jja

yeppers! here's a local peak (sno pass) .. name the climber for extra points.

more east coast ...

Nice Paul. btw, there is no "L" in my last name

der mighty toof

Go climbing the weather's fine. Only touched off one little avi today

3 hours is too far. It's about 1.5 to 2hrs up the canyon .. the trick is that you can't really see it from the low part of the canyon (at least we didn't). 30 - 45 min passed tres burly there is a steep open slope on the left with a big tree about half way up the hill. You have to climb out of the low part of the canyon and up this slope on the left which cuts into the cliff system. Only when you are on the top of this slope will you see the climb on your right.

The ice conditions forum here at cc is good. Check here too: http://casbc.bivouac.com/ice0304.htm For weather check here: http://www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?WKF When it's warm, the best place to go will be marble canyon and Oregon Jack. I don't think I'm going out on a limb here to say that Honeyman Falls won't be in.

I had the same problem with my first pair last year, check here My first pair of gloves fell apart after one weekend, my second pair have 30+ days on them and are doing fine. I did seam seal the crap out of them though. A few points. 1.These gloves are the best combo of warmth and dexterity out there. 2.Yes, they get wet easy, and stay wet a long time. I wear thicker gloves at the belay and put them in my jacket, so at least they're warm and wet for the next lead. 3.I try not to rap in them. 4.I think mine will last the rest of this season. (for a total of 2 winters) Get a new pair paul and seam seal the hell out of them.

When I was looking into buying a digital camera, I used this site. I found it very useful.

So, do they get to go?

Jay, did you notice if the log jam across the river makes the apppoach from halfway up the road (instead of the bridge) worth doing?

We left marble at around 3pm, there had been no accidents that I was aware of. There was a HUGE group of students being led by two guides, they had a about a zillion tr's up, but they were well behaved and were finished by the time we left. Hope everything turned out ok. By the way icy bc has almost doubled in size since last week. There is enough ice to lead the left side as well as the right, and before too long the chockstone in the middle should be completely covered too. Alas it was the wettest thing out there this weekend.

The drive down route 1 erased all evidence of your so called calling card, so w/o photographic proof, I am still unscathed. Did Honeyman falls on Saturday. The first pitch was mostly dry, with splashing water in the middle. Led up the left edge on mostly dry ice with so-so pro. Cracked led his second ice pitch ever to top us out bypassing the gusher in the middle on the left again. Tossed the rap ropes over the edge and right into the water. Was gonna do cherry ice, but a bunch of people were on it so drove out to bridge to check out some stuff. For those wondering, the log jam, boulder, 2x10 combination is still in place for NnG. Got back into town with some light left so did cherry ice (bring two ropes and rap, the walk off sucks). On Sunday, drove out early to do salmon stakes against dru's best wishes. shoulda listened. Crossed the river with garbage bags, and headed up the crap gully, in crap wet warm weather. Ice was all wet and crappy, decided it was better to head down the crappy gully in the morning when it was 35F instead of later in the day when it would probably be 40F and raining crappy boulders. So we bailed (we were the only car in the bridge canyon). Drove to marble canyon and had some fun watching Wayne1112 pull some amazing shit on tr. And for his 4th day on ice ever Paul led the dihedral. Look Mom, NO GORTS !!

yikes! and I thought -25c at lillooet was burly!

I'll give you two other rei optons Just south of sea-tac off of I5 in federal way is an rei, easy on / off highway. Further south in tacoma is another rei just off the highway. They are both on the way to the mountain. Also if you are headed to the paradise / nisqually entrance there is a climbing shop that is part of the rmi guiding outfit in ashford. click here

Forget everything I wrote, this is the answer:

PP, Pure ice climbing is easy. So I'd say you're right 80% of climbers are in the 4/5 range - if by that you mean able to get up the climb. Leading an ice climb is a whole nuther thing. Unlike rock (for the most part), the difference between tr'ing a pitch and leading a pitch on ice is more than mental. Placing pro on ice is a chore, and requires good technique on the steeps to avoid getting pumped. So I guess I'd say 80% of climbers lead in the 3/4 instead of 4/5 range. When I'm looking for a climb I look for 4's to lead when I think the ice is "good". If it's brittle, really thin, rotten, aerated, or dinner plating 2+ scares the hell out of me. So I guess I look at wi ratings as a starting point, they give an indication of how hard a climb is in "typical" conditions. I then adjust up or down (usually down in my case) depending on the other factors you mention. Go ahead and buy those tools!!

HR, Don't feel guilty, go to rei, try them on, find the correct size, and then order them through the web.

Earlier this summer I bought Kayland approach shoes at Second Ascent, don't remember if they carry the mtnring boots though.

I got it, I got it! I got your number on the wall! I got it, I got it! For a good time, for a good time call....

Jenny, Jenny, you're the girl for me. You don't know me but you make me so happy. I tried to call you before but I lost my nerve. I tried my imagination, but I was disturbed.

Jenny, I got your number. I need to make you mine. Jenny, don't change your number, 8-6-7-5-3-0-9, 8-6-7-5-3-0-9 8-6-7-5-3-0-9, 8-6-7-5-3-0-9

Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to? You give me something I can hold on to. I know you think I'm like the others before Who saw your name and number on the wall.

WI2 ?? hell, even I can do that one!!

It was too cold this weekend to take out the camera and futz with the small controls. But I did manage to take a couple of pics. Here's one from today, ice ice baby at the rambles. There's a bolted finish on this one up to the tree - didn't do it. Thanks for the beta on this one Dave!