Marlys had a little excitement yesterday

As I mentioned in the last post, we were off to Monarch Ski Area for Alpine Team training on Saturday. It was shut down for the season so no one would have to dodge us on the slopes.

We got there about 8:30 and the skies were overcast and threatening snow.

After gearing up we headed in search of a slope to do self-arrest practice, but the ~5 inches of snow over night made this problematic as we could not get a good slide going.

Our Lead decided that instead of us learning a bad technique we would leave the self-arrest practice until next month, when we are going to St. Mary's Glacier.

The group headed over to Gunbarrel, which is to the far left when you come into the Monarch parking lot to work on roped travel, belay techniques and setting of snow pickets and fixed lines.

For those of you who have skied Gunbarrel know it is steep and with the new snow from the night before and snow that accumulated during the day, we had plenty of fresh stuff to work with.

We worked on boot belays first, which is where a ice ax with a runner and biner on the head is sunk shaft first into the snow. The belayer then runs the rope from the climber through the biner to a hip belay to catch a fall. The belayer puts their foot on the ice ax head to keep it in the snow.

We did a number of these with the climber taking falls, on purpose, to practice stopping the fall.

Then is was Marlys' turn. Marlys weights about 95# and she was concerned with stopping a falling climber, which I don't think we had one that came in at less then 160#.

Marlys stopped three falls in a row, which showed that with the right moves she really had no problems.

The fourth one though went wrong as the ax had been worked loose a little due to the previous falls and this time it pulled out from under her boot and then went flying. It smacked her in the knee and the pick hit her arm putting a hole through her shell and shirt.

She of course went flying about 10 feet down the slope before stopping.

Everyone, heard the twang when it happened and we all rushed over to her. Taking a ice ax to the knee is painful (I imagine) and she was in in pain.

There was some discussion, during the debrief on what had happened as to whether the belayers foot should be on the ax head or on the runner in front of the ax.

The concern about crampons with their sharp edges was talked about.

Some research is needed.

After a few minutes though she was back up on her feet and ready for the afternoons task of climbing as a roped team.

Lucky.

The rope work in the afternoon happened in darkening, snowy and windy conditions.

We got to try out all of our new toys, but there is a need for Marlys and I to get more carabiners.

I asked one of the other folks how many is enough, and he said he would tell me when he got there.

There are so many types and uses it can be pretty confusing, but lite and strong can be driving factors.

As the day progressed the snow got heavier the wind blew harder and by the end we were a tired group.

The Family Room Ceiling Story Begins

Many of you know I have talked about lining the family room ceiling in beetle kill pine (blue-stained) for a number of years.

Well, its time has come. Yesterday after shopping a number of places (on-line), we bought 45 - 16' T&G beetle kill boards to start the project.

Let's see a 16' board will stick 6' beyond the tailgate of our pickup, so no problem, and we were off to Fountain.

For those of you who keep track of where I buy things you will be happy to know these came off of a Craigslist ad I spotted about a week ago.

Everything was loaded and the mandated red flag attached so we began the journey home.

I nervously watched the load for a few miles, but everything seemed OK. We even made a couple more stops in Florence and Canon before heading up the hill.

No problemo, made it to Autumn Creek.

Made it up the hill to the house to drop off groceries, but as I walked around the back of the truck I noticed THERE WAS NOTHING THERE! Where the hell had I dropped the load?

Shouting at Marlys to hurry up (am downplaying this just a little) we jumped back in the truck and started backtracking. There was $350 of wood laying out there somewhere. We are hoping that it wouldn't be back on CO Hwy 9 or US Hwy 50.

As we came to the first turn (last turn when coming to our place) there it was sitting in the middle of Autumn Creek Drive, still wrapped and flagged.

We it made all the way (~100 miles) except the last freaking turn.

I turned around and came back to reload it.

Of course I turned in a little too soon to get in front of it and drove over the edge of a bunch of boards. Did I mention this is tongue and grove, so the edges damage real easy.

We reloaded and I got it back to the shop. I couldn't, wouldn't look at it to survey the damage until today.

I need 39 board for the ceiling. I bought 45 to be safe. I screwed up 11. I am now either going to have to figure out a fix, or go back to Fountain and get some more.

Stay tuned, because I have an idea.

Tomorrow we are off to do alpine training with the SAR team at Monarch Ski area (closed for season, but getting 3-5 inches of snow tonight). We are going to work on our self-arrest technique, or lack there of, roped up hiking and climbing, and use of crampons. I am bringing a camera because it could be humorous.

Just another day

After the normal morning hike, and then some work in the shop on the Molesworth Chair, we began this years harvest of the rocks that have now appeared everywhere. A couple of rock walls were built.

Once we were gased (2:30pm) we sat on the patio, drank a couple of beers, ate some peanuts, listened to tunes and read until about 5pm.

As they say, we are living the dream.

Another FSAR Mission, another sad ending.

After our physical capabilities evaluation Saturday morning (3 miles in 45 minutes with 30 lbs packs), Marlys and I got called out Sunday morning at 7:30 am. Again, not a happy ending.

http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/pueblo-police-investigating-apparent-murder-suicide/

First Search and Rescue Mission Today

Marlys and I got a callout this afternoon. This was our first official mission. It did not have a happy ending.

http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/15-year-old-found-dead-near-skyline-drive/

Pat

The Great Horsy Roundup of 2011

Skiing was yesterday, today was back to reality if you can call 70 degrees with matching wind gusts reality on April 2.

After Marlys and I took our packs for a hike this morning, Herb (Puff the Magic Flashlight) asked me to help him repair some snow fence. I had not been up top in a couple of weeks and the damage from the late winter winds was amazing.

On an aside I have a theory that since we have had very little snow this year (under 2 feet) that the snow fence suffered greater damage since they did not have the support of the snow. Now I am sure that our less then stellar job of installation played a part, but the lack of snow reduced its stabilizing effect on the fence letting it flex more and ultimately breaking.

Back to our show--While fixing the fence Herb mentioned that the marauding (not my term, but probably what Bill the Horse Whisper would say) herd of "next to wild" horses were in his back 40 (actually 35) and maybe we could move them through a gate to the area where they should be. They had broken through a fence about a month ago and had been wandering the upper areas since then.

So as we were fixing the fence Puff's plan started to play out. He would get on the ATV and I in Derek's Jeep and pretend to be Cowboy's (I don't know, but Horseboy's lacks something) herding the devil horses (PWBWS - Probably what Bill would say) back through the gate.

As luck would have it Mike and Martha came by in their Ranger, as we were finishing up the fence and the roundup was on.

Out into the field, in a "spread finger formation (Air Force Fighter speak)" went Mike and Martha to the East, Herb (Puff) in the center and moi to the West. In the best modern cowboy form all of the four legged herding creatures (Dusty/Hallie) had been captured and put in to the back of the Jeep. And off we went.

Progress was slow put stead as these wylie critters gave the approaching wave the evil eye (a Bill-ism, as I would imagine it). As we crept forward (as much as you can in a Jeep, ATV and UTV) the herd suddenly broke and headed north...put to the wrong corner of the field, as the gate was in the west corner. Mike and Martha came in close and prepared to unleash the hounds, when the marauding beasts (again a Bill-ism) headed toward the west corner and the gate.

I being so caught up in watching suddenly realized I need to cut them off before they ran past the gate and we would need to start all over again. Cross country in Derek's Jeep was not like traveling down the interstate at 70mph, but the Jeep came through and we headed them off at the pass (actually the fence line) and through the gate the thundering herd ran.

The round up was over and had gone according to Puff's Plan. No longer would the marauding herd of devil beast (another Bill-ism) roam the area...at least until the next fence failure.

Last Day of Skiing for the Season

...maybe, forecast of a snow storm on Sunday and free skiing Monday at Monarch could change that statement. Marlys and I went to Monarch on Friday with a couple of folks from the Search and Rescue Team, I also has able to meet with the Mountain Operations Director about doing our April Training for the Alpine Team at the area once the season is over, which is April 10.

In checking the MAPMYHIKE stats for 1Q2011, Marlys and I have gone 150 miles (with packs). We hiked 29 times, so about once every 3 days (every 2.4 days if you remove the 3 weeks we were gone). Seems good, but next Saturday will tell, as the Search and Rescue Team is having a fitness evaluation session. The goal is 3 miles in 45 minutes carrying our 24 hour packs.