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Marko

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Posts posted by Marko

    Watusi

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Thanks!

    Pro was OK. Conditions were good in that the ice took (short) screws and we didn't have to dig much for rock pro, especially on Colin's steep pitches. We made sure the belays were good...

    Watusi

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Freezing but not freezing well really. At the road it was about 20°F at noon, 300' uphill from the valley it warmed up to around freezing and then basically stayed that temp day and night at every altitude. It was June-uary in the shade and full on June in the sun. On the well-shaded face the snow was definitely not slushy and there was no crust so it hadn't thawed either.

     

    Other than the last curtain not touching down and being kind of drippy (Colin lead rightward instead on insecure rock), the route is in great condition!

     

    For the approach we stayed pretty high above the creek but on the way down we were much closer except for the last bit, and thought that was much better; more open forest and less tedious traversing.

    Watusi

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Another fine day out with the Alpine Ropegun: http://www.colinhaley.blogspot.com/ (To be clear, we camped at 3200', to make it a day and a half with the AR.)

     

    From the sound of other ascents we had pretty nice conditions; good traveling down low, not too much postholing up high with decently attached snow bands, and excellent ice pitches. After the second ice step we took rock and turf to the right because the normal (I think) pitch after that wasn't touching down. It may have been quicker (though less exciting!) to connect snow ramps to the summit on the left.

     

    The traversing descent from Colonial's west shoulder down easy slopes to the west edge of the lower basin was painful wallowing, even following Colin's steps.

     

    I'd definitely say get on it in the next couple days, it's probably getting even better since the weather's starting to cool up high again.

     

    Bring pins.

    Topropable ice around Seattle?

    in Ice Climbing Forum

    Posted

    do you think this cold snap will have formed solid ice further up the drainage?

     

    you mean up the source lake drainage (S. Fork Snoq)?

     

    There is a nice waterfall about 30 min up the drainage from the alpental parking lot. I climbed it a few years ago in another cold spell. Temps were single digit during the day. Seemed about what was necessary to freeze the high volume. I would expect it to come in now. I thought it was one of the finer easy single pitches I've climbed in WA. Can be easily top roped too.

     

    This was forming up Sunday when I wandered by; I bet it'll be a nice little outing this weekend. Not super steep, 25 meters, probably cauliflowered.

    Headlamp Choices

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    Not a paid endorsement:

     

    I've been keen on the Princeton Tec EOS for about a year now. It's a little under 4 oz with batteries (3x AAA) and has a damn good route-finding beam at the high setting, and decent beam for trail walking at the lowest. It also has a voltage regulator so the brightness is constant for each setting. When the batteries can't support the highest setting it resorts to the next lowest setting.

     

    The first one I had strangely used up one of the three batteries sooner than the others and hardly lasted through a summer weekend. It took it back after a couple trips and exchanged it for another one, which has not had the problem at all. Bad circuit board I'm guessing. A set of lithium batteries easily last through a several day trip in the winter. I've got an Icon as well but never use it because the EOS is just as good for route-finding and about half the weight.

    [TR] The Mighty Tooth - 8/23/2008

    in Alpine Lakes

    Posted

    I remember following you up to Snocrummy Pass one winter day about 9 years ago thinking you drive like a madman. Drive safe!

     

    Howdy Mike, hope you're doing good too. That trip must have been in the old Peugeot wagon? Nothing handles like a car you don't give a crap about...

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