mattp

You could draw the line where Pope suggests, but I'd say some of the most dubious climbs I've seen involve closely spaced bolt ladders that really don't go anywhere. They were done from the ground up and personally I’d rather see them erased than some of the better-crafted but rappel-placed routes nearby. We have debated the "legitimacy" of rap bolted vs ground-up first ascents before, and I don't think we are going to get very far re-arguing that point, but I think there are "good" and "bad" routes that have been done either way and some great routes around here involved some of both.

Hello Fairweather and Archy: we are talking about a political figure with a long and well known background, and not some poor schmoe accused of a misdemeanor. Do you really think the lack of an indictment "proves" Rove didn't help orchestrate an outing of Plame to punish Wilson or that it should end any speculation that he did so? Which is more likely here: that he did or did not? You don't have to worry about jeopardizing his right to a fair trial here because, either way, he isn't going to get one.

Given that we are talking about Karl Rove, I think a conspiracy can pretty much be assumed. Dirty tricks and conspiracy, rather than absence thereof, are more consistent with his past conduct, no? Raise your hand if you think Rove had nothing to do with outing Valerie Plame as payback for Joseph Wilson.

I'll buy you a schooner. See you at the Lock and Keel 5144 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle 8:00 pm tonight.

Bear goes with bull. You will be missing a fantastic opportunity. Now, if a couple more folks were to say "sounds good -- see you there," we'd be getting somewhere. I plan to walk over there around 8.

I wouldn't really say anybody is out of line, Marylou, I just think it is amusing to see folks who are not going to be there RSVP. It is just a bull session and maybe some darts or pool along with a bear, after all. Somebody'll save a chair for you just in case you change your mind.

Lets hear from everybody who won't be there. Puget? How 'bout you?

I agree I'd rather see a route report thread left to talk about the route than the subtleties of the photoediting process and leave that techno stuff for a different discussion, but given the strcuture of the thread I'm not sure I can pull out the photoedit part of the discussion for a separate thread. Any objections if I just chop a bit? As Gary notes, much of that topic has been covered elsewhere.

I haven't tried the giant sized WC tech friends. For off widths, wider, lighter, more stable, and cheaper sounds like an OK combination.

It is not uncommon for climbers on larger climbs in a place like Alaska running out of fuel and/or food. This sounds to me like a good idea that could actually help as I have read over and over again that if you eat snow for liquid, you lose more water in generating the heat to melt the snow than you get from it. It may not be all that simple, but this does sound like a way to use "free" heat.

I have recently had an issue with a pair of ropes having the sheath slip along the core - approximately 2 feet. The same ropes are so soft that when I rappel using a reverso, the core flattens out making it feel like a shoelace. I've never had ropes do this, though I've been using "skinny" cords for 20 years. Anybody else ever experience this?

Personally, I prefer the camelots in sizes .75 or larger, but for smaller cams I generally prefer a combination of Metolius (TCU's or powercams) and Aliens. The WC's are just fine, but most of my partners seem to prefer these others. I haven't had a chance to use the c-3's.

I don't know if this is the best knot for your purpose, but one knot I have used is a square knot - backed up with double fisherman's on each of the tails. There may be stronger knots available, but this one has the advantage of being simple and using knots you already know, as well as the fact that you can untie it without too much struggle even after multiple rappels.

How much of a climber is she? You asked about non-climbing things and maybe you'd want to go somewhere that is not a climbing destination and has less potential for Mr. Fox to be distracted by alluring pieces of stone. Consider the Steens Mountain, Malheur, Alvord Desert, and Denio Nevada area for some wild country, hot springs, exotic desert and birds, etc. Many years ago, I used to take a girlfriend on trips like this and she did pretty well, managing to climb the Grand Teton and Snowpatch Spire and Athabaska, but the fact is she later told me she was scared much of the time and really didn't like it. Our hiking trip to the Grand Canyon was more of something she actually enjoyed. My wife has climbed Liberty Bell and camped in a snowcave when it was -20c outside, but she'd really rather do something other than be cold and scared on the weekends. Go figure.

It has been wet lately, but I don't think mosquito's at Index are an extraordinary occurence, May or June included. I don't remember ever encountering them in Vantage, though.

True fact there, Off White, but there is a reason climbs like Ingalls and The Tooth are popular: they are great climbs and easy. Exfo Dome is decidedly more serious or at least a lot bigger as a rock climb though the "winter route" is only 5.6 (it is called the "winter route" because it has bushes and drippage so it is not a highly recommended summer route, though I have actually enjoyed it as a summer climb when I was looking for the easiest way up the Dome. Another good one is the W. Ridge of N. Twin Sister.

Consider a trip to Darrington. It is definitely SUB-Alpine, but there are climbs one to ten pitches long, 5.6 to 5.12. A climb of Exfoliation Dome is very much a mountain climb - in a lowland Washington kind of way. Ingalls might be a good choice. (click for larger image). You won't need an ice axe. In another month, you'll be able to get to some of the real peaks without too much snow. I second Off's comment that the rock in the Tatoosh is not known for being good. Ingalls Peak might be a good choice.

That ESE face is one of my favorite beginners climbs in the State. I've taken all kinds of people up it - kids, juvenile delinquents, hikers - at nearly all times of the year except mid-winter. It DOES have big exposure on that ramp up the headwall so I wouldn't suggest anybody treat it as completely trivial; someobody in the party ought to have some mountaineering experience, judgment and party management inclinations, perhaps, but it really doesn't require any technical skill in normal conditions. It is just plain fun, with great ambiance and a very reasonable approach/depproach. By "normal conditions" I would mean with or without snow on the ramp, but ice or some funky transition period could be treacherous -- those would te times when judgment and party management skills might be extremely important. Late season there is lots of loose and somewhat tedious scree involved in getting to the ramp.

In Leavenworth, I believe they actually watch for the birds and then put up the closure sign when the birds appear at Midnight Rock each year. The regulation may be specific to the calendar, but the biologist DOES actually try to confirm their management of the closure is related to actual nesting. The staff overseeing these programs are not against climbing.

Any of the higher peaks are going to have plenty of snow on them right now. Consider Shuksan and the Cascade Pass area in addition to those destinations listed above. The Stuart Range, too. The SW Chutes on Adams should be good for another month.

We both agreed that, after working on the trail for most of a day, we were too tired to climb anything too terribly taxing. We did, however manage to climb the first six pitches of Silent Running. These were dry; pitch 7 looked damp. It was pleasant to have the rock all to ourselves and it was nice to walk up and down the new improved trail.

About 15 years ago, I once drove out to Monroe to contest a ticket I received in Gold Bar. I was busted doing 45 in a 35 or something like that, ccoming down the hill from the saw shop. I didn't really have much of a defense, but figured I'd get points off for showing up. The kindly judge marked my ticket down from something like $118.00 to $109.00 and suggested I was wasting his and my time. I don't think a ticket for 55 in a 50, by itself, is likely to drive your insurance rates through the roof. If you don't have other violations on your record and don't habitually drive such that you are likely to get more, you might consider just paying the fine and forgetting about it. If you DO decide to contest it, find out about exactly how to do so or you may be wasting your time and that of the court. I don't practice in that area but, from what I understand, contesting the calibration on the radar guns is not the way to go any more.

I believe it will appear in this year's AAJ.

Why whould Josh or Matt want to try to explain what the opposite of trickle on economics is? Please enlighten us, oh wise JayB. While I tend to think Ivan has it right about how Trickle On economics is really just a sales pitch for giving tax breaks to the wealthy, I don't think, Mr. K, that it necessarily involves massive increases in governmental spending.