Mike_Palmer

That's Sue, one of our regulars here at the Crags. This was her first time on the wall. She is a good rock climber and did pretty well on the Novice mixed route.

A big thanks to all the participants on Saturday's Ice Fest here at Cascade Crags, and to the sponsors: Black Diamond, Arc'Teryx, Montrail, Grivel,and Petzl/Charlet Moser. The event was a success in that most people used the leashless tools and nobody, including the spectators, got bloody. That is remarkable considering all the sharp pointy things in a small area. Congratulations and thanks to Roger Strong on his help with all participants and on his spanking everyone on the expert route. Congrats to Todd for winning the Expert division, and for Jake on flashing the Novice. Some cool prizes were handed out and then we all got sweaty palms watching Roger's slide show. Everyone was surprised by a visit by Will Gadd. He hung out for a couple of hours with us and then pre-ran the routes. He spent a few minutes thinking out a couple of moves on the Expert route, which didn't bode well for the rest of us. He had a great time and want's to come back next year. Thanks again to everyone and have a safe season, Mike

Blake, we sell the Helium here at Cascade Crags in Everett. Mike

Howdy Folks, Come on up to Cascade Crags for a free Evolv Rock Shoe demo. It's on Thursday, May 13th, from 6 - 8 pm. Check out our website for directions, etc. We'll see ya there!Cascade Crags homepage

We require floor anchors here at Cascade Crags. It is for the 10% of the people that can't figure out that someone weighs 50# more than they do. We also use dynamic ropes on the top ropes. Partially to reduce impact but also in case someone grabs a top rope to lead on, there won't be a liability issue or a danger to the climber.

It's great to hear all the praise for Jim and his staff. It is a challenge for anyone to make a living in retail these days. Thanks to all you folks that choose to support your local stores. We all try to be a resource for you guys and appreciate your support. That is the only way we will be here and can afford the quality staff we have. Another thought: one of the reasons Jim may not carry BD is that Feathered Friends already has the brand and most manufacturers protect their existing accounts within a certain radius. He may not be able to get it even if he did want it. We have the Trango B-52's. They are a very smooth, easy feeding device. We have demo ones if anyone wants to try one in the gym or outside. Thanks, Mike Cascade Crags

A big thanks to everyone that participated in Cascade Crags gear demo and comp. We had a good turnout considering the weather was gorgeous. Black Diamond was instrumental in bringing Sean here again. He is a class guy. All the manufactures stepped up bigtime with awesome prizes. Bionic Crampons, Trango Ice Boots, Packs and tons more. We're already looking forward to next year! For those of you who are familiar with our wall, check out the new free hanging icicle we built for the comp. You can see it and all the comp results at http://cascadecrags.com/calendar/dif-r.htm [/url] [ 10-23-2002, 08:17 PM: Message edited by: Mike Palmer ]

The Laser is probably the best boot for a combination of turns and touring. That's why it is the number one boot in Europe. The new Dynafit TLT 700 is worth taking a look at. It is now more comparable to the Lazer in skiing ability. I like the forward lock mechanism better on the Laser. It has two levels of forward lean. The Dynafit has only one. The TLT 700 also is coming with a thermoflex liner for only $25 more than the regular. You have to buy the Intuition liner for the Laser for an extra $150 to get the weight down. If you are planning on wanting to do any skiing at all, then an AT boot is your only option. I haven't seen anyone that can ski very well with mountaineering boots. If you are going to go with a climbing boot go real short on the ski. Most people that use a Dynafit binding like them, but they do take some getting used to and they can be fussy. They can pop out due to not cleaning the pin holes properly, or just torquing them while touring. It sounds like they ski fine.

Does anyone have information on access to the trailhead for Ingalls/Mt. Stuart? We're trying to find a place to ski this weekend and wondering if the Southwest route on Stuart is still in shape. It looks like everywhere else up north is going to get too much weather. Thanks.

Cascade Crags gym will be closed form October 15 to October 25 to replace the gravel floor with a carpet/foam system. This will eliminate the DUST! Thanks for your patience while we update the gym. There will be a re-Grand opening to show off the floor and to celebrate our 5 year anniversary on November 3. FREE CLIMBING from 2-8pm on Saturday. Stop on by and check it out. The Store, weight room, and Yoga room will still be open during the project.

Free Rock Shoe Demo at Cascade Crags. Thursday November 8th, 5-8pm. Come try on all the different models from La Sportiva, Five.Ten, Boreal, Red Chili, and Scarpa. The reps will be here to help with fitting and questions. Try on those hard to find models. 15% off regular price and free shipping on special orders for purchases on November 8th only. (map at www.cascadecrags.com).

Free Rock Show Demo. Come and try out all the different models from La Sportiva, Five.Ten, Boreal, Red Chili, and Scarpa. Thursday November 8th, 5-8 pm, at Cascade Crags, in Everett. Map at www.cascadecrags.com. The reps will be here for fitting and questions. Try on those hard to find models! 15% off regular price and free shipping on purchases on November 8th only.

Cascade Crags presents: Mixed Climbing Clinic and Slideshow with Sean Isaac, author of Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies. He has put up M9+ routes recently. The clinic will be from 2-5 with a slideshow at 7-8 on Saturday October 13 at Cascade Crags in Everett. Space is limited to 8-10 for the clinic. Cost is $50 for the clinic and includes the slide show. The cost for the slide show only is $5. This is a tremendous opportunity to be taught by one of North Americas premier ice climbers. Contact Cascade Crags at 425-258-3431 or at belayslaves@cascadecrags.com to register.

We sell the NoZone here in Everett at Cascade Crags. It is our number one selling alpine pack. We have the largest selection of Arc'teryx packs in the region. I have been using a NoZone for three years and it is the only pack I use. It works for ice, ski mountaineering and cragging.

Our top selling boot is the Technica Ascend Bio Flex. It is a light mountaineering/ heavy duty backpacking boot and will take a "new-matic" style step in crampon. They will do a lot of miles on the trail, but are still beefy enough to do 60+ degree ice, and are very light. They also have a waterproof/breathable membrane so they are great for extended trips on the snow. They are priced at $215. Cascade Crags.

I would recommend the Misty Mountain Finess womens harness. It has adjustable leg loops and double waist buckles so your gear loops are always in the right place. It has a shortned rise for women and comes in five sizes from XXS to Lg. They are very well made and are extremely comfortable. You can come in to Cascade Crags and hang out in it in our climbing gym to see how it feels.The problem with the Isis is they are limited in the leg size because they only use elastic instead of a buckle.

We have randonee boots and skis you can rent to try it out. We rent K2 and Tua Skis and have the Scarpa Lazer, a good all around touring boot and one of the lighter boots out there. You can try them on our indoor ice wall at Cascade Crags in Everett if you want to see how they do on vertical ice.

The NOZONE is my choice for a great all around pack. It has the best suspension of any alpine pack out there. As you all know the first thing you do is overload it, and this pack will handle it. I've used it for three day glacier/ski trips as well as light alpine rock routes. It compresses well if you don't have a big load and you can strip off several pounds if you are going to use it as a seconding pack with the alternate waist belt. A well thought out pack. I haven't used anything else for three years. Mike

Went up to Pemberton on Sunday and Monday to look for ice. There isn't anything worth climbing there. Even though it has been cold, it has been dry and nothing is in shape to climb. Got a report on Banff, from the Ghost. The ice is in, but very technical. Everything is about a grade harder than normal, and things were very brittle because of temps from -10 F to -25 F. Sounds like there is plenty to climb. Mike Palmer Cascade Crags

The Bibler is the lightest hooped Bivy on the market at 22ozs. The OR bivys are a nice design and may handle a bit more weather, but at 26oz and 32 oz, you might as well take a two person tent and split the load between two people. Once you start bivvying you never go back to a tent. It is the only way to go. Mike Cascade Crags

We have the SOS and Tracker here. If you want to try them out we can bury them in the gravel in the gym! Mike Cascade Crags

I have used the induction method beacons(Arva, SOS, Ortovox M1) and find that these work very well if you know what you are doing. For someone who doesn't go out and practice the DTS Tracker is the way to go. It is still the easiest to use, fastest, and excels at multiple burials. If you have a Tracker and your friend has something else, trade him!. Mike Cascade Crags

The Trekkers are not very well suited to very long tours. If you have to go up and down in them it is like skiing in high heels. Silvretta 500's are the lightest set-up that work with a mountaineering boot. A mountaineering boot is fine if you are using a short ski to just get in and out, but if you want any quality turns, you may want to invest in a AT boot. The most important part of the system is the boot for control. Put your money in the boot and use an old downhill ski. AT skis are lighter for backcountry, but downhill skis work fine. We have Scarpa Lasers for rent and K2 8611, and TUA Excalibur Plus skis with Silvretta 404's if you want to try them out. Mike Cascade Crags

Another boot in that category is the Technica Altitude Plus. The Salomon Ice 9, the La Sportiva Lhotse, and the Montrail Verglas (the old One Sport) are all designed for mountaineering on rock and ice. Some are insulated and some are not. The Super 8 and the Makalu are designed for comfort on the trail and some mountaineering. The most important thing is fit. The Makalu is for a narrow, low volume foot. Salomons fit a med to wide foot. The Tecnica is a med volume also. We should our Altitude Plus boots in by the 15th at Cascade Crags. You can try them out on our ice wall if you want. Mike.

The best book I have found is Avalanche Safety for Skiers & Climbers (2nd Ed.) by Tony Daffern. We use this for our classes at Cascade Crags and the Mountaineers recommend it also.