Rodchester

Bend is a cool town, but Bend is way too far from the great alpine stuff in the central and north Cascades. At least for my taste. Its not that close the volcanoes either. At least not closer than many other areas. And Hood gets really crappy in the summer. Hood is best climbed in the later winter or spring...like right now. So if you’re moving soon and will be here most of spring and really want to hit Smith. . .Bend rocks. But if your focus is mountaineering and/or alpine climbing I’d be further north so you can hit the North Cascades. I guess Bend would have good access to spring skiing. 2 cents Good luck.

I tend to do the same, but the differences in this case are HUGE.

I don't know. It does seem wierd that the forecasts are SO different. I surfed by the forecasts again and they are still radically different. I also surfed by The Weather Channel and it seems to agree with Intellicast. Anyone got any opinions or observations of weather forecasting services?

Read the other post/thread. The bill does not include extending the Fee Demo to the Forest Service and BLM lands. That means it continues in its present incarnation until it laspes, which is this fall (October I believe?). So this pass appears to be designed to get you into all fee areas, Parks, Forests, etc. for this season. After that the pass may still exist, but you won't need it (or any other pass) to get into / use Forest Service areas. It is crazy. I agree it is hard to understand all of the Fees and where and when they apply. Hopefully after this October things will be easier.

Wow...that is cheap. Looks like a great deal for a beginner set, or m,aybe as a third tool. Here is another good deal on a straight shaft classic alpine hammer. Alpine Hammer

FYI for anyone interested: Red Rock Rendezvous

Looks like the two forecasts disagree. That's wazzzup. Yep, the NWS even says 11000 ft. on Saturday night. But Intellicast says in the mid 20s F at Timberline. I saw something on the news last night about how inaccurate the NWS is against many of the private run weather services. I wonder if this is what they were talking about? I guess we'll see.....

Forgive my confusion, but it seems like you are describing this week's conditions... I'd say there is a warming trend, but not really warm...and by week's end, the precipitation will have been over with by more than a few days. With freezing temps at night, get an early start and you should be fine. Weather at Timberline I'd say this could be an excellent weekend on Hood.

The individual that is going to follow and clean is fairly new to alpine climbing and I haven't been in the area (believe it or not) and so the first time into the area I would like to do a bivy/camp in the basin. I figure once I'm familar with the area I'll come back and do the other ridges in a day (one day at a time of course). Anyone done the Southeast Ridge on Sharkfin Tower? Would this be an easier one-day intro to the area? Nelson says it goes at 5.0 and is 2-5 hours from the Basin. Also, for the North Ridge, is there a better way to approach and camp in another Basin? Or at least easier to get permits to camp in another area? Options? Ideas? Thanks to all.

I have a pair of BD Shrikes with the bent shaft. I am happy with them for water ice and for some alpine. The type of bend in the shaft (At the hand as opposed to at the head) does make it hard to plunge the axe when self-belaying or probing. I wish I had one old fashioned alpine hammer at 55cm with a straight shaft. You can get the BD Shrike on sale cheap right now. They take most any BD pick (except for the VERY old original X-Tool picks). BD Picks can be purchased just about anywhere, at least in N.America. Shrike Sale At that price they are hard to beat. Good luck.

I could swear that I saw one at Marmot???

Go early...it can be a bowling alley with you as the not-so-quick-to-move-pins in warm conditions. Have fun....

looks like a cold, overcast amd windy vantage weekend. Looks like a beer weekend.

I think Russ is correct thatthere are many old axes laying around in garages and closets. That is a perfect example of Stubai stamped within a mountain, meaning it is not that old. I'll bet its a 1960s model...interesting adze. That is in great shape.

I know that overnight camping in the Basin requires a permit year round. But what I want to know is, when is the high season for the area when permits become difficult to obtain? ROUGHLY when does it become a pain to get permits? Also regarding Forbidden Peak (West, East and North Ridges): Is there a time in the early season when one can USUALLY get a permit when these routes are USAULLY in "season-shape?" Also, any opinions on each or any of these ridge routes is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

The reality is that there are many of these old axes laying around. I have a pretty rare one that is a WW II German mountain troops actual issue with the German Army serial number clearly visible on it. I have another Stubai that I believe is from the early 1930s (based on some research) that is only 50 cms in length. The short axes are VERY rare. back then everything was long, walking axes. My pint is that these tend to run between $100.00 for a standard old axe and up to about $500.00 for a VERY rare axe. In the years to come, assuming you can authenticate that it was used by old Fred, it may be considered rare. But overall these axes are more interesting pieces that you hang on your wall, as opposed to a museum wall. Does anyone know of a Cascade Climbing museum, or mountaineering historical society? Do the Mountaineers have anything like that? Others? I have been trying to find an old hemp rope....that is very hard to find. That said, I agree with most here...don't touch the wood shaft.

Cpt. Cavie: I just spoke with a Japanese speaker in my office. He did a QUICK review of the linked page. If the axe has Stubai stamped on the head inside a mountain, it is newer (post WWII). If the axe has Stubai stramped inside of a triangle, it is older (usually 1950 or older). So: Triangle or Mountain?

DT: I guess that I did not state what i meant clearly. The topic is how one attaches the belay biner and belay device to the harness. Specifically questioning the way that some people clip the belay biner through the leg loops and the waist belt (mirroring the belay loop) as opposed to attaching the bely biner and device to the manufactured belay loop. That clarified, I should have said: I was at Second Ascent the other day and saw a good diagram and visual explanation oo why you shouldn't route a belay biner and device through the waist belt and the leg belt as suggested by some here. It creates a three way load on the biner (as stated by some here). Biners are tested and designed for a two way load. The weakest part of the biner is the gate. When you use the biner in the way suggested by some here, and a leader falls (or any weight is placed on the rope) it could create a three way load (waist belt, leg webbing, and the rope). Should anyone of these three loads land on the gate, failure is POSSIBLE. I do agree that clipping into a locking biner for glacier travel (should use two) that is clipped into the harness' belay loop is not going to generate enough force to USAULLY cause concern.

Well, I guess its kind of like the old Monty Python skit..."Bring out your dead." The clearly dying guy is being put out into the street to be picked up (picture the time of the black plague) by a guy shouting "Bring Out Your Dead!" The clearly dying man protests: "But I'm not dead yet." In theory this thing could be revived. But I seriously think its dead on FS and BLM lands. So guess its not dead yet. . ..but it will be son. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed.

Nope...just asking ML what she means. That's why I used the confused icon.

Curious...you make it sound like jobs are everywhere. So, do you think the economy is in that good of shape? Good enough to allow any worker to just stroll on in and get a non-union job? Don't worry Illian and Hopping can just find work elsewhere after all those years of dedicated service.

Actually, I'd say by the angle of the pick and the teeth it is older. I could be incorrect, But I'd say the 1940s.

Yes, and no. It is my understanding that Hudy makes the cams for Trango, Acme, Rock Empire, and others. But they aren't all the same cam. Click on the Acme site and then the Trango site...(or just pick up the cams and look at them) They are clearly different cams. I have heard from others that Trango is remodeling the Flex-cam. Also...check out these for cheap cams: STP-CASSIN CAMS More

CBS: Thanks or the link. Informative. "WestFarm generated $1.1 billion in sales and $2.3 million in profits last year from 11 plants in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. The company is owned by the Northwest Dairy Association, a cooperative of 700 farms facing the lowest milk prices in 25 years." Sounds like a bad time to strike. Of course I doubt that they could have anticipated the market.

toptimmy: "If you dont want to be union dont join one" Let me start by saying that I have never been in a Union nor have I ever worked in the type of shops that normally unionize, so my personal experience is very limited. But I hear many complain that you have to be in the union in order to work in certain shops and/or fields. that the unions won't allow non-union workers to work side by side. Assuming this to be true, doesn’t that make your statement ring hollow? Can people not join a union and still work side by side with those in a union? Does it vary from industry to industry, shop to shop? Just asking...this is one issue that has always puzzled me.