Colin

Bronco- Did you climb the E face proper, or the NE slab? Al- How did the NY Gully look?

Maurice, I've been to the Smith Butte snow park many times for cross-country skiing with the family. It is the same one that I referred to as "Bird Creek Meadows Snow Park." If you insist on heading in to the South side in winter, I think that Smith Butte is the obvious starting place.

I know that this has been discussed before, but I never came up with a conclusion to what was said. I have been convinced that LED headlamps are the way to go. More than for any other reason, I think this because you really don't have to carry any extra batteries for them - even on long trips. However, I want to buy an LED headlamp that I can use for serious nighttime use, not just as a backup. In terms of being able to see far in the distance (like for route finding, locating rap anchors, etc...), I don't think that the Tikka and Moonlight really cut it. Because their LED's are just lined up rather than behind a lens, the light can't be adjusted to shine in a beam, but rather just glows. What is the brightest LED headlamp out there? Not really knowing anything about headlamp design, I think that an ideal lamp for my needs would have 6-8 LED's behind a focusable lens. Anyone have any recommendations?

The question mark is there because 'Steve Maddux' is what I came up with from your signature. On the chance that you check this site, I thought I'd post this. Thankyou very much for the gift; it is quite appreciated by a climber who buys his gear off of allowance.

On Wednesday, Hubba Hubba was doable, but not very worth the drive in my opinion. The lower part (100 ft) was thin, and the rest was inch thick rotten ice or slush on rock slab. There was ice on drury, but we thought it still looked way too thin. Also, it was about 33 degrees in Icicle and Tumwater Canyons.

Someone told me the other day that they had climbed Synchronicity (in thin, yet 'in' conditions) about a month ago. Did it melt away, or is there a conspiracy of people hording it for themselves and not mentioning it to be in?

I've attempted Adams in winter, and we never got above treeline. The road is not plowed the slightest, so hopefully you have a snowmobile. We started from the Bird Creek Meadows Snow Park instead, since the road is plowed to there.

Soloed the N face of Chair today, under brilliant, bluebird skies. There was some excavating on the last pitch to get down to the ice, but it is well cleared now. Overall, there was plenty of ice on the route. I would recommend jumping on it before it starts snowing again. I took a 60m 6mm, but if you are confident in your ability on the face then don't take a rope at all (The descent gully now has enough snow in it to be easily downclimbed). The NE buttress looked fine too, and there was one party on it. I did not think that avalanche conditions were at all high on the approach slopes.

Anyone been up in the Alpental Valley/Chair Peak Basin these past couple of days? How was the snowpack? Had many people skied up the sloped past Source Lake?

Forget the AT boots. Ski boots are a serious compromise in terms of climbing ability, and climbing boots are a serious compromise in terms of skiing ability. Since you are upgrading your setup in order to approach CLIMBS better (I assume that you will still use your snowboard when you want to get some freshies), I would definitely stick with climbing boots. The key is to first of all get short skis (I jacked a pair of 150's off of my friend's younger sister), and second to use what I call "knee cords." A knee cord is simply a lenth of perlon that goes from the tip of your ski to a strap which is around your leg, right below the knee. You can attach it to the tip of the ski by simply taking a drill bit to the ski and making a hole (I've never had any problems with the ski being weakened). Make the system ajustable, so that you can easily "crank 'em down" for extra control. The knee cords effectively mimic high-back ski boots, and give the control neccessary to ski well in climbing boots. I'll admit that they aren't comfortable, and you won't be skiing in good style, but you'll be ripping by all those who are falling in the snow while trying to ski in climbing boots without 'em. I regularly ski away from climbs in my Scarpa Freneys (leather) in good time.

Wallstein, There are a used pair of Cerro Torres at Feathered Friends (used once). I think that they are a bit smaller than average. If you're interested, I can give you the e-mail address of the guy who owns them.

If you head out to Chair Peak this weekend, I would reccomend climbing the gully that Nelson describes for the descent. In early season, it is a bit funkier than the merely steep snow that it becomes later in the season. Take two tools (though they don't need to be very technical), a helmet, a few slings, 2-5 nuts, and 1-2 pins just in case (in early season, the usual rap anchors can be hard to reach).

Silvretta makes a simple and cheap binding that lacks release capabilities (the Silvretta 300, I think). Does anyone know where they are sold?

Why does everyone in Afganistan ski with fixed heels? The Teleban. [ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: Colin ]

Diaper slings (swiss seats) do not work well as harnesses. They are easy to fall out of, and as Terminal Gravity said, they don't stay put very well. I would reccomend tying a swami belt out of 1" webbing wrapped around your waist 3 times. If you tie the swami well, it is quite unlikely that you'll slip out of it. For the descent however, a swiss seat is far superior for rappelling. I have also seen people cut the leg loops off of their alpine bod harnesses, to create a swami belt that is easier to take on and off (no untying and tying required).

Yes, there was an avalanche up there recently. That is why the gully was free of snow Kyle, and it was loose because that rock has been buried under snow for several years.

REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS

We set off a huge ice avalanche in the snow gully on the north side of the ridge (The one Nelson reccomends for approaching East Wilman's Spire.). We estimate that about 80,000 cubic feet of alpine ice/neve avalanched onto the scree and talus fan below. I would not enter this gully for a while.

On some rap anchors I have seen rap rings which are oval shaped rather than the normal circular shape. I would really like to get my hands on some of these, but in stores I have never seen anything but the normal circular rap rings. Does anyone know where they can be found?

Can one approach the Entiat Icefall from the Leroy Creek Basing (and traverse around the South Shoulder), or does one have to approach from the other side (Icy Lakes?)?

I just bought a new peice of rope and would like to mark the middle of it. I know that Blue Water sells a "rope marking pen," but I was wondering if just using a Sharpie damages the nylon or has any other detrimental effects.

The BD Ice Pack has a folded up foam pad, and a stiff plastic sheet - minimal suspension. Like Drangsholt, I have the Serratus Genie and highly, highly reccomend it for day trips or even ultralight multiday trips.

I am the Eggman.

Below Mount Stuart's Ice Cliff Glacier is a small snowfield that sits in the V-shaped moraine. When on that snowfield about a month ago, I noticed a large pile of rock debris down the middle of it. While on the North Buttress of Colchuck Peak last weekend, I caught another glimpse of the same snowfield. It appeared as though a massive quantity of rock had fallen somewhere off the NE face, for the snowfield was now covered in debris. It was quite evident that the snow hadn't melted away exposing rock, but rather that rock had covered the snow. I have heard rumors that a portion of the Girth Pillar had fallen off this spring, but not verified them. Have any of you been up to the North side of Stuart recently? What part of the NE face might have fallen off (although I suppose it could also have been from the Ice Cliff Spur)?

Are snafflehounds a distinct species, or merely a name that Beckey applies to pikas/rats that are found on faces?