meditate001 Posted April 14, 2003 Posted April 14, 2003 Let me know - if the weather is bad then maybe Leavenworth...?? Quote
catbirdseat Posted April 14, 2003 Posted April 14, 2003 I might be interested. The weather is probably more reliable at Tieton than at Leavenworth. We were there this weekend and it rained both days. Quote
Dave_Schuldt Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 Maybe, I will get hold of you later in the week. Quote
JayB Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 catbirdseat said: We were there this weekend and it rained both days. Were you the guys at the columns Saturday? Quote
catbirdseat Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 Sorry for the confusion. We were at Icicle Canyon all weekend. All I know is that Vantage was mostly dry. I don't know about Tieton. Quote
dryad Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 Yup, Vantage last weekend was great. Catbird missed out. Quote
jergup Posted April 15, 2003 Posted April 15, 2003 catbirdseat said: Sorry for the confusion. We were at Icicle Canyon all weekend. All I know is that Vantage was mostly dry. I don't know about Tieton. Tieton was wet on Saturday. Quote
JayB Posted April 16, 2003 Posted April 16, 2003 We were there on Saturday and it was indeed wet in the morning, but it cleared up right after we arrived (9:30-10:00) and it was dry and in the mid-60's for the rest of the day. In fact, by mid-afternoon it was downright pleasant. And....we were apparently climbing so well that all of the snakes came out to check us out. We topped out on an easy route with no rap anchors and I started coiling the ropes while my partner started heading out. After about 20 feet he turned back and said "Hey - watch out for the rattlesnake over here" while pointing to a spot three or four feet away. I headed up and caught sight of a rattler in the general vicinity of the one he had pointed out and asked "Is this the snake you saw on the way up? " "Nope - that one's a few feet to the right." I take one step to the right and hear another telltale rattle, then see another snake. I naturally veer in the opposite direction and make it all of three steps before I hear what sounds like a much larger rattle emanating from a shadowy crack about a foot ahead of me. Once we get away from the snake's sundeck (warm rocks) and back onto a dirt trail we manage to avoid irritating any more snakes. You'd think that with all of the snakes at that place the 's wouldn't be a problem, but we had a couple of fearless 's raiding our pack all day. Moral: -Rap instead of walking off if you want to avoid the snakes. -If you can't rap off, avoid the rock piles as much as possible. -Ignore the two morals listed above and bring a syringe full of anti-venom or become a born-again holy-roller and test your faith in the Lord Almighty while taunting the numerous rattlers that you encounter on the way back to your packs. Other Random thoughts on the Royal Columns: - Sandals will almost certainly get you across the river faster than the cable. -If you op to take the cable, bring your own pulley for an easier/smoother trip across. Also not a bad idea to use gloves while pulling yourself across as there is at least one section with a bit of frayed wire that you can cut your hand on pretty easily, as I did. Ignore if you have had a recent tetanus booster shot. -Climb Inca Roads. It rules. Quote
Dave_Schuldt Posted April 16, 2003 Posted April 16, 2003 Always put in a piece before toppong out. Never reach for the top before looking. How much damage did last years fire do? Quote
JayB Posted April 16, 2003 Posted April 16, 2003 Dave_Schuldt said: How much damage did last years fire do? Everything from the riverbank to the base of the slope leading up to the Columns got pretty well scorched, but most of the big trees seemed to have survived, and some of the underbrush is starting to come to life again. Quote
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