Home > Trip Reports > Sep11, 2005, screwed on the Paradise Glacier

Sep11, 2005, screwed on the Paradise Glacier

9/11/05
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
6390
15
Posted by sheispiste on 9/12/05 4:07am
Weeks ago Ron, the "Pied Piper of Paradise", made an invitation to change the way some of us might honor September 11th this low snow year. In the midst of hurricanes, floods, and other signs of global warming, the forecast for freshies fell friendly on ears eager for September turns.

The story goes something like this: Two met two more at Tall Timbers. Six more rolled in so that there were ten until we met up with at least 4 more TAYers in the parking lot, including
so, were you piste about the whiteout?  nice report.  i can smell the new snow all the way out here...

Ron was eager to get busy with his threaded tools. He cleared the 4-5 inches of new snow down to boilerplate ice and set in his ice screws for some crevasse rescue practice. Jeannette set up a backup anchor and Eric helped me stomp snow to dig a bollard. We set up a few C and Z pulleys, looking for ways to maximize efficiency of a shorter rope. This was also the site of newfound discoveries in ways to use ice screws. You'll have to ask Jeannette and Jerry for the blow by blow. By now the line Ron thought about skiing was hard to distinguish from the sky.

awesome gang!  how'd the screws work?  what length of screws did you use?  i have a couple 22cm ones laying around.  is there a chance you'll teach this technique for next's year GTCR class?  did you try building V-thread anchors??

i can see the fliers for next year's Mountaineers class: "learn how to scr*w on the Paradise Glacier with the Mountaineers..."  ;)

Even though the snow conditions weren't exactly the best, we made the best of this September day with some really cool anchor set-ups.  Our new ice screws were very easy to use, the ice we were screwing into was fairly soft which probably makes a difference.  

i can see the fliers for next year's Mountaineers class: "learn how to scr*w on the Paradise Glacier with the Mountaineers..."  ;)

Kam, if all else fails, you can use the ice screws as an ice dart blow gun.  (Somehow you have to get that ice core out of the barrel ;)).  All joking aside, we did manage to get a few anchors set up, and tested some different short rope, set ups.  Kam you might want to come back for our "advanced" GT class  ;), we've got some really cool stuff we're working on  :D.

We were able to get a few turns, and our fun meter was a high medium  ;D.  You can see a few pathetic photos here.  It was a good day spent on the mountain with friends, and we enjoyed our last tailgate party for the season  >:(.  Oh, and BTW happy birthday to snowslut, if I'd known I would have brought a candle for the "homewrecker" sausage.


Jessica celebrates one of the many triumphs of the day.

Great TR, Jessica.  

We just all keep learning, eh?  
First we are reminded by seasoned glacier travel instructor Jeanette of her age old saying "a neat knot is a happy knot".  Then former NOLS instructor and 6th grade teacher, Jessica enlightens us with yet another: "a not neat knot is not a knot" (did I get that right, Jessica?).
Thanks for the great fun, gang.

Kam - the ice screws worked great on the hard glacial ice, as did Jessica's bollard.  A v-thread did actually come to mind but I had failed to have the forthought to bring a piece of coat hangar to impliment the plan.  Maybe for the October ski, eh?  :) (let's hope not  ???)

Jeanette - you do great tailgate parties.  Thanks for bringing the stove, grub and all the fixin's.  Very nice.  I'm already looking forward to next summer's festivities.

Eric - Glad you got to get out and play on your birthday.  Here's to many more happy ones for you.

Pray for snow.

 You can see a few pathetic photos here.  

I also didn't have much luck with photography yesterday myself; aside from this shot of the exceptional views and ski conditions from Carter and I's turn-around point at ~9,300-ft on the Muir snowfield  ;)

Great to see everyone yesterday! along with the enjoyable end-of-the-ski-day BBQ!

Nice report here.  

And what a sweet thing to see some fresh snow up there given how parched it looked two short weeks ago.

After seeing the size of those crevasses on the Paradise Glacier I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to ski there...comfortably.  Them big holes is gonna fill up and stuff, right?

I'd say the social setting of the joy-o-meter hit 99.9% on this one, with Darryl and Ron's safety course, Jeanette's grillin', new faces to known names and monikers.  -0.1%...Jerry, you knew I was standing downwind and you did it anyway  ;) 8)  

Couldn't think of a better way to spend my b-day than screwing around on the lower Muir/PG.  The humor in the air was denser than the surrounding whiteout.  Ron's got more jokes than a squirrels got nuts. ;D

....Jerry, you knew I was standing downwind and you did it anyway  ;) 8)
Jerry - you're such a vulgar clod  8)

I also didn't have much luck with photography yesterday myself; aside from this shot of the exceptional views and ski conditions from Carter and I's turn-around point at ~9,300-ft on the Muir snowfield  ;)
Chris - Way to snap 'em -- that's one of the best white-out shots I've ever seen ;).  

 is there a chance you'll teach this technique for next's year GTCR class?


Kam - we won't use ice screws in the GS/S&CR class, but Ron and I tested a couple of techniques for crevasse rescue using shorter (35 meter) ropes.  

We also discussed some ideas for the new glacier travel route finding course.  I'll send some draft ideas out this week.  

We'll discuss the ideas at the course improvement work shop which is scheduled for 10/4.

Ron's got more jokes than a squirrels got nuts. ;D


No one I'd rather place ice screws with than Ron J. Well written report, Jessica, sorry I missed it!


Chris - Way to snap 'em -- that's one of the best white-out shots I've ever seen ;).  

Wipe: well exposed.  histogram shows a HUGE spike at 255.  nice.  what's your secret?  spot metering and 2-stops over?

 what's your secret?  spot metering and 2-stops over?

Shhhh!!! So much for the secret!  ;)  Aside from the metering, it was hard to go wrong with the composition from that spot, regardless of which direction the camera lens was pointed.

Very nice shot, Chris.  Perfect tele form.

Chris - I can just make out the faint outline of that yeti behind you in the snowstorm...

My library of images from the muir snowfield looks very similar -- I think that I have scored a ratio of 1/6 on the blue/white scale for all my times up there -- snake eyes on a pair of dice!

- Kevin

looks like it was a great time up there!  nice photos m dog, and cass, welp,...looks like it was a pretty white day, huh. ;D glad you all got a few turns in though (at least that's what it looks like), i was bummed to have missed it.  alas, there's always next time... ;)

We missed you Ally-sone!  It's kinda freaky to think most of us skied over these gaping holes about three weeks ago ??? Here Jessica tries out her new waterproof climbing equipment 8)  Good times! But let's be honest the skiing really sucked  8)  Cass: Someday I hope to nail a shot like that!

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sep11-2005-screwed-on-the-paradise-glacier
sheispiste
2005-09-12 11:07:28