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Saturday (6/22/13) was pretty nice in Yosemite NP:

Burchey wrote:

artrock23 wrote: Well, I have ice tools that are a lot lighter than my axe, but yes, I could use a newer (and lighter) one. I wish that the Grivel Air-tech came in lengths longer than 66cm. Do they think that all climbers are under 5'6"?

That Air-tech evo is sweet, I'm looking for the shortest one on sale. Are you using a trekking pole as well? If so, go shortest/lightest axe you can, and use the pole for support. Trust me.

EDIT: when I say lightest, I should qualify that - consider your needs. If you're just needing something to arrest while slogging snow, those aluminum dealios will be just fine. If you anticipate needing to actually swing it - getting purchase in hard snow and ice, something like the BD Venom or Air-tech evo is more the ticket.

Well, I want the best of both worlds, of course.

Mostly, I use my axe for balance/walking-stick/self-arrest when on snow, glaciers, or couloirs. Sometimes, i'll bring my ice hammer so as to have two tools for swinging (not that I profess to a great deal of experience in ice climbing). Now I discover -oh joy- that the Air-tech Evo comes in 74cm. Perfect for my needs.

BTW... used 48cm Air-tech at Gear Exchange in Bishop (I think 48cm is the shortest they make).

Any recent beta on Split conditions from Red Lake? Crampons? Axe? Hope not ...

artrock23 wrote:

Burchey wrote:

artrock23 wrote: Well, I have ice tools that are a lot lighter than my axe, but yes, I could use a newer (and lighter) one. I wish that the Grivel Air-tech came in lengths longer than 66cm. Do they think that all climbers are under 5'6"?

That Air-tech evo is sweet, I'm looking for the shortest one on sale. Are you using a trekking pole as well? If so, go shortest/lightest axe you can, and use the pole for support. Trust me.

EDIT: when I say lightest, I should qualify that - consider your needs. If you're just needing something to arrest while slogging snow, those aluminum dealios will be just fine. If you anticipate needing to actually swing it - getting purchase in hard snow and ice, something like the BD Venom or Air-tech evo is more the ticket.

Well, I want the best of both worlds, of course.

Mostly, I use my axe for balance/walking-stick/self-arrest when on snow, glaciers, or couloirs. Sometimes, i'll bring my ice hammer so as to have two tools for swinging (not that I profess to a great deal of experience in ice climbing). Now I discover -oh joy- that the Air-tech Evo comes in 74cm. Perfect for my needs.

BTW... used 48cm Air-tech at Gear Exchange in Bishop (I think 48cm is the shortest they make).

Haha, suit yourself, m'brother. I very much appreciate this tip on the 48cm, going to call them when they open. Was it an adze, or do you recall?

Burchey wrote:Haha, suit yourself, m'brother. I very much appreciate this tip on the 48cm, going to call them when they open. Was it an adze, or do you recall?

It was an adze. Kinda pricey for a used axe, but it's a consignment item, and it's been there for awhile (I saw it when up there on my last trip in May)... i.e. maybe they're flexible on price.

artrock23 wrote:

Burchey wrote:Haha, suit yourself, m'brother. I very much appreciate this tip on the 48cm, going to call them when they open. Was it an adze, or do you recall?

It was an adze. Kinda pricey for a used axe, but it's a consignment item, and it's been there for awhile (I saw it when up there on my last trip in May)... i.e. maybe they're flexible on price.

Dang it - it's not the 48cm, almost 60cm actually. She measured. THanks anyway. I'd pay $95 if it was in good shape, that thing is sweet.

I thought I had the Holy Grail of photos - unicorn and rainbow, but it turned out to be only a bear when I got a better look:

We ran into this black bear on the trail in Grand Teton NP @lupine meadown trail this past Sunday.






I walked up closer to it on the trail to get a better pic and it hissed at me. Little did I know that directly behind me, its 2 cubs were right there. There was a total of 3 cubs.










then we saw another bear a few minutes later. Lots of bears in the area, I would not hike around there solo *sean -cough-cough-o'rourke-cough*

Cubs were nearby???

Porque no, Dios?!? Porque no?!?!

Daria wrote:I walked up closer to it on the trail to get a better pic and it hissed at me. Little did I know that directly behind me, its 2 cubs were right there. There was a total of 3 cubs.

Behavior like that gets bears killed. Please don't do that anymore, at least not in Montana and Wyoming, where most other than the car tourists in Yellowstone are a lot more sensible about bears. Keep it in Yosemite Valley where everyone and his brother chases after every bear in sight no matter the personal risk or the stress placed on the animal.

Bob Sihler wrote:

Daria wrote:I walked up closer to it on the trail to get a better pic and it hissed at me. Little did I know that directly behind me, its 2 cubs were right there. There was a total of 3 cubs.

Behavior like that gets bears killed. Please don't do that anymore, at least not in Montana and Wyoming, where most other than the car tourists in Yellowstone are a lot more sensible about bears. Keep it in Yosemite Valley where everyone and his brother chases after every bear in sight no matter the personal risk or the stress placed on the animal.

It's a bit different in California I guess. They are yet another game animal here... like elk, pronghorn, rabbits, fox, mink, wild pigs, squirrels, raccoons, bighorn sheep, and deer. They kill them all out here. I've seen many tragically walk up to deer in the national parks, only to have it slaughtered outside the park in the fall.

I've never had a bear/raccoon shish kabob. No doubt someone out there has.

Deb wrote:Any recent beta on Split conditions from Red Lake? Crampons? Axe? Hope not ...

Since this thread is off-track, I'll answer my own question.
Why no, Deb, you will not need snow gear, however you will cross a snow tongue about 300' long before the notch, but it's nicely consolidated and cupped. And don't fret about the 3rd Class chute, you can easily by-pass the snow along the right wall. Have fun sweating your ass off on the way to Red Lake and be thankful there are no skeeters. Enjoy your 12-hour dayhike to Split!

Deb wrote:

Deb wrote:Any recent beta on Split conditions from Red Lake? Crampons? Axe? Hope not ...

Since this thread is off-track, I'll answer my own question.
Why no, Deb, you will not need snow gear, however you will cross a snow tongue about 300' long before the notch, but it's nicely consolidated and cupped. And don't fret about the 3rd Class chute, you can easily by-pass the snow along the right wall. Have fun sweating your ass off on the way to Red Lake and be thankful there are no skeeters. Enjoy your 12-hour dayhike to Split!

Yes, let's keep this thread on topic!

Since you were just up there, Deb, how is the drive to the trailhead? 4x4 required, or would my F250 be okay?

artrock23 wrote:Since you were just up there, Deb, how is the drive to the trailhead? 4x4 required, or would my F250 be okay?

Art, you'll be golden if your bed isn't empty. We went up in an FJ Cruiser and it crawled over rocks like a champ, didn't need 4WD. Use the GPS way points listed here on SP and you'll have no problem. It took less than an hour.
Lots of rockfall in all chutes, so tread lightly. Just moments after we exited at the top of chute, it had a splendid display of basketball boulders ping-ponging their way down.

artrock23 wrote:Yes, let's keep this thread on topic!

Yes, Daria's unfortunate post began an off topic discussion, but that matter is perhaps of graver consequence than anything else posted here. I simply couldn't believe the post when I saw it yesterday, but refrained from comment. The posting of unnecessarily high resolution pics gumming up my browser refresh aside, the testament to ignorance of wildlife is appalling. If those had been grizzlies, I doubt the bear spray you should be carrying up there would have saved you from your own folly. That kind of disrespect does nothing to disabuse those who live and work in grizzly (bear) country of their prejudicial notions of "Californians".