons, you gotta love 'em.

I just did Three Fingered Jack, I don't know why everybody keeps saying it's rotten rock. I didn't have any holds break off on me. Most everything I gave a test wiggle or slap was solid. I think all the rotten stuff has already come off and is laying around the base of the mountain in choss piles. I did an interesting route, approached from east (Canyon Creek Meadow) up to a high saddle, then a not very fun traverse across scree slopes to gain the ridge where the climbers trail is at, above the PCT. Topped out, then dropped down to the PCT, followed it north to a different saddle, dropped back down to upper Canyon Creek Meadow, and down the trail. So I went completely around the mountain in addition to climbing it. It should be fine by now, but there was a repaving project going on around Santiam Pass that had the PCT trailhead access snarled up.

I just got me one of those picture thingies. I'm somewhat of a hoops junkie, and I didn't notice anybody else using this one yet. Oh yeah, and my real name is Nolan 'cause I couldn't think of a really clever nickname at the time I signed up. [ 07-30-2002, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: nolanr ]

Welcome back Lambone, glad everybody's okay, now you definitely fit the description of "experienced" climber.

Ooh, ooh, top of a new page, now I really am the shiznit.

Rodchester, I think ZSM status comes from 500+ posts. It doesn't matter how often you spray, if you started a long time ago and slowly plug away like me it's more a lifetime achievement award type of thing. I mean hell, 500 posts is just a good week for Caveman and Dru!

Here we go...AGAIN. My buddies went thru this kinda crap when they had an unplanned bivy on Baker Memorial Day weekend. All the "experts" second guessing and passing judgement and saying why they were so stupid to get in trouble in the first place. If you weren't actually there w/ Lambone's party, then you don't have any idea what happened. So let's just shut up about it until he has a chance to give his story. The media doesn't know crap and don't convey the story very accurately, I found that out for sure back in May.

Spent 4 days down at Sunriver, saw the fire near Black Butte start to flare up on Friday from a saddle just below east face of 3 Fingered Jack (no climbing, just hiking and scrambling on little pinnacles). Perfect weather down there. Mostly sunny driving back thru Yakima/E-burg on Sunday, windy as hell all the way from Bend, then approaching Snoq. Pass clouds up, wet stuff starts falling from the sky. Good to be back in the Puget Sound area.

Nice pics, looks like you got some classic Cascades weather while you were here. Didn't want to disappoint you w/ nothing but sunny blue skies and warm temperatures you know, you can go to California for that.

What the hell is that between his legs? Does he have a woody? Or is he dropping a log?

I'm not sure how, but I've attained zen spray meister status too. Dru and Capt. Caveman need their own category, they're on a different plane of existence than the rest of us keyboard ninjas.

Speaking of all these mutated dangerous animals, I just read about 100 lb. introduced Asian carp that are working their way up the Mississippi towards Lake Michigan. They can jump 10 feet out of the water. They will destroy the entire eco system of the Great Lakes, eating everything in their path. Water skiiers and personal watercraft operators be warned. The really frightening part is how they got there. Some good 'ol boys in Arkansas (are they any other kind in Arkansas?) got ahold of them to eat all the shit out of the bottom of their ponds where they are farming catfish. During some flooding the carp got loose and started making their way upstream.