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mattp

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Everything posted by mattp

  1. I think this happens for two reasons, or at least these are two of the reasons it happens: 1} we post anonymously here. There is a widely recognized Internet phenomenon where people who post anonymously tend to become more shrill than those who post under their real names. 2) many of us have been interacting with the same sparring partners for years. Even if you try not to let it get to you it stimulates and emotional response the 56th time you reply to the same or similar argument from that son of a bitch. With Obama having issued fewer executive orders than just about anybody, with the Obama Care act having actually been a Republican proposal, and with the big foreign policy criticism in the withdrawal from Iraq having been a BUSH decision, I think it is hard to support the notion that Obama has acted like a dictator -- but I post this as "mattp" and I post it in reply to Fairweather, who has been politically active and arguing with me on cc.com for ten years. We get shrill.
  2. mattp

    Net Neutrality

    Sorry, Fairweather, but you are like many others on the right who deny reality here. The Republican Party has absolutely fought a war on science. And it is not just on environmental topics. Take evolution, for example: in states like Kentucky and Texas the Republican Party is saying that evolution is just a "theory" and that creationism should be taught in public schools. On rape: the human body has defenses and in cases of legitimate rape a woman will not become pregnant. On the "dismal science" they try to tell us that "trickle down economics" is an "accepted" fact even though it has never been found effective anywhere. Yes, kook's on the left have their silly ideas - but for just plain ignorance and deliberate ignoring of the facts, Republicans have the Democrats beat times ten.
  3. mattp

    election 2014

    On balance, I agree with our esteemed Mr. Fairweather on this one. The initiative process has led to some rather poor results that are really a reflection of paranoia or shallow thinking or what I guess he refers to as "mob rule" including the Eyeman initiatives. On balance, I think we would probably be better off if there was not such support in Washington law for the initiative process. But at last night's 594 election night return event I saw a bunch of the usual liberal suspects who attend events that I attend making speeches about how it was a great night for the people of Washington when, after the Legislature failed to act, we could take this initiative to a vote of THE PEOPLE. Strange I thought: these same usual suspects were not saying that when initiatives 985, 1053, and 1185 were passed.
  4. The Lyell Glacier might be closer to the road than the Lewis, but in any event I would suggest someone looking for easily accessible crevasses for crevasse rescue practice in the Washington Cascades go to the Nisqually Glacier at Rainier or the Coleman Glacier on Baker.
  5. Thank you for the fabulous pictures. The mention of a rock glacier reminds me of the one time I was on what I am guessing was a rock glacier below the Palisades NE of Sunrise at Mount Rainier. There is the most unstable rockpile in the basin below the Palisades that I have ever walked on, or maybe the second-most. It is clearly moving but there is no ice in sight. I've never heard it identified as a rock glacier but it must be something like that. Anyway, the Sawtooth Range of Washington is a very nice area, often overlooked. Thanks again for reminding me of this place.
  6. I too have lost more personal friends to alpine mountaineering than to backcountry skiing. 4 to 0. But I have often thought that good backcountry (alpine) skiing conditions are very closely associated with elevated avalanche danger and I am surprised that backcountry skiing has proven as safe as it is. I am guessing this is because my skier friends have taken the hazard seriously and are taking steps to avoid taking crazy risks. My alpine climbing friends have taken the risks seriously too, but I think there are a few more wild card factors that impact their safety and the frequent drive to climb harder and harder objectives tends to slant the outcome of their calculation toward greater risk.
  7. I was there one day when we were headed up to repeat the Kone or other older routes on 3:00 Rock and there was a line of parties on Daylight. The route had not been there for more than a year, I bet, because I think I would have noticed it. Sensing there must be something good there, we took a number and really enjoyed the line. Do you remember this event? Opening day?
  8. I haven't gone that way for at least ten years. Do you guys think that might be as good or better than or almost as good as The Kone for that part of the outing? My original thought was that the climbers who established Daylight went out of their way to avoid intersecting The Kone. In the original incarnation, they did not share a belay. By the way: trail work up there two weeks from now. Hope to see you.
  9. For moderate trad climbs up to 10 pitches in length, Darrington has more to offer than Index or North Bend but Leavenworth is probably closer to Tacoma. At the most accessible Darrington crag (30 minutes from the car), there are good climbs at 5.6 and up to 5.11, although the three routes at Repo (Exit 32) are better first trad leads because they are short and dead-easy half pitches. The Darrington climbs are predominantly slab and knobby face climbs, with some liebacks and cracks here and there, and you have to do rappels and maybe multiple rappels to descend. Walk off's are generally a poor option. (Having said that the Three O'Clock Rock climbs tend toward slab climbing, I should say that other formations like The Comb, Exfoliation Dome, and Squire Creek Wall have some steeper rock). An incomplete guide can be found here: Darrington Rock Climbing
  10. The rockfall that was reported as observed from a distance would probably have affected the bottom of the route if it did any damage to Dark Rhythm. You can easily climb the first pitch of the Blueberry Route and then switch over to the third pitch of Dark Rhythm and this might avoid any of the potential damage.
  11. We're car shopping. My wife and I share a single car, and we want a city car. We live in the city. But ten or maybe fifteen days a year I want to drive on a logging road or a snowy highway (the rest of the time I make the other guy drive). Sometimes those logging roads can be pretty bad. A regular street car would be better 350 days a year. What's a good car that can handle driving over water bars and snow and such?
  12. You can aid that "bolt ladder" with some extra 24" runners and maybe a shorter one to substitute for a "top loop" if you don't bring etriers.
  13. If you plan to climb to the top of the Dome from Blueberry Terrace, be sure to start climbing 50 yards north of where the Smoot book indicates!
  14. Almost all of the routes shown on my website have been maintained. Darrington Rock Climbing I continue with the maintenance and I hope to add more to the website this Summer.
  15. It generally seems that the rockfall events are weather related. The big ones mostly happen with early winter storms but I've also seen them on really hot days and this last one happened in a period when there may have been a hard rain but no other obvious trigger. The debris and scarring is pretty impressive.
  16. mattp

    Olympic

    The Olympic National Forest is hosting open houses asking the public to share the areas and roads they use on the Forest. This information will help the Forest identify a financially sustainable road system that meets diverse access needs, minimizes environmental harm, and is safe and dependable because it is scaled to available resources. The open houses will be held around the Olympic Peninsula during the summer of 2014. Date, Time and Location of Olympic National Forest Sustainable Road System Open Houses: Tuesday June 17,2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Port Angeles, Washington, Clallam County Courthouse, County Commissioner's Meeting Room, 223 E 4th St. Thursday June 19, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Forks, Washington, Olympic Natural Resources Center, Hemlock Forest Conference Room, 1455 S Forks Ave. Wednesday June 25, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Quilcene, Washington, Quilcene School Multi-purpose Room, 294715 U.S. Hwy 101 Thursday July 17, 2014 - 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., Port Townsend, Washington, Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St. Wednesday July 30, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Quinault, Washington, Olympic National Forest, Quinault Ranger Station, 363 South Shore Rd. Tuesday August 19, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Shelton, Washington, Shelton Civic Center, 525 Cota St. Thursday August 21, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Aberdeen, Washington, Rotary Log Pavillion, 1401 Sargent Blvd. Thursday August 27, 2014 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Olympia, Washington, Olympic National Forest, Supervisor's Office, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW In addition to attending open houses, the public may provide comments using the web-based map or online questionnaire on the Forest website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/olympic/sustainableroads. Questionnaires are also available at any Olympic National Forest office. Comments will be taken until August 31, 2014.
  17. The Diamond is closed this year. Washington Climbers Coalition Index page .
  18. Mildly drippy and ticks in April?
  19. Fish and Wildlife posted a closure at the Middle East Wall on Thursday, April 17. For information on this and other nesting closures, visit: www.washingtonclimbers.org.
  20. The cliff we call the Diamond will be closed to climbing pending further notice. This wall is along the Upper Town Wall row of cliffs, off to the far right from cliffs drawing more climbing activity such as the main Upper Town Wall (Heaven's Gate, Davis-Holland and Town Crier), or The Cheeks (The Beach; The Zipper). Centerfold is probably the most popular climb on The Diamond. Read more about it on the Washington Climbers Coalition web site, along with information on over 30 different areas around the state and information about access issues and stewardship efforts. Find viewable image and information at Washington Climbers Coalition page on Index.
  21. Today State Parks said that the birds are actually nesting on The Diamond this year. A revised closure designation is pending.
  22. I had frost injuries some decades ago and, for me, I think the residual affects have lessened with time. Happy healing.
  23. I think the Kautz was at one time the main guided route for Mt. Rainier. I am guessing that this is because the real difficulties on this route are pretty short (and I think they mostly did it late in the season). It could be a simple snow-climb up the chute on Memorial Day, but it might be icy, especially in the early morning.
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