ryland_moore

Since I dispise snowmobilers and think slednecks are no better off than ATVers or jetskiers on snow, you will never find me in a pristine mountain environment riding a snowmobile. Those folks can continue to high mark and clean up the gene pool so the average IQ will increase. I am faster on skins than snowshoes unless in a heavily treed forest and I descend faster than a guy on snowshoes meaning I can leave later (hence, climb longer) to get back to the car. Just pulling your chain, Dru.

Dru, how do you approach and descend from your ice? Oh, I get it, you go climbing with some partners, get flown in by helicopter, telling your partners that it is dangerous, then while belaying them on a climb, make one get "accidentally hurt while yarding up the rope as your partner is swinging his tools, breaks his nose, and whala! An accident! "Thank god we didn't ski in and rented that chopper!!!! Coulda been an epic!" stated Dru.

Has nothing to do with the occupation rather the type of person. I know plenty of suit and tie guys that are way more reliable than climbing bums or students. I lived as all of those. It is more about the individual than their job IMHO.

He is really a dumbass as the only way one can get sick is through germs, not the temperature inside or our outside. Stupid college kids!

If ya find a ride down from Seattle, I'll buy you a pint of Terminal Gravity on Saturday!

Better Ice if you head beyond Ouray on your way over to Durango. The hardest thing about living in Telluride is finding a place to live and affording to pay rent! Sounds like a fun winter.

Just fashion the tap like a camelback and have the hose running from the trunk over the fron seat and shoulder straight into your mouth!

I share my birthday with the birth of CC.com! Great minds think alike....

RBW, ETA on Friday?

Yeah, Alan is an inspiration. Ran acrtoss him with jja last winter up in Lillooet as he warmed up on WI5! Hope I can crank like that when I grow up!

My girlfriend and I will be there Friday thru Sunday. I know of at least 3 other non cc.comers who will be there as well.

Cool, an official Shaggin' Wagon at the LuvFest!!!!

It will prep us for next weekend when we have to deal with bikers and locals from Wenatchee!

Word on the street is that there are going to be kegs at the Grasslands this weekend! May want to up the numbers you have for cc.comers as it seems like there will be plenty o' non-cc.comers hanging around the tap this year!

As you all head out into the wilderness to onsight some sport routes, thrash up some boulder problems, jump on some glacier ice, or take advantage of some good weather in the alpine, do not forget to drink a beer for the homies who passed away 5 years ago on Shishapangma. This Sunday, the 5th is the 5 year anniversary of the death of Alex Lowe and David Bridges. I'll have a beer or 8 at the grasslands. Hope y'all do the same.

Find a really large area and stake it out for everyone! Maybe the back end of the grasslands (North) or the West end? See y'all Friday around 8pm.

If you do sky ridge, it is mandatory to finish with the Skydive (10b) variation. Although I have never done the actual 2nd pitch of skyline, it looks pretty ho-hum when compared to the fianl moves of skydive. I've now followed it and lead it since last winter and think it is an awesome line!

Al, I don't think it is so simple as to answer with a blanket statement. I guess it is all in the art of placing a bolt. If there is a descent clip say 5 ft. below the crux, place one there, then place one just after the crux, assuming the crux may only be a few moves. So that it may be a bit runout with bolts placed 15 ft. apart. All in all, your first thought should be safety, whether or not it can be aided or not. If they work together and you can have your cake and eat it too, I have no problems with your practices. If, on the other hand, you deliberately set bolts to make it impossible to aid, but lacked the effort to ensure that it was a clean fall or could cause serious injury, I wouldn't be surprised to see you bolts getting yanked and retro bolted. Be cautious and bold if possible! Have fun!

I'll second that! For a gear shop in any town, they are amazing. Plus they are in internet sales too, so have a wide variety of stuff. Went in there a few weeks ago to see if they carried the Beckey books (didn't have the maroon one) and although they weren't carrying books at the time, he ordered them for me! Screw REI! Plus these guys are strong climbers who know what's up, unlike some gear whore wanna be at REI (at least in Eugene - I know some Seattle REI folks that are pretty cool). BackCountry Gear - run by climbers for climbers! Hey, this could be an SAT analogy question: REI is to BEckfest as Backcountry Gear is to:________ Answer: SMiffy Rope Up Yeah! These guys will outcompete Mountain Gear, Shoreline, and are a lot more friendly and more knowledgeable than places like REI. Hell, they are even better albeit much smaller shop than Teton Profiteering in Jackson!

As to the first question, I would suggest that bolts be placed at a descent rest before the crux. If that occurs just below the crux or several moves below the crux, I think it is imaterial, unless an objective hazard or chance of a bad fall are possible. Then my opinion menas nothing.

Redneck tourist trap. To bring in the money and make everyone interested, they used to pay farmers $50 back in the 1940's and '50s to paint the add on the side of their barns. You see signs all over the south, from Florida all the way up to Ohio. It is like the Wall Drug of the South, if that helps.

In college as a pledge with a fraternity, we pulled a prank on another fraternity. The fraternity house had a steep roof that faced out onto the main street of campus. During the early morning hours a few friends and I climbed up the outside chimney (sandstone), heal hooked up over the roof to gain access. I belayed up my other pledge brothers. We had a rolling painter, a bucket of paint, a dynamic rope, and a paint roller bin. One guy got on the opposite side of the roof to act as an anchor while keeping me locked off, the other guy stayed tied to the chimney and held the paint roller bin, and I was in charge of painting. Since the roof was steep (approx. 50 degrees) I had my climbing shoes on. We had to be quiet as there were members of their fraternity asleep in the house. I proceeded to paint 6 ft. tall letters to spell out "See Rock City". If you've ever been in the South, especially Tennessee, you will know what this means. The other fraternity was less than pleased when they woke up the next morning.

Come down to the Cuthbert tonight! Or check 'em out in Seattle on Sunday! Thjis will be the first show I've sen without Houser

every off-width I have ever lead and TR'ed. You'd think I learned by now!

Let me know how I can help out. My girlfriend and I will be there to climb, party with everyone, celbrate my birthday, climb some more, and spray!!! Only a week away!