Metate Arch, Devil's Garden

After our hike in Little Wild Horse Canyon we headed through Capitol Reef National Park then south toward the town of Escalante. We stopped at the BLM visitor center in Escalante and picked up a few maps for the area where we were planning to go over the next few days. We also filled up our two 7-gallon water containers and inquired about where we were allowed to camp once we were in the interior of the monument. Once our questions were answered and we were stocked up on necessary supplies we headed for Hole in the Rock Road. Our first hike was only about 10 miles down the dirt surface of the road, which was also near "Devil's Garden", an "Outstanding Geologic Area" according to the sign marking the turn-off to Devil's Garden. We found a place to camp near the garden then hiked down to check out the sandstone formations that make up this unique location.





































Devil's Garden certainly is an outstanding area, with interesting sandstone "hoodoos" everywhere you look. There are also a couple of arches, the most interesting of which is "Metate Arch". As arches go it's not a very big one, but it is beautiful. I photographed Jessica standing under the arch to provide a sense of scale. After wandering amongst the hoodoos until just after sunset, we then hiked back up to our camp to wait for our friend Roger, who was the best man in our wedding and would be joining us for tomorrow's hike to Zebra and Tunnel slot canyons.

Flying Dutchman WI4 FFA

Yesterday I spent the day exploring upstream along the Youghiogheny River from Stewarton. I am happy to report that I found several nice flows coming over the small outcrops. Most were in the WI2 to WI3+ range. With sufficient cold weather I think the flows would form up fat and be great fun. Not sure if they've ever been climbed or not. The approach is easy (along the railroad tracks) and the flows start less than 10min from the car. Get in touch if you'd like more info on these. Just before Bear Run, I was looking across the river at Maple Wall and School House Crag. Not much to report at Maple Wall, but as I got in closer view to School House, it came out of nowhere.ICE. It appeared to be on the left side of the cliff about where the rock route Flying Dutchman would be. I was in awe at how cool this would be if one of the best crags in the area had ice routes too. I wasstoked.Wearing my ice boots and pack as if for a typical ice day, I set off running the 2 miles back to the car. Ihad to hurry, I only had a few hours to get back to the car. Drive all the way around to Bruner Run, run the 1.75miles upstream and still be home in time for obligations. Well upon arrival of the gate, Ifound it tobe locked and couldn't drive down to the parking area. So I figured it was not meant to be and made my way home dreaming of what could be waitingto be climbed. Iimmediately called Lauraand told her of my findings. We decided to get out early the next morning to seek outthepotential. We awoke today full of vigor.We drove to Ohiopyle andmade the30min downhill walk to the railtrail from The Mitchell Place parking area.Upon reaching therail trail we had our first find of the day. It was a cool 45' flow right where they have the information sign about coal mining history in the area.





It appeared to be 35' to 40' tall and about WI3+ For those that love the Lower Meadow ice flows,This should be your next destination.It was thick enough to lead, but the topout was washed out pretty good. With visions of bigger and better we continued on our way downstream and saved that one for another day. Well just before Schoolhouse we had find #2.



It was a cascading waterfall directly across from the RE (Rivers End) trail marker. I figured it would freeze up nicely with a reasonable cold snap. It had a fair amount of ice, but wasn'tthere yet. I'm sure by next week both this flow and the Coal Wall should bevery climbable. After looking at River End flow, we continued down the trail. School House came into view. I was pleasantly surprised.



There was definately a route formed up. It was right over the rock route Flying Dutchman. I could see the first and last bolt, but the rest were buried under ice. The sun was hitting it hard.It looked baked and unstable, but I couldn't pass the opportunity to climb it. Whoknows how often it comes in. Laura and I put it into high gear. We quickly set up andgot to climbing. I climbed up to the first bolt clipped it and felt a little better. With every swing the ice was sending the eeerie sounds of serious hollow delamination. I gently (and quickly) climbed the line placing a couple worthless screws andhappily clipped thelast bolt beforetopping out the 70' line.



Laura tied in and followed up in fine fashion smiling the whole way. We hada blast. The climbing was good. Almost too muchfun. We figured the route name shouldn't change and the grade was about WI4. As we left to hike out the route was looking bad and didn't look like it would last the day, but who knows. Theforcast looks very promising through next week. If you're feeling adventurous check out these newly discovered areas. The river left crags get sun,The river right crags (stewartonside) doesn't. If you're planning to climb in the area, these flowsnow present even more options in the Ohiopyle area. Here are a few pics I snapped of Laura on her way up Flying Dutchman WI4

She Won't be Forgot...

A week ago today (December 7, ..) my Aunt Phyllis passed away at her home in Columbia City, Indiana at the age of 88. Due to my own negligence (not checking voice mail for two days – shame on me!) I didn't find out about it until Wednesday night. On Thursday morning I left the nice warm home of my friend in northeast Louisiana and headed to the frigid north. After 900 miles, seven states, two time zones, crossing the Mississppi River three times, and 25 hours later, I arrived home safely Friday morning. Visitation was Friday afternoon and the service was Saturday morning.

But I wasn't the only one to drive a long distance to pay my respects to Aunt Phyllis – her sister, my Aunt Shirley drove from Maryland and my older brother Doug came down from Minneapolis. As her daughter Kathy said, it was a testament to how much Phyllis was loved that we would drive so far to be able to be in her presence one last time. [Update 2:30 pm - I had a memory lapse... Phyllis' grandson Jameson Mitchell and his mother Emmy flew in from California to attend the services.]

It was nice to see many of my cousins and their children, some whom I hadn't seen in many years, and their grandchildren, some whom I had never seen. Though it was sad that death is what brought us together there was joy and happiness in sharing stories and memories of Aunt Phyllis and honoring her long life, one well lived.

One word was spoken over and over during those two days that describes Aunt Phyllis – Special. And that she was. Not only was she so very special, Aunt Phyllis had the ability to make you feel special. She didn't condemn. She didn't judge. She listened. And she talked, and boy, was she a talker! She never spoke badly about anyone. Never an unkind word to or about anyone. She was kind, gentle and loving, and one of the nicest people I have ever known. She was Special.

Aunt Phyllis sometimes did silly or “stupid” things. But she was able to laugh at herself. One of my favorite stories about her involves a little night light that wasn't!

Phyllis and Walt lived in Columbia City in an old two-story house that was difficult to keep warm in the winter. During one particularly cold winter in the 1960s they purchased an electric blanket. It was their first one and she was quite pleased with it. One day while showing it to her brother Bill, after raving about how well it was keeping them warm and comfortable at night, she commented that they didn't need the night light that was on the control so she always turned it off. When Bill pointed out that the “night light” was actually a light to indicate that the blanket was turned on she laughed about it and got through the embarrassment and the story has been told over and over through the years.

Phyllis Elizabeth Phend was born in Columbia City, Indiana on September 29, 1922 and was the first child of Rolland Victor and Hazlette (Brubaker) Phend. She lived most of her life in Whitley County, graduating from Larwill High School with the Class of 1940. Phyllis married Walter Eugene Mitchell on December 6, 1942 (the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor). She passed away on December 7, .. (the day after what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary).

Phyllis and Walt opened “Mitchell's Bait and Tackle” store in their home in Columbia City in 1946. They kept it going for 23 years closing it down in 1969. Walt was also a collector of post cards and old bottles, while Phyllis loved collecting buttons and old dolls. For many years they attended shows and auctions buying and selling their stuff. And since Aunt Phyllis “never knew a stranger” they always had a good time while doing it. She enjoyed it immensely.

Phyllis was the mother of five children: Kathy, Mike, Patrick (died in an accident in 1948 at the age of two), Jim and Kevin. She had 8 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, 4 step-great-grandchildren and was expecting 1 great-great-grandchild due in March of ... She was a “second Mom” to many of the kids in the neighborhood.

Mike, Kathy, Walt, Phyllis, Kevin, Jim
I think this was taken at their 50th wedding anniversary in December 1992.
March ... The siblings.Patricia, William, Shirley, Virginia, and Phyllis (seated).

Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center II

On Friday, October 10th, the second reincarnation of the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center was opened to the public and dedicated to the highly regarded and revered Washington State Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson. Funding for the original saucer-shaped visitor center (check out the image to the right - a distinct likeness of the old JVC and a flying saucer taking off into space) was guaranteed much to his hard-work and dedication, so it was only fitting that the new visitor center also carry his name. Peter Jackson (the son of Henry Jackson, not the director) spoke at the ceremony, highlighting his father's love of wilderness, his desire to protect our country's most precious spaces, and to create enjoyable ways for people to learn from and enjoy these amazing places throughout our country and this state. The ceremony drew big-wigs from Washington (D.C. that is), including the Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Representative Norm Dicks of Washington's Sixth Congressional District, and the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks. Other distinguished guests included local Nisqually tribal elder Zelma McCloud, National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Jon Jarvis, the aforementioned Peter Jackson of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, an elder representative from the Consolidated tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation; yours truly of course and another famed NPS persona, Mike (Gator) Gauthier, dressed to the nine's in his class "A" uniform, and several hundred other attendees at the ceremony.

The new 'green', energy efficient JVC II is architecturally designed to match its surroundings and the historical park style, referred to as 'Park Service Rustic'. The feeling of the building when you first enter is dictated mostly by the space, due to the height of the ceiling and massive windows that line the entirety of the wall, naturally lighting the surroundings. However, it could also have something to do with the weird climber want-to-be mannequin placed high atop the climbing display. A feeling of comfort is there too. Above you are post and beam rafters, held together with cast iron fixtures and signs made from a menagerie of dark metal and wood. Overall, I was impressed and I think the sentiment was shared by most.
If you missed the grand opening, fret not, as you will have ample opportunity to view the building on weekends and most holidays, including the winter/holiday break from December 20th through January 4th. And as has been the tradition up at Paradise for many years, Ranger-led snowshoe walks will begin at the new JVC (snow permitting) on December 20th. The two public walks (12:30, 2:30) are approximately 1.5 miles in duration and last less than two hours and are moderate to strenuous. The walks are an amazing opportunity to experience the Park and Mountain in the wintertime. The adjacent photo was taken this past winter as I was returning from one of my group snowshoe walks - a beautiful view of the old JVC at sunset.
The opening of the JVC II means one more VERY important thing....re-opening our beloved Climbing Information Center (CIC) up at Paradise next summer. The CIC will function as it did before; climbing rangers staffing the desk will issue climbing permits and sell climbing passes, provide up-to-date route and snow conditions, weather forecasts, advice and as can only be expected from climbers (and NO ONE else) when they are awake and moving at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday - perhaps some witty banter as well. See you all on the Mountain!

The Rab Infinity Down Jacket

Mr. Rab Carrington himself, at a crag in Osp, Slovenia. photo couresty of Veronika






The "RAB" stands for Rab Carrington. For guys like me of a similar generation Rab Carrington was one of the hard Brits running around the Alps and later the greater ranges knocking off the plums.



"In the 70’s, you weren’t a rock climber, you were a mountaineer. In winter you ice climbed, in spring you tried to get rid of the winter fat, in the summer you went to the Alps, then you did a bit in the autumn before it closed in for the winter - the drinking season.





In 73/74 we started going to the Alps in winter. We went out, a team of Brits, not knowing much, doing our own thing. We were aiming for a speedy style, but the first route took Al and me two days, and we later found out that Patrick Vallençant had skied down it in about 15 seconds.



The whole team of us shared an apartment. That was a wild time, totally drunken and debauched. We didn’t get our deposit back at the end of the season, that’s for sure.



I learned how to make sleeping bags by accident. Al Rouse and I had a completely abortive trip to Patagonia in 1973, when we travelled overland from the USA. We got to Buenos Aires to pick up our climbing gear - which was being shipped out from Liverpool - only to find the gear hadn’t even left the port thanks to a dock strike. We partied instead, but I also ended up working for Hector Vieytes, a friend of mine, for six months in Argentina, and that’s were I learnt the basics.



I fell out with Al Rouse in Kangtega. We were very successful, Al and I, and had gone on lots of great trips together over the years. We’d just done Jannu in 1978, were going to Kangtega in 1979, then on to meet Doug Scott and go to Nuptse, then Makalu the year after, then we’d a chance at Everest. But we’d grown apart, we had a different emphasis. He was more into publicity and success à la Bonington, I was less in to that - we separated.



I started my business when Liz, my daughter came along in 1981. It was the only thing I knew how to do. I worked on a building site in the day and in the evenings I sat upstairs in the attic and sewed sleeping bags."



More here:

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1685



The reason I mention Rab's history is I am convinced a basis in hard alpinism is the design genius behind a lot of innovative and quality gear. Problem is there are a lot of pretenders out there with neither design genius or building quality gear. And the climbing public seldom knows the difference. Give enough shit away and sponsor the right people with a slick multimillion dollar catalog campaign and all is "right" with the world. Right of course till the "shit" fails by design or by lack of quality.



I am a huge fan of down as insulation. Sadly I don't generally climb where is it dry enough to use it a lot these days.



Alaska sure. In the Alps? Not so much for what I have been doing recently. May be this spring that will change. My buddy Jon Griffith thinks down is the sheet for climbing jackets.Here in the Cascades..you are a dead duck. In Canada...on the ice fields, or the big faces? Sometimes. Around town? Sure.



Jon's hard won suggestions:



http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3533



There are a few down garments I have no problem recommneding if used i nthe rght conditions.



Theexcellent Norrona Lyngen and Eddie Bauer Peak XV jackets are two. More here:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//03/design-triumphsthe-norrna-lyngen-down.html



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/belay-jacketsthe-heavy-weights.html



As slick as the Norrona is it is a bit heavy for somethings as is the XV when you start adding them to your pack.



I have a bunch of down sweaters, the previous Eddie Bauer pullover Hoody being one of the best and most used. But is is a pullover which limits the garment's use I find. And most of the time if I want down I want more than a sweater weight garment.









Enter theRab "Infinity:". It has a little more loft than a sweater, packs smaller and wasobviously designed by a team that knows about "fast, light and warm". The down is 850 fill.



Here are the factory specs:



◦NEW Pertex® Quantum 10D ultra light rip stop nylon outer and lining



◦Stitch-through baffle construction

◦210g/7oz of down fill. (L) of 850 fill power superior quality European white goose down

◦Lycra edged fixed down filled hood

◦2 hand warmer pockets with YKK zips

◦1-way YKK front zip and mini internal insulated zip baffle with chin guard

◦Elasticated cuffs

◦Double exit hem drawcord

◦Short cut



I got my XLa month or so ago. It weighs 17.5 oz on my scale...close enough to the advertised over all weight of16oz/460g for a large. I spent a day in a light rain with it and the material was still shedding water when I finally added a shell. I like the cut and the amount of insulation you get for the weight involved. Like many really good pieces of kit, it is a simple product with a very complicated design.

And imo this one is done right.



Of all my down gear, the Infinityis a piece that finally fits in where I thought a good piece of kit was needed. It is a small niche market for climbers but the RAB Infinityis one well worth looking at. if you have similar needs.






The Eddie BauerSweater pictured aboveat -30C. The RAB "Infinity" bumpedit inmy line up because of the better design and materials used for cold alpine climbing by RAB.




Credit where it is due? Eddie Bauer has a price point that is difficult to ignore forhigh quality down garments. The original Down Hoody is an excellent bit of kit.




RAB Infinity Jacket is $280 retail. The Eddie Bauer Hooded Down Sweater is $200. The $80 difference? While both are sewn through, The RABis a "jacket" and the EB a "sweater" in my opinion both with appropriate levels of insulation.

First Backcountry Ski

On Sunday, Dan and I headed down to Mount Rainier with the goal of skiing the Pinnacle/Castle saddle area. I took a look at the initial slope and didn't like the thought of coming down it. So we drove up to Paradise and started skinning up to the Muir Snowfield. The snow was pretty scoured above Panorama Point, so we stopped there to go downhill. The snow was thick sticky mush. We decided to not do laps and to hit the Copper Creek for some burgers and shakes. At least the weather was nice.

Dan taking a rest from skinning. Note all the tracks.

The Tatoosh and Adams.

Dan boarding in the crud.

Me, pretending to ski. (photo by Dan Engel)

Another Balloon

Follow-Ups, Friends & Neighbors

This post "Follow-Ups, Friends & Neighbors" was written for my Blogspot blog, The Transplantable Rose, by Annie in Austin.

A floral follow-up: The photo-defying shadows made this flower late for blooming day. The little bulbs, labeled Ixia/Corn Lilies, were on sale last fall so I stuck them in the temporary front bed. The package showed all kinds of pastel colors but mine are the colors of ears of corn. Has anyone else tried Ixia? Did it return for you the following spring?

Maybe this follow-up can count for Earth Day. Blackswamp Kim requested a photo of the Passionvine trellis - it's a recycled coatrack, once brass-colored plastic and aluminum, now painted antique white like the repurposed old iron fencework. Philo and I were at the semi-annual Settlement Home Garage Sale last fall and the second I saw it this idea popped into my head. The passionvine likes it, too.

One of the things I miss most about Illinois are Lilacs - when my Pacific Northwest daughter told me about her budding lilacs I was happy for her... but when Lily emailed this photo of what happened last weekend she didn't sound like a happy gardener! With any luck they'll still bloom - lilacs are pretty tough.

Last weekend my friend Pam/Digging and her lovely garden were featured on PBS-TV for the Central Texas Gardener. If you didn't get to see the show, go to the Central Texas Gardener website this week to see the clip - soon it will be available on YouTube.

I didn't take the camera when Rachel/In Bloom and I got to see the new rainwater collection system put in by Vicki/Playin' Outside. Here's her first post about the installation saga. Not only is the system impressive - the way she and her husband have integrated the huge tank into their garden is even more impressive - and the garden is filled with roses, herbs and frog songs.

At Spring Fling we met brother and sister Geoff and Anneliese of Cobrahead Blog. I was the lucky winner of a Cobrahead tool and took it for a test run. I'm used to my Cape Cod weeder, and still prefer that for picky weeding between the flowers in my crowded perennial beds, but the Cobrahead works much better in the vegetable garden, where weeds and grass sprouted overnight.

The action allows the head to go under weeds to get out more of the roots. It didn't take very long to do the tomato patch. [ and to you heirloom growers, yes - those potato-like leaves belong to 'Brandywine'.]

I took my prize Cobrahead along for the most recent Divas of the Dirt workday, and asked the other Divas to try it out and see if they liked it... the answer was a resounding 'yes' - it was especially good at getting weeds out of flowerbeds where they meet sidewalks & drives. It can mix soils and amendments, too.

The weather is warming up so these fragrant purple iris won't be around much longer. While I hope people on my block enjoy them, it's become more important that you enjoy them! What the heck has happened here?

It seems that in some way, the world of garden blogs has become the neighborhood of my heart and mind, so when the nominations for the Mouse & Trowel Awards were announced, it was overwhelming to be nominated a second time as the Garden Blogger You’d Most Like as a Neighbor. Last year the other nominees were May Dreams Carol, Blackswamp Kim and Pam/Digging and it amused me to imagine a neighborhood where we four could make horticultural waves. This year our imaginary neighborhood would let May Dreams Carol of Indianapolis, Jodi/Bloomingwriter of Nova Scotia, Canada, and myself from Austin, Texas have international fun with climate zones!

If you'd like to vote for this year's Mousies - please go here to the Mouse & Trowel website. You do not have to be a garden blogger to vote.

It's been a joy to meet so many of you in person during the past two years and with any luck those real life meetings will continue to happen...maybe someday you and I can sip a root beer float out on the veranda with our feet up on the iron rail and the fragrance of jasmine floating on the air.

This post "Follow-Ups, Friends & Neighbors" was written for my Blogspot blog, The Transplantable Rose, by Annie in Austin.

Cycling with a Backpack

After not having owned a backpack for nearly a decade, I recently bought one - mainly for nature walks, which I hope to do more of. The backpack is on the small side, lightweight, with lightly padded adjustable straps. I do not know much about backpacks, but this one is very comfortable for walking and it is waterproof.




Of course having gotten the bag, I was immediately tempted to wear it on bikes that have no provisions for carrying loads. It was fun at first, but now that the novelty has worn off here are some notes:




. I can feel the weight on my back. When I move around on the bike the weight inside the bag shifts and affects my balance.




. The straps rest a little too heavily on my shoulders and their width constrains movement. (Interestingly, I have tried a few cycling-specific backpacks in the store and their straps are even wider - I can hardly move my arms.)




.On an upright bike, it feels as if the weight of the bag pulls me backward a bit.




. On a roadbike, despite being small the bag obscures my vision as I check behind me for cars.




. Each time I have worn the backpack on a bike, my back was drenched in sweat afterward.




. These things notwithstanding,having tried riding with messenger-style bags when I first began cycling, I definitely prefer the backpack. It feels more secure and stable. I've never been able to get a messenger bag to really stay put on my back, even when it's a bicycle-specific design.




In a pinch having a backpack is great, because it makes it possible to carry a load on any bicycle without requiring the presence of racks, baskets or panniers. But if given a choice, I would rather attach things to the bike itself.




On a separate note, I wonder whether there have been attempts to make a backpack for road cyclists to run errands on their way home from a ride. It would fold up tiny, fitting into a jersey pocket like a musette bag but expanding into a large rucksack. It could then be filled with groceries on the way home and would be fine to wear for just the last mile or so. I sometimes wish I could stop by the store on my way home from a ride, without having to switch to my transport bike first. Of course, there is also the issue if locking up the bike...




What has been your experience cycling with a backpack?

Tunnel Cliffs and Sunday School Crag conditions

Winter wonderland... for now

I woke up this morning feeling a little sore from my past several days efforts. Needing a rest day, I decided to go check ice conditions high up on the ridge at the coldest areas in the region as well as get in some winter hiking and views. I loaded a light pack with minimal gear. Tools, crampons, extra gloves a puffy and the normal lid contents. I brewed a pot of elixer for my thermos and set off up the mountain to Tunnel road. The road was maintained part of the way making the driving easy. From there on out to the top of NO DRIVE hill (parking area) the snowmobiles had it packed to reasonable passage. I parked there and hiked down the 1.25 miles to the climbing. It was looking pretty good, but I was surprised that the top outs were still looking very wet and boney. Here's a couple of shots...

Hard to believe this is Tunnel cliffs from the ice farming days circa 1999

I like the no maintenance of the new version...

but liked the natural non tiered version better

Here's the beta on the NEW Tunnel Cliffs. I would suggest only using this area on Sundays and keeping a low profile. Since this is the first year I've been back here in years and this one sucks, I'm not really sure of the potential here. Its basically short benches (30'?) that can be climbed in short "pitches" or linked all together. Its a great place that seeps continually from a natural spring and parts are in full shade. It is one of the highest crags as far as elevation goes and comes in quicker than most other areas. This should be a great location with lots of moderate climbing. I don't expect to be climbing here that often, so this is my effort to share with fellow ice climbers an area. I would expect that it will become a good asset for both local and visiting climbers. You can find Tunnel Cliffs in Griz's Ice climbing Pennsylvania guidebook. It'll help get you there, but the routes are obviously different. Unlike the old days of serious efforts required to "farm" ice and climb here, TC has now been transformed into an ice making machine that requires no maintenance. Climbing at Tunnel back in those years was not a problem and could be accessed at any time. Now given its current condition going on days other than Sunday may ruin it for all. Please don't be "that climber" and lets keep this place climbable. Thanks and enjoy! I snapped a couple pics and left quickly as not trying to be the person I just mentioned. I wanted to get a couple pics with it a little thicker than I've seen it thus far and to gauge what it takes for this place to come into shape to help y'all out. I've always enjoyed the walk down into and out of Tunnel cliffs. Its a long gradual hill that goes through some beautiful forest. Its quickly contrasted by the new climbing area as you will see if you visit (some Sunday). Keep this one on your hit list if leading WI3ish climbs is what your after. Keep in mind if not leading that there's not much in the way of anchors (trees, etc) for easy top roped climbing. In addition the ice may be hard to reach from the top and may not offer easy access for screw anchors either.



After my hike up out of Tunnel Cliffs I visited Sunday School Crag. The conditions there look promising. If the cold weather continues it'll be fat by next weekend. If it warms up its going to be very unstable. Unfortunately the forecast is calling for a warm up and rain. I spent a couple hours walking around checking out the climbs enjoying our brief winter experience. Here's what it looked like and a few random shots for your enjoyment.

60 meters of chossy alpine fun

South Park Wall

Near where New Years Revolution once stood.

Looks harder than WI4+ though.

It's waiting for us when you're ready Matt!

New Years Reunion WI?

Dumbfounded self portrait. It was a wonderful 13°

and felt good in the sun

Pennsylvania Alpine? Who remembers the approach?

Another 60meters of more strenuous fun.

Who's coming with me man?

There you have it the ice is looking better than it has yet, but has some building to be considered FAT. Lets hope for some mercy on the warm fronts and colder temps hit the area with fury. I know I'm ready to get some serious climbing done. Mother nature has a different plan. Hard to believe its 44° and raining now just hours later. What a bitch!

Sobering or it should be anyway...

By Angus M. Thuermer Jr., Jackson Hole, Wyo.



March 21,




The route two skiers chose during an excursion near Ranger Peak on March 7
was a key factor in them getting caught and killed in an avalanche, park rangers
said Tuesday.



Steve Romeo and Chris Onufer died after being swept nearly 3,000 vertical
feet. The two likely were headed to an unskied south-facing couloir above
Waterfalls Canyon in Grand Teton National Park that Romeo had eyed over the
years, rangers and a friend of Romeo’s said.



Romeo and Onufer’s ascending ski tracks led to that goal, rangers who
investigated the avalanche deaths said. The route they chose took them from the
edge of an avalanche path into its starting zone, which was the ideal steepness
for slides, rangers said.



“They chose to go up a known avalanche path ascending into an avalanche
starting zone,” Jenny Lake Ranger Rich Baerwald said.



The incident should spur backcountry skiers to learn about avalanches and
reassess the way they make decisions about taking risks, he said. Skilled skiers
and moderate danger can be a deadly combination, rangers said.



Many people who read Romeo’s popular TetonAT ski blog looked to him “as the
subject-matter expert,” Ranger Chris Harder said.



While Romeo skied radical terrain with elan, he also posted several videos
and wrote stories about getting caught in or nearly missed by avalanches.



“I don’t know if he was taking that to heart,” Harder said. “He had more
[encounters] in the last few years than I’ve had in my lifetime,” the 30-year
Teton veteran said.



“I feel pretty strongly a lot can be learned by this,” Harder said.



Neither skier told anybody of his exact plans, rangers believe.



“What their ultimate objective for the day was, we will never know,” Harder
said.



Piecing together information from the ascent track and from friends Romeo and
Onufer talked to before leaving, investigators put together a likely scenario
for the accident.



Romeo and his sometimes ski partner Reed Finlay had talked about skiing a
couloir west of the avalanche path — on a spur of 10,355-foot Ranger Peak.



“It’s a really nice line, a pencil-thin, straight shot.” Finlay said Tuesday.
He and Romeo last saw it together Feb. 4 while on Eagles Rest Peak.



Finlay couldn’t return to the area. His wife, Rebecca, gave birth to
firstborn Kershaw on Feb. 29.



The ill-fated skiers were scheduled to depart Colter Bay at 7 a.m., rangers
said. Across the lake, the slope the two ascended was “a big avalanche path,”
Baerwald said.



“It narrows down from a big basin to gullies chutes and rock bands — it’s
hourglass-shaped,” Baerwald said.



Climbing the avalanche path with skins on their skis, Romeo and Onufer
initially made the best of hostile country, Baerewald said.



They stuck to the climber’s right, near where cliffs form the edge of the
slope.



At an elevation of about 9,700 feet, they made a critical decision.



“They start making their way away from the edge of the avalanche path on into
the avalanche track and into the starting zone,” Baerwald said.



Added Harder, “If they were heading to that [pencil-thin] couloir, they
probably short-cut over to it.”



An alternative would have been to continue up the right side of the slope,
rangers said. This route was less steep and led to a ridge.



“The ridge would have been a safer route,” Baerwald said. Ridge safety is a
basic concept, he said.



“The message with regard to route-finding is, it’s super important terrain be
considered,” he said.



A rising traverse and switchback brought the pair to a slot between two
triangle-shaped cliffs in the middle of the basin. Here the slope steepened to
about 40 degrees, the classic angle for slab avalanches, rangers said.



It is likely this is where the two triggered the slide. The crown, up to 3
feet deep, indicated the avalanche entrained snow that had been falling and
drifting from five days of storms. In that period, 28 inches fell in parts of
the Tetons, the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center reported.



Significant wind carried that snowfall to lee slopes, rangers said, including
the fateful basin on Ranger Peak’s spur. Southeast facing, its orientation
catches drifting snow carried by prevailing winds, they said.



Once the skiers provoked the slide, nothing could have saved them, rangers
said. The avalanche ran a linear mile over cliffs and rocks.

It likely
propelled them at speeds between 60 and 80 mph, rangers said. It ripped off one
skier’s pack, another’s boot, all four skis.



Searchers found the base layers of one ski ripped from its top plate, its
climbing skin still attached.



“The ski was completely delaminated, separated,” Harder said. “Speaking to
force, that says a lot right there.”



The chaos likely tore Romeo’s helmet off his pack, and it “sustained a lot of
damage,” Harder said.



Romeo had an Avalung pack — a device designed to allow avalanche victims to
breathe if buried. Its mouthpiece was deployed, but rangers couldn’t tell
whether he had it gripped in his teeth during the slide, they said.



Friends of the two have asked whether avalanche airbags could have saved
them, rangers said. Airbags are stowed in backpacks and deploy instantly with
the pull of a toggle. They help suspend a skier high in flowing snow and help
prevent burial.



But neither skier was really buried, rangers said.



“Chris probably could have sat up,” had he been alert or alive, Harder said.
“Steve probably could have wrestled an arm out.



The Teton County Coroner ruled the cause of death was blunt-force trauma.



Buffalo Fork Sub-District Ranger Rick Guerrieri said no gear could have
helped.



“One piece of equipment wasn’t going to have any effect on injuries,” he
said.



Added Harder, “The best tool they had with them, they weren’t using the most.
That was their brain.”



Rangers discounted other skiers’ sentiments about the pair being in “the
wrong place at the wrong time.” Such phrases are best reserved for victims of
meteorite strikes, they said.



“This [event] had factors in it that [include] decision-making,” Harder said
of the avalanche. Rangers are uncertain to what extent the pair took into
account the snow and winds.



Avalanche forecasts from the center called the chance of a slide moderate.
The predictions range only to 10,500 feet.



Search leader Guerrieri would not call the pair’s decisions a mistake.



“Different people are willing to accept different levels of risk,” he said.
“I hate second-guessing people.”



Backcountry travelers need to ask themselves what the consequences of taking
a risk might be, Harder said. In this instance, had the avalanche been witnessed
from across the lake and a rescue mounted within 10 minutes, the outcome would
have been the same.



“They died instantly, it’s pretty safe to say,” he said.



Even with working cellphones and helicopters at the ready, an injured skier
would be lucky to get from the Tetons to a hospital within three hours, Harder
said.



Decision-making is an increasing part of avalanche education, Baerwald said.
A study widely cited in recent years indicates that skiers and snowboarders
discard caution in the face of social considerations that range from the lure of
untracked slopes to a commitment to reach a goal or even familiarity with a
slope.



“Taking an avalanche course is critical, even late in the season,” Baerwald
said. Education can help skiers understand what an avalanche forecast means and
provide other lessons, he said.



“There was some decision making that factored into the accident,” Baerwald
said. “Route choice — that’s the one that stands out the most.”



Post script by the editor @ Cold Thistle:



This statement from the article above should stand out to everyone imo:



“I don’t know if he was taking that to heart,” Harder said. “He had more [encounters] in the last few years than I’ve had in my lifetime,” the 30-year Teton veteran said.



In my 40 years of back country,area skiing and winter alpinism the VAST majority of friends I have lost had been in avalanches previousand then eventually died in avalanches.



It is NOT a numbers game. It is a choice you make every time you venture into avi terrain. Start disregarding your fear and you will make the wrong decisions.

None of myfriends were total back country snowdummies. All knew the risks we take. But all made fatal errors...usually more than once and only survivedthe first few incidents because of pure, dumbluck. Harsh? Sure it is. But easier to tell you now than remind you at your own funeral.

How many funerals do youneed to attend before the point is drivenhome?



Snow safety is not rocket science.



The next time you ski or walk into dangerous terrain ask yourself, "is it reallyworth the risk today?""Overs" in this game are hard to come by. Gear will never replace the high tech shit between your ears. Everyone has the same gear there but you have to be willing to actually use it.



Double click to enlarge the terrainphotos of the accident area below.

Ingalls Lake

If you are looking for some awesome scenery close to home, Ingalls Lake is the place to go. Dave, Dani, Wendy, Mark (and Doug) taking a break on the way up to Ingalls Pass.

We saw a lot of mountain goats on this trip.It was a warm day and people were cooling off in the lake.Mt. Stuart and Ingalls Lake. What a view!