New and experienced climbers over 50 #30

I mentioned Nuun tabs because Lori has said she uses them. I've heard good things about Liquid IV and LMNT too. I usually make a more diluted mix of whatever, that is, more water than recommended.

T Hockingwrote:

Old school cramping remedy = Pickle Juice

Yes, I've heard that pickle juice works really well. Unfortunately, pickles aren't very portable and/or they are heavy (I've taken plastic bags of pickles out climbing and hiking though!).

By the way, Tad, we got really bad news yesterday about the PCT. Vicki, Tricia and I set aside four weeks in August and September to finish the 109 miles we have left to Canada. We even got our Canadian entry visas (required if entering via the PCT).

And now half that distance is closed because of fires. Including especially the first two days of backpacking for what was gonna be this upcoming trip. I'm trying hard to stay hopeful - maybe they'll reopen it three weeks from now? But I've seen Forest Service inertia in action, and I'm wallowing in "once closed, closed for the season" fears.

What are nunn tabs? I took a sick day today because I must have picked up a stomach bug somewhere. Felt like I was doing a colonoscopy prep last night. On one of my mad scrambles to the bathroom my legs cramped up..

My wife is a national champ power lifter, and knows a thing or two about cramps.

Pickle juice shots

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

What are nunn tabs? I took a sick day today because I must have picked up a stomach bug somewhere. Felt like I was doing a colonoscopy prep last night. On one of my mad scrambles to the bathroom my legs cramped up..

Here's a shot:

And Kris, I've never heard of bottled pickle juice! That looks pretty portable. We're pretty rural here and I doubt that our local grocery carries it. But one can always order online and I'm gonna give it a try.

Our well water is super high in iron and manganese, both essential in small amounts but very unhealthy if high.  We drink the water from our steam distiller in the basement, and if I don’t use Nuun in my water bottle I eventually get leg cramps and heart palpitations.  Like many, I use a much lower concentration than they recommend.

Thank you guys and gals. Very nice of you to remember Brandt!  I love Nuun.  However, I knew Tony would drink Gatorade without a fuss.  I’ve made a real project of finding electrolytes and I think I’ve tried them all. LMNT is surprisingly high in salt. Others favor potassium. But they are all so costly. A couple weeks ago I just made my own recipe using Himalayan salt, Sea salt, potassium citrate, citric acid, magnesium malate, vitamin C, and organic powdered raspberry plus sugar. It’s well proven that we need some sugar to absorb electrolytes – – even me.  so for about five cents a serving I can dump a teaspoon or more of my recipe into water and go. But I guarantee Tony wouldn’t drink it.

I have been thinking about this dome-like formation that I have seen from across the park directly behind the Agitator . (Little Rock Candy?). I thought I’d go see if I could find it. I found it, but I have no idea how to get to it.

South Face of Snickers    can this possibly be the approach?  

sun up.   

Wandering over to “roller something something”… I never remember the name but it’s OK because I’ll probably never climb it either but it’s a nice place to stop and admire.

I walked past this beautiful bird and wondered if it was a hawk.  Bob would know. Just scroll if you get grossed out. But I have been wondering what could’ve happened. Could it have dove for a snake and the snake won? Once on the ground and wounded, a coyote probably came after it. But it must have been glorious in the air.

here is a lovely crack…might require a little effort. 

Ironically, after all this hiking far and wide and checking out formations I’ve never seen I have gone full circle to the same four routes I wanted to climb last year.  Top of the list is torturers apprentice.  I don’t know if Bob will indulge me, but I’m grateful for every outing we’ve ever had.

I am wondering when I finally get back on the rock whether to start easy again and go through the grades or just hop on the route and catch up. How do you guys do it? Whether in the gym or on a project do you take months building your skills first or just get on the route?

As I gaze at this magnificent rock, my inclination is just a hop on and go. What’s the harm?

if I learned anything last season, it’s if you are presented with the opportunity, take it right now! Things change and opportunities pass you by. Have that backpack ready to go and go. As is a good philosophy for life in general…   

Lori Milaswrote:

here is a lovely crack…might require a little effort. 

I

Lori

That is Eff Eight. I have climbed it 2 or 3 times when Jean and I were there. I also believe that Brandt was there one time also with us.

We all then went over to do Funny Bone and then TR Humerus (a Bob Gaines route).

Eff Eight is a short very physical crack. The start is the crux with you left foot slipping most of time until you get up higher. You can TR this by walking up on the left side of the dome.

Start

Near the middle

Near the top

Top

John

Brad Youngwrote:

By the way, Tad, we got really bad news yesterday about the PCT. Vicki, Tricia and I set aside four weeks in August and September to finish the 109 miles we have left to Canada. We even got our Canadian entry visas (required if entering via the PCT).

And now half that distance is closed because of fires. Including especially the first two days of backpacking for what was gonna be this upcoming trip. I'm trying hard to stay hopeful - maybe they'll reopen it three weeks from now? But I've seen Forest Service inertia in action, and I'm wallowing in "once closed, closed for the season" fears.

Bummer!

Hope things work out for you guys Brad, 

But as you mentioned the FS usually keeps recent burn areas closed at least until after the following winter.

Hang loose, get it done next year. 

Bb Cc wrote:

Do Tricams fit like the pockets at Courtright?

Yes, pink, white, black all work well.  Red is sometimes useful.

I haven't carried tricams since 2016 . We were climbing in the tetons and the approaches are simply brutal there.  I cut the rack weight down and the tri cams were one of the things that never made it back on. That omission was in part due to the fact that tri cam users are almost as annoying as Telle skiers with their feelings of cultish superiority... I have climbed countless routes since then that supposedly require tri cams with no real issues.  I did recently climb a cliff  in Parc National Grands Jardins that had so many cool little pockets that I am cautiously rethinking my tri cam ban.... 

Nick, watch what you say about tele skiers.

Free the heel, place the pink.

I have been a telle skier since 98. I don't even bother to lock the heels of my AT bindings on my mountaineering skis but I got over the actual telle  turn when my knees started talking to me about a decade ago. modern shaped skis are so efficient at turning that all you have to do is push down on your big toe and you have initiated the turn. the only real reason for doing proper telle turns is to show people that you are a telle skier.  much in the same way that modern narrow head micro cams make tri cams a moot point...  those did look like some sweet pockets on le dome though ;)

Boise is really ugly today. Very very smoky, and the over 100 degree days continue. The heats been on, pretty much all of July. Supposed to let up in a couple days, get back to 90s/60s.

A weight lifter/ice climber/alpinist friend put me on to these:

I don't take them, generally, but do take them when I'm at City. Less then they say to take. I just pulled the bottle back out of the car (they live in the glovebox) since I'm just not catching up with hydration on water/coffee/tea/milk. It's been soooo hot, for soooo long. 

This just happened, yay:

All the trusses arrived. 

 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

…….the only real reason for doing proper telle turns is to show people that you are a telle skier…,

I thought the best reason for tele skiing was it’s an easy way of getting face shots in not-as/deep powder!

I started tele skiing early 80s when we would figure out better lacing systems to make our leather boots stiffer. Switched to tech bindings around 2010 for weight efficiency plus thought I would possibly die at some point from my tele bindings not releasing in an avalanche.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

I haven't carried tricams since 2016 . We were climbing in the tetons and the approaches are simply brutal there.  I cut the rack weight down and the tri cams were one of the things that never made it back on. That omission was in part due to the fact that tri cam users are almost as annoying as Telle skiers with their feelings of cultish superiority... 

Here's our take on tricams, from Climbing Anchors, 4th Edition:

The ingenious tricam, invented by Jeff Lowe in 1980, is essentially a single cam that can be used either passively or actively. Owing to its tapered design, with a point on one end, it can be wedged like a nut (a passive placement) or used like a cam (an active placement), where a mechanical action (i.e., camming) takes place. The camming action occurs when the sling is loaded on the back, or spine, of the cam, between two rails that contact the rock on one side of the crack, creating a force that pivots like a fulcrum onto the pointed end on the other side of the crack. The design is useful for many horizontal crack situations, but its main drawback is that it’s often difficult to remove with one hand once it has been well set or weighted. 

While most climbers would never carry tricams on their rack, considering them kook items for gear nuts, tricam advocates like Ron Funderburke, former safety officer for the American Alpine Club, bristle at anyone “throwing shade on the most useful and misunderstood piece of equipment in modern climbing.” Ron writes: “A tricam is the most versatile piece of equipment on your rack and [is] especially useful when anchor building. When the cams have been depleted by the lead, the anchor builder can use tricams where the same size cam would have been needed. In that context, they will likely not need to place or remove anything one-handed.” Point taken.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

I have been a telle skier since 98. 

We have us a newbee

oldfattradguuy kkwrote:

We have us a newbee

Hahaha, agree. By 1998 I was too heavy and knees too old.   

I knew you guys would tell me me you telle...