ryland_moore

Oh man well let's hope they did bring that bivy sack.....Praying that everyone stays safe up here....

Raindawg states Less of an impact? Now I know you are ill-informed and have tunnel vision in this debate. Snowmobiling (and other off road vehicles) with a 2 stroke motor causes more environmental pollution than any other form of transportation. Did you know that 25-30% of a snowmobiles fuel mixture is actually discharged unburned when in operation? That collects in all of the snow and when the spring run-off comes, all of the oil runs into our lakes and rivers, killing thousands of fish and wildlife. Why do you think that Park Rangers in Yellowstone must wear protective gas masks at park entrances in the winter? It is not from the sulfur released by geysers, I promise you. You cannot compare sport climbing's environmental degredation to one of the worst polluters on the face of the earth. Pollution from snowmobiles is so great that the government had to enact a new policy in 2002 under the Clean Air Act that includes companies that produce two-stroke engines to ban them over time in favor of a four-stroke. The ship's course will never be corrected, Raindawg. You are now a minority. Of course you are entitled for your opinion and your environmental ethic. We, as climber's should always be striving to reduce our ecological footprint. It is what got the majority of us into the sport. However, I disagree with some of your statements regarding the environmental destruction found with sport climbing. I went to college up on top of a mountain in rural Tennessee. It is the 2nd largest college campus in the US with only 1,200 students. We were literally surrounded by 29 miles of sandstone bluff (the boundary of the campus) ranging from 20-200 feet in height. There are exactly 5 sport routes along the entire trail and bolting is governed by the University. However, at the same time that a bolting policy came in to play, another rule was also issued regarding the degredation caused by trad climbers topping out. Massive trails coming down steep slopes were causing large amounts of erosion in an otherwise pristine environment. This caused the university to require anchor bolts if no other natural anchors were available. A study by several University professors began looking at areas like T-Wall and Sunset for similar issues with topping out and causing environmental degredation and found that it does cause a great deal of erosional problems, destruction of native vegetation, and actual physical changes to the canopy that had a trickle-down effect on other species such as birds that relied on edge vsa. canopy. I will try and find the study and then find a way to post it, but there were geology, soils, and forestry professors and students looking at this for several years. Placing bolts in itself is not an environmental travesty. Yes, they can be an eyesore, but they can also be masked by paint. If you look at the environmental destruction caused by the production of bolts and large masses of people coming to an area because of them, then I am sensitive to this as well. But to argue that sport climbing has made Smith an environmental travesty is not founded by me. If anything, look at the non-point source polution flowing through the Crooked River from poor irrigation practices and overapplication of pesticides in the local farms around Smith. My profession involves the environment as I was a director of a land trust for many years working to protect land and water from environmental degredation. Pristine areas that are publicly and privately owned should and are being protected. But Smith is a State Park, to be used by all. Just like the National Forests. Smith is not a national park or monument and I don't see any reason that it should be. It is great to have someone want to push a ground-up ethic and I love alpine trad more than anything in the world, but sport climbing has a special place in our world and it will continue to proliferate. You can profess all you want to but unfortunately, in the majority of cases, it will fall on deaft ears.

Is "fausty" "D-Dog"? and if you say this, how do you know? Do you know whoat D-dog looks like?

Can yougive any dtails over what has happened in the last year and 1/2? interested in giving any reflection into the whole situation? Glad to see everything is back on track for you? Or is it? best of luck, D-Dog...

The Everest series running on Discovery channel Tuesday nights at 10pm has an exercise induced asthmatic on the team and he was attmepting to climb without oxygen and was doing really well until the summit bid....

Eugene at the new backcountry gear store.....

I am not trying to silence dissent. I welcome it and think it has its rightful place in any conversaation or debate. just that if you are going to provide the dissent, that you can back it up or be careful the way in which you provide the dissenting opinion so that itdoes not make you look silly. I am sure Pope is a great guy, just think he takes it a little far in his preaching when he himslef is guilty of what he speaks out against....

True that, SC. I just hate when people who profess one thing but are not following it themselves. I am just as guiltyf this as the next guy, but if you are going to go out on a limb for something, then you better be able to back it up. Plus, he should look into who he is talking about boycotting. An amazing group of guys at backcountry gear who support cc.com and provide quality service and gear in a sea of big-box REI retailers.... I'd have more respect for someone who professed they believe in chipped routes, placed glue ons, andd retro-bolted everything if they actually did, then someone talking one thing but doing another......Hey Eddie!

Figger Eight, it is hard to admire someone for their convictions when they themsleves do not follow it.....

No, it was for Pope and his patchouli lover, Raindawg....

Funny you say this Pope, because I think I have actually seen you climbing at Smith before......... Or are you just one of the typical" talk the talk but don't walk the walk" hippie pretenders? I don't like everything about Smith, like glue-on holds bnd chipped routes, but I do see that there is a place for sport climbing. Let me ask you Pope, since you are so high and mighty about climbing traditions, why not go back to bare feet, climbing with a hemp rope and only using passive protection? Why not just tie knots and place those instead of stoppers? Got any cams? Can't use hose because they are "new" and it "changes" the sport. Allows too many "gumbies" into trad crags.... Ever places a knifeblade or Lost Arrow, Pope? Can't do that. You are scarring the rock permanently. What about the via feratta you've professed about on cc.com? Ban that too? If that isn't defacing the rock, then I don't know what is. Your drivel is mindless. Think things through before you start spraying about something you read or someone else's opinion you decided to assume. Otherwise, no one will take you seriously. Practice what you preach and maybe you will get somewhere. You may think that sport climbing is bad, but you do it. Maybe your ethics aren't in line with what you believe? You deal with it. Don't push it on me......

The locals usually take care of that anyway......

I was hoping Mr. Freih would be or someone that has a contact at PRG. What about other areas that someone has contact with? Other gyms, outdoor stores that have some space?

I'll be coming back late from Hood River, but will try and stop in since I live in NoPo (I hate that name). I will be dressed upfrom a Christmas party, so don't hold that against me.

322.9. I'm improving!!!!

Since PRG just did the dry tool comp last month, can John use connections from setting that up to get this to PDX one night after climbing? They have a huge venue for it. This would be pretty cool to see in PDX! We could definately get the word out fast to those in the know. Let me know how I can help...

Kennedy School is awesome. You can rent out the Library, perfect for that size then go explore the other areas. Our office does this every year and then stays overnight. Fun times overall.....

I should have known it was a frenchman wearing pink tights! Although I am sure some of the First Ascentionists (American) are very ashamed of the things they used to wear back in the 8 ts and early 90's out at Smith!!!! Sorry I will miss it Mike!

I guess we can expect lines for climbs out at Banks Lake this weekend!!!!

I heard this film was amazing. A few friends saw it at the train depot in Terrebonne a few weeks back. Question, it does not highlight East Face of the Monkey in the flyer, but I assume that is Watts on East Face in the flyer photo? Also, is the East Face highlighteed in the film at all? Hope this comes to PDX.

I heard about this as well. I hope the locals will come together and chop this. Rumor has it, the bolts were placed by Chuck Burr. When I talked to my buddy from T-ride about it, he said that Chuck Burr, if it is the same one, owns some crazy enviro-friendly house up at over 11k elevation and it uses all solar heating and is designed to capture sun in the winter and shade in the summer. Sounds like Burr is some wealthy, trust funder who is just like every other trustafarian pretending to do one thing (be an eco-warrior), then turn around and do something stupid like this. Supposedly he is a realtively beginner climber and has only lived in T-ride for a short time. Hopefully the locals will lynch him and put a stope to detroying one of the classic ice lines in North America....

316.7....

Were you with your son and O. Engineering sign on the sides? I tink we talked about seeing your rig on Boradway in downtown Couv? Anyway, they did eventually open the gates, but sounds like you still got in there and the conditions didn't change too much from the day before. In other words you didn't miss anything by heading home Saturday.....

I'll upload them tonight when I get back....

No, we were all from Portland. We talked to the group from Seattle though. My buddy was driving a black chevy with studs. We got the DClimber's bivy lot wbout 7am. Sorry I missed ya!