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David_Parker

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    Lake Constance

    in Olympic Peninsula

    Posted

    Can you elaborate on the new approach. Do you park right at the washout? Do you have to descend/ascend the washout? How far from washout to trailhead? What are the chances of washout being repaired. Just curious as I haven't been there yet and people ask me all the time.

    Closest decent snowshoe traning ground

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    quote:
    Originally posted by JGowans:

    I have a pair of ski shoes. They're made by a dude up in Whistler and they look like mini skis with skins on the bottom with snow shoe bindings. They rock. I get to climb up anything a snowshoer can and I can also slide down or across any traverse more quickly.

    So do the skins come off? Seems like they'd make the descent pretty slow. Exactly how heavy are they??? Seems like a great ice climbing approach device..ie Chair Peak, Drury Falls, Murchisons Falls, Borgeau, and lots of other stuff in Canadeh!

    hurricane ridge skiing

    in Olympic Peninsula

    Posted

    ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SKI THERE (once there is snow) should call me. I live on this side of the water so don't have to take the ferry. It's about 1.5-2 hrs from Bainbridge to the summit. I'll even pick up any east siders at the ferry terminal and drive. Weekdays only!!! It is in the National Park and on Fri, Sat, Sun they man the gate. $10 per car unless you got the Golden Eagle Pass. Fun winter climbing up there too on Mt. Angeles.

    Round 1

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I have never summitted the Grand Teton and have tried twice. Still, one of my most "succesful" climbs was in 1987. I was young, felt experienced enough and ready for the Black Ice Couloir in Winter. Dan and I climbed a lot of ice that winter in Utah, even at night, to get ready.

     

    The rangers tried to talk us out of it when we registered. We probably looked like an accident waiting to happen. They didn't relish the idea of having to come look for us since we'd be all over the mountain. The forecast was good and we approached on Tele gear. We made it to the Caves the first day. The next day we made base at the foot of a gully leading to the Lower Saddle. It was cold and windy and we had to build a large snow block wall to cut the wind. With plenty of daylite left, we made the Valhalla traverse and fixed one pitch of mixed climbing to help save time time for our start the next day. We retreated all the way back to base. Day 3 began with good weather. Still, as I left the tent with minimal gear, I tried to convince myself I wasn't afraid. But I had no idea how long it would take to make the climb and was nervous about making it back to base. But as we made the traverse again, the butterflys went away as the concentration of climbing took over. I distinctly remember the feeling of commitment once we left the top of the fixed pitch.

     

    The ice was the hardest I'd ever felt. I couldn't believe it could be that hard. The fragments accelerated so fast. The ocaisional rocks wizzing by sounded like F-16's. You didn't hear them until they had already passed. I prayed I didn't get hit. Steadily the pitches passed. It was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever been.

     

    Then it started to snow. We were at the crux, nothing major, just a choked down spot where the ice got steeper. My lead and I was glad for it. I know I climb better on lead. I also knew we had to hurry. I reached the crux and reached for a screw. As I searched for a placement I noticed a screw already set. It was an old Chouinard. It was solid. I clipped it and moved on. I began to search for a belay. Little "flat" stances became steep nothings. Finally the rope went tight. I made a belay and Dan began to climb.

     

    Standing at the belay is still a vivid memory. We were remote, almost to the top and while the temperature was rapidly dropping, I felt warm. Mixed emotions swirlled in my head like the blizzard that was now upon us. We needed to hurry. What was taking Dan so long? Small snow sloughs started to come down at regular intervals. When they came, I couldn't see my feet as they washed over. Finally Dan was in sight. He was obviously tired. He was over-sinking his tools. In frustration he side swiped the tool in an effort to get it out. The pick broke. He grabbed his third tool and continued.

     

    Dan climbed past with the gear he had and topped out on the Upper Saddle. When I reached him it was completely dark and a raging blizzard. Winds were 30 mph. Headlamps made things worse like high beams do in fog and snow. As I stuffed one of the ropes into my pack, Dan headed down. I followed when the rope went tight. He was out of sight, but he had been here before and knew the way.

     

    1500 feet down we cliffed out. Wrong gully. We climbed up a bit and made the call. We were not going to wander around in the dark in a blizzard. We found an outcropping of rock and hunkered down. It was the coldest I'd ever been. We yelled at each other so not to fall asleep.

     

    At first light it was still snowing hard. We climbed back up and found the right way. Avalanches were a concern, but we had no choice but to continue. We collapsed in the tent. We cooked food, but threw it out because we didn't have an appetite. We packed and headed down. We switched to our Tele gear stashed at the Caves. It wasn't skiing though. It was survival with too heavy packs and bad snow. It was a monumental task to stand up from a crash. It was more agony for me to watch Dan than falling myself. He was falling 3 times more than I. We got seperated.

     

    I reached the car as daylight faded. The ranger was waiting. "You're late. Where's your partner?" he asked. I didn't know. 45 minutes later, Dan emerged from the woods. We ate mushrooms and went to the Mangy Moose. We partied in Jackson 'till the bars closed and woke up in a strange house. The drive home was a blur.

     

    It is still the climb to which I compare all others. I don't know if we won the Superbowl, but we were certainly in the playoffs. We had heart, and we dug deeper than ever to survive. That's why I remember it as if it happened last week. We didn't summit, but to me, it was a huge success.

    Mounting Tele skis

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    Russ, I have my very specific reasons why I choose the chili. It mostly has to do with escaping the ski if I'm in a twisted or upside down position and still conscious after being caught in an avalanche or falling in a tree well. I used pin bindings with voile plates for many years and then I fell in a tree well. It was a really panicky situation and for the life of me I couldn't get my skis off. When the chili came out with NO pins, I wanted it. It is easier to reach your heels than your toes to release a cable than a bail. Once the cable is off, your foot comes out easily with no pins. Maybe it's a remote thing, but that panicky feeling I had sticks with me. Now I'm not totally up on the new stuff, but since I already have a pair of chili's, I wasn't into buying new bindings.

    Why Paco rules

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Dan, the talus field can be confusing in daylight. We were fortunate to descend in daylite, but I remember thinking, "I wouldn't want to do this in the dark!" I'm glad I've done it once for the next time if it does get dark! Ahhh, climbing in November!

    Eldorado NW Couloir TR

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    quote:
    Originally posted by danielpatricksmith:

    I do find it very funny that we ran into a couple of fellows who flatly said 'the route is not in shape' as if it were an fact as indisputable as the sky being blue. They had not even been there. I wonder how people feel like they can spew beta for routes they have not even seen?

    Dan, This was the same bullshit that Wayne and I got from TWO parties when we went to do it. Unfortunately it kept us from even attempting it. I hope my post after was helpful in your decision to go. I'm jealous, but good job!

     

    [ 11-05-2002, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: David Parker ]

    Altimeter watches

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    Bill, you should be able to afford the $18,000 Rolex so who cares!

     

    Really though, the suunto is ugly and way too bulky. Amazingly enough, my Casio (still working after 10 years)is extremely accurate and works as a depth gauge when diving too. The only limitation is it only goes up to 12,000 ft. That's fine with me though cause it works on all but 2 Cascade peaks and if I ever go somewhere else I figure my partner will have one.

    trick or...climb

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    quote:
    Originally posted by Retrosaurus:

    Unless it is
    VERY
    thin or actively falling down, water ice requires very little in the way of skill or technique to succeed, and most will be able to bumble their way through it.

     

    But when it is truely vertical it is a completely different animal and you will need to have your shit dialed wire-tight. Placing gear on sustained vertical ice (especially if it is of less than ideal quality,) is one of the most demanding things that I have ever done.

    So Mitch, does that mean you don't bother climbing any rock routes less then 5.11 too? Too bad anything less than vertical doesn't interest you. Guess I'll have to find someone else to climb Drury Falls with this year. It must not be worthy to you. Personally I don't know many people who can "bumble" up WI 4-5 and most of that isn't vertical. I think you are probably a great guy and would be fun to climb with, but you're sounding a little elitest for my taste.

    Worst belay anchor you've ever set up?

    in Spray

    Posted

    On Drury Falls, the 70 meter rope went taut just as I crested the ice bulge at the top. There was still 25 feet of powdery snow to the big belay tree. Either I down climbed back over the exit bulge to find ice, or keep going. I gave the rope 5 tugs to my partner to "climb" and just bent way forward with the rope between my legs and crawled through the deep snow until I reached the tree. I would not have done this rock climbing, but justified it since we were ice climbing. On the way down, we rapped of a single (prototype)snarg with no teeth on the shaft and my first ever built v-thread.

     

    That was the first time I ever climbed with Erik! [big Grin]

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