sobo

Tieton: The Reflector Oven

This one... Seriously, I loved this one: "No matter how hot she looks, some guy out there is fucking tired of her shit."

What's carbon fiber...??

Details, Dru! Just details! Perhaps the author of the comment may have been thinking of Mr. Horsley as the "ass" in that scenario, hmmm...?

Relax, Dru. The guy's got like what, 2 posts? He's new...

Did you guys read the comments posted below the story? Abso-fuckin'-lutely hilarious!! Here's a snippet: '...gives new meaning to the term "ass fucking"...'

Yeah, I lost some PMs, too. I don't think anyone is out to moderate you, glassgowkiss. Honest glitch, IMHO.

Yes, I have, too. When we did it as a party of three, there was only two other groups of two each on the route with us. Our weather window was clear, with snow waist deep (swimming) across the Winthrop and Carbon, and sloughing on us up the track to Thumb Rock. Bowling alley in the Willis Wall basin all night, but nothing (of consequence) entered camp at TR (not like Alpinfox's experience). High winds/lenticular arrived on summit day. But to answer your question, it wasn't crowded by any standard. Of course, this was before it got it's recent distinction as the "Death Route" of the PNW. As an aside, we caught up with the group of two from Colorado, and ended up "rescuing" them. They were in over their heads, and they confessed this to us in those exact words. They had spent a night at 12,000 or so, just below the Black Pyramid, in an open, sitting bivy (they chopped "butt holes" into the slope). The other group of two joined up with us as well, as one of their members was getting lethargic and light-headed. AMS was the diagnosis (coming from sea level in CA to MRNP in a day), but he was not convinced to descend until after he summitted. We privately discussed the scenario among our group, and determined that we were obligated, as the only "fit" team on the route, to stay with them. We ended up short-roping them all up to us and putting them on the summit, then we descended to start the chopper exfil (that's another story all by itself!). It took us 26 hours from Thumb Rock, to the LC summit, then down the Emmons and Inter to White River CG, with four souls in tow on the ascent. All in all, a memorable way to spend Memorial Day.

A spiritual experience, might we say...?

Been there, done that. Hence my comment dissing the PC blade.

As a father of a just-turned 4 year old, I can say that it only gets better! Now that's just the kind of inspiration I needed. Thanks a bazillion, kurt!

Moses Lake. Sorry, that was a typo. The keys are right next to each other. Actually, I originally thought CC was referring to Wenas Lake (pronounced Ween Ass). But I guess Moses Hole is just as good. Hey Ducknut, why aren't you packing instead of spraying on this thread? And contribute a name, anyway, eh?

I'm in the same boat as Bogen now. My 2-year-old repeats everything you say, and he's amazingly accurate as well. It took a while to break him of saying "shit", but we managed. I instructed my wife she had to come up with a new word when she gets caught by a red light...

Now that looks like smart idea. Is that a Voile' blade? Barjor: All tips about getting a shovel with a METAL blade are spot on. Polycarbonate will (one day) leave you hanging out in the cold.

Beautiful!

I'd agree with mattp and willstrickland. The traverse pitch requires you to really think about where you place your pro before turning the corner, be conscious of potential rope drag by placing too much pro across the traverse, and back-cleaning could be advisable (altho I've never done it there). The hand crack sucks up pro (and your hands), and the flake is fine for your feet, it's just the exposure that pyschs people out. The last few times I've been up there, it appears that the start of the traverse has gotten really "greasy" with the passage of thousands... anybody else notice this? The finger crack right off Library Ledge is indeed stellar. Don't bypass it.

ryland, It's just off of I-84 in Oregon, near a burg called Meacham. Go east past Pendleton, up over Cabbage Hill/Deadman's Hill (or whatever they're calling it now) and keep heading east and south towards La Grande. Take the Meacham exit off the freeway. If you drop over the crest of the Blue Mountains, you've gone a bit too far. As shapp said above, it's in the Blues, not the Wallowas.

I have found that "crabbing" sideways works pretty well, and add the alert belayer. I learned this technique years ago at Stone Mountain, GA, on its huge granite dome. By "running" sideways on all fours, slapping your hands on the rock and letting your feet slide as you fall, you will descend at somewhat of an angle, allowing the belayer just a smidgen of extra time to reef in more slack, and you maintain some semblance of control over your fall. If the belayer is not anchored (as in at the 1st pitch), he/she can run away from you to help take up slack. You do NOT want to start tumbling. The slapping of the hands prevents road rash because your hands do not remain stationary wrt to the rock.

Guinness?? My radar just locked on. Do ya think you could bring along some Fat Tire as well? That way, I could make Black & Tans...

Now that's one I haven't seen yet!

Now the real question is, do you know how to use them? Some versions that I've seen others employ have been quite hilarious...

Yup.

Trust me, some people expect this, and are affronted when the signs don't appear. Interesting related reading here in almost any issue. This should help. Find and download the "Get Your Bearings" page that KK referred to on Page 1 and carry it with you. You might also be able to pick one up at the Ranger's sign-in office if you arrive when they're open. Get your blue bags there, too.

Good advice. Be prepared to find your own way. They do, typically early in the season and usually after a heavy snowfall, if no one else does first. They typically use a small flag on the wand that sez "NPS" in magic marker, or at least they have done that in the past.

The reservation is not a waste. You will still need it whether or not you use the hut; it's required. Wilderness area/National Park stuff and all that. There are no man-made signs of any kind to warn of dangers. The natural ones are all around you. Steep cliffs that drop off to the Nisqually Glacier if you wander too far left, more stuff to fall off if you wander too far right. Hence my comments on being adept at map/compass navigation in low/zero visibility conditions. The Rangers pick up a broken body or two at least every other season because they ventured too far off the "path".