Bronco

Juan: The concerns you outlined are just the reason I don't advocate newbies finding partners with similar experience and "going for it" while learning together. I don't know either of the guys who wrote the aforementioned trip reports and am not calling them "newbies" but, there are probably some new climbers looking at your post and thinking "well, how the hell do I learn to climb if I don't push my limits? " In response, I offer the following thoughts for you to read, print and paste on your cube wall or more likely, just ignore all together: Mentoring is the best method to learn climbing, but you've got to be willing to put your ego away which is seemingly harder for some than others. There's a lot of cool guys out there that took the time to show me the ropes (once I demonstrated a willingness to listen and learn) and continue to offer advice and make themselves available for me to climb with. I am a much safer and less serious climber than I originally envisioned (and have more fun too) mainly becasue I was able to hang out and climb with experienced guys who were able to cut through the bullshit (numbers, times and grades) and get right to the climbing/fun. The happy medium might be organized classes or supervised group outings if you aren't able to do the mentoring deal for whatever reason. But the downside is the group usually is limited to whatever the weakest/slowest member is able to do thus, progress may be slower than you're expecting. So I challenge you hardmen and women to put your money where your mouth is and take a willing newbie climbing from time to time. Make them buy you lunch and carry your shit if that's what it takes, but at least offer up some help if someone asks once in a while. My rant for the day. "Life ain't nothing but a funny funny riddle, thank God I'm a country boy!"

I understand some locals hung a deer skull from a shrub growing directly below the last pitch of the Great Northern Slab, sort of above Sonic Slab in February of 2002. It wasn't a very good installation because you wouldn't notice it unless you knew beforehand it was there. But the pig head was the inspiration. Artists....sheesh!

Those boulders sometimes get mouthy and need to be punished too!

That reminds me of the time I raced with 3 brand new Kenworth rigs pulling trailers (I was in an unloaded pickup) from Montana to Washington via I-90 through Ideeho. Once we hit the Washington state line, it was like - race over for the truckers. I did learn those rigs can do well over 100 mph with a big ass trailer! Crazy bastards!

Sweet! I bet the casing to a ball point pen would work too if you made the incision with a sharp knife kinda like a field tricheometry procedure (like on M*A*S*H) and then you don't have to carry the extra weight of the spinal needle. Don't forget your ductape to hold the tube in place!

I have the same sitmo myself, where I don't get hungry all day when rock climbing. Still pretty new at it though so I have a fair amount of adreneline running through my system which is a great appetite suppressor. there's my $.02 You should still eat something during the day to keep your body fueled up.

We intended to climb that route last weekend, but, because of the cornices you see at the top and a small point release slide seen while we were debating how stable the cornice looked, we opted for the NE Couloir. The conditions were great in the NE Couloir if that's any indication, good secure step kickin. I did hear from a friend this morning that there was a bunch of new snow at Colchuck lake this week. Not sure how much though.

or send an email to Erik. I hear he's interested in a price.

that's not nice, just because he likes to wear pink spandex singlet's for sport climbing in, we shouldn't bad mouth him. I heard he got turned down for American Idol too, seriously man!

This is great! me and Ursa could take care of the traffic problem once and for all- Ban SUVs, Cel Phone talkers, Teenagers, obviously Old people and Drunks wouldn't be tolerated, and anyone else who may annoy/irritate us or infact do anything different than we see fit, we are the only people that matter. DIE DIE DIE!

And teenagers must some of the ablsolute worst of the entire bunch of bad and unsafe drivers! The only time I was in a wreck (that I didn't cause) a kid speeding along to school in a CHEVY s-10 Blazer (SUV) slammed into the back of my poor old pickup truck doing 45 miles an hour while I was sitting at a red light!!

you got that shit right

Not really, I like mattp and think he's doing a fabulous job moderating that thread. The rest of you guys need to do some work, study, whatever it is trask does, and stop whinning! Do you think the outcome of the "Rainier Investegation" is somehow more important to you than Gator, Oldman, Dan, the (imaginary) witnesses and the rest of the folks involved? I agree with matt - chill out! and spare me the constitutional crap, it's the internet for Christ's sake!

How bout all of these MOFO's talking on their cel phones while almost running you down in the crosswalk? I hate those guys! They need to take lessons from a hairstylist or someone who can talk and perform eye-hand coordination tasks at the same time.

ping ping ping! clip, yank yank ahhhh....

great, now we don't have to listen to you whining because getting your fancy name thingy was taking so long - "hezus crist, I overnighted the money to them 2 days ago" that is wack, yellow. didja find your beanie?

is this the "super munter" or "double munter"?

Right on Spanker!

Bug: I understand the only way to get real HGH is through a perscription from your doctor. There's a lot of stuff out there claiming to be "HGH" that only contains trace amounts.

Good job getting out of sketchdom (I hate that place!) I'm looking forward to the day when I have enough experience to avoid making mistakes and can predict the future like ERIK! If we didn't push ourselves to climb in the first place, we'd never get off the couch, push your limits and pound your pins if the local guide book says it's ok!

John: I wore trail runners all the way from the truck to Colchuck lake on a very hard crust in the early AM. The trail is well packed and was still firm in the afternoon on the descent so no need for snowshoes. You can drive to within about 1 mile of the trail head as of Saturday. Just snow in the Couloir. There was a river of Spindrift that running down the right side of the Couloir that might have scoured snow down to ice in some places. Have fun!

Check out the N. Norwegian Buttress on Mt. Index.

doh!

no, Muffy that would be appropriate cause it's TRUE!