STORER Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 I was suspose to go climbing in the Adirondacks this week, but my two ex-climbing partners ditched me. I'm so pissed at them and sent them an e-mail stating that I don't want to be friends with them anymore. I've been looking at moving to Seattle in a year or so, but if I do more out there, what is my chances of finding a good climbing partner? I'll admitt that I'm not the most experenced climber, but I want to improve and I need to find people that will help me. Steve Quote
arlen Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 I moved from Syracuse to Olympia a few years ago and had no trouble finding suitable partners despite being sub-hardman (daks grades are about equal to the stiffer grades here). All I've really had to do is feign indifference to bolting controversies.... Quote
STORER Posted December 29, 2003 Author Posted December 29, 2003 cool! Thanks for the reply. I love the Adirondacks, but the Pacific NW is calling me. Quote
griz Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 Yeah, if you aren't a bonehead you shouldn't have much trouble up there. Looking online isn't a bad way to go but you've got to have your BS meter set to HIGH. Be prepared to be pretty blunt w/ people you don't want to climb w/ 'cuz they be dumbasses. I met some great people to climb with and still climb w/ up there,though. I'm sure if you do another thread here asking for links to other sites for partners you'll get some good ones. BTW, ever climb on Mt. Jo in the Daks? My first rock climb was there a long time ago. The Daks kick ass but don't compare to the west, for sure. Good luck,dude. Quote
ken4ord Posted December 29, 2003 Posted December 29, 2003 I agree with griz. I just moved out here from Maine last April and have had no problem finding partners. I pretty much managed to climb about 4 day a week this summer. Also like griz said don't compare it to the East. At times the routes here are way more demanding and much longer and much better. Quote
STORER Posted December 31, 2003 Author Posted December 31, 2003 I went to Alaska this summer and fell in-love with the West coast. Big mountains and tons of rock out cropings to boulder on. I guess almost any other place is better then Cleveland for climbing. Is it true that engineers can find jobs easily in Seattle? Steve Quote
HRoark Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Is it true that engineers can find jobs easily in Seattle? Steve Sure, as long as you can make a double tall skinny mocha with whipped. Bwahahahahahaha!!!!! What kind of engineer are you? Quote
STORER Posted December 31, 2003 Author Posted December 31, 2003 I'm a mechanical engineer that has worked in the custom machine tool field for six years. I'm trying to get into the medical field if all goes as planned. I'll make coffee if they pay me an engineers salery and I have enough time off to enjoy the outdoors. You guys remind me of myself...........scary! Steve Quote
HRoark Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Take it from a former midwestern manufacturing engineer (with what sounds like similar experience as you): the PNW is not the heavy duty manufacturing center that the midwest is. Aerospace,sure, but who wants to get laid off in six months? Let's face it, Boeing isn't the super safe place to work anymore. Take all that money your wife got from her dead grandmother and buy a mocha stand near a major intersection and then climb 4 days a week. You'll be better off. Quote
sk Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Take it from a former midwestern manufacturing engineer (with what sounds like similar experience as you): the PNW is not the heavy duty manufacturing center that the midwest is. Aerospace,sure, but who wants to get laid off in six months? Let's face it, Boeing isn't the super safe place to work anymore. Take all that money your wife got from her dead grandmother and buy a mocha stand near a major intersection and then climb 4 days a week. You'll be better off. Now that is some solid advice Quote
HRoark Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 (edited) No shit. Edited December 31, 2003 by HRoark Quote
HRoark Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Spoken like a over-educated barista! Did you want decaf or half-caf? Would you like a straw? Quote
STORER Posted December 31, 2003 Author Posted December 31, 2003 (edited) If I can't get an engineering job out there, I'll just prostitute myself to rich older women. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. :-) I forgot to answer your question Griz. I never climber on Mt. Jo but I have been up Marcy, Algonquin and Colden. Two years ago we did a winter asent of Algonquin and this cancled trip was supose to be the back side of Algonquin and the back side of Marcy (up and over on both of them). If I can find some quality climbers, I want to rockclimb up Mt. Colden. There is a big crack where Avalanch Lake is. The only way to get to it is to wait until the lake freezes. Steve Edited December 31, 2003 by STORER Quote
IceIceBaby Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Moved to Seattle from NYC in the beginning of the summer and still unemployed but the climbing is great hopefully soon I will land a job my advice work on that resume and cover letter and polish those interview skills and most important GL Quote
HRoark Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 have been up Marcy, Algonquin and Colden. Two years ago we did a winter asent of Algonquin and this cancled trip was supose to be the back side of Algonquin and the back side of Marcy (up and over on both of them). If I can find some quality climbers, I want to rockclimb up Mt. Colden. There is a big crack where Avalanch Lake is. The only way to get to it is to wait until the lake freezes. Steve I love that area. I cut my teeth up in there when I was younger; mostly in summers. I think I got up to 35 or 36 of the 46'ers. Giant Mtn was my fave up there. Ah, the memories of that beautiful cup of lukewarm lemonade at Johns Brook Lodge!!! Quote
ken4ord Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 If I can't get an engineering job out there, I'll just prostitute myself to rich older women. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. :-) I forgot to answer your question Griz. I never climber on Mt. Jo but I have been up Marcy, Algonquin and Colden. Two years ago we did a winter asent of Algonquin and this cancled trip was supose to be the back side of Algonquin and the back side of Marcy (up and over on both of them). If I can find some quality climbers, I want to rockclimb up Mt. Colden. There is a big crack where Avalanch Lake is. The only way to get to it is to wait until the lake freezes. Steve Hey Steve you should check out Colden Dike right now. Just saw some ariel photo of it and it look like there is ice in it. That is the way I always want to climb it. Defenitely an incredible looking line for NE standards. Check out NEice.com for photos. Quote
cj001f Posted December 31, 2003 Posted December 31, 2003 Trap Dike's cool. Try for Pharoah Mtn & NF Gothics if you get a chance. Quote
STORER Posted December 31, 2003 Author Posted December 31, 2003 Hey HRoark, I've been going to the Dacks for years, what is Colden Dike? Thanks for the link ken4ord! Steve Quote
tshimko Posted January 1, 2004 Posted January 1, 2004 Steve I grew up in NE Ohio (Eastlake, in fact just returned from there today (Dad died the day after christmas)), and moved out to the NW in 1985. It's true that the Puget Sound is not the scene of industrial manufacture that NE Ohio is. I was a chemist, found work out here anyway, but my experiences with the outdoors (climbing, long distance hiking) began my journey away from that kind of work (industrial)....it just took up too much time that could be use being in the outdoors. I eventually bailed from the traditional path that engineers and scientists often follow, I went to part time work, got fired (it's worth getting fired at least once in your life), I taught college chemistry, briefly took a chemical consulting position (part time while teaching), ultimately, as I was driving up to Seattle one day (from Oly) to that work, turned off I-5 at Dupont, went back south, called my employer, told them "last week was the last week", found work in product development, technology development, materials development with Cascade Designs (you know, Thermarest and all that), and have now come to being self-employed doing light construction, home repair, seismic retrofitting of older homes. Gives me more time for adventures in the outdoors. Only regret is that I did not jump off the traditional track sooner. I guess the message is that, at least for me, the PNW was a place that was conducive for me to find less traditional ways to live, to make my life more congruent...work, play, life... it's become much more connected. There are lots of climbers out here, you'll be able to find people to climb with, no matter what your ability or style. And, yes, the "local" climbing is way better than anything you will find in Cleveland. Quote
HRoark Posted January 2, 2004 Posted January 2, 2004 Hey HRoark, I've been going to the Dacks for years, what is Colden Dike? Thanks for the link ken4ord! Steve If I recall correctly, and ken4ord can tell me if I'm wrong, but the Dike on Colden is seen from Avalanche Lake as you hike in from ADK Lodge. I never got a chance to climb it, but I hear it's nice. Quote
arlen Posted January 2, 2004 Posted January 2, 2004 If I recall correctly, and ken4ord can tell me if I'm wrong, but the Dike on Colden is seen from Avalanche Lake as you hike in from ADK Lodge. I never got a chance to climb it, but I hear it's nice. It's pretty cool as dike hikes go. There's a trail from the campground that skirts the lake counterclockwise, and the dike is pretty obvious. Quote
STORER Posted January 3, 2004 Author Posted January 3, 2004 tshimko, Sorry to hear about your father. Your from Eastlake? Damn, you're like family! If Colden dike is just a hike (not rock climbing), I think I did that. I went up and over Mt. Colden last summer with my virgen backpacker friend. I think that was a good first trip for him. Steve Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted January 3, 2004 Posted January 3, 2004 It sounds to me like Colden Dike = Trap Dike. Ahhh, the memories. It's been like 50 degrees here recently, would there still be ice there? (I'm visiting the 'rents in MA, and I don't have my climbing stuff with me, so I haven't been paying attention.) Quote
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