512dude

My buddy Dave and I climbed 14 pitches last Sunday. Got hit by rain on pitch 8 and continued on after it fizzled. Made it to 14 before the water came in earnest. Fun route for being so close to the city. Cheers Pics at: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4083960&a=31887876&f=

Just back from the Rockies and like the man says it sucks shite. Canal Flats is ~8 hrs from Seattle and all routes were good less Raven's Call. http://community.webshots.com/user/512dude

Nice pics but can I inform you that if you were having a fire burning up in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness that is bad form. The area is very sensitive and fires are prohibited above the 5000 ft. level. That include Colchuck lake and Stuart lake. Thanks for your understanding. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/recreate/trails/leavtr.htm#anchor513087

Pics from a recent trip showing some of the Hyalite Conditions in the Genisis & Mummy Areas http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4200466&a=31518094

Its warm here again today but weather man says mercury is dropping thru the weekend. Climbed a few routes in Hyalite but they are thin to moderate in formation. I'd give it a few more weeks before driving the 12 hours from Seattle at this point. You'd get a hell of va lot more bang for buck. We are heading out again this weekend and I'll post on Montanaice.com what we find in terms of conditions. But I would recommend planning for Dec or Jan if you want a good trip. Beware of the posts claiming totally in routes. They may be climbable but 500 lbs. of formed ice on a route that usually is 5000 lbs. of ice does not constitue "totally". Dude Cheerio

For those of you who have seen the vid - Psicobloc - does anyone know the name or group that sings/raps the tune midway thru the flik. Its the Spanish rap as Tim Emmett pulls on "All Cats are Black in The Night". 1st prize is a cool set of covers for a Nokia 3360 2nd prize is a less cool set of covers for a Nokia 3360 3rd prize is a light up dance pad for a PS2 player Delivery not included...

>>"$50 is a lot of money if you only go out once or twice >>so yeah I can see that being a problem." Its not the $50 - you obviously don't get it. Go get informed about the issue. It is double taxation for starters and then its the sell-off of what is suppossedly public land to the private interest groups. There is more going on here than a bunch of climbers whining about a few bucks (at least I think so). >>You know damn well the super yuppies aren't going to >>pay for shit. And if the right wingers get their way >>(which seems certain at this point) the only >>organizations getting government money will be large >>corporations and friends of people in high places, not >>trails and roads for hikers and climbers. So where will >>the money come from? It'll come from suckers like you who don't mind the corporations lining there pockets because you have been forking over the $50 to show your support of their program.

Thanks for your prior suggestions... Friday evening approach was made to Nada and the trail was quiet with only a few hikers making their way down from the day. Evening temps. made the hike enjoyable and there were no bugs to be found...anywhere!?! Started up around 9am the next morning from the lake and found intermittant patches of snow. Except for the dam crossing at Snow Lake - which was running 4-6" above the wall, feet stayed dry. I have to recommend Goretex socks and Tevas. The snow pack is amzingly small but I suppose with the ultra warm spring and all... Arrived at Lake Vivian with it snowing, blowing and clouds. We noticed a party of 2 starting the S.Face and continued to move on, traversing the lake around its south side. As we arrived at the base the two climbers we spotted earlier were bailing due to wet rock and deteriorating conditions. We talked for a bit and decided to give it a go since you really never know unless you try. 1 rope length got us past the stuck #3.5 cam (which is moving somewhat and if I had time could have cleaned)to the tree area belay. From here we trended up and right. Another rope length got us just to the edge of Snafflehound ledge. The snow was still on and off but the sun would start to break thru at times and kept our hopes up. We noticed a fine crack starting off from the left side of the ledge. It runs up 20 or so feet and then moves thru a left arching roof. Past the roof the crack trends back to the right to meet up with a dihedral. This pitch felt like 10+ but it was cold and we had reduced friction with the wettish rock. Anyone know what this is or if it had been climbed? Next pitch ran from the crack/dihedral belay straight up, climbing on chickenheads and in the crack to another comfy belay ledge. We fueled up on some Rittersport chocolate, watched a few goats attempt to find our piss patches and finished up the last pitch to the fine finger crack on the east face of the summit block. It was blowing really hard over the summit and the temp was damn cold. I could only think that it would have been a hell of alot colder would it have been winter. Ahh the power of positive pessimism.

I have researched this rather extensively and there are groups out there trying to get this fee demonstration program tossed out on its ass. It seems that this all started when the Fed's started looking at ways to trim the budget for public lands because WE (the gov't) were spending way too much of OUR protecting OUR public lands and not generating enough ca$h from them. You can find original copies of letters on the net going between politicians discussing how we should privatise public lands. You see, your tax dollars are already funding the protection and maintenance of public lands. It just seems that public lands are falling out of favor for funding. But the more one looks into the matter, it doesn't seem to be the case. Misappropriation of our money is more like the issue. How about these expenditures: •At a National Recreation Area, one famous outhouse cost $333,000. It has a gabled slate roof, cottage-style porches, and a tapered cobblestone masonry foundation in the fashion of Frank Lloyd Wright. But the doors are locked in the winter because this self-composting toilet won’t work in Pennsylvania’s freezing temperatures. And don’t expect any running water; there is none (Salt Lake Tribune, October 8, 1997). • In 1997 in Yosemite National Park the average cost of new employee housing was $580,000 per unit—two to four times the average rate for local housing. The new deluxe housing accommodates fewer than 60 of the park’s 5,000 employees; many still dwell in tent-cabins without running water. Many more examples of how the gov't mismanages your money can be found. Even though our National Parks are raking in cash from visitors the gov't seems to be coming up short on cash. Yosemite National Park is restricting park entry on the busiest days. Since 1993, the park entrance has been closed several times each year due to gridlock in the valley. How much is each person paying to get in??? The Grand Canyon has become so congested that a public transportation system is planned. On an average summer day, 6,500 cars show up at the South Rim, but there are only 2,400 parking spaces. More fees to park more cars? Why not charge the users of these popular tourist traps. An agreement made between the ARC (American Recreation Coalition - and go look up who the members of this coalition are since they support the fees you are paying) and the USDA explains that the purpose of the fee program is "in order to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities on Federal public lands." Do you feel like your experience has been enhanced? Bigger parking lots for RVs, more trails for ORVs and less wilderness. Enhance this Check out these sites: www.wildwilderness.org and start to worry as one US Senator from Wyoming hasn't been able to extract his head out of his ass since joining the Cirque du Soleil http://thomas.senate.gov/html/pr6082.html An article that supports user fees but the same reasons that the author argues are reasons for fees are the exact reasons NOT to have fees. http://www.perc.org/pdf/ps17.pdf DO NOT GIVE UP - WRITE YOUR SENATOR You may feel as effective as a fart in a tornado but its not the volume you put out but how strong it smells.

Thinking of doing the other south face route on Prussik (the Becksy-Davis route not the Burgner-Stanley) and want to know how it compares to the later. Any opinions?

Where did the snow start as you approached the upper plateau, before or after Snow Lakes?

Found this area and others this weekend...the slab route is good but its 5.8 and yes overly bolted. Fun but not a 3 star route in my opinion. Too much freeway noise and lack of wilderness ambience. Most of the other new lines all go at 5.10a or less except a thinner slab line higher up that is 5.10d. The stuff looks chossy but is surprisingly intact. The steeper climbs are jug filled. Enjoy

So there is supposedly a new climb in the EXIT 38 area. Anyone know how to access this area? I have pics of some of the new areas around the 38 where the bolts are so new that the rock dust still sparkles around them. Trade ya. [ 08-02-2002, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: 512dude ]

Does anyone have info on climbing in Vietnam? I can't find very much on it via the net. Thanks for your help.

Please pardon my French Mr.Cheese. I am in error and won't be taunting you a second time.

If your login is suppossed to have something in common with cheese you better check your spelling.

Dru, I agree with your call on Grotto and House but only later in the season. Go try these routes earlier and you'll find they can be right on. Ice ratings are just like the drinking age in Quebec - just a suggestion.

Any reports from the Banks Lake area?

There are signs on the side road to Michelmoon Falls that clearly state that there is no ice climber access to the falls across the landowner's land. Upon speaking to the land owners to clarify, they made it clear that they no longer welcome ice climbers. Issues include liability, garbage left, and an ice climber stealing their dog (so they say). They also mentioned that they were never consulted when the guidebook was written. Access to the falls is now along the edge of the private property. Basically, it'll mean not going up the driveway to the house and creek, but heading straight up then traversing left into the falls, high above the residence. While his property boundary isn't fenced or marked, I think the key will be to stay out-of-sight, out-of-mind. And if climbers make the attempt to avoid private property (e.g. don't cut through his yard), then it shouldn't be a problem. [ 01-21-2002: Message edited by: 512dude ]

Vantage has absolutely not a trace of ice so it wouldn't surprise me. Did locate Umptanum falls and one could scratch up the back wall. I don't know how this gets referred to as WI4 (Elusive Beast "preguide") when its more like a 30-40ft. practice area.

Climbed Hubba Hubba on Sat morning under a cloudy and foggy sky. It was fairly warm, maybe about 34-36F. Took a line up the right side of the central flow. Never used a screw as the ice went from thin and wet to vapor thin and wetter. Pins and nuts became my buddies including the ones on my rack.

So what ever happened to Larry's hide away? I haven't heard any news on Strobach for a while. Did anyone ever get up there this year as of yet?

Any additional updates on the Leavenworth area ice? Drury? Thanks

Instead of cutting income taxes for the upper and middle class so that they can buy another Ford Excursion, let that money be redirected to such projects as this. With out a sustained environment how are we going to ensure that there are enough trees to clean the air from the gas guzzling city slicker's SUVs?

After being away for a month climbing on old rusty bolts I'm glad to see that these forums are still spewing the same sewage!! Miss'd ya boys Smooooch