David_Parker

I just called: The slide show is Wednesday, MAY 1st, 7:00 pm. Have at it boys!

MAH, I'm confused, why you want to spend that much time at Muir. Do you envision some euro style mountain hut or something? The place is gross: filled with CO2 and pot smoke, noisy, dark, and one night every ten years is enough for me! If you're thinking making a base camp with tents, go elsewhere and enjoy yourself. Also, at Muir you're not exactly close to crevasses for practising rescues. Camp Schurman is "the other" standard route and probably offers a better base camp for what you're thinking. It also has 2 camping areas if it gets crowded. I don't know what enforsement is for the number of nights you actually stay. Also, head climbing ranger Mike Gauthier posts here occasionaly and you could email him directly. He's a nice guy and might help you figure out the best plan for your group.

OK, lets get some more beta posted on the traverse from S. peak to N. peak and the descent and getting back to camp. I don't want to do any hairy rappels, especially if I'm solo!

Anyone want to give me a ride up to the rim on their sled so I can ski down. I don't like to earn my turns! Seriously, this is unbelievable! Makes you wonder who's making the policies out there. Maybe next year they can install a chairlift or a tram! I think they need to revisit these policies. Perhaps they were written when they never dreamed a snowmobile could make it that far. With the bigger, badder machines out there that can climb anything skiers can, new policies may be in order.

I think it's time that ALL motorized vehicles need to be registered just like boats. They need to have their registration numbers clearly displayed on the front hood on both sides in big letters/numbers just like boats. Then all you have to do is take the photo without talking to them. Pretty hard to dispute a photo of a sled on the crater rim or in any other illegal part of the wilderness when your registration clearly shows! This goes for motorcycles, 4-wheelers, jet skis, riding lawnmowers, whatever! If it's got a motor, register it and display the numbers clearly!!

POMB, just curious if you did it in a day from the trailhead? How many hours? I was all set to blitz it on Sunday (and had my snowshoes packed) but then my 7 year old son said he wanted to go. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly switched aggendas and we went to Mt. Angeles. We too experienced a varity of snow conditions including wet avy debris and found ourselves above a cloud layer for awhile until it moved up. Also, any opinion about doing the traverse from S to N peak? How did it look? Nice climb! [ 04-22-2002, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: David Parker ]

What I'm curious about(are there any skiers who now board) is if a snowboard is more secure on steep, icy slopes than two skis? Why do you think one may be better than the other? Lets assume ability is equal for each skier/boarder to level the field.

Was that climb thumbs up or thumbs down?

Just curious to anyone else's comments?

quote: Originally posted by sidhayes: I cant believe you guys. All this rancor for posting smaller, easier mountain peaks on Summitpost? You are either kidding about all this or you have delusions of grandeur. I have news for you, I am not a big wall climber but rather a adequate free climber and mountaineer, and I can certainly whip all of your asses, in achieving the summit of real mountains while you are still frothing around on the approach, sucking wind. Way to go sid, you can post here anytime. At least you understand the "flavor" of cc. You got some guys riled, which is good. We do have a "spray" department however.

Whats with the bright yellow and orange? Man, that shit is butt ugly. Did I mention that color is just as important in boots as your car! Frickin' Euros are back at it again!

This is truly tragic. I sincerely hope the two deceased were single and their deaths have not affected a wife or worse children for the sake of "being first" to do something. While Griber seems to indicate they were experts, I seriously question their choice to don skis/snowboard given their condition (fast ascent to altitude) time of day (obviously tired) and snow conditions. Being an "experienced" skiier does mean just ability to go down hill, but the ability to make wise choices. Sometimes the best choice is to come back another day when conditions are right. I skied the Muir snowfield in "survival" conditions earlier this year. I did not feel at that low angle I would die if I fell. Still I was nervous of sliding a long way if I did. It doesn't take much more of an angle than the Muir snowfield to start sliding out of control quickly. Once again, the tragedy occured on the descent. My sincere sympathies to all survivors directly affected. Perhaps they died doing what they loved, but I wish they were still around to enjoy life and climb and ski again. I hope some of us can learn from this.

'cause we don't feel so bad when we break shit while fighting

Found this self portrait of Scotteryx over on summitposer.com! Perhaps he should have been wearing his mask before he entered "muir on saturday!"

quote: Originally posted by IceIceBaby: I need more of a summer/approach/alpine snow and Ice climbing boots First, define "alpine snow/ice". Sounds like your covered for pure ice routes. Therefore there is no "perfect" boot. Concentrate on fit first because you'll get a ton of opinions about brand choice and basically they all are well constructed, especially if made in Italy or France. If you go with Salomon, I'm with Norm from what you described... the super 8 is a good boot and offers a very wide range of travel on a variety of surfaces. Just know if you want a good approach and good alpine rock boot, flex is good. This will not be ideal for the ice but until they make a boot where you can alter the flex, it will still be fine. I also did a 5 day trip in the pickets and broke out my old "becky" boots, classic old 3/4 shank, leathers with a ton of snow seal on them. The newer boots are a lot lighter and snap on crampon compatible. Check Sierratradingpost.com for a good deal and don't worry if it's a brand name you know. Some of these are euro boots not normally found in the US and like I said, if made in italy or france, you'll be in good shape. It helps to know your metric size too, it's a lot more accurate!

You can buy short sewn draws w/out carabiners. They even have a tight hole on one end so the biner doesn't flop around too much. They aren't very expensive, usually around $2.95 and often on sale for less.

quote: Originally posted by Alex: partner and I went in in 1999 to climb N Butress of Fury, among other things. Logistics were: hump huge ungainly pack with full rack and rock shoes in many miles. Get this close wimp out, turn around, go home. Looks like that photo was taken from the flanks of mt. challenger. Hope you at least got up challenger with all that effort. Why the rock shoes? [ 04-01-2002: Message edited by: David Parker ]

How far up the road did you get? Did you do the couloir or the standard route?

My technical knowledge of these different chemical makeups of "sugar" is confusing to me. Can someone in layman terms define and differetiate what the significance to energy in humans each consists. Which provides energy and which takes more energy to breakdown. How does it realte to food groups and what is essentially good and bad? For climbers (an other athletes) what is the best way to think of these sugars in terms of consmuption in times of active and post active movement.

quote: Originally posted by sobo:

I just read this. Maybe Washington can get their act together too!......... PCA in the News: Enviros, Ranchers See Eye-To-Eye On Wolf Plan byCarlotta Grandstaff ­ Originally appeared in Missoula Independent (Missoula,Montana) on 03/14/02. There may be common ground after all between conservationists and rancherswhen it comes to de-listing the endangered gray wolf, a plan now underconsideration in Montana. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has launched astatewide "scoping" process to get citizens' comments on how to best managewolves when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service de-lists the species. Unless Montana, Idaho and Wyoming come up with their own programs formanaging the gray wolf, the federal agency is unlikely to remove it from theEndangered Species Act list. David Gaillard of the Predator Conservation Alliance in Bozeman says FWP'scurrent proposal for wolf management contains "some good news for wolves.Actually, there's a lot in that draft that we support." There are three specifics the Alliance agrees with, Gaillard says. Under thecurrent proposal wolves would be allowed to exist wherever there is suitablehabitat, and would not be zoned into particular areas. There is no cap onthe number of wolves that can exist, and no provision for hunting them inthe near future. Gaillard says the Alliance would like to see improvement in one provision,which would allow ranchers to kill wolves on their property, regardless ofwhether they pose an immediate threat to humans or livestock. It's a"license to kill" the Alliance would like to eliminate. Although ranchers don't read the provision that way, they agree that nolandowner should have the right to kill a wolf not posing any immediatethreat. Beth Emter, communications coordinator for the Montana StockgrowersAssociation, says the group is still evaluating the FWP plan, but alreadylikes what they see. "What we do like about it is that we do want to see thede-listing process move forward, with Fish, Wildlife and Parks put in chargeof management." The stockgrowers don't read the "license to kill" provision quite the waythe Alliance does, Emter says. According to their interpretation, landownerswould not have the right to kill a wolf simply for being on privateproperty, nor should they. Citizens should not have "full reign" to kill awolf that wanders onto a ranch unless it threatens livestock or poses aclear danger to humans. One thing the stockgrowers would like to see, which Emter acknowledges isunlikely, is for the federal government to cover the costs associated withmanaging an endangered species. If the feds list it then and the feds shouldpay for it, she says. Thirty breeding pairs of wolves distributed over the three-state area ofMontana, Idaho and Wyoming for three years will trigger the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service proposal to de-list the wolf, which could begin in 2003.Once the federal agency de-lists the wolf, they will fall under statemanagement. Public comment will be accepted until April 30. ---To comment on wolf management, write the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parksonline at http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/contact/wolfcomment.aspVisit http://www.predatorconservation.org/MTwolfalert_3.2002.html for moreinformation.

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: DP: "you drive to almost 7,000 feet" on Rainier. Paradise is more like 5500 ft. Thanks Rod, I'm a little hard of reading!

quote: Originally posted by Colin: Drive to almost 7,000 ft. David Parker? You must have one good off-road vehicle, because I usually only make it to Paradise, which is at about 5,500 ft. oops, I stand corrected. Thanks Colin! Is that why I got that ticket driving my 4-runner up the trail?

quote: Originally posted by Dru: why the Rainier fetish? Because it's the one everyone knows, it's the highest in Washington and one to be proud of if you climb it. If I were from Chicago and coming to the NW for only 1-1/2 weeks, it would be on my list. Why do you think many of us climb it more than once. Yeah, if you live here there are other more remote mountains with cool routes, but Rainier is no mountain to diss. Kinda like going to the Tetons. Everyone wants to climb the Grand even though there are other great peaks. You and I might look beyond, but there's nothing wrong with wanting "the big one!" Good luck Chicago!

Rainier is probably most similar to climbing Mt. Blanc without a "real" hut to stay in over night. Instead of taking the teleferique 1/2 way up, you drive to almost 7,000 feet if you use the Paradise parking lot. Persoanlly, I think that whole scene totally detracts from the climb unless you go when the tourists aren't there (but not June or July). I would suggest checking out the approach to Camp Sherman up the interglacier and then up the "corridor". That's the way I guided my 63 year old dad. Also, I suggest approach one day, hang in camp doing crevasse rescue stuff and self arrest practice and then go up and all the way down the 3rd day. This makes for an enjoyable mountain experience and you are far less likely to feel any effects of altitude. If things go well you are in the right area to try the liberty ridge, much more technical and you'll then already know the descent route! If you are looking for more alp type "alpine" climbs, look beyond the volcanos. We have three Fred Becky books full of them or check out the two volumes of classics by Jim Nelson. You'll probably want to move here! [ 03-28-2002: Message edited by: David Parker ]