Annual totals for registration

If you look at the past 5 years of registration on Mount Rainier, you'll notice that the numbers are declining, from 13,114 in 2000 to 8,927 in 2005. However, when you look at the trend over the past 15 years, 1998-2002 appear more as a spike. Certainly, the sport gained a lot of momentum during the 90's. Here are the numbers.

On a another note, Washington State D.O.T. have their hands full on highway 123 (that's the road between Cayuse Pass/hwy 410 and US 12 and the Packwood area). Access along the east side of the park may be delayed this spring if there is a lot of road damage; stay tuned...

Gretton - Kirby Hall

14 of us for this short walk before our annual pre-Christmas get together at Mel and Norma's.

Weather - icy underfoot, which was better across fields than mud. The rain began to persist later in the walk. About five and a half miles.



From the village hall, down the track towards Kirby Hall, then just after the junction, follow footpath signs over a few fields, coming out near the recycling plant on Gretton (Brook) Road. Turn left and follow the road past the turning to Kirby Hall. Go as far as the deer-proof gate. Turn right along the footpath. We followed this for about half a mile, then turned right to visit the new bridge to Priors Hall, for a photo opp, and a snack break.


















From here we retraced our footsteps and continued to Kirby Lane, then along the drive to Kirby Hall, and up the slope behind the gift shop, through the magnificent new gate, which has replaced the very dodgy broken stile.

Across the fields, and down to the four-stile crossing with mud, and up to the metalled track leading back to Gretton.

Alpental ..

Used my other free pass for Alpental today. A completely different experience from when I went a few weeks ago. All the lots were full when I arrived at 10am! For my first ride on chair 2, I probably waited 20-25 minutes. This was probably one of the busiest days at Alpental all season. The crowds were somewhat disappointing.

Even the snow was somewhat disappointing. By the time I got to the top of the mountain, most everything was tracked out. I did not get to practice my deep powder skiing like I was hoping to. However, the skiing was great, and after being turned off by the wait for chair 2, I rode chair 1 most of the morning with very short lines. I explored a few runs that I had not been down before on the lower mountain as well: Ingrid's Inspiration and Dom. Ingrid's is a really nice run that can be done in the trees, or just under the cliffs. I was really enjoying that run.

Once Noon rolled around, I figured people would be heading home, or at least breaking for lunch. I jumped back on chair 2 for a few more runs down from the top. One of which was my first double black diamond run, Schluct. I eyed it up last time, and again today on a few rides up the lift. It didn't look significantly harder than the single blacks on the mountain, so I figured I'd give it a go. Once in the chute, I quickly realized the difference between single and double black diamond. (Even if Schluct is a mild double black.) There was a 20-25' section of the chute that was noticeably more steep, and it was narrow as well. I skied it without falling, but not without a little stalling. It wasn't my prettiest run of the day, but it was fun to ski it.

After my experience on Schluct, I headed for the lodge to end on a high note. My legs were tiring, and I had logged over 10000' of vertical again. When I got to the lodge, I ended up doing two more runs up chair 1 as I was attempting to get to my car in the high lot without having to take my skis off.

Overall, it was a fun day and great to be out. Nothing gets you practice on skis more than lift serve. Also, the powder was so deep today, that I saw no less than three people digging in the snow trying to find a lost ski. Yipe.

First ride up.

Top of chair 2.

Edelweiss Bowl.

Sunset through the trees

November 8, ..Versailles State Park, Versailles, Indiana

Snowshoeing Wauswaugoning Bay (again)

I went back to snowshoe Wauswaugoning Bay again, this time by myself. I was planning to push beyond where the 3 of us went on our last journey to the bay. We had hoped to make it to the south side of Pigeon Point, where we could get a view of the Susie Islands. As it turned out the distance was farther than we thought and our light was running out so we had to turn around before we made it all the way.

I headed out a bit earlier, hoping it would be enough time to make it. The sky was also totally clear, rather than wall to wall clouds and it was to be a full moon tonight so if I ran out of time again I would have the full moonlight to guide me back (I also had my headlamp, just in case). This ended up being the most amazing snowshoe hike I have ever been on! I made it to the Lake Superior shoreline, just in time for sunset. There were some fascinating ice formations on the shore. I even saw some wolf tracks following the shoreline. To top it off, the ice on Wauswaugoning Bay was creaking and groaning which I could hear throughout the whole hike.

It was especially eerie walking back through the woods after dark, in the moonlight, and hearing the noises of the ice as it shifted and settled. As I walked through the woods guided by the glow from the moon (it was bright enough that I never once turned my headlamp on), every now and then the ice would speak. "Booooooo.... doomp!" it cried. I would walk for another minute or two then again "Boooooooo.... doomp!" This is the best way I can describe the noise. It must be the force of the water pushing the ice into the bay, then when the force eases up on the ice, the ice settles. The pressure pushing the ice in must create the "Boooooo" sound, then when the pressure eases the ice settles down, making the "doomp" sound. At any rate, it was eerie but wonderful. To top things off, I even heard an owl hooting a couple of times as I walked through the woods, bathed in that glorious moonlight. A night to remember.

(Above: I titled this image "Haunted Forest". The surreal look was achieved by running a 2-second exposure while at the same time panning the camera slightly from left to right.)

jjobrien

Forgive me for:

A. Asking your name more than once when we meet at the crag.

I want to get to know everyone but I'm not great with names.



B. Blogging photos of myself. I'll keep it to a minimum.



C. Plus the usual stuff, coveting neighbours asses, trespassing, etc.





The loss ofanother of our precious own last week re-enforces my quest to know and value every one of you out there.

We are bound by our compulsion to climb harder and higher. It's not a trivial activity. It gives meaning to life. Clint gave more meaning to his life and ours through his climbing.


Getting involved in your striving for excellence is what enriches my climbing.













Scott Hailstone and I got up early to get these shots.

"Black Leather Dungarees" 26 at Coolum Cave has been untouched for years. Such an impressive route.

It's high and steep.

Years ago I made a start on developing this route.

I couldn't make sense of such crazy terrain and calledon the expertise of Lee Cujes to map it out and send it.







Don't do this move.















Climbers, many things make us different butthis is what makes us the same.

We love the fight, the struggle and swinging around high off the ground.













Wardrobe: models own.

The T-Shirt features an ancient Buddhist text refering to the nature of the world as illusion.

Illusion or not, I'm in.




















That shoe I'm putting in your facewould be the Red Chili Carona VCR

You don't have to watch the ads.




It's a big deal for me.

I am nowhonoured to be part of the Wild Country teamwith my own special pageon their UK site.

















That's the Wild Country Elite Ultralite harness andHelium quickdraws.

It's just the gear you want for redpointing a route like BLD.

Radicallylightwith superior action.



















Here I am representing Red Chilion the Expedition Equipment site.




Brisbane climbers, you can get this amazing gear from local rockstarOliver at K2











I know you wanted to see a kneebar.

This one is bomber, and I never thought to use it when I first sent this route.

Age brings cunning.

It also brings laziness, senility and incontinence, but we make the most of it.





















All photos: Scott Hailstone


Scott is about to embark on a year long journey

through the worlds most amazing places.

Take care. Everyone.

Thanks Scott

Raise and Fly

First the balloon which is about 3 stories high when inflated is unrolled from the large bag it is kept in. Then several people hold the bottom open while cold air from a large fan is forced in. At the proper time a propane burner which is attached to the top of the basket that holds the balloonist under the balloon is used to heat the air in the balloon. As the balloon heats it raises until it standing straight up. The balloon crew holds it on the ground with ropes until it is told it can go by the balloon referees. In this photo you can see the baskets, called gondolas with people in them. Each balloon is piloted by a licensed balloon pilot. Most balloons are from the United States, but there are pilots and their balloons as crews that come from lots of other counties.