sobo

Went in today and the ice is still in, albeit a little thinner. Still doable at WI-3+/4. A couple more plums were picked, the river crossing was made way easier with waders, and last week's webbing at the rap stations sped up descents. Jason: Got photos and beta.

HA! Just too good. Probably sounds even better told with a thick Irish br-r-r-r-rogue.

Amen, Brother.

E tu, gregm?

WOW! A new forum. Cool! Season's still going strong up there, from my memory. Thanks moderator guys, this should be fun.

Hi AK,Last time I did it (2000/2001 season) the center was running full bore, and we climbed "scruffy" ice on both the left and right sides of the flow, with the right side being better ice. Spray didn't seem to be too big of an issue. Got lots of drytooling practice on the left side. Important to add that we had set up a TR. PS: Jason has pimped me by PM for photos and add'l info for "the guide". I'll be sending him the requested info soon. I'm attepmting to set up another trip this weekend, if it's still in (bummed a pair of chest waders from a fishing fanatic here at work ). Will bring along a camera as well. Wish us luck. PPS: Sorry about the long trips over for nothing, Dood. What did you do with all the spare time? If you would have driven up the road another 3/4 mile, you would've seen these flows we're talking about across the river. [ 03-14-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

jstreet:Ixnay on the photos, although it would be easy to get them. I'll work on it (soon!). Regarding Horsetail Falls, the gong for this season has sounded. Waaaaaay too much water to ever freeze up again this season.

I'll weigh in again, goatboy... S Face Harrison Peak in the Selkirks north and west of Sandpoint, ID. About 8-10 multipitch alpine routes put up in the 80s by the likes of John Roskelley, Chris Kopcinski, Joe Benson, and others. All moderate outings (5.7 - 5.9+) in a pristine alpine setting, with a lovely alpine lake to camp upon, and only a two-mile, 1500 foot gain hike in. Excellent in late August/early September. It's the 20-mile dirt road that keeps out most of the riff-raff. There's an old guidebook by Randall Green for the area, including the granite cliffs around Sandpoint and Lake Pond'Orielle.

ALPINE?Stuart, Lower NE rib variation to the standard couloir, then finished once by the Great Gendarme, and the other by the friction traverse.NF of N Peak of Index. Maybe it was just the company, but what a hoot that was! Both times!Tooth, S Face in winter. What more can i say?Beckey route on LB, teamed up with the NF of Concorde Tower. I always do these (6 times now) as a pair waiting for the LB crowd to clear out. R&D Route, L-worth. 3 times now, plus gave my wife her engagement ring at the top (with a knowing nod to pope, i'm off-topic, too!) Last but not least, Outer Space. At least once or twice a year every year since 1990. But it's getting too greasy now. PS: Almost forgot! Slick Rock outside of McCall, ID. 10 pitches of serene 5.6 crack/slab climbing, and almost nil crowds. And free camping! [ 03-12-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

OK, after the fiasco at Umptanum, we got some grub and headed into the Little Naches, up Hiway 410 from Cliffdell. About 3/4-mile past Horsetail Falls, across the river, is a large cliff with three distinct falls that were formed right to the water level. We climbed the center group (WI-3+/4). We had to bail near the top because of darkness, and needed two raps to get back to teh gear. Really awesome ice, longish route (200+ feet) for around here, and no crowds. Could be because of the crux river crossing. We had Sorels to cross over, with extra socks, and the benefit of daylight. The return crossing was far from simple, or dry (insert much expletives here). This group of climbs can be found on Forest Road 19, about 1.5 miles in from Hiway 410, just a couple of miles past the little burg of Cliffdell. They seem to take a long time to form, but once in, stay around awhile, unlike the other ice along the road(south-facing) on the way in. Be prepared for high, cold, swift water, not unlike the Drury approach. A pair of hip waders or a couple of plastic garbage bags duct-taped around your legs would serve to stave off the cold misery of the approach and return. When the river freezes over more, an aluminum extension ladder laid across the flows works really well.

Went out Sunday morning with my buddy Cragg (yeah, that's his name) and went in to Umptanum Falls between Wenas Lake and Ellensburg. The falls were running water, but there was a short (25-30 feet) blue plastic smear across the pool at the base of the falls. Since the pool was unfrozen, we dispensed with the rope and did laps solo until we got bored and got our heads worked out. Never having been there before, I would give it WI-2, except that the top-out was interesting with the limited anchorage available for a solo lead. Left and went to the Little Naches River drainage for some real fun. See related TR.

We're gonna have a kid real soon, so we're gonna buy a bunch of that Kiddy fleece shit so our youngun looks like a Seattle Shit Factory. Seriously, anything I would buy at this point from REI would never get used for at least 5 years from now. PS: Climbing gear for sale, all types. Just kiddin'

quote: Who the fuck is Michael Knight? David Parker:He's the honky in the photo. He's David Hasselhoff, who later starred on some bimbo-laden beach TV series. Baywatch or somethin' like that. The picture is from his first(?) TV series, back in the late 70s/early80s, called Knight Rider, about some Trans Am that could talk and do shit like the Batmobile, but on voice que. His character was called Michael Knight. All coming together now? The show was really dorky, but now you must wonder about that about me, since I can recall all this shit. Suffice it to say those were the days immediately before I started climbing, and I had a lot of unproductive time on my hands then...

quote: As to why they just lurk, Was it Woody Allen who said he "would never belong to any organization that would have me as a member" johnny,That remark has been attributed to Groucho Marx

512dude, if Fromage's login has anything to do with French cheese, I'd say it's just fine like it is. Check your Berlitz.

Try the Rock and Ice rag's ice conditions page. It's something likehttp://www.rockandice.com/index.phtml?section=ice It brings up a table with areas to choose from. Used to be pretty accurate site a few years ago. You guys on cc.com seem to be more up to date more recently, tho.

Know your knots and be able to tie them in the dark! My buddy and I once spent 20 minutes at the end of a free-hanging rap trying to figure out how to tie an equalized knot, with our last piece of webbing, to two hangers at a full-on hanging belay , in the dark. Ended up tying an American Death Triangle just to get the hell outta there! Don't forget water, too (we were seriously dehydrated and stumbly - probably didn't help much either). [ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

Thanks much, Rev, for the update. Charlie, have you been out in the local canyons recently?

This is a quest for current ice conditions in the Manashtash and Umptanum drainages: To Erik, charlie, or anyone who's been in really recently, is this ice in or forming up again? Cragg and I are planning a trip over this weekend, as it's gotten seriously cold at night recently. Charlie, you live in E-burg. Have you been in? TIA.

must be nice, havin' Pub Club with all yer climbin' buds. stuck here in yakima w/nothin but gangbangers and robots that are too into health food shit.

Howz about Walla Walla, Washington? (Water water, as I understand it, from the language of some local, early, indigenous inhabitants). It also means: Home of the State's worst (convicted) criminal offenders. This meaning, of course, presupposes the membership of this group.

Hi, no bs here. info requested. check your PMs. ...sobo

Alex,Sadly, no that was not me with the flagging. I did flag the approach a couple of winters back when the area was first opening. Up Spencer Creek road to a "blue square" XC ski trail, through a small deciduous wooded area and a marsh, balance moves across the beaver dam, and up the clearcut/slide area, thru some conifers below the cliffs, and ultimately deposited at Split Rock Camp. That's my preferred approach, about 3 hours from the South Tieton Road. Yale Preston showed me another route (before he moved to Montana) that goes up Milk Creek and follows a narrow ravine and deposits you well to the left of SRC, somewhere near the bottom of some WI4 route which I'd remember the name if I heard it. It avoids the clearcut and the beaver pond. However, this approach is bs on skis and worse on shoes, IMHO, having done it both ways. The Spencer Creek approach allows a TAM approach all the way to the blue square XC trail, and it's about 30-45 minutes to SRC from the drop-off. View's better that way, too, but you already know that. When is your next planned excursion to Strobach, and will the TAM be employed, and can me and Cragg get in on it? I can pay my toll in beer. Cheers,...sobo

Hey thanks, Charlie!Logged you into my address book for partners. Don't think anything's going to be in this weekend, tho. Besdies, the wife's got me painting... I'll be in touch as the temps drop, tho.Cheers,...sobo

Hey erik,Thanks for the reply. So for clarity, a right at the schoolhouse onto Manastash Road goes to Manastash Falls in 12.5 miles to the parking area, and straight at the schoolhouse goes to Umptanum Falls in 9.5 miles? I'm so lame... Cheers,...sobo