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I bought some thing at the hardware store the other day called a "crack weeder". It looks like the perfect thing for the job. Though maybe better for a crag rather than a remote alpine thing as it's a bit heavy. I did a google image search for "crack weeder" and . If you're at work you might want to make sure you have the "safe search" setting on, or not

Usually the main problem with adding bolts to a climb is that it makes the climb easier. In this case though, if the the potential bolt station is at a no-hands stance, I don't see how a bolt station would change the difficulty of the full line at all. Perhaps though you have other problems with this idea? A practical problem is that your wonderful 5.12+ climb may be constantly bunged up by relative newbies sieging the lower portion. Do you foresee that happening?

Shouldn't that be, "There was no point of me sharing this. Just thought I'd post."

I think you're missing Jay's point Trashie. Even though the Dems have had next to no real power until 6 months ago, all of these problems are actually the fault of the Dems due to their shrillness. And if you don't buy that, then certainly you will acquiesce that all of the constitutional trampling of the last five years will soon be their fault in a couple of years once they enjoy real power.

Did you know that in the French language there are 57 words for "surrender".

Perhaps you could look at the bright side? You're not dead due to protection failure!

Once one has progressed past the counting on fingers stage, six or twelve are much nicer as a base than ten. One has only to look at the packaging of beer to get a practical example of the utilities of six or twelve. Think of the number of hard feelings, fights, injuries and deaths that have been avoided by never having to decide who gets the last beer in the five-pack. :brew: :brew: :brew: I've got a six pack, and nothing to do. I've got a six pack, and I don't need you!

No point in lookin' for one, either.

That was what blew me away. On that first roof he didn't swing anywhere. It made it look like some slab overlap on the Tooth or something. He did pause briefy at the second roof crux.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 203 PM PDT THU JUN 7 2007 WAZ513-518-519-082115- OLYMPICS-WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES- WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES- 203 PM PDT THU JUN 7 2007 ...STRONG SYSTEM FOR JUNE ARRIVES SATURDAY.. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE IN SATURDAY WITH STRONG WINDS AND MUCH COOLER WEATHER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ABOVE THE 5000 FT LEVEL WINDS WILL BEGIN TO PICK UP LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH SUSTAINED WINDS UP TO 45 MPH BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. HIGHER GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN EXPOSED TERRAIN. UP TO 1 INCH OF PRECIPITATION MAY FALL IN THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN LATE SATURDAY AND MIDDAY SUNDAY. FREEZING LEVELS WILL LOWER CONSIDERABLY THE LATTER HALF OF SUNDAY WITH SNOW LEVELS FALLING TO JUST ABOVE PASS LEVEL BY MONDAY MORNING. HIKERS, CLIMBERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IN THE MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND.

I think it is going to be very interesting how the Bushies are going to handle the latest gambit by Russia. In background: the US stated it was going to construct components of an anti-missle system right next to Russia, in Poland; Russia gets pissed; Bush says it's not meant to defend against Russia, it's meant to defend against those nasty Islamofacists; clearly anticipating Bush's obviously disingenuous reply, Putin comes back with, "if that's the case, let's work together and build the station in Azerbaijan instead!" Great (and obvious in hindsight) counter-move by the Ruskies. This is and was always an obvious anti-Russia thing first. You think the Bushies have the smarts to do anything but get the Cold War going again in earnest, and sink our nation further toward the shithole than anybody even imagined!?

So if an idiot calls you an idiot, is that an ultra-insult or could it be considered a confirmation of worthiness, in a double-negative sort of way?

Thanks for the blackberry removal on Chasin' The Lizard Daryl! That bush looked pretty imposing a couple of weeks ago. By the way, just for information, an easy way to get down from Rattletale is to rap the chain stations of CtL (easily doable with a single 60m rope).

Aren't you a guy who usually bitches about how evil lawyers use technicalities in the law? Now you're saying it's OK for our government to not follow its own constitution because it set up it's jail outside of some arbitrary boundary?

Saying that soldiers have no choice in where and who they fight in no way invalidates Cindy Sheehan's complaints. In fact, if anything, it makes them more valid. It shows that with a whim the commander in chief can send her kid and many other kids off to peril, and there's NOTHING they can do about it (save go to jail). It shows that the commanders should be very careful with how they wield our forces. Cindy Sheehan is trying to influence them from making more bad decisions that get more of our kids killed.

Depends on what you like. It a semi-long to long day out. There's really great views. You travel through a few different types of tasty rock (low angled, polished slab, very featured semi-steep stuff, then some steeper granitic(?) stuff at the end). It's quite low-stress and goes fairly quickly for the amount of ground covered due to the abundant fixed protection. The descent is mind-numbing (hours of rappelling down low-angled, featured, sometimes loose, rock). There are sections of loose rock. The climb is mostly easy and low angled with brief spurts into the low 5.10 range. There are sections of loose rock that make it worrisome to be below anyone (I've actually witnessed spontaneous rockfall there too). If overbolting bothers you, you will be bothered. The bolting is inconsistent also, so if you're some autistic dude who gets freaked out when things change, you could get freaked out when you move from pitch to pitch.

couple more

Thanks for the report. this would probably be a good caption contest photo.

I've got big bag of plastic bags. You can have those. You should just get married. That looks like a good present list. "I'm registered on CC.com."

Achilles tendon rupture is being used here because it is a dramatic and disabling injury. It's likely to result in substantial treatment and thus it's pretty sure to be included in someone's medical record. Also if someone's records don't show it, then it's pretty sure that it hasn't happened to that person. This makes it a good outcome for a study. Obviously it depends on the suspected mechanism for the increased risk*, but if it's some sort of systemic change induced in tendon tissue I'd think it would quite likely also increase chances of tendon injuries other than achilles rupture. What do you suppose a climber's risk of tendon injury is? I'd bet it's a thousand of times higher than 1/16,666, probably more like 5% or greater. Triple that and you got a substantial increase in injury risk. * I checked out the article. It states, "The mechanisms behind the fluoroquinolone effect is unknown, but it is probably due to direct toxicity and degenerative changes on collagen fibres [2, 8, 9]. Fluoroquinolones possess chelating properties that are likely involved in tendon toxicity as animals fed a magnesium-deficient diet are at increased risk of fluoroquinolone-induced tendon disorders [13, 14].". Thus if there really is an effect it probably is systemic and acts on all tendons, including the bicep and finger pulley tendons that are most at risk for climbers.

I tried that offwidth on the left side of the Rattletale p3 chimney on toprope, and was shut down quickly! Sheesh. Not even close.

Update on some lost Index Classics: Went up there yesterday. Not a great day for oozy climbs. Rattletale is fine, but that climb to the left is getting pretty overgrown. It's a good pitch, needs some attention. Went over to Steel Pulse and got on that. The bottom is really disgusting (slimy mossy, yuck) but once up about 50 feet it's berry nice. Magic Fern is seriously overgrown and nasty for the bottom 30 feet (until the nice crack). This is a pretty fun climb that needs some attention. Free Cat is totally grown over, and End Run is just about completely lost. Even the ever-popular Senior Citizens in Space is looking a bit green! Is global warming promoting Index slime growth?

Where are you guys getting this crap? Deliberately letting Bin Laden go? Afghan soldiers let Bin Laden go? Do you have access to classified information or something? If so, you boys are going to be in big trouble for posting it on an internet bulletin board.

No question 9/11 was more scary for the average Joe on the street. But I thought you were talking about stress on the president.