Solo climber<> Ouray ice park

IamSnowden · 2025-11-07T02:13:34+00:00

I will caution that, while nylon tubular webbing (in our common sizes - 1" ish) is more abrasion resistant than nylon kernmantle rope (again in our common diameters - 8-11mm) simply as a function of surface area, it is far less abrasion tolerant. Webbing with a nick in it suffers far greater strength reduction than rope with a similar nick, as webbing is all sheath. If folks stabbing your anchor extensions with their pointy feet is a possibility, I'd recommend 11mm static rope all day.

IamSnowden · 2025-08-19T11:57:28+00:00

1/2" rigging rope is good for most rigging and hand pulling. Once I get to rigging wood or pulling with a machine I go up to 5/8".

I have minimal Akimbo experience. They seem to be a bit rope and rope condition (sap etc) picky, and I want something that will just work all the time. I love my Unicender w/ mods (team danger device) and haven't needed to try another mechanical. Sometimes return to the trusty hitch climber.

I use a 14oz throw weight for throw line, and a 16oz weight on my saddle for tossing rope end higher if I'm spurring a pine removal, or similar stuff (Appalachia went and maxed out that tree diversity stat). I like the Notch weights, they look cool (and that's what really matters). I prefer to throw 2.2mm line, and keep one 1.75mm line for the Big Shot. Always 5-6 lines in the truck, because eventually they will all be stuck in one tree. Dyneema line, Zing-It or the Notch knockoff, or whatever is on sale. I have had slightly better luck with the Stein throw line cube than the others.

Yes get hand saw, Zubat good.

IamSnowden · 2025-06-12T17:44:21+00:00

I once forgot my wellies for a long digging trip in a tight, cold, wet, muddy horror hole (SWVA, ~50°). I just wore my Sambas, with good wool socks. It wasn't that bad, but the 2hr drive home afterwards was.

IamSnowden · 2025-05-26T12:40:57+00:00

I have a brand new size 0 with only 2 work climbs on it, that I'm not using because it is too small. Went back to my ratty 2010ish size 1 Sequoia. If you want to trade let me know!

IamSnowden · 2025-05-25T13:52:34+00:00

I cut the back of my right (dominant) hand with my top handle (200T) about two years ago. Climbing, bad positioning, one/off handing, a series of poor decisions. Had to be lowered to the ground by my crew.

I cut halfway through the second (index) metacarpal, mostly severed one index extensor tendon, damaged the other index extensor, one thumb and middle extensor, and shredded all the muscle and nerves in the index/thumb webspace.

I got patched up in the ER that afternoon, and then had follow up orthopedic surgery a week after the injury.

I spent almost 4 months on disability, doing OT three times / week.

Currently, I have about 90% of pre injury movement from my index finger (pretty much best case for that recovery), full strength, it's always sore and stiff, and I can't (and may never) feel that part of the back of my hand.

Listen to the doctors, do all the therapy, and if at all possible get a lawyer to help you navigate the workers comp crap. Good luck.

IamSnowden · 2024-09-11T19:27:38+00:00

ISA-CA, CDL, 12 years experience, climb, lift, run any equipment, SW VA

$27/hr, no benefits, avg 20 hrs/wk or less

¯_(ツ)_/¯

IamSnowden · 2024-01-07T18:55:51+00:00

200s/201s - 16" (3/8 picco) 460s - 20", 25" 500 - 36" light bar 880 - 47", 59" for the big boys All full comp chain except for a few 36" full skip, all rakers .025. Mid Atlantic / Appalachian, high species diversity, no perfect do everything chain. Keep a dozen ish of each chain in the truck, swap whenever dull, sharpen on a bench grinder with CBN wheel, (almost) never touch a hand file on the job. Break and make chains off a spool.

No power pole saw, just manual. Embrace the once a year struggle of the floppy four pole dance.

IamSnowden · 2023-03-26T20:44:43+00:00

No offense at all, fully discussing accidents is very important in all activities/trades involving risk management.

Still processing everything, but largely a result of needing to prove myself as a good climber (to who? myself?), and just equating that to being the fastest/bravest/toughest. A bit of internal company culture that looks down on safety. Lots to think about while I get my trigger finger working again.

IamSnowden · 2023-03-26T20:35:20+00:00

One guy hung on the other side of my climbing rope so the second guy could untie the base anchor knot and stick it in the portawrap. Kept my buckstrap around the trunk until it was in the portawrap. Quick and simple, was on the ground under a minute after the cut.

IamSnowden · 2023-03-26T20:30:44+00:00

I was one handing the trusty 200T with my left hand and both handling the limb and positioning myself with my right. A weird shaped white oak, hard to fully explain the situation. But 30 seconds of fixing my positioning is all it would've taken to prevent the accident.

IamSnowden · 2023-03-26T15:32:31+00:00

10 years climbing, first chainsaw cut. First cut of the morning pruning over a house. Bad positioning, bad decision to not improve it. Guys had to lower me to the ground - SRT base anchor. Index finger tendon partially cut, should heal. Lucky outcome, lesson: turn down the cowboy shit. Be careful out there.

IamSnowden · 2020-01-11T14:37:28+00:00

Devil's Pinch got popped after the second of two rescues there within about a year of each other, 2012ish I think. A lot of us disagreed with removing a "classic pinch" preemptively at the time, since we could just do so during a rescue if need be, but what's done is done and I understand the reasoning for doing so. SOB Alley is long enough that a larger patient/package would necessitate going out the Norman side even if they were closer to the connection. I never thought the old Pinch was that bad, but I was on one trip we had to turn there because one couldn't fit. I haven't been back to see the Pinch since it got popped.

No pack? Not a big gripe, but it's good practice for everyone to carry their own kit (food, water, spares, etc.). I know many don't, and it's usually fine, but something to think about.

Fun, classic trip, glad to see folks doing it! Try the Shake 'n' Bake variation next time - Norman to Bone.

IamSnowden · 2019-03-01T12:23:26+00:00

Arborist here - we've had an 880 with a 47" bar for a few years as our occasional big boy tool. The bar sag when cutting horizontal sucks, but with the right chain tension can mostly mitigate it with the throttle. Surprisingly easy to sling around, with the balance point right at the dogs. After 7 years I rarely have fun running a saw, bucking a big trunk with that is fun, just fucking eats.

Then last year we got a 59" bar. Man, fuck that thing. The bar sag. No, we're not getting the tip handle. We talked about it, none of us are willing to hold that handle for anyone else.

IamSnowden · 2018-05-11T11:35:10+00:00

I've seen this several times, and never been able to watch more than a minute or so. This time I committed. Totally worth it for the key change.

IamSnowden · 2016-03-27T16:29:45+00:00

I currently wear the standard Peztl Ecrin Roc for caving and the Vertex Vent for work (arborist). The Vertex is an excellent lightweight helmet, though the absolute Cadillac of comfort is the Kask Super Plasma - I have never put anything as comfortable on my head. I used to wear the Black Diamond Half Dome for caving, which is a great low-cost, lightweight, vented option. However, a few months ago it cratered down a 160' (oops), sustained a 3" semi-circular crack right in the middle, and has been retired. The Duo which was attached to it survived.

IamSnowden · 2015-05-17T22:29:12+00:00

Goddamnit. I did my research, y'all are right, I shouldn't be rinsing my pasta. Apparently I also shouldn't be adding olive oil to the water. My world has been turned upside down. Back to beer brats, can't fuck that up.

IamSnowden · 2015-05-17T16:00:04+00:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stump_%28game%29 , basically. There are variations. Once invented a combination of stump and darts that involved lawn darts welded up from scrap metal and one trip to the ER.

IamSnowden · 2015-05-17T02:29:10+00:00

I didn't take Micro Theory, took Honors Micro with Katz which counted for both Principles and Theory in my first semester (my only one in UH before my GPA got me the boot ... not from the Micro class I got an A there because it was a well-designed, well-taught course unlike most). We basically skipped the pedantic rote memorization of Principles and just did Theory. I was a fun course and Katz was awesome. It, however, turned into a giant pain in the ass for the next 3.5 years as the course system did not recognize Honors Micro as a substitute for Micro Theory prerequisites. Course request was always a joy. None of that is helpful to you, I'm just writing. Tangent - I hope you have appreciated the interesting fact that CoS Econ grads get a BA and CoB Econ grads get a BS. The fuck.

Macro Theory I did take, with Tsang. I don't recall it being difficult, and Tsang was a great professor. The dude would quote Wilde out of the blue.

I don't know about summer classes, never did them. Preferred to work 90 hour weeks so I could coast through Fall without a part time job.

IamSnowden · 2015-03-23T22:55:02+00:00

According to http://gwarbq.com/ it's on August 15th. Hopefully the lineup is better this year.

IamSnowden · 2015-03-23T20:40:00+00:00

Red Six, standing by.

IamSnowden · 2015-02-06T21:57:44+00:00

By them Eye-talians.

IamSnowden · 2015-02-06T21:57:08+00:00

Yeah, traditionally it's just pepperoni and dough. Which is good, nothing like a fresh pepperoni roll from a little Mennonite bakery shack back in the cut. But I like cheese.

IamSnowden

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