kevin_page

Local hardmen climb Snow Creek Wall 1/31/02. Congrats to Rolf and Dan! How about posting a trip report?

I was up the Icicle today and noticed a for sale sign next to the fridge boulder below trundle dome. Mike West Realtors, 40 acres. Just thought I would post this in hopes some climber with a couple spare million would preserve access for everybody.

You might try Mt. Townsend. At one time it was being considered as a possible downhil ski area.

Or just step up to the plate and buy some slcd's because you'll soon outgrow your hexes. Maybe you can still return them.

That's easy, go to Moab. Great everything nearby, climbing, mtn. biking, hiking, bouldering and good food. Just don't go during "jeep" week.

Here's a few trips I've done that might interest you. Go up the N Fork Quinault R towards Low Divide. We climbed Mt. Christie, Seattle, Noyes, Meany and Queets then up the Elwa snow finger to Dodwell-Rixon Pass and Mt. Barnes. From here cross upper Queets Basin to the Humes glacier on Olympus. Traverse the East, Middle and West peaks, go down the Blue and out the Hoh. For a loop trip try circumnavigating the Goldie R. Start up the Elwha R. to just beyond the Elkhorn ranger station and cross the river at the Elwha Ford. You then go cross country south and cross the Goldie R. heading for Mt. Dana. From the top of Dana you've got days above treeline before you. Go over Mt. Wilder to Mt. Barnes then to Mt. Ferry with sidetrips up the Ragmuffin, Urchin and Waif and one day over to Stephen Peak. Then go over Ludden Peak and down the Long Ridge trail back to the Elwha. The first half of this trip had no signs of previous parties. Another loop I really enjoyed was starting up the Dungeness R. to climb Warrior (do the east side route) then from Constance Pass go west to Gunsight Notch/Pass between the Mystery's, climb those and then go down around the west and north sides of Mystery into a basin just south of Royal Basin. Cross over into Royal Basin and do whatever time allows and out. Enjoy.

Yeah, whatever Retroborus, I still think it's cool the way they stick to a wall after you rub them on your hair.

I pick up balloons frequently while kayaking around the San Juans. They are always the small, party type.

Killing time one afternoon at the base of the NW face of Half Dome I was rummaging through stuff climbers had abandoned or dropped and found $78 in a pack along with airline ticket stubs originating from Spain. After finishing the regular route the next day we hiked down to the valley and celebrated our climb on somebody elses money. OK, that was'nt a ski resort, how about the time we skied up to the Tooth, did our climb and when we got back to our packs finding the stem of a pair of Vuarnet's sticking up out of the snow?

I've got some titons (sp?) that made up part of my first rack. They are a T shaped nut with a webbing slot. I don't know who made them and have never seen anybody else with them. I found them in a close-out bin at Mt. Constance Mtn. Shoppe in 1980. I'll take them along for grins on easy stuff occasionally.

I did that S Arete route with an ex-mountaineer girlfriend who claims her "intermediate" group spent 13 hrs on it. They had to flashlight back to their cars. She and I took our lunch and thirty minutes to the summit. Go figure.

My "alpine buddy" is Retrosaurus, for keeping the overzealous bolters in check throughout NCW. There is comfort to be had knowing Retro is around to police my favorite areas. AND you've just got to admire a guy who drives three hours to Washington Pass, leads all the pitches on Liberty crack and drives home the same day. In addition, he leads ice I struggle to follow and cruises 5.11 cracks in mid-winter. Plus, he's a great Dad to three kids. Here's a riddle for you. What do you call Retro when he rolls his kayak trying to follow me in 5 ft. seas? A wet-nurse. Made myself laugh. Sorry, you'd have to know him to get this. [ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: kevin page ]

Does anyone know of the Grays Harbor area cranberry rancher who's goal it is to climb all of the summits in the Olympics over 1000 meters. Named or not, he's been tagging the tops of everything identifiable since 1980. Last I spoke with him his count was 350 something out of around 370. He may have set some records unintentionally in this pursuit like, most time spent in slide alder and devil's club or nights without a woman. I'm wondering if anybody else was or is doing the same thing.

Trusting the least experienced member of our climbing party to make a route finding decision. That was a mistake but there was blame to share all around. The aforementioned climber, Retrosaurus and I had summitted Rainier for the first time. We'd had a great trip up Liberty Ridge. From the top each of us searched a short distance in different directions looking for an obvious climbers path. Our inexperienced friend was to look along the crater rim in the direction that seemed most likely to lead to the Emmons. He'd stayed in the middle of the rope the whole climb and now had a chance to contribute to the climb by walking the furthest in search of the descent. I should have done it myself, my instincts told me that was where we'd find the route, but in our tired state we were'nt thorough enough. When we re-grouped he had'nt found anything, assuring us there was'nt any sign of previous climbers so we jumped into the only trail/trough we saw thinking that the DC "trail" was somewhere further right and promptly started, unknowingly, down towards Muir. If we'd only used our map and compass, damn. When we at last determined that the trough would not be leading us to the Emmons but to Paradise we were a little too tired to go back up so hauled ass down and got a room in the lodge for the night (thanks to somebodies cancellation). We got into the bar in time for beer and sandwiches but in the morning were faced with eating in the fine lodge restaurant dressed in stinking poly and boots, then bumming a ride back to our car. Back home everybody had a good laugh over our coming down the wrong side of the mountain. Alls well that ends well.

Retrosnorus, how've you been? the answer is no.

Live near Banks Lake, die of boredom. (once) Sleeping in vehicle, carbon monoxide poisoning. (two) Scoping routes while driving, crash. (often) Sagebrush rappel anchor breaks. (almost) Snowboarder lands on you. (always) Hick deputy spots paraphernalia. (never) Drink too much and only tr. (even when you don't drink)

I really enjoyed the variety on the NW face of Forbidden and the straightforward descent of the West ridge. 5-6 schrund crossings, 3 glaciers, north ridge bivy is spectacular, good rock and a sort of ice fall to gain the face.

OK, I've been getting laughs here for months and never posting anything but with this thread I just have to contribute some Mountaineer stories of my own. We wake up at the north ridge bivy on Stuart and scramble to the gendarme bypass to find two climbers at the bottom of the rappel. They immediately warn us to turn back saying the route is too iced up and dangerous. That one of their party had fallen there yesterday and was still hanging from the rope down this loose couloir with a broken leg. That's gotta hurt. Two others in their group had made it up the peak somehow and were calling in Chelan Co. Rescue. Well the route looked fine to us and they insisted that the injured guy not be moved until rescuers arrived so we rapped down and stepped across a few slightly icy rocks to the scree leading up into a hot summer day. Many helicopter sightings later at Long's Pass we talked to one of the county rescue members, might have been Haireball. He tells us the guy did'nt really break his leg and was hiking out on his own. The rescue guy was just waiting there to tell the mounties how stupid he thought they all were. Occasionally mountainerror bumblitude can work to your advantage. On my way out of the Pinnacles many years ago I spotted two women who were descending from above Martian Direct. Back then you either went up the ridge or down to a tree to rappel with one rope. They'd started rappeling down the face on one rope when I stopped and told them it would'nt reach would they like to use my rope also. At first they refused my help but after the leader got down far enough to see she called out to accept my offer. She clips into a single bolt and lowers her rope which I tie to mine and they get down where we can exchange phone numbers. They were both really cute Mountaineer's from Olympia. A few weeks later one of them calls asking me to climb Goode with her and a friend. Great but at Chelan we find a horde with the same plan so we go up to Sir Donald instead. Nobody there. Having climbed too slowly to summit and descend in daylight we agree to keep going and bivy. These girls had all the essentials plus bivy sacks and space blankets. The night was pretty comfortable thanks to all the "extra" stuff they carried and one of them became my regular climbing partner and eventually mothered our two daughters. Which leads to another story. She gave my name to the Climbing Committee Chairman who was looking for someone to lead rock pitches for him and two other Mountaineers on the south side of Kangaroo Temple. Six or so pitches up a thunderstorm from the north arrives. Wind, lightning and pouring rain drove us into a nearby cave (maybe the gallery cave) which seemed more like a microwave oven with all the electrical action going by. The lightning passed, the rain turned to snow and the Mounties refused to go. Lots of daylight left, four easy pitches and back to the car. None of my friends would've hesitated to get the fuck out of there. But nooooooo, we were going to sleep on these jagged rocks, cramped together with drips of water falling on us. The only bivy I ever really hated. In the morning there is 3-4 inches of snow on the route but the weather is nice, it's July and I'm past ready to leave. The one guy who can lead 5.8 checks it out and then the Chairman takes a look. They agree to stay put and hope things are melted off by the next day. I'm more than a little incredulous and describe how to stand in a sling if it's too hard. So I lead up, leaving lots of gear for them to pull on. I never climbed with a Mountaineer again. Except for my wife.

jon, How about getting the "rockfest" participants to each spend an hour pulling knapweed and picking up roadside litter? Doing that might show the local land managers and residents how much climbers care for the Icicle. Enjoy

i am looking for somebody to explore the lilooet area with. i've been climbing since 1981 beginning as a solo mountaineer in the olympics thru rock rat winters in j tree and living in the valley before becoming a father and householder in b'ham that interrupted most climbing aspirations until the early 90's. since i've lived a year in boulder and 5 in leavenworth. i am now on orcas island mostly kayaking and dreaming of the next trip to canmore for ice climbing which i've done each of the past 2 years. there is nothing to climb here and nobody that i've heard of to go with so am putting out hopes of meeting some partners thru this website. i've done some of the standard snow/ice moderates in the cascades, ne face forbidden, n. face shuksan, n. ridge baker, liberty ridge etc. as well as rock routes in the sierra, bugaboos, cascades. i've lead trad rock to 5.11a, nothing against sport routes, my waterfall ice trips have been with my girlfriend where i lead a wi 3 and she follows then we go ski-touring. so i have'nt got my system down yet for hanging out to place screws on anything harder. i do have the head for it attained thru 200+ alpine routes, soloing rock to 5.10. my first water ice experience was wi 5 tr with mtn. axes, no problem climbing. i've since acquired full rack of screws etc. i'm hoping to hook-up with somebody of similar experience more or less. my schedule is flexible, have a party to go to tonite but can leave tomorrow kind of thing. also do alot of tele skiing! ------------------