year in review

[shapp]

started working out on a regular basis for the first time since 2000 (no more fat shap).

 

First time at Tieton, how did I not get there in the last 9 years living in WA?

 

First time schwacking up to Squire Creek Wall

 

Saw 8 brown bears in 1 day in Alaska

 

caught a lot of crabs (the eating kind)

 

First time partying with 10 Bear Valley long-term lift operators on the Owyhee River for a week (can't recall too many details of the trip though).

 

First time on Solar at Smiff

 

Saw the increasing traffic at Spring Mt. (WA) result in measurable decrease in moss and increase in route quality.

 

Celebrated 10 years of marriage to my best friend.

Shapp

Edited December 14, 2009 by shapp

[justinp]

Started technical climbing last spring

Learned how to sport climb (thanks Cullen)

First sport leads

Learned how to trad climb (thanks Kenny, Dave, Ivan and Paul)

First trad leads

Learned how to aid climb (thanks Kenny & Ivan)

First aid leads (solo and w/partner)

First ice climb (thanks Ivan, Kenny, Jeremy)

Rainier, Hood and others

Found out what Beacon is all about

Meet some cool people

Here’s to next year

 

[kevbone]

 

Longest multipitch to date (Diedre+Boomstick Crack+Ultimate Everything = 17+ pitches in reasonable time )

 

I have done that. Super cool....

[crimper]

my son turned 3

my daughter turned 1

managed to climb outside about every other weekend, almost all around home (portland) and not too much excitement.

got the FA of two boltless 5-10-ish crack climbs within 20 miles of downtown pdx (not lake o, not the gorge, not rocky butte, and one is a 100 foot route!)

retrieved a bail biner from a route i FA'ed (that was a first, and it felt nice in an ego-stroking way...plus, hey, free bail biner!)

got back to smith for the first time in 2 years - and i can report that heinous cling is still crimpy and sustained!

 

[Wakaranai]

Great times

Darrington- Roan Wall

WA pass- Passenger

Enchantments- Acid Baby

Nesakwatch- Dairyland

many great days scrubbing the black death off at Cumberland Pass and put up about 8 new pitches.

watched my 1 yr old become a 2 year old. Time truly does fly by too fast. Make the most of it all yall!

Regrets- only that I didnt get up to Squamish enough but such is life.

[catbirdseat]

Post deleted.

[LostCamKenny]

took a 20 footer on "Day of Atonement" and had to pound out the nut i fell on with a rock since i don't own a wall hammer!

[Dannible]

Looking at this thread has made me think back and realise that I really did have an awsome year of mountain stuff. In 2008 I never really got into it for a couple of reasons. This year I spent 6 weeks in Bozeman in January n Febuary, climbing 3 or 4 days a week, and skiied Baker in the spring (my first volcano ski deal). In June I graduated from school and I was thinking that this might be my last summer of freedom before the real world sucked me in, so I tried to do a lot: Torment to Forbidden in a day (shut me down in 2 days in 2006), N face of Triumph, neb of Goode in a day, and fun smaller stuff in the north cascades and enchantments. In the fall I moved to Leavenworth, had more fun bouldering than I thought I ever would, and now am stoked on ice again.

 

I don't think back on the past year much because it seems like I'm always just daydreaming about what I want climb in the future.

[backclipped]

It's actually Thin Slice, and it goes at 10b.

 

I stand corrected...which is pathetic because you've corrected me a dozen times.

 

I forgot about a long weekend spent at Tieton....I gotta lay off the sauce. It was a highly entertaining weekend of climbing in dodgy weather with a few of my favorite clowns.

 

Highlights:

Rendered Weightless, Mush Maker, A super heady and sustained 10b sport route that I didn't pitch on, Lava Point clipping,the improbable looking Dream Wall...kudos to whoever decided to drill into that thing, the suicide death dive in the face of a phatty rattler, Big guy saying fuck all to the car and staying in the moment...we told you that you'd make it home.

[el jefe]

101 days climbing thus far in 2009. and i've still got two and a half weeks to add to the tally.

[montypiton]

My youngest son and I attempted his first real alpine route last June, and were caught by a sudden violent lightning storm near the top of the NE Couloir on Colchuck. While attempting retreat,my belay stance was destroyed by a lightning triggered avalanche of snow and rock that swept me to the Colchuck Glacier, severed the rope with which I had been belaying Michael as he downclimbed, and left him, age 15, marooned in a moat at the side of the couloir near its top. Michael successfully solo downclimbed the couloir (amazing kid),to find me,, to his surprise, alive, and in the care of four climbers who had witnessed the avalanche from Dragontail, and had dashed to help. One of them ran out to call help, another hiked out with my son, and the remaining two stayed with me and kept me alive for twelve hours until a military helicopter arrived to evacuate me to Central Washington Hospital, where my favorite climbing partner, and friend of thirty years, Dr. Mark Shipman, predicted "If he lives, he'll be back on the ice this winter". Dr. Tom Ettinger, another long-time climbing partner who had been Best Man at my wedding, managed to save my right foot (right ankle was fractured, and had been dislocated more than twelve hours by that time) and I spent the next four days in surgery to reconstruct my right ankle, right forearm, and jaw. There were so many fractures that we were still finding undocumented ones when I began physical therapy a month later. I was released from the third medical facility in August, and had the last casts off by September. Aggressive physical therapy has enabled me to walk without limping. Aggressive psychotherapy has enabled me to keep my job rather than claim disability. And, sure enough, I had two days on the ice last week, the first one with Shipman. My son's account of the episode can be read at caringbridge.com, if you enter my name, Curt Haire, when you access the site. I still have no memory whatsoever of the climb or fall. Helluva year...

[stevetimetravlr]

MontyPiton

You're one tough dude.

[Off_White]

Damn Curt, that's a helluva story. Every year we see through to the next one is a good year, eh?

 

No such dramatic events for me, it's just been a fun year; a little more climbing than last year, not quite as much as next year will bring. The Wednesday gig at the crag in my yard continues to be a source of joy: even when crushed by work I know I'll be climbing at least one day a week, and this year we had a bunch of new people and I made a stack of new friends. In fact, I got to go climbing with a lot of my favorite people over the year, gonna have to do that again.

[ZimZam]

Lost my wife/best friend

Lost my dog after losing wife

Moved to CO from NJ

I'm hoping '10 will be better than '09

[montypiton]

Condolences for wife and dog. Hope Colorado proves a healing ground for you. To quote Heide: "I knew the mountains would make you well!" I pray that be true for you...

[montypiton]

actually, Steve, I was pretty damn impressed with my son's performance! I mean, I got a RIDE down...

Edited December 15, 2009 by montypiton

[Ponderosa]

Was cured of cc.com by the unrelenting disingenuous turpitude of the biggest asshole I've encountered anywhere, online or in person, Tvash.

 

Thanks.

[G-spotter]

Lost my wife/best friend

Lost my dog after losing wife

Moved to CO from NJ

I'm hoping '10 will be better than '09

 

Put some twang in it and it'll be a Nashville hit!

[denalidave]

Was cured of cc.com by the unrelenting disingenuous turpitude of the biggest asshole I've encountered anywhere, online or in person, Tvash.

 

Thanks.

[DPS]

This summer I enjoyed relatively good health and opted to spend my vacation days by extending weekends so I could get to a bunch of routes that I would not normally be able to do in a weekend.

 

Casaval Ridge - Mt Shasta

NEB Goode

Park Glacier Headwall - Baker

Price Glacier - Mt Shuksan

NEB Colchuck

West Face Couloir to west ridge Stuart

[billcoe]

took a 20 footer on "Day of Atonement" and had to pound out the nut i fell on with a rock since i don't own a wall hammer!

 

Is that all, I kept seeing you everywhere. Don't be such a whiner, way back when folks just used their foreheads and didn't need no stinkin' hammers. They were tough back then, tough I tell ya....look at Montypitons story. Tough. Smart kids too. Besides, I heard you bagged the 4th ascent of Conga Line and I don't see that in your special post anyplace.

 

 

 

 

 

...now where's my pictures of that?

 

ahhh, Penolopie watching you belay Jimmies Favorite.

You are just outside of the picture belaying this lead...

Here you are behind the camera, not in view. That's Jim and Scott (Plaidman) of course.

 

Man, I know I have a pic of you someplace Kenny....ahhhh.....

There you are coiling a rope looking unconcerned racking for the 2nd ascent of Wounded Knee.

 

 

Whew, glad that I had something.

[hemp22]

Not a banner year for me in terms of climbing, but my first year as a father has been pretty cool.

 

I did manage to get out a couple times in the spring, to complete a couple of "mental projects" locally (i.e. easier climbs that I'd never had the nerve to lead previously, due to sparse/marginal/small gear). Got a couple classic days in at the Leap over the summer. Did a lot more mountain biking.

only skied once last winter, but at least it was a perfect powder day in the BC.

 

here's hoping I still remember how to tie in in 2010.

[mountainsloth]

Beckey route on S. face of Prussik, serpentine arete, Mt. Washington (Olympics) in the winter after a 3rd attempt, total soul, exfoliation dome, first trip to smith, Mt Baker Boulder glacier route, a hand full of moderates in Red Rocks, and have successfully brought some good friends into the climbing world. All while working and going to school full time! 2010 will be full of much more climbing, I am convinced of that!

 

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Lots of changes for me

 

Started out year with dearth of climbing while finishing grad school

 

Moved to CO in April, living outside WA for first time in life

 

Enjoying sunny weather and ample climbing, but missing the adventure of the cascades.

 

Best Rock Climb of the Year = SW Corner of the Saber in RMNP

Best Ice Climb of Year = probably NE Face of Notchtop in RMNP

[tomtom]

My doofus gym partner graduated and moved to CO.

 

Arrrgh.