nolanr

I always wondered, if DEET can eat thru clothing or gear, what's it doing to your skin? Might just prefer to let the mosquitos and black flies eat me alive.

Are you serious? I wouldn't think you'd even be able to get that far yet. Haven't been out that way for an onsite inspection lately.

Shouldn't I be able to fend off the damn bloodsuckers w/ the ice axe and crampons? And it can't be as bad as AK can it, from whence all mosquitoes come? You know, it's the state bird. The big ones are called B-52's and the little ones are called no-see-ums. [ 04-15-2002, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: nolanr ]

Right. They probably got mauled to death by some Alaskans who don't like Californians. I remain unconvinced based on a second hand story like that.

Looks like you got started smoking doobies from a young age.

It's been my experience that in general Peshastin is less crowded than the Icicle. I agree though, it's probably not well suited to top roping. We were out there 3 weeks ago or so, definitely not closed for the winter at that point.

I kinda like Harvey Manning's style. You gotta love cranky, disheveled looking old timers that are still out doing stuff the rest of us can only hope we're still doing when we're that age. Kinda like Fred. Anyway, I think the 100 Hikes books have way more character than the Falcon series. I take anything I read in a hiking guide w/ a grain of salt. Or many grains of salt. "Do not go beyond this point, it is extremely dangerous." How many times you read that, continue on beyond that point, and wonder if you'd call it class 2 or class 3? I got up into the upper end of the cirque on N. side of Shuksan (total brain cramp, can't think of the name of it), kept waiting for the part where it supposedly got impassable. Never did find it. Ah, Nooksack, that's it. Anyway, I like the fact that Harvey is always bashing on motorcycle access on trails, I am of the same mind on that issue.

That sounds pretty cool. That poor Moron guy is gonna get really confused when he reads this.

We should challenge them to a sprayfest!

My bro did Whitney in a day last year, said it's way more fun to SAY you did it than actually to DO it. No flip flops, cigarettes, or rusty old bicycles for style points, though.

Oh, come on. No Alaska natives gonna threaten to shoot me now for what may be perceived as an insult?

Well, this is kinda like a club for people who got kicked out of every other club for bad behavior.

Kinda like stock brokers, but a little rougher around the edges.

Slight paraphrase: "I wouldn't want to join any club that would have me as a member." Just can't remember who said it.

I thought the only strange creatures roaming the forests of OR were the Rainbows. Although I have heard they can rob you blind, clean out a whole mini mart in minutes. It's gotta be hard supporting yourself when you haven't worked a day in your life.

What's so great about Tacoma? Hilltop

Hate to get religious on you Nacho, but that quote is from Chuck Swindell or some other preacher like that, can't remember which one but I've definitely seen the quote before. Come on, with an attitude like that you can't hope to have a victim mentality

Thanks for the replies all. Sounds like conditions should be pretty decent. So, the bugs are a problem, eh? What I couldn't figure out, when I was down there last year, they have less average snowpack and moisture than the Cascades, but there are lakes absolutely everywhere. There's places I've been in Montana/Wyoming that had a lot of alpine lakes, too, but not that much I don't think. Where does all the water come from? And hasn't LA figured out a way to steal all of it yet?

He's reverted to one of his former avatars, Ray Borbon. Seems to have cut back on the spray. Word is he's Fred Beckey's latest lackey, or something like that.

Travel arrangements are already made, so it's too late to change them. Just curious though. I'm going to visit my bro and his family at Edwards AFB 6/8-6/16. The 2 of us are going to play around in the Sierras, probably head up to Yos. In a typical year is there still a lot of snow at that point, or is it getting fairly melted out? We're not doing anything on big walls, mostly hiking and maybe a little scrambling. I'm particularly interested in the Cathedral Range/Ritter Range. Was down there last year in mid August, Muir Wilderness/Kings Canyon NP near Bishop, and everything was pretty well scorched by then, only snow was a few small glaciers on N faces.

Just my $.02 on the bear issue. My bro is in the Air Force and was in Fairbanks for 3 years. He didn't spend a ton of time in the back country, but he got out a fair bit. Never carried a gun. Never had a problem w/ bears. Everybody up there thought he was insane for heading out w/out a firearm, but he's still alive and breathing. He seemed to think there's a bit too much of the Wild West, cowboy mentality up there, just shoot the hell out of anything that moves. I agree, keeping a clean camp is far better prevention of a bad bear encounter. Also, if you are packin' heat, you better be damn sure it has enough power to do the job and you're good enough aim to hit the target. Otherwise the gun is a waste of time and just extra weight.

For me it's pretty hard being in that neck of the woods w/out venturing over to play around the Sisters/Broken Top. Not sure exactly where Black Butte Ranch is in relation, but it's gotta be pretty close. I know of at least a short trail following the Deschutes, it may extend considerably farther than I followed it. I agree, checking in at a Ranger Station would be a good bet to get ideas.

Mt. Loop Highway usually doesn't get plowed much, they pretty much wait for it to melt out on it's own. I don't think you'll be able to get out to Barlow Pass before late May/early June, maybe later. Sunrise Mine Rd. seems to take even longer. That's one of my favorite areas to head out to, and in a high snowfall year like this one it's gonna be a while.

Doh, okay, feeling a little foolish now. I've hiked up the Railroad Grade or whatever that is on the south side, up to all the climbers base camps, wasn't sure how far you could drive up the road this time of year. I figured the Baker Ski area is the best bet for getting close to either. I hiked up to the base of the Coleman last fall, wasn't sure about access on that road either.

A climbing buddy of mine brought up the possibility of climbing one of these in the fairly near future. Anybody been up one of them lately? Can you drive anywhere near the trailheads for some of the approaches yet?